P Wade Thompson, the director of Summerstock’s current production, “Children of Eden.” Photo by Barb Darden.
This summer marks the 40th anniversary of St. Mary’s County’s Summerstock Theater program. Thanks to the financial help of the St. Mary’s Art Council and generous donors, the company has been providing musical theatre opportunities to those under the age of 21 each summer since 1971. Their inaugural production in 1971 was “Gypsy,” and they have since produced quite the variety of shows. Everything from “Grease” to “Les Miserables” and more has been enjoyed by the Southern Maryland theatre community since the program’s original conception.
Originally written in 1986, with a book by John Caird and music by Stephen Schwartz, “Children of Eden” takes its inspiration from the biblical creation and flood stories. The Judeo-Christian God in this version is portrayed as a lonely father who decides to create humanity out of his desire to have children. He continually tries to fix his relationship with them, only to have them pull away each time. While the musical strays quite far from its source material, its humanistic perspective on the human condition and free will are compelling to watch. This musical boasts a host of catchy songs, chocked full of fun lyrics that help make the overarching narrative effortless to digest.
The cast of Summerstock’s latest production “Children of Eden.” Photo by Lori Ludlow.
This year, P Wade Thompson directs their newest production of the beloved musical. In his non-theatre life, Thompson works at Hollywood United Methodist Church and is a certified health coach. On the theatre side of things, he is the Assistant Artistic Director for the Newtowne Players (NTP), another theatre company in Southern Maryland.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your theatrical background?
This is my 12th show as director of Summerstock, but not in a row. My first three were in the mid 90s, then I moved to Kansas City. I moved back to the county in 2008 and have been directing Summerstock since 2014. I’m also involved with NTP and am directing their next mainstage show, “A Nightmare on Broadway,” which opens in September.
What attracted you to this particular show when deciding which musical to direct for Summerstock?
I’ve suggested “Children of Eden” every single year I’ve directed. I saw the world premiere of the show in London in 1991 and my college did the third production ever of the show in October 1992. Stephen Schwartz came and worked on the show with us. I was assistant director and played Abel. It’s been one of my favorite shows ever since. It’s a fantastic ensemble show with opportunities for every single cast member to shine.
What has been your favorite moment(s) of directing this production?
Finally seeing a nearly thirty year dream come true. Volunteers coming together to build our amazing set, which is the Alpha and Omega symbols, and creating and gathering our costumes and props. Finally, our incredibly talented cast of local young people pouring themselves into this great show.
Which scene(s) do you hope the audience will most enjoy and why?
The themes of parent-child relationships and reconciliation run throughout the show. I hope the audience sees themselves in the characters and learns and remembers—as the closing number says— “Our hands can choose to drop the knife, our hearts can choose to stop the hating, for every moment of our lives is the beginning.”
What advice would you give to aspiring young actors that hope to be in a production like this in the future?
Get involved in your school shows and choirs, sing at church, and anywhere else you can. Take dance lessons and learn how to play an instrument—or none of that. We cast seasoned performers and first-timers. Be brave enough to come to auditions, give it your all, and see what happens.
“Children of Eden” runs through July 31, 2022 at Great Mills High School, 21130 Great Mills Rd, Great Mills, MD 20634 . For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit Summerstock’s website here.
