CIU Thespians revisit World War II in “The Moon is Down”

Jonathan McGaha, Philip Melson, Colby Hull, Justice Friesen, and Eli Hilliard perform. (Photo by Jared Hill, CIU Student Photographer)

CIU Thespians revisit World War II in “The Moon is Down”

CIU Thespians revisit World War II in “The Moon is Down”

Jonathan McGaha, Philip Melson, Colby Hull, Justice Friesen, and Eli Hilliard perform. (Photo by Jared Hill, CIU Student Photographer)

2024年4月25日

By Jack Horchler, CIU Student Writer

The CIU Thespians are known for putting on great productions that bring glory to God through theatre.  

I am proud to say that I had the privilege of working behind the scenes of their spring play, which was “The Moon is Down” by John Steinbeck. Because the story deals with the personal lives of a group of soldiers in a small mining town during World War II, it was interesting to see how the director and his team conveyed the importance of these rather dark undertones to the audience.  

在故事里, which was originally written in 1943 during the height of World War II, a small Norwegian mining town is invaded by a group of German soldiers, which puts the future of the peaceful village in jeopardy. Some of the citizens want to form an alliance and fight back against these invaders, while others are not ready to accept the fact that war is inevitable. 随着故事的展开, 然而, the audience begins to discover that despite the vicious tasks they are asked by their leader to carry out, these “invaders” should not be dehumanized based solely on their actions. They have emotions and consciences just like all other human beings, because they are still created in the image of God.

As a stagehand, I had the opportunity to move props on and off stage with the rest of the crew. I was also cast as an extra soldier for multiple scenes, helping to contribute to the intensity of the war scenes in the production. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed simply listening to the talented actors and actresses jump into their characters during my moments off stage. The acting was top notch, and the chemistry between the cast was excellent. Even the individuals who came in with limited theatre experience did an excellent job stepping into roles for the first (or second) time.

初级 人文学科 雅各布·萨克少校, who played the part of George Corell, 剧中的关键人物, said he enjoyed the sense of community among the cast and the crew, as well as the director’s team.

“Community was highly emphasized, which I appreciated,” Sark said. “I wish I could congratulate everyone for their great acting jobs, but there are simply too many people to mention.”

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Colby Hull hugs Eli Hilliard as Justin Friesen looks on in emotional scene from "The Moon is Down." (Photo by Jared Hill, CIU Student Photographer)

Colby Hull hugs Eli Hilliard as Justin Friesen looks on in emotional scene from "The Moon is Down." (Photo by Jared Hill, CIU Student Photographer)