The Diviners Play Analysis

I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a production of ''The Diviners,'' on Sunday, March the Nineteenth. The performance was put on by the Calhoun Community College theatre department. The play was staged in the black box theatre of The Alabama Center for the Arts in Decatur, Alabama. It was an impressive performance especially when considering the size and arrangement of the stage. Even with such limitations, the cast were able to turn the stage into a window into prohibition era Indiana. Every little detail, from the sound effects to the smallest prop was on point. The costumes in particular were obviously done with great care. Right down to the dust on Ferris Layman's old boots. The attention to detail was honestly impressive.
The play opened with a somber scene from the finale. With a grim description of Buddy Layman's unfortunate fate. This served to set the mood for the rest of the performance. Even the happiest scenes came with a sense of foreboding. With every mention of water or rain that ominous feeling seemed to grow. By the time the intermission came I was feeling some genuine dread. …show more content…
The starring role of Buddy Layman was played by Will Cordier. I thought that he did a great job of portraying a brain damaged youth without making the role too pitiful. Mr. Cordier's shared scenes with Jake Blagburn (in the role of C. C. Showers) were the highlights of the show. They definitely had some of the best moments of the whole performance. It was nice to see Buddy's character find some peace in these interactions. Other memorable performances were Buddy's father Ferris Layman (played by Phil Parker). Norma Henshaw, the resident town zealot (played by Haylee Little). The cantankerous old farmer Basil Bennet (played by Quentin Barrentine). And Mr. Bennet's three farmhands, Melvin Wilder, Dewey Maples, and Carney Lemons (played by Damian Peters, Ben Matthews, and Richard Bransford