“Children of Eden” is reminiscent of a Musical Sunday school, following a form and a plot line that shadows much in the writing of Genesis from the Judea-Christian Holy Bible.  God is portrayed by Dan Bredesen and
God has a nice voice.  Bredesen also does a fine job of singing and theatrically doing a fine job of representing the Almighty on stage.
 

Adam ponders with his staff
Oak Park Journal photo

Jehovah is pleased with the godlike features the newborn children yet to be named Adam and Eve, as he exclaims; "children shaped like me!"   This is a fun musical with some interesting numbers, all performed by some folks
with nice voices and very nice voices.   This show should have all seats filled for each and every performance, since Oak Park has the highest per capita numbers for people to churches.  I would also note that this play is unofficially 
equal to three months of church attendance, regardless of your denomination. 
If you haven't read the story of the Judea-Christian creation of the world/universe, God warns Adam and Eve "Don't touch the tree of knowledge"  ( perhaps not a good idea for religious schools to follow). 
Soon the stage is filled with flocks and gaggles of children and young adults representing all of earth's fauna that are lookihg to be named.
 

Animals waiting to be named.
Oak Park Journal photo

I want to thank to Eve for the gift of knowledge, I always thought it was Prometheus.  There is some nice choreographed snake movements portrayed by a dance line moving to and fro and the dancers having snake slurred speech.  We also observed some nice robotic styled choreography executed by some of the dancers/actors of Adam and Eve's expulsion from Eden.

Soon we meet Cain and Abel, find a large ring of giant stones, and witness
the humanity in the tale of Genesis.  When Noah is given his mission to build
the Ark we find many of the earlier named animals reappearing for the voyage.  The giraffes were not as tall as Julie Taymor's in the "Lion King" , but they did just fine in their reduced altitude and enhanced attitude.

Creative set designs are nicely decorated and engineered well for quick changes of scenes.  Next comes the 40 days and nights of rain and if you
want to know the rest you’ll have to come and see “Children of Eden”, playing at Village Players in Oak Park until June 1st.
 

Oak Park Journal photo

Children of Eden opens Saturday, May 9th and runs every Friday, Saturday at 8:OOPM and Sundays at 2:OOPM through June 1st 2003 (No Sunday show on May 11). Ticket prices range $8.00-$18.00. Special Group discounts
are available. Call 708-524-1892 Ext 1 Tuesday through Friday 11-5PM for ticket & group reservations or more information..
 

Oak Park Journal photo

VILLAGE PLAYERS
Theatre
Children of Eden

Music and Lyrics By Stephen Schwartz
Book By John Caird
Director - Diane Fisher Post
Musical Director - Amy Novick
Choreographer - Toni Grates

CAST

Father - Dan Bredesen
Adam / Noah - James Edward Dauphin
Eve / Mama Noah - Julia Hum
Cain /Japeth - Shawn Quintan
Abel / Ham - Keith Survillas
Seth / Shem - David W. CantweU
Yonah / Storyteller - Folin Ponce De Leon
Storyteller / Sign Interpreter - Michelle HostAysha / Storyteller - Kasy Thompson
Aphra / Storyteller - Catherine Kadan
Young Cain / Storyteller / Sign Interpreter -
Brandon Hilliard
Young Abel / Storyteller - Daniel Friedman
Storyteller - Jamie Dennis
Storyteller - Alyssa Kosiek
Storyteller - Amanda Kosiek
Storyteller - Jeffrey Kosiek, Jr.
Storyteller - Alex Haney 
Storyteller - Elaine Bieschke 
Storyteller - Cory Lynch 

Act One

The Garden, The Wasteland and Beyond
Let There Be ............Father, Company
Perfect, Part ]...... ...Father, Storytellers
The Naming............ Father, Eve, Adam, Storytellers
Grateful Children....Adam, Eve
Father's Day...... ....Father. Storytellers
Perfect Part II........Storytellers, Father, Adam, Eve
The Spark of Creation....Eve
In Pursuit of Excellence....Snake, Eve
The End of a Perfect Day....Storytellers
A World Without You.....Adam
The Expulsion........Father, Storytellers
The Wasteland.......Storytellers
Lost in the Wilderness.....Abel, Cain
Close to Home..Adam, Eve, Young Cain & Abel, Abel
A Ring of Stones..Cain, Adam, Storytellers, Eve, Abel
Clash of the Generations... ....Adam, Cain, Eve, Abel
Death of Abel..............Storyteller, Eve
The Mark of Cain........Storyteller, Father
Children of Eden......... Eve, Company

Act Two

Noah's Home and Aboard the Ark
Generations............... ....Soloists, Storytellers
A Piece Of Eight—Storytellers, and the Family
The Return of the Animals.............. The Band
Stranger to the Rain......................... Yonah
In Whatever Time We Have......... Japeth, Yonah
The Flood..................... ...Father, Storytellers
What Is He Waiting For............ ....The Family
Sailor of the Skies....................... Yonah
The Hardest Part of Love...... ...Father,Noah
Words of Doom .................. ...Storytellers
The Hour of Darkness.............. The Family
Ain't It Good............... ....Mama and Company
Precious Children.................. ...Father
In The Beginning .......................Company
 

Children Of Eden Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz 
Book By John Caird
Village Players Theatre in Oak Park, IL announces it's season finale!'
OPENING May 9th 2003 - runs through June 1st 2003

Freely based on the book of Genesis, "Children of Eden" is a frank, hearfelt, and often humorous examination of the age-old conflict between parents and children. It's a story not only about parents and their offspring but also
centuries of unresolved family business and of a Father that never leaves us, but allows us to freely choose to drop the knife or to stop the hating. As we ultimately realize that the hardest part of love is letting go, we also come to
discover that if we choose love and learn to truly value each other in "whatever time we have," beautiful new beginnings will await us ... moment by moment.
Children of Eden opens Saturday, May 9th and runs every Friday, Saturday at 8:OOPM and Sundays at 2:OOPM through June 1st 2003 (No Sunday show on May 11). Ticket prices range $8.00-$18.00. Special Group discounts
are available. Call 708-524-1892 Ext 1 Tuesday through Friday 11-5PM for ticket & group reservations or more information..
 

Director: Diane Fisher Post /Choreographer: Toni Grates / Music Director: Amy Novick / Stage Manager: Nicole Geissal / Assistant Director: Mike Moody / Assistant Stage Manager & Props Designer: Sandy Richko / Assistant
Music Director: Andrew Delo / Technical Director & Scenic Designer: Susie Mcllwain / Assistant Technical Director & Master Carpenter: John Bell / Lighting Designer: Brian Archer / Costume Designer & Construction:
Suzanne Mann / Costuming Assistant: Keta Roth / Sound Designer: Mike Moody 

Cast: Dan Bredesen, Julia Hum, James Dauphin, Shawn Quinlan, Folin Ponce de Leon, Keith Survillas, Robert Milliard, David Cantwell, Kasy Thompson, Michelle Host, Catherine Kadan, Jamie Dennis, Daniel Friedman, Alex Haney, Elaine Bieschke, Cory Lynch, Amanda Kosiek, Jeffrey Kosiek, Jr., and Alyssa Kosiek Village Players Theatre is a non-equity professional theater located in Oak Park, IL at 1010 W. Madison St. - North of 290 and East of Harlem Ave. This is the Village Players 42nd Season of quality entertainment.