Peace Play explores a tired hero’s fight for justice
Peace Play: Heavenly Light
Dates & Times: Friday, Oct. 1, 7 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 2, 4 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 3, 2 p.m.
Location: Umble Center
Tickets: $6, available at goshen.edu/tickets or at the door beginning one hour before the performance. (Free for GC students & employees)
The Goshen College Theater Department will present “Heavenly Light” by Barbara Lindsay, winner of the 2020 Goshen Peace Play Contest, during Homecoming Weekend on Friday, Oct. 1 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 2 at 4 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 3 at 2 p.m.
In “Heavenly Light,” former freedom fighter Lucinda Celeste lives in quiet isolation, with her friend and self-proclaimed protector Rex Eaglejeep as her only connection to the rest of the world. But when her long-estranged son Otto appears with the news that property is going to be confiscated, supposedly to build a new autobahn, Lucinda must decide whether she will capitulate or once again take up her fight against the repressive government, a fight that has already cost her everything she loves. She longs to continue to live in quiet acquiescence, but realizes she must be true to herself and demonstrate for her son what it is to live as a person of conscience and authenticity.
“Heavenly Light is not a glamorized story about peace or about that ultimate moment of sacrifice,” said Abigail Greaser, the play’s director. “It’s about the hard work it takes to live truthfully and rooted within justice. A hero’s fight isn’t necessarily about the big sacrifices – or even the victories. Rather, it is about resilience needed to continually make the hard choice to stand up for what is right over and over again.”
As part of the Homecoming Weekend festivities, playwright Barbara Lindsay will be on campus from Shoreline, Washington to see her play come to life on the Umble Center stage, offering a talkback following all three performances. A reception for Lindsay will be held after the Saturday performance.
Cast and production team
Lucinda Celeste: Antoinette Mpawenayo
Rex Eaglejeep: Oscar Murguia
Otto Celeste: Jocsan Barahona Rosales
Director: Abigail Brunk Greaser
Producer: Amy Budd
Technical Director: Sarah Kohler
Stage Manager: Gloria Bontrager-Thomas
Scenic Designer: Benjamin Meyer Reimer
Lighting Designer: Adam Hinegardner
Costume Designer: Olivia Ewry
Sound Designer: Sarah Bailey
Hair and Make-up Designer: Abigail Brunk Greaser
Sound Board Operator: Orlando Aguirre-Mulato