Cappies Review: The Diviners at Falls Church High School

"Buddy Layman's dead, don'cha see?" Last weekend, audiences dove into the profound story of Falls Church High School's production of "The Diviners."

The show, set during the Great Depression in the small Indiana town of Zion, numbering forty people, follows the story of mentally challenged Buddy Layman (Brennan Jones). Buddy, whose mother drowned saving him from the same fate when he was young, has a special talent for "divining" water and can sense rain. However, he is terrified of water. The sleepy town, deprived of a preacher for ten years, begins to stir when ex-preacher C.C. Showers (Reggie Herold) arrives. C.C.'s arrival helps Buddy come more in touch with his world, but as the townspeople force C.C. into a pastorship he does not want, the consequences are fatal.

With a small cast numbering eleven actors, each individual was responsible for carrying their part and weaving their own character with little support from others. Though this was no small feat, the cast of The Diviners executed it well with powerful emotions that filled the auditorium.

Given the difficult task of playing a mentally challenged character, Brennan Jones was both sincere and endearing as Buddy Layman. His chemistry with Reggie Herold as C.C. Showers was remarkable, and the two showed Buddy's renewal towards water with heartwarming genuineness. Herold's emotions grew and changed with every event, giving him delightful depth of character. Jones was bona fide in his representation of Buddy, whose terror of water was overshadowed by his wonder of the world around him.

Characters such as the youthful Jennie May Layman (Erica Taylor) and gruff Ferris Layman (Sam Johnson) brought the mentality of Buddy's family to life as they cared for and supported him. The sad wisdom of Basil Bennett (Boris Mewborn) was as integral and emotional as the misguided eagerness of Norma Henshaw (Betsy Ryan). While vocal projection was excellent, some actors rushed their lines through the audience's laughter, and occasionally a character's facade slipped. With lighthearted moments interspersed between the drama, the supporting cast was engaging and carried the message of the play home.

Bill Miller's lighting was powerful and emphasized every moment, never missing a cue. The storms and rain created by Sulaiman Popal's sound cues fit their scenes excellently. Make-up done by Rachel James and Sara Samson aged the actors remarkably in their roles. The combination of mystical, muted sound and swirling "underwater" light gave the final tragic scene an even more powerful punch, underscoring how the tech nicely paired with the acting to deliver the show.

With a deep message to deliver throughout the performance, Falls Church earned a standing ovation for a divine night.

By Mariah Ligas of Freedom High School through the high school Cappies program, the critics and awards program for high school theater. In this program, high school students are trained as critics, attend shows at other schools and write reviews for local newspapers. At the end of the year, student critics vote for awards that are presented at a formal Cappies Gala.