After months of interviews, writing and editing, and days of rehearsals, “Leaves of Hope: A Play for Joplin” is set for a debut performance at 8:30 p.m. today at L.L. Sayers.
Last fall, David White — a Joplin native and theater professor at Towson University in Maryland — visited the ruins of his alma matter, Joplin High School, and the seeds for the project were planted.
With the help of a group of JHS seniors and the school’s theater department, he conducted 22 interviews with survivors of the May 22 tornado.
From the interviews, the theme for “Leaves of Hope” was developed.
“It’s not just about the tornado, it’s about the rebuilding,” White said. “We caught a glimpse of the voice of Joplin.
“The play ties into the pattern of people finding one another in the middle of a storm. It’s the type of unity that only deep tragedy can create.”
From 12 to 14 hours of transcripts, the group condensed the stories into an 80-minute performance.
White organized recorded readings of “Leaves of Hope” by his own theater students at Towson University. Those recordings were viewed by JHS students, who provided feedback via blog posts.
White said the credit goes to everyone involved, and that input from the students helped to provide the strongest parts of the play.
“It was our first real project; it was something beyond a grade,” said Taylor Haddad, a cast member and senior at JHS. “It was something that would stay for a long time, and it was something for the community.”
Tonight’s performance will be a “poetic presentation,” White said. The reading will feature White and seven JHS seniors: Bradley White, Ethan Ritschel, Sarah Matthews, Kaitey Hembree, Kelsey Hale, Haddad and Molly Baker.
“We want to make sure that this play represents Joplin and the resilient people of Joplin as accurately as possible,” Ritschel said.
Want to go?
“LEAVES OF HOPE” is part of this month’s Third Thursday activities. The 80-minute reading will begin at 8:30 p.m. today on the back patio of L.L. Sayers in the Gryphon Building, 1027 S Main St. Admission is free. Donations will be accepted. Proceeds will support the rebuilding of the Joplin High School theater department.
May 2011 Joplin tornado
'Play for Joplin’ debuts Thursday
'Leaves of Hope' a collaborative effort of theater professor, JHS seniors
- May 2011 Joplin tornado
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Storms cause damage throughout the Four States
Four-State Area residents hunkered down twice Monday to ride out tornadoes and powerful spring storms, then went to work cleaning up. The worst damage from Monday night’s storm was being reported in Ottawa County, Okla., near Wyandotte. That followed a report of an EF-1 tornado early Monday morning near Carthage.
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SLIDESHOW: One year later, One day of unity, updated
Photos from a day of events commemorating the May 22, 2011 tornado anniversary
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Two plead guilty to post-tornado wire theft
Two defendants pleaded guilty Monday to stealing copper wire from utility poles in the wake of the May 22, 2011, tornado that struck Joplin. Timothy M. Silveria, 45, of Joplin, and Nycoa K. Kracht, 32, of Laurel, Ind., entered open pleas of guilty in Jasper County Circuit Court to felony counts of theft from a public utility.
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FACES OF RECOVERY: 176,869 volunteers help put Joplin together again
They initially came in droves, pouring into Joplin by the thousands during the months following the May 2011 tornado to clear debris, clean up damaged homes and businesses and distribute donations of food, water, clothing and other necessities.
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Therapy dogs
Any question that Louie was bred to put people as ease is put to rest when the golden retriever trots over to where a visitor sits and puts his head on their knee, the dog’s eyes filled with a gentle affection.
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Nova Kluseman and Jeanne Morrow
Nova Kluseman has staked her claim on Wednesdays at the Mercy medical office clinics where she volunteers. The staff at Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri will know it’s Thursday when they see Jeanne Morrow walk through the door.
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Greentree Community Church
Every two months, Joplin plays host to some now-familiar faces. They’re members of Greentree Community Church in St. Louis, and they have “adopted” the city as one of their mission projects since the tornado.
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Virginia Laas
Virginia Laas isn’t an accountant or bookkeeper by trade. But when the tornado caused significant damage to Joplin Schools, and subsequently spurred a massive landslide of donations to the district, Laas voluntarily stepped into those roles to fill a need that administrators were too busy to handle.
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Rebecca Williams
Two years after the tornado, Rebecca Williams remains committed to helping people around the world keep up with the progress that has been made in Joplin.
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Community Outreach Team
While it didn’t yet have a formal name, the seeds of Freeman Health System’s Community Outreach Team were planted in the hours following the tornado.
- More May 2011 Joplin tornado Headlines
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