Learn more about the story behind the play Language of the Angels that Jennifer
Ferrin appeared in. She played the role of Celie. You will
also find a review of her performance here.
Language of Angels Photos
Jennifer Ferrin, Karl Herlinger
Photo by Sue Coflin
McCafrey, Ferrin, Gibson
Photo by Sue Coflin
McCafrey, Ferrin, Gibson
Photo by Sue Coflin
Program Cover
Program Inside
(Click on pictures to enlarge)
The Story
by Lora for
JenniferFerrin.net
Language
of Angels, written by Naomi Iizuka
and directed by Gaye Taylor Upchurch, tells the story of a close group
of young friends living in the cave country of Western North Carolina,
and the tragedy that befalls them when one of their best friends, Celie,
vanishes deep within the caves one night. Following Celie's
disappearance, the shattered group struggles to cope with their loss and
understand the unexplained manner in which she disappeared. With
mysterious and ominous undertones cast throughout the performance, the
story follows these friends on their various life journeys after the
tragedy. Seth, her former boyfriend, has moved on. JB is now the
Sheriff. Danielle has spent the past several years addicted to speed
and is now recovering. Sean died in a hunting accident, while Joliene
died in her sleep. Billy went to prison for murder and Tommy fell off a
cliff.
Upon hearing
each friend's story, it is almost safe to assume that Celie's murder was
a curse for them all. But the play also glimpses back to the events of
that night and relays the brief untold story of what happened in Celie's
own words. Unlike most mysteries where the murderer is revealed at the
end, we learn early in the performance that JB is Celie's killer. In
this powerful scene, Celie is onstage alone, exploring the depths of the
cave and lightheartedly joking for her friends to join her. In an
instant, she is confronted by JB and her jovial mood quickly changes to
fear as she realizes his intentions. The alarm and terror in her voice
and her actions are immediately followed by an eerie calm as the
audience is given time to grapple with what has just taken place.
Coincidentally JB did not suffer a fated tragedy like the others. He
lived a long prosperous life only to be tormented with the truth of his
malfeasance on his death bed. Symbolic of the butterfly tattoo that
once adorned her right shoulder blade, Celie's ghost branded JB with
simple words to remind him of his killing. His final remarks as he lay
on his death bed were simply, "It burns."
One other key
character in the Language of Angels was Celie's friend Danielle
who spent much of her life addicted to speed and living in seclusion
after Celie's murder. Portrayed as a tough and no nonsense woman,
Danielle is faced with the reality of death once more when her boyfriend
Tommy falls off a cliff many years later. However, her downward spiral
of addiction and poverty is turned around at the conclusion of the
performance when we learn that she has been in rehab and is no longer
using drugs. The audience also learns of Celie's spiritual presence
surrounding Danielle in the play's final scene. She stands from the
table, the wind blows and Danielle calls Celie's name, giving the
impression that it was Celie who helped turn Danielle's life around.
Perhaps
Language of Angels sends the strong message that we can never escape
the past, but we can determine our future. We learn from JB that the
actions of a lifetime are there with you even on your death bed.
Celie's presence at the time of his death was a reminder for the evil he
had committed. Although with Danielle we learn that no matter how bad
the past once was, the future can be better. Celie's unwavering
presence with Danielle in the final scene proved just that.
Jennifer Ferrin as Celie
by Lora for
JenniferFerrin.net
In Language of Angels, Ms. Ferrin plays Celie,
a young southern girl described by her friends as a wild and untamed
free spirit whose life is tragically cut short by a mysterious murder
deep within the caves one night. When we first see Ms. Ferrin onstage,
she is laughing and gliding effortlessly across the room in a whirlwind
of happiness and satisfaction. But within moments the audience sees
that lightheartedness come to an end as it is shadowed by the calamity
of her death. Ms. Ferrin's graceful presence as Celie onstage, however
limited, evoked an uncanny sense of realism. Her performance gave the
audience ample time to immerse themselves in her character and an
opportunity to relate to Celie on a more personal level. Ms. Ferrin's
acting magically revealed Celie's love for life, her devotion to her
boyfriend Seth, and the fear she experienced just before her murder. Her
powerful presence still reverberated in the essence of the play long
after she was gone. During the performance, images of Celie were
momentarily projected on a screen high above the stage revealing
photographs and candid moments of when she was alive. All this was in
an effort to remember what was lost. They were memories of who she once
was. Laughter from these images pulled the audience from the gloomy
atmosphere for which they were so entrenched, and back to the true
nature of who Celie was.
Ms. Ferrin
also took the opportunity to display her talented singing voice in her
portrayal of Celie. Her soft and melodic sounds from offstage pierced
the air and cast a soothing ambiance in the midst of despondency. Her
acting and singing begged the audience's sympathy for Celie's death; a
carefree, simple life cut short by tragedy, and begged that her killer
be brought to justice. The effortless way in which Ms. Ferrin
illustrated Celie's character displayed her charismatic gift as an
actress. It reaffirmed her talent and dedication as well as the bravery
in accepting roles that inspire her.
