Amelia Community Theatre
Press Release
By Cindy Levine for ACT
November 1, 2018 1:00 p.m.
A family torn apart by trauma slowly weaves itself back together again in “End Days,” an irreverent but heartfelt comedy/drama by Deborah Zoe Laufer at Amelia Community Theatre’s Studio 209.
“End Days” tells the story of the Stein family as they struggle to put the pieces of their lives together after being impacted by the events of September 11th in New York City. Two years after the life changing event, the family has moved out of New York City to the suburbs. Arthur Stein (Doug McDowell) remains paralyzed with guilt and fear having been the only survivor in his World Trade Center office. Unable to sleep or eat he walks around the house in a daze over still unpacked boxes and an empty refrigerator. His wife Sylvia ( Gillian Johnson), desperate to protect her family, has renounced her trust in the Jewish faith to become an Evangelical Christian who believes 9/11 was a wake -up call and the Rapture is coming any day. She has a personal relationship with Jesus (Richard Smith) who floats in and out of the home in flowing robes and beard, invisible to the other family members. Add to the mix their daughter Rachel ( Ilana Gould), a rebellious and angry , pot-smoking teenager who wants no part of her mother’s insanity and believes the physicist Stephen Hawking is the only one who can save them all.
Into this polarized family drops a doggedly happy teen named Nelson Steinberg (Craig Wickless). The newest and most bullied nerd in town, he takes the stage wearing a white Elvis jumpsuit and strumming love songs to his crush Rachel on his guitar. Nelson works his way into the Steins’ hearts and changes the whole family dynamic in subtle and gentle ways. Arthur becomes Nelson’s Bar Mitzvah coach and finally gets dressed and shops for food. Rachel shares Nelson’s passion for science , and Sylvia finds a willing listener in the eager-to-please young man.
“End Days” is funny, warm and uplifting. It pits faith and science against each other without attack or mockery, and this struggle of a family with wildly mixed beliefs is written with humor and compassion. In the end, it is Nelson who represents the reconciliation of faith and reason and who becomes the catalyst and healing force that takes the family to a better place.
Director Matt Tompkins is thrilled to have the opportunity to direct this quirky play about a family that finds its soul while waiting for the Apocalypse. “End Days” tells the story of how real people deal with tragedy in their lives and explores why people turn to faith when bad things happen ,” says Tompkins.
Performances are at 8 p.m. November 2-3, 8- 10 and 2 p.m. November 4 at 209 Cedar Street. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students through college, available at www.AmeliaCommunityTheatre.org and by calling the box office at 261-6749. The play, sponsored by Coastal Cloud, is rated PG-13 for adult language and situations.