Marlboro Players bring it again! A review of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

BENNETTSVILLE — This past weekend the Marlboro Players transformed the stage at the Marlboro Civic Center into the frozen fantasy land of Narnia, bringing C.S. Lewis’s tale of good versus evil, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to life. Thursday night, or opening night, the curtains closed on a packed crowd whose cheers for more brought down the house.

Directed by Sarah Orr and produced by Emmie Beck, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ran Thursday through Saturday night with a start time of 7 p.m. each night. The play tells the story of how the wicked White Witch makes it always winter in Narnia and never Christmas, until she is defeated by two daughters of Eve and two sons of Adam.

Drawing from a wealth of local talent, many of the play’s performers have starred in previous Marlboro Civic Center hosted performances.

Cutting an imposing figure, evil oozed across the stage in the form of Sarah Crouch, the play’s very believable White Witch, a perfect antagonist to Scott Andrews faithful portrayal of Aslan, the Lion.

The four Pevensie children, Lucy, Edmund, Susan, and Peter were played by talented young actors Bella Schauer, Cameron Freeman, Alice Lang, and Dagan Ziebell, [who should be cast in the role of Gilbert Blythe from Anne of Green Gables immediately and without hesitation!]. When watching their performances, it was easy to get drawn in by the sibling’s lighthearted banter.

Unlike many theatrical performances, the cast was easy to hear and understand, adding to the plausibility of truly being in Narnia for the audience.

Hampton Hubbard played a jolly Father Christmas, who returned with his quirky elf, played by Lily Williams, when the snow and ice slowly began to melt, freeing up St. Nicholas’s ability to deliver Christmas presents.

All the woodland creatures did an amazing job portraying their characters.

Rescuing and guiding the Pevensie children throughout their time in Narnia, Maude Beaver was played by Viva Lang and Mabel Beaver by Amanda King. Sure to be a favorite for every little girl, Katie Rushing played a Unicorn and Jolie Havener a Centauress.

Initially a source of trickery in the play, Tumnus Faun, as played by the very talented Jacob Orr, kept the audience convinced and enthralled with his performance.

Leading the Witch’s army, Tom Havener played the part of the ferocious and cold Fenris Ulf, bringing to the stage boundless energy and moments of trepidation for the children, woodland creatures, and audience members alike!

Additionally, the youngest member of the cast, Olivia Schauer, carried out the White Witch’s orders impeccably, barking out a few commands of her own with a gruffness almost not to be believed of one so young.

A nearly impossible task for most, Phillip Bryen Orr, Bannen Orr and Truly Orr perfectly played the part of frozen statues.

Between scenes, Wood Nymphs, Wendy McIntyre, Heather Midgely, and Jane Rogers surreptitiously floated props on an off stage while Chris Brune on lights and Kimberly Tranes on sound set the mood from the booth.

Carolyn Andrews and Jane Rogers handled costumes and props. Some stand outs in costume were the White Witch, Aslan, and little Lucy Pevensie whose pink dress could not have been more thoughtfully chosen. Makeup artists Marvella Easterling and Carolyn Jones worked together to craft each character’s face; from the hints of icy blue threaded throughout the White Witch’s ghostly skin to the warm browns and yellows needed to perfect Aslan.

From sound, lights, costume, and set design, the Marlboro Players once again outdid themselves bringing talent to the Bennettsville stage. Still to be announced, a new play is coming this fall, and more information will be available on the Marlboro Players Facebook page. Stay tuned!