Katie Anastasi, Seth Baron, Elizabeth Baseman, Emily Brewer, Max Carmel, Ariel Cohen, Jason Emmond, Molly Feldmann, Talia Grodman, Colette Harmon, Rose Harmon, Roxanne Harmon, Julie Harris, Collin Moore, Sarah Moore,
Kaylyn Mounce, Sarah Noyovitz, Natalie Petersen
Snakes
Lynda Aramento, Ariel Cohen, Rosemary Dann, Michelle Emmond, Valorie Harmon, Sarah Moore, Stacey Moore, Meg Petersen, Theresa Pratte, Samantha St. Onge
Storytellers
Katie Anastasi, Elizabeth Baseman, Emily Brewer, Michelle Emmond, Rose Harmon, Roxanne Harmon, Valorie Harmon, Julie Harris, Susan LaBrie, Collin Moore, Sarah Moore, Stacey Moore, Kaylyn Mounce, Sarah Noyovitz,
Don Petersen, Meg Petersen, Theresa Pratte, Steve Short, Mary Singer, Neil Singer
The featured singers in Generations are: Michelle Emmond and Meg Petersen, Emily Brewer, Rose Harmon,
Kaylyn Mounce and Sarah Noyovitz
The featured singers in The Wasteland are: Roxanne Harmon, Don Petersen and Steve Short
Father
Adam
Eve
Young Cain
Young Abel
Cain
Abel
Seth
Noah
Mama Noah
Japheth
Yonah
Ham
Shem
Aphra
Aysha
Michael Curtiss
Stuart Harmon
Jennifer Cardin
Jason Emmond
Collin Moore
Kevin Boyarsky
Tom Anastasi
Max Carmel
Stuart Harmon
Rosemary Dann
Kevin Boyarsky
Lynda Aramento
Sean Damboise
Patrick Sawicki
Ariel Cohen
Samantha St. Onge
Cast
Orchestra
Keyboards/Conductor: Joseph B. Rojek Susan Grodman - Flute
Jack Butler - Percussion
Sue Ellen Davidson - Clarinet
Diane Fallier-Oboe
Jon Stewart - Bass
Synopsis
“Children of Eden” offers an opportunity to retell and rethink the well known
biblical Old Testament stories of Creation from “In the Beginning” to a
thousand years later when the world is repopulated (song “Generations”)
as Noah and his family survive the flood (song “Ain’t it Good”).
The storytellers who are both witnesses to all that G-d creates
and help set the stage for the stories, guide us through the
relationship between G-d and humankind, fathers and sons,
and mothers and daughters who bring life into the world and
provide the glue that preserves family bonds. While these
are old stories they have as much relevance today as they
had in the first 1000 years.
Steven Schwartz through lyrics and music reinforces the recurrent themes
or circle of life through the generations by showing us the repeating patterns of strengths and weaknesses in the characters of God, Adam-Noah, Cain-Japheth, Eve and Yonah. The G-d depicted in this story creates humankind in his own image showing his own imperfections when everything he planned as “perfect” does not turn out quite that way. Many questions are raised and left for you the audience to answer – Where did Eve get the “Spark of Creation” that leads her to question and seek answers from the tree of knowledge? Was the snake evil or merely G-d's agent to impel Eve to eat the fruit? Was it the creator’s intent that Adam & Eve would leave the Garden of Eden in order that the world would become populated and evolve? Act II which takes place largely on the ark provides a vision for the future and the more classical biblical sentiment that “good” will prevail over “evil”. Finally, we are left with a message of hope that is so needed in today’s troubled times (song “In the Beginning”).
Susan Grodman - Flute
