BENNETTSVILLE—The Marlboro Players bring the ultimate good versus evil fantasy story, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to life this March 19-21 at the Marlboro Civic Center. Auditions for the play were held in January, open to second graders and up, and tickets are on sale now.
Layered in symbology and multiple meanings, the play explores the adventures of the Pevensie children who are sent to stay with their uncle in the country during WWII as London had become unsafe.
While staying with their mysterious uncle, the children discover a magic wardrobe that transports them to a frozen land ruled over by an evil queen, the antagonist of the play, also known as the White Witch. The children must help the rightful and just leader, a lion named Aslan, defeat the wicked witch.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe play is based on the C.S. Lewis book series, the Chronicles of Narnia and delves into challenging themes such as good versus evil, moral dilemmas and what it means to be a leader during a time of crisis. Boiling the story down to its most basic elements, the story portrays the resurrection of Christ as told through the use of fantastical elements such as talking animals and magic.
Now an old hand at this acting thing, Cameron Freeman is returning to the stage as one of the Pevensie children, Edmund. Freeman previously starred in his first acting role as Mr. Green in the Civic Center’s successful rendition of the interactive play Clue.
“It is so much fun getting into character. I feel like there is more range with Edmund, I get to be meaner, and I really like the clothes for Edmund,” says Freeman. “I also love the variety in our cast, having such a big cast provides wonderful interaction, and we have so many talented performers working on this project.”
Fully embodying the character of the White Witch to perfection, Sarah Crouch says she is thrilled to be an integral part of such an imaginative play.
“It is a pleasure acting in a symbolic play, so much of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is symbolic, and I love how talented our cast is. We have such a variety of ages, which I think adds a really special element to this play for me, particularly Olivia who plays our dwarf—she is our youngest cast member, and she does an amazing job,” praised Crouch. She added, “I feel like this role gives me a chance to explore feelings I do not usually share. She is pure evil, cold—the Queen is the ultimate lack of warmth and light.”
Playing the part of Maude Beaver, Biva Land says she has starred in many plays with the Marlboro Players, one of her favorites was the character of Annelle in the play Steel Magnolias.
“I had a lot of fun playing Annelle but playing the part of an animal is exciting because it is definitely more challenging to play. One of the things I enjoyed the most with this play is our cast. We have a large and varied cast of talent, and we can’t wait for opening night,” said Land.