Homestead and Concordia Alum in Acacia’s “Searching for David’s Heart”

February 24, 2014

A refreshingly comic drama centers on Darcy, a 12-year-old girl who feels responsible for her older brother David’s accidental death. The play is written by Cherie Bennett and directed by Rob Goodman, founder and retiring artistic director of First Stage. Two other cast members, actor David Lopez and magic consultant, Alex Wasemiller, are Concordia University graduates. Performances will be from February 28 – March 9, 2014.

To redeem herself, and reconcile with her brother, Darcy launches a cross-country search for the recipient of David’s heart. Just who and what she finds will touch your heart. This play is the Winner of the Kennedy Center’s New Visions/New Voices award. All performances will be given in Concordia University Wisconsin’s Todd Wehr Auditorium, 12800 North Lake Shore Drive in Mequon, Wis.

One of the primary characters is the magician, Harry Houdini, played by David Sapiro, who shares insights about his role. He said, “As I am playing the real-life person of Houdini, I have been doing research on him; I have read a biography, watched numerous videos about him, watched other videos of him performing, and I have studied some of his magic tricks. I have also been studying the script intently to master the lines and figure out his character as it relates to this play specifically.”

Sapiro added, “The central idea of this play is about coping with the death of a loved one, which is something we all have to deal with at some point; the question is, HOW do we deal with it? Are we consumed with guilt because we feel somehow responsible for the loss? Do we feel empty and adrift because we cannot cope with the absence of that loved one? How can we possibly move on without him or her? “Searching for David’s Heart” does a wonderful job of addressing these questions and connecting the audience to the characters’ journey toward peace.”

The plot focuses on the lives of several children. “Darcy and Sam, the two children at the center of the story, are extremely well-written; they are real, complex kids that are struggling to answer the heavyweight questions I mentioned previously. Of course, Houdini’s role in the play is rather interesting, too; as the narrator, he’s NOT the center of attention for a change, but rather the storyteller guiding the audience toward a truth that he believes in with all his heart,” said Sapiro.

– From mequonnow.com