BCC Theater continues its focus on American writers this semester with two works by featured author Stephen Vincent Benét -- The Devil and Daniel Webster and A Child Is Born. 

The classic The Devil and Daniel Webster (1937) is one of the best-known works of this prolific American writer. Benét based the play on his original story about a man who sells his soul to the devil.  The author uses the heroic historical character of Daniel Webster to battle with the devil in this modern morality play. Performances are October 24, 25, 31 and November 1. Our production featured readings from the original book by Aundre Seals, Zachariah Mudge and Ken Sosenko.

On December 13 and 14 are performances of Benét's rarely produced musical play about the birth of Jesus, A Child Is Born.

This moving drama was originally written for broadcast over the NBC radio network in 1942. It was first performed by the famous acting duo, Alfred Lunt and Lynne Fontanne. It was such a hit that it was subsequently performed every holiday season by celebrities of the time, such as Helen Hayes. A Child Is Born reveals the nativity scene through the eyes of the family that ran the Inn where Joseph and Mary were turned away.  The work is written with reverence and yet contains real drama exhibiting the natural emotions of real people.

Benét also wrote the songs that are performed in our production by Jennifer Crawford and April Harris with musical accompaniment by Will Westcott.

Cast members are:  Steve Walker (Innkeeper), Jennifer Crawford (Innkeeper's Wife), Adam Deming (Dismas), April Harris (Sarah, Angel), Meghan Karre (Leah), Ryan Cortes (Joseph), Miho Kobayashi (Mary), Mark McGrath (Shepherd, Magi), Zachariah Mudge (Shepherd, Magi), Lance Sharpe (Narrator), Ken Sosenko (Soldier), Brent Wandel (Soldier), Lurena White (Shepherd, Magi).  

 
Benét's most famous work is John Brown's Body, a long narrative poem about the Civil War for which he won a Pulitzer Prize in 1929.  He received another Pulitzer posthumously for his poem about the development of the American west in Western Star. Below is a quote from the poem John Brown's Body.

American muse, whose strong and diverse heart
So many men have tried to understand
But only made it smaller with their art
Because you are as various as your land,
As mountainous - deep, as flowered with blue rivers,
Thirsty with deserts, buried under snows,
As native as the shape of Navajo quivers
And native, too, as the sea-voyaged rose."