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Thursday, November 16, 1995 Page: 1C
Tales of wonderBy MARY THERESE BIEBEL Times Leader Social Editor
In the Garden of
Paradise, life’s a beachIt’s a place where dancers with funky, star-shaped
sunglasses and swishy, swinging leis form a carefree conga line and move to an
island beat.
At least, that’s how students from the Joan Harris Centre depict a
joy-filled Eden in “Tales of Wonder,” a musical that tells the Bible stories
of creation, suffering and redemption.
“After this experience, I’ve seen what you can do,” says teenage
participant Laura Marino, admitting she never used to consider dancing as a
way to get across a Sunday School message. “I feel really good about doing
this for my church.”
Close to 20 dancers — teenagers and children from the school and the
church — joined by more than 40 singers and musicians, will present “Tales of
Wonder” at St. Mary’s Church of the Immaculate Conception on South Washington
Street, Wilkes-Barre.
The 45-minute performance is free to the public and is part of the church’s
celebration of its 150th anniversary.
And the production indeed begins with a celebration. As singers Cathy
Lavenduski and Larry Roke narrate a “Let There Be Light” sequence, dancers
joyfully unravel a lemon yellow bolt of fabric.
“Smiles, smiles. There you go. Big smiles,” choreographer Elisabeth Harris
gives her proteges a stage whisper hint from the sidelines of the rehearsal
studio in Edwardsville.
Other dancers unravel a bright blue bolt, to represent water and a purple
one, to represent the land.
Out pops a little girl laden with a large sunflower, followed by children
who wear the masks of furry forest creatures.
With all of nature in place Adam and Eve — as danced by Jesse Goble and
Sharon Rudda — seem delightfully happy. They leap and twirl, surrounded by a
happy throng of youngsters dressed in vanilla white.
This pure-as-snow effect is achieved with outfits as diverse as white
leotards and dance skirts, t-shirts and clam diggers, even First Holy
Communion dresses.
But something goes terribly wrong, wrecking the happy picture.
The narrators solemnly list humanity’s crimes — against each other,
against the environment, against everything and everybody they’re supposed to
love.
By this point Adam and Eve are cowering on the floor. Goble’s
shoulder-length brown hair, pinned back at the beginning of a recent
rehearsal, comes loose and adds to the pathos.
The practice continues, and instructor Jim Harris explains the hope-filled
continuation of the story.
“Although we all suffer, God never forgets us,” says Harris, sounding a bit
more like a preacher than a dance teacher. “God is sending down the Holy
Spirit to give us strength … Through our good works we’ll show others the
truth … We’re praising God through song and dance.”
“Like the Mona Lisa is testament to Leonardo Da Vinci being a great
artist,” Harris says, “birds, trees, butterflies, men, women and children,
we’re all testament to God’s greatness.”
Mark Ignatovich, music director at St. Mary’s, met Jim and Elisabeth Harris
seven years ago when they were planning their wedding. Ever since, he’s been
hoping for an opportunity when the Harris family of choreographers could
create something special for the church, where they are parishioners.
The local production of “Tales of Wonder,” which was inspired by a show
Ignatovich saw at a church musicians’ conference in Chicago, makes his dream a
reality.
His soloist/narrators Lavenduski and Roke agree that the dancing is a great
way to bring a message.
“It sure beats somebody just getting up here and talking or singing,” Roke
says with a grin.