Publicity PSA

Public Service Announcement
For Immediate Release

Contact: Audra Albrecht, Director, Brainerd High School Drama, 218-454-6269

The Brainerd High School Drama Department will produce Jim Leonard Jr.’s award-winning drama The Diviners Friday, December 1st, Saturday, December 2nd, and Sunday, December 3rd, at the Brainerd High School Little Theatre. Show times are 7:00 pm Friday and Saturday, with a 2:30 pm matinee on Sunday. Additional performances may be added based on ticket sales. Tickets are available from cast members, Ms. Albrecht in A100 or at the door: general admission is $5. Because seating in the Little Theatre is limited, advance ticket purchases are strongly encouraged.

The Diviners is set during the Depression in a small farm community where water and faith are in short supply. A charismatic but back-sliding preacher drifts into town and meets a gentle but misunderstood boy with the gift of divining (dousing) water. The two outcasts find a common bond and help each other divine for truth, faith and hope. The townspeople, however, demand the preacher return to a way of life he no longer wants to live and it drives both men to a crisis of trust. Jim Leonard Jr.’s earthy, funny, poignant and profoundly tragic play has echoes of Steinbeck’s classic depression era work. The characters are simple but good people searching for hope and something to believe in.

Cast/crew list

CC Showers Cameron
Buddy Layman Steve-o
JennieMae Layman Arielle
Ferris Layman Jace
Basil Bennett Pat
Luella Bennett Celina
Norma Henshaw AmPat
Goldie Short Kate!
Darlene Henshaw Meagan
Dewey Maples Logan
Melvin Wilder Donny

Assistant Director Kim
Costume/Poster Design Alex
Stage Managers Nicolle, Dain
Lights Mackie
Sound Hans
Technical Director Mr. Borash, with an entire set construction crew
Light and set crew, and master organizers Lindsey, Patrick, Andrew, Justin, Meggan, Alex, Ryan Z, Josh C, a bunch of cast members, Katrina and Sara, Mike Mc, and last but no way least, Brianna F
Dramaturgy (theatre research) research completed by Ms. Albrecht’s World Drama class.

Director, design Audra Albrecht

Progress thus far

So the show is going well.
First run through went pretty well.
We are in the process of fine-tuning (cool).
Props are starting to show up. [please please please find a place for them backstage, other than the last place you dropped them!]
Costumes are looking great.
The set... well, the set has a way to go, but it is a structural marvel.

Theatre Alumni: if you'd like to pop in over t'giving week, we are rehearsing act II on Wednesday, doing tech work (no actors) on Friday, running a Q to Q on Saturday (it'll be stop/start for each scene) and then running our first acting/tech full show on Sunday. I expect Sunday will be a bit lurchy, because it will be the first time we truly combine tech and acting, but if you'd like to catch a glimpse of the show, feel free to pop in. Just don't distract the actors -- they'll have a lot they need to focus on on Sunday. Of course, you can come to the show the following weekend as well. I know a few kids need rides from MPLS --- if you're coming and you could provide a lift, respond here if you can.

Still needed:
please review your scripts -- continue to seek to fine tune characters.
Remember the basic acting traits (enunciation, projection, cheating out to see your face)

Set: chicken wire, muslin, paint.
Escape routes set in place?
Backstage needs to be cleaned out and made ready for production.

House clean out (lumber, tools, etc.)

Lights hung, cued, etc.
Sound cues created, cued, etc.

POSTERS hung

TICKETS sold -- please turn in your sales figures to Logan this week.


How are you guys doing? This thing is coming together so nicely. How are you doing? Take care of yourselves, and hang in there. Invite your friends and strangers you meet on the street.