Live theater is coming to downtown Cortez next week with the kickoff of the two-act play “Miracle on South Division Street,” directed and acted by a local cast at the Sunflower Theatre.
The comedic play centers around Nowak family of Buffalo, N.Y. – Polish-American, Roman-Catholics whose identities have been rooted in a generational tale that the blessed mother appeared to their grandfather in his barbershop window.
The Nowaks’ world gets turned upside down when a deathbed confession reveals they might not be who they think they are.
“It’s about a mother and her three grown children dealing with questions of their culture, traditions, and faith. And how each member to terms with those questions of cultural identity and faith with humor,” said director Peggy Tennyson.
Joy Horvath Imel stars as mother Clara; Will Furse plays her son, Jimmy; Colleen Donley plays headstrong oldest-daughter Bev; and Crystin Gellatly plays Ruthie, the youngest of the clan who stirs up trouble when she announces her desire to stage a production of the family’s history – the real version. It’s the stage debut for Horvath Imel, Furse and Donley.
“By creating this theater and space, we’ve also created a home for community theatre, where Cortez has lacked that,” said Sunflower Theatre director Kim Welty. “Part of our passion and mission is to create a space for people to explore and grow. We have three cast members who have never acted before.”
The actors say they got involved to contribute to a burgeoning cultural scene in Cortez.
“Hopefully this inspires more people to come out of the woodwork to support and get involved in what will hopefully be, a long-lasting community theater,” said Gellatly.
The play runs Dec. 10-13. For showtimes and tickets, visit Sunflowertheatre.org.