Bakersfield College Theater Program Presents The Lilies Of The Field
Monday, March 18, 2024
Bakersfield College’s Theater Program announced today the details of their upcoming production for the Spring semester. BC Theatre Professor Kimberly Chin and Logan Scott will direct BC students in The Lilies of the Field, a story of community and courage adapted for the stage by F. Andrew Leslie from the novel of the same name by William E. Barrett. The play will run in the Black Box Theatre, part of the Edward Simonsen Performing Arts Center at Bakersfield College, on March 21, 22, &23. Tickets are available at the Performing Arts Eventbrite page.
“The film Lilies of The Field was a childhood favorite and began my admiration for the brilliant actor Sidney Poitier,” says Chin. “What an adventure to get to co-direct the play production with one of the most outstanding Theatre students I've had the privilege to work with. I hope that our audience will enjoy this beloved timeless story.”
Homer Smith is a jack-of-all-trades traveling west and picking up work along the way. When he meets a group of penniless East German nuns on a small desert farm, the headstrong Mother Superior enlists Homer to help with a series of increasingly large repairs. Despite his best intentions to move on, Homer is slowly drawn into the nuns’ lives even though he knows he is unlikely to see payment. Based on the novel of the same name, this heartwarming story of courage and community examines how much we’re willing to give, and give up, in support of our fellow humans.
“Having never directed before, this production has proved to be an incredibly tough, yet deeply rewarding learning experience,” says Scott. “It's been a true privilege to be able to bring such a classic and inspiring story to life.”
Audiences may be familiar with this timeless story of selfless sacrifice. Barrett’s 1962 novel was adapted as a film in 1963 starring Sidney Poitier as Homer. Poitier’s performance in the film earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor, becoming the first Black actor to win the award. The novel would then receive its stage adaptation four years later from F. Andrew Leslie, a dramatist who made a name for himself as a prolific adapter of extant material in the 60s.
A full performance schedule is listed below. Tickets are available now and range from $5-$8.
