Chris Gale - Storyteller
When we first looked at the script I was struck by the violence of the material we were going to portray. The implications of the story were far reaching, beyond just a story.
As we have rehearsed I have come to realise the importance of the relationship between the father and His children and have begun to see the father's heart for them in a new light.
As a storyteller I have the opportunity to be part of the play, but I also have a unique opportunity from the sides of the stage to watch parts of it unfold as the audience does. This means that I am able to express my responses such as loss, sorrow, pain, anger, joy, delight and hope as the play unfolds, in a way which should convey these feelings to the audience and thus heighten the tension and excitement.
I see my part as, interactive between the cast and the audience and, a challenge to enable the audience to take that leap from reality to imaginary and back again, leaving the challenge of "Children of Eden, search for your garden..." with them.
Laura Piper - Snake/Aysha
For me, the two most poignant things about Children of Eden are the close personal relationships woven into the Biblical stories portrayed and the element of free will that God gave His people to enable these relationships to develop. In the characters of the musical I see emotions that we can all identify with; Adam's love for his Father, Cain's ambition, Eve's anguish over the loss of her son and Yonah and Japheth's love for one another. It is the fact that some of these relationships are so like those we experience today that Children of Eden is so moving. I hope that the audience will notice this during our performances and understand that, even though we cannot literally see Him as Adam and Eve did, God can and does work in our lives in a very real way.
I've been fortunate enough to play two rather contrasting characters, the snake who tempts Eve and later on Aysha, the wife of Noah's eldest son, Shem. The arrival of the snake is the turning point in the story and demonstrates for the first time that free will can be dangerous if misused. The snake is manipulative and charismatic, easily convincing Eve to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. Perhaps the greatest challenge here was attempting to convey all that while singing and dancing! Much later on, Aysha's situation aboard the Ark is a result of Eve's actions long ago. Aysha is subservient to her husband but I think she can also be quite headstrong as several of her lines are fairy sarcastic and harsh.
My enjoyment of Children of Eden has increased as the rehearsals have progressed and the results of everybody's hard work and commitment can be seen. I've found myself questioning aspects of the story that I haven't considered before. However, this has strengthened me and made me realise the great value of God's gift of free will to His children and ultimately, the blessing of His forgiveness time and time again.