The Diviners
at Mater Dei

Reviewed on November 15, 2019

Catherine Mitchell
University
Submitted for publication to OC Cappies

Mater Dei's "The Diviners" is Weighty and Wistful
written by Catherine Mitchell, a freshman at University High School

A powerful bass chord resonates. A young boy is pulled under the surface of the water, gasping for air. A group of arguing townspeople in the background are oblivious. Everything moves in slow motion as the boy helplessly sinks deeper.

When C.C. Showers, a disillusioned preacher, first arrives in the southern Indiana town of Zion, it doesn't take long for him to befriend Buddy Layman, an amiable fourteen-year-old with good intentions. However, the more time they spend together, the more evident becomes Buddy's ingrained fear of water. Once Buddy is plagued with ringworm with cold water being the only form of relief, C.C. must find a way to make the boy willing to confront his worst nightmare.

Sebastian Ledesma is charming and heartrending as the disturbed Buddy. He is genuine and sympathetic, whether daydreaming about his late mother flying in the sky as an angel or clutching himself under a blanket with terror in his eyes during a rainstorm. His innocence and trust in others shows as he opens up to C.C. with his fears, hopes, and dreams.

Joshua Weed captivates the stage as C.C., compassionately interacting with Buddy using kind words and soft smiles. However, gentle motions shift into powerful ones as he grasps and shouts at a hyperventilating Buddy in the rain, telling him that his mother is gone and will never come back. His attachment to Buddy is clear when he finally pulls the boy's limp body out of the river, sobbing and praying for everything to be alright.

Darlene Henshaw (London Coco Griffin) stands out as a charismatic and comical character. She first appears rebellious and chic in front of her friends, but quickly becomes meek and proper when faced with her aunt Norma. Norma Henshaw (Cynthia Garcia) is equally amusing as an old-fashioned, conservative Christian, whether passionately preaching the wonders in the Bible or proclaiming trivial things as signs from God.

Lighting, designed by Jake Hulina, intensifies the performance effectively. Each setting, be it day, night, in a rainstorm, or underwater, is obvious with the soft hues that illuminate the stage. As Buddy's fear of water grows and recedes, so does the saturation of blue, which creates a magical effect.

Emotional and touching, Mater Dei's "The Diviners" explores the theme of love and community in a compelling production.

Luciana Varkevisser
St. Margarets
Submitted for publication to OC Cappies Facebook

Mater Dei presents a heart-wrenching production of "The Diviners"
written by Luciana Varkevisser, a freshman at St. Margaret's Episcopal

Mater Dei's play of "The Diviners" tells a heart touching story of friendship and community.

After Buddy Layman's mother died saving him from drowning, he has had an uncontrollable fear of water and has the uncanny ability to sense where it is. When former preacher C.C Showers shows up in need of a job, Buddy's father offers him a place to sleep in exchange for work. C.C and Buddy then proceed to change each other's lives.

The acting of Sebastian Ledesma, playing Buddy Layman, was in a word phenomenal. The character he played had such a complex personality and so many difficult scenes, however, Sebastian was able to execute them to perfection. Whether it was scratching his feet, getting a piggyback ride from C.C, or screaming in anguish from the rain or even drowning, his emotions poured out from him. Throughout the entire show, even if he was just tying his shoes on the side of the stage, Sebastian had full commitment to his character and was a joy to watch.

Joshua Weed as C.C Showers, Isabelle Buchanan as Jennie Mae Layman, and Ledesma worked very well together and were all fully committed to their character, even when they were not the center of attention. Weed's physicality, when he was shaking Buddy back to reality or pretending to fly with Buddy, really brought out the complexity of his character. Buchanan did a stupendous job of embodying the young and curious girl Jennie was. Although sometimes characters' accents may have been hard to understand, the overall performance of the three made up for anything that might have been lost in translation.

The tech elements of this production were gorgeous. The crew's use of lighting, sound, costumes, and so much more made the production even more memorable. The cues were perfectly executed and Gwen Smith, as assistant director, blocked some of the scenes amazingly.

The lighting throughout the show was gorgeous, specifically the drowning scene, where they used different colored lights and a wave-like effect to distinguish between above and underwater. The lighting was also able to help distinguish between setting and time changes, like the woods versus the farm, or whether it was early morning or night. Jake Hulina and Lily Ponce's lighting was skillfully executed and well thought out.

The seamless compatibility of the tech crew and the cast made Mater Dei's production of "The Diviners" soul-stirring.

Parker Powers
Tesoro
Submitted for publication to OC Cappies Facebook

Mater Dei's "The Diviners" is a Showering Success!
written by Parker Powers, a junior at Tesoro High School

Filled with drama and poignant moments, Mater Dei's production of "The Diviners" follows the relationship of a disenchanted preacher and a disabled, traumatized boy who is severely afraid of water. Genuinely conveying the struggles of overwhelming fear, Mater Dei demonstrates a powerful performance through vivid characters and stylistic elements.

Embodying the youthful and heartbreakingly innocent Buddy Layman, Sebastian Ledesma acts with child-like mannerisms, including constant squirming and crouching over. When trying to fall asleep, his agitation caused by ringworm is exhibited by crying, yelling, and aggressively scratching his feet. In his final scene, his fear of water is especially exemplified with intense breathing and horrified facial expressions.

A conflicted ex-preacher, Joshua Weed captures C.C. Shower's struggles with puzzled facial expressions. When he is questioned about his faith, Weed frowns and speaks softly to demonstrate Showers' internal conflict. When Showers attempts to cure Buddy's ringworm and aquaphobia, Weed contrasts his reserved nature with an alarming and loud tone, while forcefully and desperately pinning Buddy down.

Strutting across the stage, London Coco Griffin plays the vivacious and outgoing Darlene. With a prissy southern accent and capricious tone, she comically personifies the stereotypical "town gossip". With disgusted facial expressions, she blatantly rejects Emily Manney's character, Dewey, in the first act. However, her character growth is apparent when her facial expressions depict heartbreak as she is condemned for dancing. Griffin brilliantly captures the struggles of navigating romance in a judgemental society.

Moreover, Sophia Moreno exemplifies each character through culturally appropriate and detailed hair and makeup. She embellishes Buddy's face, neck, and feet with red abrasions to demonstrate his worsening case of ringworm. The women wear casual, pulled-back hair to capture the show's simplistic southern setting. JD Houston, who plays Ferris Layman, also has black splotches on his face and arms to resemble a mechanic's grime.

Employing elements like social media, Imani Brutlag, Emma Rowden, and Genevieve Vu effectively publicize the show. With a bold font and simplistic waves, the designers create shirts that simplistically parallel Buddy's fear of water. They further produce an eye-catching poster with two people dipping their feet in the water, promoting a vital scene in the show.

Mater Dei's "The Diviners" explores dramatic waters with powerful actors and detailed design. Illustrating honest fears, they depict the life-altering impact that a caring individual can have on another's life.