Buddy Layman has a sweet spirit but is terrified of water. Ironically, he has developed an uncanny ability to divine water for his drought-besieged farm community.
C.C. Showers is the preacher who devotes himself to helping Buddy. His efforts precipitate a startling chain of events involving friendship, religion, and community tragedy.
Such is the premise of Jim Leonard’s play “The Diviners”, on stage Jun 27-30 at the Swanson Black Box Theater on the Piedmont College campus in Demorest.
The play is being produced by North Georgia Theatre, a professional summer company in residence at Piedmont College.
The Playwright
Jim Leonard was born and raised in small towns in Indiana. He attended Hanover College at the same time as Woody Harrelson, then moved to New York where he was lucky enough to become a playwright-in-residence at the prestigious Circle Repertory Theatre. It was here that The Diviners was first produced and then went on to win first prize at the National College Theater Festival in 1980.
Jim later went on to write for TV and movies, learning from the late-great Robert Altman who advised him not to worry too much about proper screenplay format, and instead to just write a letter to the director, telling him what you wanted to see, how you wanted it to feel, and what people said. Jim moved to Los Angeles where he’s been writing letters to directors ever since. Jim also serves on the board of The New Harmony Project and L.A’s Circle X Theatre.
Ask an Actor: Garrett Smith
“This is my first North Georgia Theatre production, as well as my first professional credit, and I’m really excited for it! Between working with all of these talented people, and working in a professional space, I am learning a lot and I can’t think of a better way to spend my summer.
I am playing the character of Buddy who is a free-spirited but uncontrollable teenager who experienced the tragedy of losing his mother in a drowning accident early in his life. While I have not experienced such tragedy I do find that I often feel like an outsider, just as Buddy does in the play because he doesn’t want to get too close to anyone less he experience loss again.”
Ticket information
Performances are on June 27-29 at 7:30 PM, and June 30 at 2 PM. General admission tickets are $10 and Piedmont College faculty, staff and students are free.
Purchase tickets by calling the box office at 706-778-8500 x1355 or click here to purchase tickets online.
