A man has been murdered in a small mid-western town, but who was he? Who would murder him? How and why? Secrets abound in Eldritch, where morality and gossip walk hand-in-hand. The truth will reveal the hidden secrets among its residents.
Lee Blair, associate professor and director of performance for the WVU College of Creative Arts and Media, is the play’s director.
“The story is told in flashbacks, skips to the future and repeats scenes with slight changes,” Blair said. “It’s being told by many different people through their individual filters, perceptions and prejudices.”
The play, written by Lanford Wilson, is a story grounded in realism but keeps its audience on its toes. Originally published in 1967, many of its themes and ideas are still relatable.
“Eldritch is like small towns all over America,” Blair said. “It’s rural, down on its luck, fading away. It could be any small town where everybody knows everybody and everybody’s business or, at least, they think they do. We see family relationships – good, bad and almost abusive; a town once booming due to coal mining, dying due to economic hardship and abandonment; teenage pregnancy; people living in rural America dealing with dementia, disabilities and isolation. The influence of religion and religious fervor is also part of The Rimers of Eldritch. The community is holding on to the past while the future seems to be bleak.”
The cast is composed of undergraduate and graduate School of Theatre and Dance students. Blair said the play, set in the 1950s, allows the students to not only explore new characters but step into the past.
“When you do a play that’s really a period piece, students get involved with the research,” Blair said. “This play is only set sixty years ago, but it is still such a different era with different social norms, clothing, hairstyles and more. There is also a connection to what rural America can be like. Our students bring their own experiences and research new ones.”
Blair said he hopes audiences walk out of the play more willing to examine the world around them.
“Our perceptions of the truth don’t always get the truth right,” Blair said. “We hide parts of ourselves from others. We hide to survive and fit in. We have to take a moment and look beyond the surface of a person, place or thing to truly see and respect it.”
Performances of “The Rimers of Eldritch,” will take place February 27 through March 1 at 7:30 p.m., March 2 at 2 p.m., March 4 through March 8 at 7:30 p.m. and March 9 at 2 p.m.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit go.wvu.edu/ccam-tickets.
Content Warning: "The Rimers of Eldrtich" contains attempted sexual assault, animal cruelty and death, and may not be suitable for all audiences.