THE LILIES OF THE FIELD Comes to Open Window Theatre This Spring

The Lilies of the Field comes to Open Window Theatre this spring. The production is adapted for the stage by F. Andrew Leslie from the novel by William E. Barrett, and is directed by Kari Steinbach.

The Lilies of the Field tells the story of an itinerant African American worker (circa 1950’s) who encounters a small group of East German nuns in a parched valley of the American Southwest. An Army vet and a Baptist, Homer Smith offers to help the struggling Roman Catholic nuns build a fence. The problem? They can’t afford to pay him. But the Mother Superior has something much bigger in mind. She believes Homer was sent to them by God to build a chapel.

In 1963, Sidney Poitier broke the color barrier at the Academy Awards becoming the first-ever black man to receive an Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of Homer Smith in the highly acclaimed film. In 2020, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

Open Window Theatre first produced The Lilies of the Field ten years ago, featuring a fresh new face in the Twin Cities theater scene, Lamar Jefferson, as Homer Smith. Lamar has since become a regular on the Guthrie stage and other Equity houses in the area. This season, another outstanding young talent in Chris Jimmy is taking on the iconic role, supported by a fabulous cast of top-tier Twin Cities talent, led by veteran director, Kari Steinbach.

The cast features Chris Jimmy as HOMER SMITH, Michelle Myers Berg (Ordway, Park Square, History) as the stout-hearted MOTHER MARIA MARTHE, Ryan Lee (Latté Da, Old Log) as the charming itinerant FOLKSINGER, Anna Olson (Park Square, Girl Friday) as SISTER ELIZABETH, Anna Leverett (Guthrie, YTT, Park Square) as SISTER GERTRUD, Gillian Constable (Lyric, Frank) as SISTER ALBERTINE, Abby Slater (Frosted Glass, Open Window) as SISTER AGNES, Steven Ramirez (MMT, Lyric) as the storytelling FATHER GOMEZ, Peter Colburn (Sidekick, YTT) as the hardnosed local contractor ORVILLE LIVINGSTON, and José Sabillón (Guthrie, Teatro) in his third OWT production this season as café owner Jose Gonzalez.

The production is directed by Kari Steinbach and stage managed by Lauren Volkart with design work by Robin McIntyre (set), Robert Graff (costumes), Sue Berger (lights), Nate Farley (props), Ryan Lee (music), and Jeremy Stanbary (SFX & projections).

Performances of The Lilies of the Field run April 26 – May 26, 2024. Open Window Theatre has free parking and is located at 5300 S. Robert Trail in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota. Individual tickets range from $28 - $32 with educational and group discounts available. Tickets are available through the box office at 612/615-1515 or online at openwindowtheatre.org.

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