The Montgomery County Cultural Center and Iron Age Theatre Present The Diviners by Jim Leonard Jr.

Directed and Designed by Randall Wise and John Doyle


October 31 - November 23
Friday - Sunday

A small town torn apart by a tragic drowning and the devastating effect of the Great Depression, struggles to find hope in Jim Leonard Jrs. powerful, poignant, and deeply humorous play "The Diviners" opening October 31 at the Centre Theatre in Norristown.

"The Diviners" opens October 31 and runs through November 23 at the Centre Theatre in the Montgomery County Cultural Center in Norristown. Showtimes are at 8 p.m. with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. On October 30 there is a preview of the play at 8 p.m. Tickets are $16 and $12. Call 610-279-1013 for information.

The play revolves around Buddy Layman an emotionally disturbed young man who has the gift of finding water or "divining." Even though he can "feel" where water is underground, he is terrified of it from nearly drowning as a child.

Buddy lives with his father and sister in a small town in Indiana during the Great Depression. The community, fighting drought, economic depression and despair is praying for someone to lead them to better times. Into this setting wanders C.C. Showers, a back sliding preacher from Kentucky. The charismatic Showers is struggling with a crisis of faith and has stopped preaching to look for "honest" work.

Showers meets Buddy and is drawn to him and his family. The ex-preacher tries to help the boy overcome his fear of water but runs into the will of the community who want him to stay and become a pastor again and who consider the boy to be dangerous.

Strongly reminiscent of classic John Steinbeck, the play is a heartrendingly real look at the struggles of rural people to make sense of a world turned upside down. Resonating with questions of faith, divinity, and the power of nature, The characters in the play struggle in a society without guidance. Playwright Jim Leonard, Jr. examines the consequences when the needy are ignored by social and political leaders eager to further their own ends.

The play also examines how technology and fear has separated us from nature.

This overwhelming sense of loss is tempered by a deep confidence in the essential goodness of the characters and the marvelous humor that resonates throughout the play.

Real life brother and sister Jered and Kate McLenigan play brother and sister in the play. Jered McLenigan is the troubled water witch Buddy. McLenigan played Evans in last year's critically acclaimed "Terra Nova." McLenigan has also appeared as the stuttering Billy Bibbit in "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest," and as the wolf in "Seventy Scenes of Halloween." His sister Kate starred in the popular Fringe Festival production of "Dutchman," and "The Sound of a Voice" at the Centre Theatre.

Playing Pastor Showers is Anthony M. Giampetro. Giampetro has acted at The Phildephia Theatre Company, The Drama Guild, and the Philadelphia Festival Theatre. He received great reviews for his role as Lennie in last year's "Of Mice and Men" and Mountain in "Requiem for a Heavyweight."

Steve Hatzai plays the cantankerous father. Hatzai has worked in the theatre for forty years appearing in New York, the Folger Theatre in Washington and in Philadelphia at Interact, Hedgerow, and the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival and People's Light and Theatre Company.

Ray Saraceni and Susan Paige Lane play the country doctor and his wife. Both actors appeared in "Terra Nova." Also starring in the show are John Fidler, Linda Newsted, Melissa DiLeonardo, Linda Palmarozza

Working together, the Centre Theatre and Iron Age Theatre have been one of the most critically acclaimed companies working in the Philadelphia Area. Their most recent show "Terra Nova" was nominated for a Barrymore Award for Outstanding Ensemble in a Play. The company also produced the critically acclaimed revival of Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" last year. The Centre Theatre is Montgomery County's professional theatre, staging challenging critically acclaimed work.

The Centre Theater is in the Montgomery County Cultural Center at 208 DeKalb Street in Norristown. It is easily reached from Routes 202, I-76, I-476 and Ridge Pike. There is plenty of free parking and the theatre is one block from Septa's Norristown Transit Center, R6 line. Call 610-279-1013 for tickets and information or visit us on the web at www.artscc.org.