WINTER TERM PLAY TELLS OF A SHOCKING
SUSPENSEFUL OREGON HISTORY
‘THE SHADOW TESTAMENT’ TELLS THE STORY OF THE ‘HOLY ROLLERS,’ A CULT FROM CORVALLIS
BY BLAKE SWAN
Fifteen minutes before curtain, eerie organ music starts
to play, quiet and subtle at first, but gradually getting
louder and more pronounced as time goes on. It fades in
and out of perception. The music perfectly complements
the equally eerie set: dark, cold and cast in a sea-green
gel. This set the mood wonderfully, as people trickled in
to see “ The Shadow Testament” by Clackamas English
instructor Sue Mach.
The play depicts a series of events that occurred in
early 20th century Oregon and Washington. The real
events adapted for the stage took place in Corvallis,
with a group called the “ Holy Rollers,” a cult that got
its name from parishioners rolling on the floor.
The story is enticing, though at first confusing. As
it continued, however, what was going on became
increasingly clear due to a w ell-w ritten story that
interlocks just like a jigsaw puzzle. You m ight even
think that you are amidst the story and not watching
from the theater.
I t starts in a mental asylum. The protagonist, Jane,
recounts the events that placed her there. She constantly
fades in and out of reality and her memories. You meet
her best friend, Clara, and watch them sneak out to visit
an island in the middle of a river. There they encounter a
man, Joshua, who claims to be a pastor excommunicated
by the men of the town. The girls’ curiosity takes over
and they return the next day to attend his congregation,
only to see that they are the only ones there. From there,
you follow Jane’s journey and the battle of her conscience
to either follow this man or to stay with her family.
Nicola Sampair portrays Jane, the perfect innocent
girl. She is constantly being pulled in two directions;
her sanity, and lack thereof, plays out in front of your
eyes for the duration of the show.
Joshua, played by Sam Levi, is an antagonist you cannot
help but love. He speaks in such a way that you can’t
help but listen. He has a commanding presence. Even
as the show continues and you grow to disgust him, you
still like him.
•
I highly recommend seeing “ The Shadow Testament.”
It’s a very good show featuring a captivating story and
is acted out very well.
Performances continue through March 6, Thursday
to Saturday at 730 p.m. and Sunday at 230 p.m . A pay
what you can performance will be at 10 a.m. on Friday,
March 4.
Above: Actress Beth Dodge plays Isabella Fine in
“The Shadow Testament” the story of a woman who
leaves her husband to join the congregation.
Left: Actor Aaron Hodel, right, who plays Mr. Marshall,
and actor Colin Stewart, middle, who plays Henry
Marshall, try to persuade actress Nicola Sampair, who
plays Jane Marshall, not to follow the congregation.
1 2 Clackamas Print MARCH 2.2016 ttedartarnasprintcom