'PAINTING CHURCHES' YSU play paints portrait of family

The cast adds humor to the characters' serious situation.
BY MARGARET NERYVINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
"Painting Churches" is the somewhat misleading title of the student-produced Blackbox Production on Thursday night at the Spotlight Arena Theater on the campus of Youngstown State University.
To the uninitiated, the title may merely suggest that a number of workers would be busily refurbishing a church with a fresh coat of paint.
Some might even envision artists capturing quaint medieval buildings, cozy country sanctuaries or big inspiring meeting houses onto canvas to be preserved for posterity.
However, at YSU, it is nothing as simple as that. There, "Painting Churches" became a complex heartwarming story of three members of a close-knit family caught in the throes of change and upheaval.
About the play: Basically it is a character study, a story of an artist, Margaret Church, (portrayed by talented Sara Zilles), who makes a rare visit home to paint a portrait of her aging parents before they have to move from their house.
Her father, Gardner Church (well-played by Charles Sutton) is an forgetful, elderly hard-of-hearing poet.
Her mother, Fanny Sedgwick Church (effortlessly performed by Melanie Marceau), although aging as gracefully as possible, is still interested in having a little fun.
Instead of whitewashing the family's idiosyncrasies, the play captures their faults, quirks and deep-seated emotions as they agonize over what items to cling to and what to discard to preserve precious memories.
In the process of elimination, they learn what things are really important in their lives and are finally able to understand and truly appreciate each other.
Taking a look back: At times, the three seem to have conflicting memories of how things once were. When Margaret has a little too much to drink, she shocks her parents with her version of her early life.
She in turn is upset when her mother complains about her life, the fact that they can never go anywhere because Gardner has so many problems, and because they must move to a place where she can watch him all the time.
Instead of painting their portraits as the ideal couple, she challenges Margaret to "open your eyes and really see us. Paint us as we are, him playing with his toys and me hovering over him to see he doesn't get hurt," she says.
Only then is Margaret able to see the complete picture of how things really are and to finally paint a portrait that wins the approval of her parents.
This Blackbox Production is not merely a sketch outlining the troubles of the Church family. It is a colorful, yet poignant, character study. Through their mannerisms and interaction, the three manage to add a touch of humor to a serious situation as they present an insightful look at problems many families face as age and infirmities bring unexpected changes.
Written by Tina Howe and designed to stimulate the mind and stir emotions, this student-produced production of "Painting Churches" is directed by Lindsay Moyer with the technical support of a talented staff of students.