Innocence is bliss: All parents understand it and try to shield their children from the rigors of “real” life. During their children’s early stages of life, parents make all of the decisions – because where there is choice, there is pain. But children often question this shroud of ambiguity and tend to depart from their parents’ advice, driven by curiosity and a need to experience life.
“Children of Eden helps you understand adolescent rebellion and its consequences,” says Communication junior Julie Ritchey, the show’s director. “It exposes how these forays of adolescent self-discovery can cause pain for their parents and reminds us that there is more than one perspective to every story.”
Produced by the Jewish Theater Ensemble, Children of Eden uses religious texts to explore the family dynamic. Using the adaptation of Grammy and Oscar winner Stephen Schwartz – who also wrote the music for such Broadway hits as Godspell, Pippin and Wicked – this piece chronicles the first nine-and-a-half books of Genesis in an allegorical fashion.
In its exploration of a child’s relationship with his parents, Children of Eden draws a parallel between the age-old teachings of the Old Testament and the issues that parents face today in raising their children. From Adam and Eve to Cain and Abel to Noah’s Ark, the play investigates the familial struggles that occur when children grow older and start making their own decisions.
“By using these fictional back stories, it is easier to flush out the underlying familial themes,” Ritchey says. “Rather than focusing on Cain slaying his brother, we can instead explore the tumultuous relationship between parents and their children.”
In their exploration of the parent-child dynamic, the crew decided to depart from the traditional representations of this story. Instead of an ornate set with a myriad of colors and greenery, this piece features a singular green backdrop with swirling leaf-like designs.
In another twist on the religious texts, God is portrayed as a normal, loving father – rather than an all-powerful, omniscient and somewhat frightening being.
“The thing about this script is that it is extremely versatile,” Ritchey says. “It is usually done in a lavish way, with a host of animals and animated depictions of the flood, Noah’s ark and the Garden of Eden. But we wanted to push the earthiness and the humanity.”
The absence of an elaborate set or special effects forces the cast to rely more on their talents than on any artificial creations. Aided by a spotlight and light filters, the cast portrays everything in this piece, from the animals of the Garden of Eden to the forbidden tree.
In one memorable scene, five actors represent the snakes of temptation as they spin, twirl and hiss in an attempt to convince Eve to eat the apple. With the dance steps, song lyrics, music and lighting effects all working together, Children of Eden represents the perfect union of cast, crew and orchestra.
“I was fortunate to work with such dedicated, hard-working people,” Ritchey says. “I always felt like we had a running start because they were always prepared and ready to go to work.”
Children of Eden is playing in the Louis Room, 1999 Campus Dr., Feb. 2 through Feb. 4. Tickets cost $5 for students and $10 for adults. For more information, visit www.jewsonstage.com or contact Jessica Furr at (561) 445-3096.
Medill junior Michael Burgner is the PLAY theater editor. He can be reached at [email protected].