'Diviners' play opens April 9

The SCC Theater Department’s spring main stage theater production is a play by Jim Leonard Jr. called “The Diviners.”

The play is set in rural Indiana during the Depression Era, making its themes applicable to today’s economic disturbance. It offers a glimmer of hope in desolate circumstances through a profound friendship between the main characters: Buddy Layman, a young boy who is brain-damaged after a near-drowning, and CC Showers, a preacher who stays at the Layman home after he thinks he can no longer preach.

According to Randy Messersmith, SCC’s Theatre Department chair, the play is “a wonderful, human, touching story.”

“The way the story resolves itself is a dazzling display of powerful theater,” said Messersmith.

"The Diviners" is written for a general audience. The story is a universal theme as the characters look for faith in a very dark time.

According to Messersmith, the department performances generally take about six weeks to put together. However, pre-production precedes that by a couple weeks. This is the time when the play’s rights and royalties are sorted out. It is also a time for the designers and play executives (ex: costume director, set director, stage manager) to review and discuss a plan of attack.

According to Kevin Jones, a technical theater (audio) major, the play will not be held in SCC’s auditorium due to renovations. It will be held at the Theatre Artists Studio at 4848 E. Cactus Road in Scottsdale.

 The opening date of “The Diviners” will be April 9 at 7 p.m. The actors and crew will have six performances over the span of two weekends. Tickets cannot be bought ahead of time; however, they can be reserved by calling 480-423-6356.
Tickets cost $10 for general admission and $8 for students.