The Liva Arts Company opened their spring production Children of Eden April 18.  

The production was directed by Narissa Hill and Aud Munley. The play was written by Stephen Schwartz and is a reimagination of the early events in the book of Genesis.  

The first act follows Father, played by Robert Correas-Rivera, as he creates the first humans: Adam and Eve. Adam was played by Kyle Deron and Eve was played by Madison Borys.  

Following the biblical story, Eve is tempted into eating the forbidden fruit and she and Adam are cast out of the garden. They find themselves lost in the wilderness where they have two children named Cain, played by Alex Taylor, and Abel, played by Jacob Rogomentick.  

The rest of act one focuses on the turmoil within the first family that leads to Cain’s murder of Abel and the subsequent curse put on his descendants.  

Act two takes place several generations later, when Noah, played by Geoff Pizzuto, is commanded by Father to build an arc to save his family from the Great Flood. Conflict arises when Noah’s youngest son Japheth, played by Wilmarr Saint Surin, falls in love with a descendant of the race of Cain, Yonah, played by Margaret Schairer.

Robert Correas-Rivera, senior journalism and electronic media major, said the play works through many themes and ideas.  

“The whole show sort of explores this theme of familial trauma and how it can easily repeat itself over generations,” Correas-Rivera said.  

The musical weaves together a thought-provoking story filled with messages of forgiveness, family and faith.  

Connor Farrington, first-year business analytics major, said that there is an important message behind the play.  

“I think the message of Children of Eden is about forgiveness in a sense and that all are created equal. That we are given one life, and it should be filled with love and joy and that we should make our journey worth taking,” Farrington said.  

The production was not without its challenges, but the cast and crew persevered. Farrington said having the support from his friends in the audience and his fellow cast members on stage helped calm his nerves.  

Audience members from the campus community enjoyed watching the show. Justin Pagani said he attended a sold-out performance.  

“It was something new. It was a lot of fun and I thought overall it was produced really well. It was very captivating,” Pagani said.  

It was equally rewarding for those involved in the production, especially the seniors. Jeremy Dickinson is one of the seniors who took their final bows.  

“Liva has been such an important part of my college experience and has taught me to choose people that choose me,” Dickinson said.

Correas-Rivera is another senior who will be leaving the Scranton stage. He said he was happy to have been a part of Liva.  

Correas-Rivera said he loves singing and taking bows with his friends. The bow at the end is when he feels most connected to the other club members.  

“I’ve been on the crew side, cast side and the directorial side. It’s made me sad to leave but excited to see what comes next,” Correas-Rivera said.  

The 19 seniors can always look back on their Liva memories. The musical has taught them important lessons they can remember after graduation when they go their separate ways, Dickinson said.  

“This musical has taught me that we don’t know what will come in our future, but we have to make our journey worthwhile,” Dickinson said.

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