Residents@JV

Fiddler on the Roof

On the week-end of May 4, 5, & 6, 2007, the Mater Dei High School Theatre Department transformed Kempf Auditorium into a Russian village and presented ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ for their Spring Musical. For the second year in a row, Debbie Haton, teacher and sponsor of the Mater Dei High School’s National Honor Society, furnished tickets for the Jacob’s Village residents to attend the matinee final performance Sunday, May 6, at 2:00pm. Wanda, Debbie, Donna Kay, Mike, Michael, Scott, home coordinators Gloria and Joe arrived in plenty of time before the show began to have a group photo taken of them in the lobby of Kempf Auditorium. The Jacob’s Village bunch was some of the first to arrive; after posing for a photo and receiving a program, they had their choice of seats in the 375 seat auditorium. The last two rows on the right side were designated wheelchair accessible seating and that was the area for us. Looking around, they didn’t see a bad seat in the facility. The story line for ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ focuses on a Russian Jewish family set in the early 20th Century. A Dairyman and his wife’s five daughters are struggling with some of the daughter’s marriage plans in a challenging time. The family is being torn apart by new ideas and customs that go against religious traditions. In their small Russian community the politics were changing as well as the World’s landscape around them. There were a few popular songs that were sung, a unique language dialect that was spoken, and very elaborate costumes that were worn. The choreographed dancing numbers appeared to have required extensive training sessions for the cast. The ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ cast consisted of 35 students from grades 9-12 and had many others that made up the behind the scenes stage and production crews. Period costumes for any production do not come cheap. For Mater Dei, seamstress Alison Moore, volunteers her time in providing all costumes for their productions. What can’t be found from costume companies, rummage sales, Goodwill and Salvation Army stores or used costumes from the Evansville Civic Theatre, she hand makes herself. Although all High School theatric productions have good directing qualities over the cast and settings, and all the students act out their characters remarkably well; the favorite ones the Jacob’s Village bunch like to watch are comedy’s and whimsical, feel-good musicals. As good as ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ is and was well performed by the Mater Dei High School Theatre Department; it requires a lot of reasoning and thinking…and who would have thought there would have been a Fiddler on one of the prop roof’s throughout the show. The Jacob’s Village bunch really enjoys the opportunity to see shows that are provided by the generosities of some individuals. They are all Friends of Jacob’s Village who take their time out to think of the residents; thank you Debbie Haton for your treat.

posted by J V Resident Blog @ 10:42 AM