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The God Committee
November 2017
As part of a strategy to attract a wider range of audiences, Ankeny Community Theatre is pleased to present The God Committee, written by Mark St. Germain, as the debut offering in its new Studio Series. The God Committee is a fictional portrayal of a group of individuals tasked with prioritizing the needs of patients waiting for donor organs.
Four candidates are considered as a heart has become available. What criteria would you use to decide which patient is going to be given a second chance at life? The drama centers on related debate, where in addition to health issues and propensities for certain physical conditions that might impact a person’s success rate, other ambiguous considerations such as personality traits, family obligations, and support systems are examined. The responsibility weighs heavy on each individual charged with making the recommendation and, ultimately, deciding life or death for each of the four candidates.
Directing a show of this gravity is actually a labor of love for Michael Porche, who is the parent of an organ donor. In honor of his daughter Emily, who was able to make organ, eye, and tissue donations when she was in a fatal car accident in 2007, he and his wife, Tara, have dedicated countless hours of support, encouragement, and education to the Iowa Donor Network, which facilitated their daughter’s gift of life. He has cast Judy Lisk, who works at the Iowa Donor Network, in the role of Nella Larkin, the administrative nurse to the surgeons. “Judy brings so much of her heart to the role. We use her as a resource as we attempt to bring the characters to life; but more than a resource, Judy inspires us to care about the cause. She truly believes in the work she does that brings life to so many in the state of Iowa,” said one of her castmates.
While the actors can’t help but be impacted by stepping into the lives of the health care professionals involved, each of the characters brings a unique concern or challenge to the story. Throughout the play, the development of each character as a person is crucial to the audience’s experience of the process. From the obduracy of one character to the personal advocacy as well as personal bias of others, the system by which a committee awards life is both intense and provocative. “The dialogue is so interesting. Listening to the characters ‘playing God’ with people’s lives is brilliant,” said Troy Gould, who plays Dr. Alex Gorman, the head of cardiac surgery. “I have always been an organ donor as long as I can remember, but it is nice seeing a show like this to help raise awareness for the community.” Stacie Bendixen, who plays a young doctor participating for the first time, hopes the audience members consider becoming an organ donor and use the information we’ll provide to take action to get signed up.”
Prepare yourself to leave this performance thoughtfully considering the impact your life could have on the lives of others through a gift of organ donation. Shows will be performed November 2nd, 3rd, and 4th at 7:30PM with an afternoon showing on Sunday, November 5th at 2PM. All tickets are $10. To make reservations, go to www.ankenycommunitytheatre.com or call Midwestix at 515-244-2771 Monday through Friday from 9:00-5:00. If you have special seating needs, please call Midwestix to make your reservations.
Four candidates are considered as a heart has become available. What criteria would you use to decide which patient is going to be given a second chance at life? The drama centers on related debate, where in addition to health issues and propensities for certain physical conditions that might impact a person’s success rate, other ambiguous considerations such as personality traits, family obligations, and support systems are examined. The responsibility weighs heavy on each individual charged with making the recommendation and, ultimately, deciding life or death for each of the four candidates.
Directing a show of this gravity is actually a labor of love for Michael Porche, who is the parent of an organ donor. In honor of his daughter Emily, who was able to make organ, eye, and tissue donations when she was in a fatal car accident in 2007, he and his wife, Tara, have dedicated countless hours of support, encouragement, and education to the Iowa Donor Network, which facilitated their daughter’s gift of life. He has cast Judy Lisk, who works at the Iowa Donor Network, in the role of Nella Larkin, the administrative nurse to the surgeons. “Judy brings so much of her heart to the role. We use her as a resource as we attempt to bring the characters to life; but more than a resource, Judy inspires us to care about the cause. She truly believes in the work she does that brings life to so many in the state of Iowa,” said one of her castmates.
While the actors can’t help but be impacted by stepping into the lives of the health care professionals involved, each of the characters brings a unique concern or challenge to the story. Throughout the play, the development of each character as a person is crucial to the audience’s experience of the process. From the obduracy of one character to the personal advocacy as well as personal bias of others, the system by which a committee awards life is both intense and provocative. “The dialogue is so interesting. Listening to the characters ‘playing God’ with people’s lives is brilliant,” said Troy Gould, who plays Dr. Alex Gorman, the head of cardiac surgery. “I have always been an organ donor as long as I can remember, but it is nice seeing a show like this to help raise awareness for the community.” Stacie Bendixen, who plays a young doctor participating for the first time, hopes the audience members consider becoming an organ donor and use the information we’ll provide to take action to get signed up.”
Prepare yourself to leave this performance thoughtfully considering the impact your life could have on the lives of others through a gift of organ donation. Shows will be performed November 2nd, 3rd, and 4th at 7:30PM with an afternoon showing on Sunday, November 5th at 2PM. All tickets are $10. To make reservations, go to www.ankenycommunitytheatre.com or call Midwestix at 515-244-2771 Monday through Friday from 9:00-5:00. If you have special seating needs, please call Midwestix to make your reservations.
2016-2017 Recognition
Award recipients were announced on September 18, 2017 at the annual Membership Meeting.
Favorite Actor Awards for 2016-2017 Season
Favorite Lead Actress: Ali Kirwen (Officer Billie Dwyer in Unnecessary Farce)
Nominees: Susan Casber (Mildred Z. Maxwell in Done to Death), Kaci Conetzky (Karen Brown in Unnecessary Farce)
Favorite Lead Actor: Doug Moon (Kilby in The Middle of Yesterday)
Nominees: Michael Garrison (Scrooge in The Very Merry Xmas Carol Holiday Adventure Show), Nick Root (El Gallo in The Fantasticks)
Favorite Supporting Actress: Susan Casber (Mavis Jemco in A Delightful Quarantine)
Nominees: Deb Ivis (Barbara Middlebrook in A Delightful Quarantine), Nicole Titus (The Mute in The Fantasticks)
Favorite Supporting Actor: Ryan Ingram (Todd in Unnecessary Farce)
Nominees: John Claes (Roy Robbins in A Delightful Quarantine), Troy Gould (Agent Frank in Unnecessary Farce)
Darel Hlidreth Outstanding Volunteer Award
Recipient: John Claes
Nominees: Matt Tuttle, Kathy Polson
ACT would like to thank all of the volunteers, actresses, and actors for their countless hours of support during the past season. Without their help, ACT would not have been able to continue to provide quality live entertainment to the community this past season. You are all winners with us!
Favorite Actor Awards for 2016-2017 Season
Favorite Lead Actress: Ali Kirwen (Officer Billie Dwyer in Unnecessary Farce)
Nominees: Susan Casber (Mildred Z. Maxwell in Done to Death), Kaci Conetzky (Karen Brown in Unnecessary Farce)
Favorite Lead Actor: Doug Moon (Kilby in The Middle of Yesterday)
Nominees: Michael Garrison (Scrooge in The Very Merry Xmas Carol Holiday Adventure Show), Nick Root (El Gallo in The Fantasticks)
Favorite Supporting Actress: Susan Casber (Mavis Jemco in A Delightful Quarantine)
Nominees: Deb Ivis (Barbara Middlebrook in A Delightful Quarantine), Nicole Titus (The Mute in The Fantasticks)
Favorite Supporting Actor: Ryan Ingram (Todd in Unnecessary Farce)
Nominees: John Claes (Roy Robbins in A Delightful Quarantine), Troy Gould (Agent Frank in Unnecessary Farce)
Darel Hlidreth Outstanding Volunteer Award
Recipient: John Claes
Nominees: Matt Tuttle, Kathy Polson
ACT would like to thank all of the volunteers, actresses, and actors for their countless hours of support during the past season. Without their help, ACT would not have been able to continue to provide quality live entertainment to the community this past season. You are all winners with us!