Elizabeth Gilley of Bass Harbor in Nazareth College Department of Theatre Arts' upcoming production of "Quilters," which includes a fundraiser for Bethany House of Rochester

2014 Jan 24

The Nazareth College Department of Theatre Arts and Theatre League will present Quilters, the third production of their 2013-2014 season, and the cast/crew includes Elizabeth Gilley of Bass Harbor.

Written by Molly Newman and Barbara Damashek, with lyrics by Damashek, Quilters tells the story of a pioneer woman and her six daughters. Based on Patricia Cooper and Norma Bradley Allen's book, The Quilters: Women and Domestic Art, the production enjoyed a brief Broadway run in 1984 and was nominated for six Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Thirty years later, the production's popularity is largely due to its broad appeal; the show is enjoyed by American history buffs, lovers of folk music, quilters, women, storytellers, and theatregoers alike.

Rather than tell its story from start to finish, Quilters weaves a series of scenes and musical numbers depicting childhood, marriage, fires, illness, death, and more - each represented on stage by actual quilt squares - into a dramatic tableaux about the challenges and rewards of frontier life. During each performance, more than 15 beautiful quilts will be displayed on stage.

Quilters is directed by Nazareth College Department of Theatre Arts professor Lindsay Reading Korth, who finds the play's stories of strength and resilience compelling, particularly among women.

"This is such an American piece," she explains. "I spent seven years when I was first a mother and in graduate school in Nebraska - on the prairie. It is a lonely, open countryside and, being from the East, it frightened me. In living through that initial fear I found a kind of grounding there that provided the backbone so obvious in farm wives even today. Quilters preserves the stories of women's lives that are not written about in history books, but are apparent in the quilts they sewed and passed down through their daughters."

The stories also touched the student cast and crew, who incorporated a fundraiser into the production to assist Rochesterians who are struggling this winter. Throughout the run of Quilters, audience members and the public will have the opportunity to bid on handmade quilts - including one stitched by company members in preparation for their roles - during a silent auction to benefit Bethany House of Rochester, which provides shelter for homeless women and children. Bids may be submitted at each performance, as well as by phone or e-mail to the Nazareth College Department of Theatre Arts: 585-389-2603 or mkahl8@naz.edu.

The cast for Quilters consists of Nazareth College students: Taylor Carlson (Sarah), Ashley Squiars (Jenny), Morgan Naum (Margaret), Katie Sweeney (Lisa), Amanda Popielarz (Jody), Lainey Catalino (Jane), and Tess DeFlyer (Dana). The production and design teams for Quilters consist of Nazareth College students: Liz Gilley (costumes), Bridget Blakley (stage manager), and Allie Tabor (assistant stage manager).