Yoder’s / CNU’s / Ferguson Center’s new theatre company, Tidewater Regional Repertory offers up their first production in a strong, lovely, and occasionally moving way. The evening was a patchwork of the lovely and not-quite-so-lovely, but the end product did end up revealing a whole that promises to entertain and enchant.

I began the evening a bit wary, since I and my party entered Yoder Barn approximately ten minutes before 8pm and yet we were “greeted” by an overly-aggressive usher who all but reprimanded us for showing up so late. No biggie, I suppose, but not a great way to begin the evening. (Frankly, I’m only writing it here in hopes that the House Manager will see it. Mwahaha.)

Tidewater Rep has chosen a perfect season for their space. Quilters is a musical based on the lives of American pioneer women, Of Mice & Men teaks place in a series of locations that include a stable and barn, and The Foreigner (one of my personal favorites) takes place in a Georgia fishing lodge. All perfect shows for a barn venue.

Staging was really superb

The voices were a variety (should I use the patchwork metaphor again?) of textures, timbres, and well… talents. Local voices shone through as some of the strongest of the evening. Kimberly Lee, Lisa Helmi Johanson, Caroline Rigby, Laura Lloyd - all were a beautiful example of Hampton Roads vocal talent.

Acting proficiency had just as much variety, but the star of the evening was Jackie Prucha. From her first word, she branded herself a true professional and an incredibly believable actor. I dearly look forward to seeing her again as Betty in The Foreigner. Many of the scenes were endearing or sweet, usually the ones that were told mostly in song. On the other side of the quilt however, other tender and moving moments were often glossed over, made “funny”, or just didn’t connect. A problem, or rather, a difficulty with this show is that it is a series of vignettes. Actors have very little time to establish character or history and often have to begin in the middle, so to speak. However, this will probably be less of a problem for audience members who are less familiar with other productions of this show.

Although I admit this was not the most moving or relatable production of Quilters I’ve seen, it is definitely still a good show. It is a strong production with some brilliant staging that speaks well of the shows to come. Please come out and support this very promising new company. At the very least, you’ll be entertained and gain a new appreciation for the work, and love, that goes into stitching a quilt.

Quilters runs through June 28^th at the Yoder Barn in Newport News. Call 757-594-8752 or go to http://trr.cnu.edu/ for reservations.