Fall Fest Countdown: “Quiet in the Land” production review
The performance will be showing multiple times this weekend, and features both Bethel students and community members in the cast.
Fall Fest weekend is officially upon us, and that means it is time for Bethel College’s most recent theater endeavor: Quiet in the Land.
Performances will be Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 3:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. in Krehbiel Auditorium in Luyken Fine Arts Center.
Anne Chislett wrote Quiet in the Land in 1983 as a reflection on the relationship between religion and violence. The play depicts the moral crisis of an Amish community in the midst of World War I.
The fictional community Chislett created is confronted by their pacifist traditions when the Canadian government required military registration. Through leadership changes, family dynamic conflicts, biblical disagreements, and much more, the characters are forced to reevaluate their lifestyle and priorities.
Zach Watson, who plays Menno Miller, said “I think what excites me is trying to show people that the Amish lifestyle is very different from our own lifestyle. I think you should know that this play is very different from any play you’ve seen before.”
As a work rendering the life of this small Mennonite subset, it is essential that the characterization of the Amish community is approached with care and extreme caution.
“Thanks to the efforts of everyone involved in production this play provides an accurate representation of Amish life,” said Breckyn Porter, cast member playing Martha. “This is because of the weeks and hours of dedication, time, and devotion poured into the play’s development.”
A key example of this is the deceivingly simple set. While stage crews often need to build entire homes, this crew had a unique challenge facing them. They needed a functional environment that can be easily converted into multiple locations and that maintains the unbelievably simplistic Amish aesthetic.
An additional impressive element of this production is the solid cast. There are at least eight main characters, each with countless lines, and no actor falls behind. This could be partially due to appropriate casting. Each member plays an important role, and many were extremely pleased with their characters.
Dilan Bagci said “I’m really glad that I got [my] role. It is really interesting to see how Lydia gets dominated by all of these rules and she really doesn't have her own way of thinking.”
Hayden Honomichl added,“I wanted to play someone who was the opposite of me. Christy is deep into his traditions. This role gave me more of a challenge to get into because Cristy is the total opposite of who I am as a person.”
The overall acting is executed at a high level. Each choice feels intentional and planned without abandoning the natural flow of everyday life.