Jeanna Duerscherl | The Roanoke Times

Proceeds from the musical “Children of Eden,” the cast of which includes actors in green vests as the serpent that tempted Eve, will go to three organizations.

Multimedia

• Video of the play

Info

• Where: William Fleming High School Dickinson Auditorium.
• When: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 21, 22, 28, 29; 3 p.m. Sept. 23, 30.
• Tickets: $10, adults; $6, children 12 and younger.
• Ticket information : 774-0066
• Proceeds: Will benefit the Interfaith Hospitality Network, Roanoke Area Ministries and Acts II Ministries.

Eve and Adam are really a married couple.

And when God bellows his disappointment with them, the Dickinson Auditorium at William Fleming High School quakes.

In Our Lady of Nazareth Catholic Church's production of "Children of Eden," a Stephen Schwartz musical, husband and wife amateur actors Matt and Summer Hayes are sharing the stage as Adam and Eve for six days.

They've been married a little more than three years and have acted with each other numerous times, most recently at the Showtimers Community Theatre. Summer Hayes, a teacher at Garden City Elementary School, and Matt Hayes, an actuary with Shenandoah Life Insurance Co., met in drama classes in high school in Indiana and have been performing about 15 years, she said.

They moved to Roanoke in January, he said.

"Children of Eden," a two-act, inspirational musical play, draws on the challenges that families face.

The musical is roughly based on the book of Genesis. The first act is the biblical story of Creation, tracing the temptation of Adam and Eve, their banishment from the Garden of Eden and their lives with their sons, Cain and Abel.

The second act takes some creative liberties with the story of Noah and his family during the time of the flood. It doesn't stop raining after 40 days and 40 nights!

The show is about love, trust and forgiveness and has light moments that balance the serious ones. One of the more poignant scenes is the death of Eve.

"There are a lot of themes, but it shows that the hardest part of love is letting it go," said Patrick Kennerly, who portrays Moses.

The music, performed by an 11-piece orchestra, is an energetic mix of pop, folk, rock, reggae and gospel. Most of the script is sung, although God the Father, alias Matthew Mosley, has a few harsh and kind speaking parts.

The idea to put on the musical originated with friends Larry VanDeventer, theater teacher at Fleming, and Dan Keeley, music director at Our Lady of Nazareth.

They had worked together on a couple of musicals for the church with Nancy Cortes, the costumer for "Children."

Billed as a "multi-denominational fundraising presentation," proceeds will be divided among the Interfaith Hospitality Network, Roanoke Area Ministries and Acts II Ministries.

The crew, orchestra and actors are diverse and represent all age groups, at least 10 Roanoke Valley churches and about a dozen schools and colleges.

Sarah Farrow is a sophomore theater student at Fleming.

She hadn't planned on cueing lights and working in the sound box until "Mr. V [VanDeventer] called frantically."

Others say VanDeventer and Keeley recruited them before rehearsals started in June.

VanDeventer also recruited Fleming graduate and now art teacher Anette Lloyd to audition. She's cast as Noah's wife.

"Noah's wife doesn't say much, but she has an explosive, awesome song in the end," Lloyd said.

In addition to church members, students and colleagues, family plays a big role not only on stage but also in the casting of the 100 or so actors, directors, production and technical workers, costume designers and seamstresses.

Macklyn Mosley, one of the soloists, for example, encouraged his brother to Matthew Mosley to audition. Matthew is God, the lead character. The brothers have no professional training but sing in choirs at their church, Morning Star Baptist Church, Matthew said.

Donna Keeley, wife of music director Dan Keeley, is in the ensemble. Their daughter Laura is a storyteller while their daughter Kate is one of the animals.

"Ever since Dan, Larry, Nancy and I started thinking about doing 'Children,' we knew it had to be open to family involvement. It is so essential to the stories," said Kennerly, referencing Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel, as well as Noah, his wife and three sons.

"When casting time came, so did the families! It happened so naturally," said Kennerly, whose wife, Patricia, created, designed or purchased most of the props.

"Pat and I don't have our own children -- except for four cats -- so the kids from the other families in the show and from the church are kind of our nieces and nephews," Patrick Kennerly said, stressing that "the family element in this production, music and script is huge."