“The Rimers of Eldritch” brings murder mystery to campus

   A murder trial is taking place at Chapman this month – 17 actors and actresses will learn the identity and motives of the murderer in their performance of Lanford Wilson's "The Rimers of Eldritch."    

   The theater department, under direction of adjunct professor Holly Derr, performs the play, which opened Thursday at Waltmar Theatre. Nina LeNoir, theater department chair and producer, chose the large ensemble play for students to participate and stretch their talents working with Derr's acting approach, "Viewpoints and Composition."

   The technique focuses on using movement and gestures as an emphasis for acting.

   "It's a different story depending on what you pay attention to," said Meghan Keavney, a sophomore screen acting major. "What I love about this show, and what the audience should pay attention to, is how we will be saying one thing with our words, but physically, our body will be saying another."

   The play revolves around a murder, set in a small Bible Belt town in Missouri in the late 1950s. It's performed in a nonlinear fashion, leaving the audience to gather clues and put pieces together of how this small town has used traditional values as weapons of exclusion.         

   Keavney, who plays Mavis Johnson, a mother concerned about her family and propriety, said she enjoyed learning a new approach to acting.

   "I learned that there is no limit to what you can do with your character and how far you can go," Keavney said.

   Originally, the play "Our Town" was scheduled to be performed, but the rights were not available. "The Rimers of Eldritch" is a darker, more contemporary version of "Our Town," LeNoir said.

   "It's a very human story about prejudice, preconception, miscommunication, exploring youth and exploring choice," LeNoir said.

   Freshman theater major Donathan Walters plays 18-year-old loner Robert Conkling and said rehearsing for the play has been a different but good experience.

   "We blocked the show as an ensemble, working together as a cast and with our director," Walters said. "My favorite thing about the play is how each character has his own little ego, but no one is singled out."

   Students rehearsed five to six days a week for three to five hours a day during Interterm. This is Derr's first directing and teaching experience at Chapman.

   "The play is a perfect match for what I do as a director," Derr said. "It's very physical and allows for the body and space to tell a story."

   Derr said "The Rimers of Eldritch" will be a play to which students can connect.

   "These things that people do to each other in this small town – judging unfairly and scapegoating – are the same insecurities and hypocrisy that everybody has to deal with," she said. "It's about being your own person against preconceived traditions and expectations and how hard that is to do."

   The show runs Feb. 16 to 18 and 23 to 25 at 7:30 p.m. with an additional show Feb. 25 at 2 p.m. Tickets will cost $15 for Chapman students and $20 general admission.