Ritz to present show

In The Ritz Players production of “Messiah on the Frigidaire,” Dwayne and Lou Ann Hightower (Jason Jerisha and Mandy Wolber, left) and their best friend Betsy Gridley (Ashley Hushour, right) look over the tabloid magazine, National Investigator, that embellishes the miracle of an image of Jesus that has suddenly appeared on a refrigerator on the front porch of their trailer. “Messiah on the Frigidaire” opens Friday at The Ritz in Tiffin.

TIFFIN — The Ritz Players have announced the cast for “The Messiah on the Frigidaire” by John Culbertson.
Cast members are Lou Ann Hightower, played by Mandy Wolber, Findlay; Dwayne Hightower, Jason Jerisha, Findlay; Betsy Gridley, Ashley Hushour, Chatfield; the Rev. Cecil Hodges, Rick Frederick; Larry Williamson, Dale DePew; woman, Vanessa Cook; boy, Jackson Cook; stranger, Bob Dougherty; director, Nancy Betz; stage manager, Jennifer Payne; lights, Sandy Kimmel; sound, Kyle Hammer; and props, Gabby Mitchell.
All cast members are from Tiffin unless noted.
The show is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday and July 21 and 2 p.m. July 22 at The Ritz Theatre, 30 S. Washington St., Tiffin.
The small town of Elroy, S.C., is thrust into the evangelical spotlight when what seems to be the image of Jesus appears on a refrigerator in a trailer park. The discovery by Lou Ann Hightower, her husband Dwayne and her best friend Betsy sets into motion a frenzy of conflict, communion and good old-fashioned commerce.
When National Investigator magazine turns the appearance into front page headlines, their trailer park becomes a mecca for miracle seekers, soul searchers and disciples with a decidedly political agenda. At the urging of the town’s business leaders, Betsy pretends to get messages from the appliance-based apparition, and the crowds multiply like loaves and fishes.
Through the ordeal, the three undergo an evolution in their relationships with each other, and they are forced to come to grips with their lowly status in the caste system of the rural South. In a region where religion is as much a part of life as grits and cotton fields, God surely moves in mysterious ways.
Tickets are $11 for adults and $7 for students.

Posted by Daily Chief on July 12, 2012. Filed under Arts Entertainment,Recent Pictures. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry