Written by F. Andrew Leslie from the novel by William E Barrett, “The Lilies of the Field,” as performed by many a new face to Alpena Civic Theatre, delivers a satisfying look at the relationships that can come from unlikely places and yield lifelong rewards.

In his directorial debut, Mark John Hunter decided to take on a project that was more than just entertainment. And while it does deliver on the entertainment side, it also makes one ponder the possibility of setting aside our differences and coming together for a common good.

“All the actors were picked very carefully for the parts they are playing,” Hunter said. “So, I’m very happy with their portrayals.”

Hunter himself is one of the actors, but he is humble.

News Photo by Darby Hinkley Natanael “Nate” Macean plays acoustic guitar and sings in his role as Homer Smith in his Alpena Civic Theatre debut in “Lilies of the Field,” which opens Friday.

“I’m probably the weakest one of them,” he said.

“This is a very complicated play to put on,” Hunter noted. “It’s more complicated than many of the plays Civic Theatre has done. So, for a first play, it’s quite a lot of things to take care of.”

For example, there are a lot of short scenes and set changes.

“Things have to keep moving,” he said. “Many of the plays at Civic Theatre don’t have set changes. They’ll have one set for the whole play. In this play, things change behind the curtain. Things happen in front of the curtain. The lighting is very detailed. There are approximately 68 lighting cues.”

Hunter designed the set, and some of the cast and crew members painted and hammered to get it looking just right.

“I designed the set to be simple and fitting,” Hunter said.

Playgoers may be familiar with the 1963 film in which the recently deceased Sidney Poitier starred as Homer Smith, the discharged army veteran and devoted Baptist, travels westward to find himself amongst German nuns.

In the ACT play, which features beautiful musical pieces and a whole lot of talent, Natanael “Nate” Macean portrays Homer Smith, who feels obligated by a combination of his good nature and quite a bit of persuasion by the sweet Mother Superior, to fix a leaky roof. The nuns are convinced he was sent from God. Feeling torn between his need for independence and his desire to help the nuns, he ends up staying longer than he had planned. They feed him, enjoy his company and learn from him, and vice versa. He also entertains them with his melodious voice and enthusiastic guitar playing.

Mother Superior desperately wants his help building a chapel, but Homer feels discouraged by the expense and burden of the task, which eventually drives him to lose hope and leave, pursuing his independence and solitude.

But Mother Maria Marthe is convinced he will return.

Does he? Find out by attending “The Lilies of the Field.”

Cast members of “The Lilies of the Field,” are Natanael “Nate” Macean as Homer Smith, Director Mark John Hunter as Jose Gonzales, Marilyn Kettler as Mother Superior, Tara Christine Roe as Sister Agnes, Carol Rundell as Sister Albertine, Alicia McMurphy as Sister Elizabeth, Carrie Burch as Sister Gertrude, Matt Southwell as Oliver Livingston, and Jamie Nunez as Father Gomez. Beverly Hunter is the assistant director and plays the phonographic voice.

Crew members include Stage Manager Doreen Kriniak, Musical Director Jean Brown Baker, Lighting Designer Jay Kettler, Scott Edgar on sound design and light and sound tech, Isaac Ayotte as sound consultant, MaryAnn Crawford and Virginia Hulsey on costumes, Eric Hunter as carpenter, and Phineas Imhoff as artist.

Mark Hunter is happy with his cast and crew, and is tweaking everything to make it as close to perfect as possible for opening night.

Of Jamie Nunez, who plays Father Gomez, Hunter quipped, “If you know him in real life, you might not think he’d make a priest, but when he’s up there, I was really satisfied, when he tried out, with his tone of voice, he can give a lot of compassion in that voice.”

All of the actors are impressive, from seasoned actors such as Marilyn Kettler, Carol Rundell, and Matt Southwell, to all the newcomers to the ACT stage.

“I thought that this would be a great opportunity to make myself available to represent the ethnic characterization of a Latin person, up here in Alpena,” Nunez said. “I met with Mr. Mark and went over lines, and we thought that this might be a good fit. I’m just very excited about the opportunity to be a part of this. Mr. Mark has done just such a wonderful job in the direction, here, and we are just so excited to be a part of it.”

Hunter added that Nunez is also a carpenter and painter and helped with the set.

“I hope that everyone enjoys it,” Nunez added.

Macean was intrigued by Homer Smith’s character.

Portier was from the Bahamas, so Macean being from the Caribbean lines up nicely for that role.

“The story of Homer, in the play, people keep telling him what to do, his whole life,” Macean said. “And I grew up in a culture of people telling me what to do … and he speaks different languages, and has a different accent, and I do, too.”

“The character taught himself to play guitar,” Hunter said. “And Nate taught himself to play guitar. And he’s quite skilled at it. His performances are excellent. He can wake an audience up, and that’s what he’s doing in this play.”

“I was blown away listening to them learn the vocals,” said Assistant Director Beverly Hunter. “I know it’s going to be an awesome performance. I’m thrilled.”

This show provides heartfelt moments to chuckle-worth comedy, with some drama peppered throughout. And when you hear Nate Macean sing in three languages, you can leave happy. It’s an enjoyable evening, for sure. Or matinee, if you prefer.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 22-24 and April 29-30 and May 1.

The theater is located at 401 River St. Call the box office at 989-354-3624. Tickets are $15 per adult and $8 per student for all shows.

Hunter wanted to put on a play that makes people think, especially the people of Alpena, in this moment in time.

About Nate Macean

Natanael Macean grew up in Haiti. So how did he end up in Alpena, Michigan?

“I work for a lot of churches as a missionary,” Macean explained.

He noted that the missionary he works with lives in Sault Ste. Marie, so they were looking for colleges for him to attend to obtain his business degree. Many of the colleges and universities they considered were far too expensive, but then they found Alpena Community College.

“We couldn’t find anything,” he said. “We looked at Alpena, and we couldn’t believe it. There is an accredited community college in Alpena, and they have good programs, and they are less expensive.”

So, he has been here for two years now and will graduate from ACC in May with a business degree.

As for the severe differences from Haiti to Northern Michigan, Macean has since adjusted to the weather, but he found it quite a shock at first. He wanted to touch the snow, but he was warned that it is very cold.

“The cold hit me so bad,” he said. “But I wanted to touch the snow so bad. They said, ‘You may touch it, but not the yellow one!’ But they didn’t tell me why.”

He said he didn’t know how to dress for cold weather, so he put three pairs of jeans on.

“But then I had to go to the bathroom, and that’s when the drama started,” Macean said with a laugh.

Upon landing in Detroit, he noticed many people who looked like him, and he felt good about that. But Detroit has much different demographics than Alpena. As a Black man, he stands out in a primarily white community, but he has said everyone has been very welcoming. He just finds it odd when people ask him certain questions.

“The first thing I want people to understand is the stereotype that I’m dealing with in Alpena,” Macean said. “They ask me ‘Do they treat you well?’ I want them to understand, Black people are people, too. Even though we are a different culture, we are human, after all. First of all.”

He said real love comes from God, for all, and the play portrays that concept.

“If we love each other, that’s enough,” he said. “I want them to see that we are one.”

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)

• Daily Newsletter
• Breaking News
• Obituaries

Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

• Yes
• No