Audience boards ‘The Ark’ in Burleson
An elaborate, two-story set helped the audience envision what life on the ark must have been like for the diverse characters in Noah’s family. Here the brothers and their wives sing of the differences between the two sexes and the difficulties in understanding each other at times.
The Burleson Community Theater players recently got their feet wet with their first play of 2007 and their second production ever.
The first production was 2006’s Smokey Joe’s Cafe. The Ark is a whimsical musical look at the events leading up to the launching of Noah’s ark and how Noah and his family handled themselves during their year-long “cruise.”
The musical featured music written by Michael McLean, a well-known Christian composer, and Kevin Kelly.
The cast of eight kept the audience on its toes with constant interaction throughout the play. Noah, played by Walter Smith, greeted the audience with glee as he boarded the “ark,” an elaborate two-story set that presented a section of the ark in cutaway fashion. “You came!” Smith exclaimed. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
That is when the audience learned that it was cast as the animals on the ark.
Susan Smith was cast as Noah’s devoted and patient wife, Eliza, burdened with the duty of cleaning up after the animals and being referee to the ongoing contention between her sons, their wives and and husband.
Japheth was played by Don Pesnel. He doubled as the set designer for the production also.
Burleson High School 2005 graduate and Baylor University senior Tiffany Skiles played Sariah, Japheth’s wife.
Ham, the wayward son of Noah, was played by Michael Sones. His real-life wife, Erin Pesnell Sones, played Egyptus, his wife.
Christian Hilliard, an eighth-grader at Kerr Middle School in Burleson, was cast as Shem. He was performing in his first “real production.” The wife of Shem was portrayed by Burleson resident Gillian Harlow, a veteran performer of productions in many states and Canada.
Noah, the 600-year-old prophet, can see what the future holds but seems unable to remember what happened five minutes past. His long-suffering wife has to bear all as her husband and children lock horns at times during the voyage of the ark. The oldest son, Japheth, honors his father by being the dutiful son, even to the point of reading scrolls on the toilet.
Sariah lives in her beauty-queen past while remaining a very likable lady. Ham, known down through history as the rebellious son, is portrayed as dark, deep thinking, but passionate.
Egyptus, wife of Ham, is free-spirited, a sort of beautiful hippy. The baby of the family, Shem, has married his mother in the form of Martha. He hasn’t a clue what to do with two mothers! Martha just wants to be married and tries hard at living up to Eliza in Shem’s eyes, often with comical results.
