Geneva drama club to present 'Eldritch'

Stepping into the shoes of a different person is nothing new for Geneva High School senior Steven Sledzinski. In preparation for his role as Skelly Mannor in the school's production of "The Rimers of Eldritch" this weekend, Sledzinski did quite a bit of preparation in order to accurately portray a man in his eighties, living on the streets.

"The Rimers of Eldritch" was written by Lanford Wilson, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner. Focusing on a small Midwestern American coal town in the mid-1960s, this drama delves into a murder mystery.

"A horrible crime has been committed in Eldritch," said Lori Dowd, Geneva High School English teacher, sponsor of the school's drama club, and director of the play.

In the town of Eldritch, where anyone who differs from the norm is ostracized, a homeless man has been murdered. The story is occupied with who he was, who murdered him, and what were the circumstances. Through the process of solving the mystery, the play examines the town and its residents.

Set in Eldritch, a small Missouri coal town that faced dire straits when the coal mine closed, it sank into difficult times highlighted when a murderer went on trial for killing a hero. Closed minds, distorted facts and prejudice soon colored the view as the trial unfolded.

"I play Skelly Mannor, an 80- to 95-year-old hermit who lives around town. He lived in a shack until it burned down; then he was homeless. He's also probably mentally handicapped. It's a coal town, so my lungs may be affected. He looks around and watches what people do. The murder trial in the play is my murder trial," explained Sledzinski.

One of the extraordinary aspects of this play is that it is presented out of sequence, and through the memory of the murder victim.

As a way to convey the jumps between time in the play, Sledzinski said he does this "through facial representations, that I'm remembering this."

Sledzinski is part of the ensemble cast for this production, which includes a cast of 17 characters, who all remain on stage for the duration of the two-act play.

"I've been doing shows since the fifth grade. My main (performance group) is Rising Star Theatreworks," said Sledzinski, who is the president of the high school's Thespian Society, president of the drama club, and co-captain of the speech team.

Preparing for each role is a unique experience for this seasoned high school senior. Sledzinski credits much of his theatrical involvement to Maryjean Bankmann, who directed him in sixth grade at Geneva Middle School.

"She started me doing more community theater and musicals. Because of her, I'm in theater," he said.

One of Bankmann's lessons which has stayed with Sledzinski is, "It doesn't matter if you say the right line or not, but if you're in character, it will be the right lines."

In addition to the cast, Geneva students have also been involved in set construction, lighting design, and sound operation for this production.

Dowd, who has been directing plays for 11 of her 13 years at Geneva, said she chose this play because she wanted to do something serious.

"I also like dealing with ensemble pieces, and with as large of a cast as I could handle," she added.

"This is not a student directed play, but the students have been very instrumental in developing their own characters," Dowd said. "They aren't just parroting back what I've told them to do. The interpretation is really theirs. I could not be more proud of them. It's been phenomenal working with this group of students."

Sledzinski, who has also appreciated working with Dowd, said. "I've been in plays here for four years, and Mrs. Dowd has taught me fantastic strategies which will continue to help me in theater and throughout my life."

If you go:

What: Geneva High School's Fall Play "The Rimers of Eldritch"

Where: Geneva High School, 416 McKinley Ave.

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 14 and 15

Tickets: Available at door: $5 for adults and $3 for students and seniors

The Rimers of Eldritch cast list

Wilma Atkins: Becky Borowiak

Martha Truit: Sarah Henry

Lena Truit: Val Schuetz

Mary Windrod: Olivia Hoselton

Nelly Windrod: M Hebling

Cora Groves: Katherine Fennessy

Evelyn Jackson: Jenna Wojcik

Eva Jackson: Jessica Knackstedt

Mavis Johnson: Claire Ramming

Patsy Johnson: Val Zawada

Judge/Preacher: Andrew Rau

Robert Conklin: Trevor Morgan

A Trucker: Brandon Damore

Walter: Matt Kuyawa

Peck Johnson: Phill Banion

Josh Johnson: Corbin McGhee

Skelly Mannor: Steven Sledzinski

Understudies:

Eva/Mary: Bianca Shaw

Patsy/Wilma: Emily Clement

Lena/Cora/Martha: Kelly Barabasz

Nelly/Evelyn/Mavis: Lindsay Souvannarath

Robert: Brandon Damore

Walter/Skelly: Jack Muenster

Peck/Josh/Preacher: Tanner Clausen