www.rockyhockplayhouse.com
BY SEAN JACKSON
The Chowan Herald
One big dysfunctional
family will use its biblical
ties to turn all their
squabbles into hugs by the
end of Rocky Hock Play
house’s latest offering,
“Jacob: Prince of God.”
The two-hour musical
penned by Gloria Emme
rich tells the story of the
Bible’s most famous twins,
Jacob and Esau. It also tack
les the feuds between the
paternal twins and their
families.
“Gloria has so captured
tlie essence of the story,”
Jeff Emmerich, Gloria’s
Sweaty People
As gym memberships increase nationwide,
Chowanians fall in line.
BY EARLINE WHITE
The Chowan Herald
By 10 a.m. many have come and
gone. The grey-haired ones
working on their midsections,
the fair-haired ones on their
love handles.
By lunch it’s a determined
crowd with bulging biceps and
toned abs, working to build
stamina. After work it’s even
more of the same.
Between the triangle whose
other points are work and home
the gym has become our ‘third
place’.
Gyms figure into the lives of
at least 41.3 million Americans
who belong to some sort of fit
ness club. In Chowan County
there are a thousand members
involved in the various fitness
clubs — Classic Fitness, the
Chowan County Senior Center,
Curves and the Northern
Chowan Community Center.
And at any hour of the day,
someone somewhere is at the
gym.
Gyms are places of refuge, es
cape, self-improvement or deg
radation. And while member
ship numbers continue to soar
nationwide so does the number
of people suffering from dis
eases linked with obesity.
According to the Interna
tional Health, Racquet and
I VJi V
husband and the show’s di
rector, said during a re
hearsal break at Emmerich
Theater last week.
“There’s a lot of tension
in the story,” he added.
Gloria, who also wrote
the music and lyrics for the
two-act show, said she
crafted the script after the
summer show was cast.
That’s her style, to write
toward actors’ strengths,
avoiding their weaknesses.
The show’s eight-member
cast will provide energy,
emotion, and — on occasion
— a few laughs, the Em
merichs said.
Playhouse veterans Dar
ryl Stallings and Nancy
Wyatt handle the comic re
lief. Stallings, of Tyner,
plays Esau and Guni, while
Wyatt, of Richmond, Va.,
tackles the role of Nehusta.
“He’s like his name,”
Stallings said of Guni.
“He’s kind of goofy.”
Wyatt’s character is one
of three servant girls lifted
from the Bible’s Old Testa
ment and dropped into the
script. Nehusta and De
borah (pronounced “de
BORE-uh”) will narrate the
show. Gloria said her
Deborah character will age
throughout“Jacob.”
Jeff will handle the role
of Jacob.
“It’s a huge role,” the Or
egon native said. “An enor
mous role. There’s a lot of
Sportsclub Association, in
1987, 17.3 million Americans
were members of a health or
fitness club. At the same time
nearly 20 percent of U.S. adults
over the age of 20 were consid
ered obese, according to the
National Health and Nutrition
Examination survey.
By 2004, health club members
had reached almost 40 million.
Nearly 32 percent of those over
the age of 20 were obese.
The runway models went
from sizes 32-28-36 to 32-24-30.
Everyone began being plagued
by body-image paranoia.
Abigail Riveria, 22, wants to
lose 10 pounds this summer so
she can fit in that bikini. So far,
with a 3 day a week workout
regime, she has lost five
pounds.
Tony Beamon has lost 25
pounds since January. He sim
ply wanted to lose weight, he
said. He credits Jesus as his
motivator to stay on track.
Then there are those who are
sweating for more than just
looks. They are in it for their
health.
Dave Barnes, 78, was diag
nosed with diabetes in 2000.
Three of his five siblings also
have diabetes.
Since his diagnosis, Barnes
has been an active member at
the community center. He and
•»* 1
i
emotion built into the story,
and the music has helped
carry that.”
He will also portray Ab
raham.
Playing Jacob’s nemesis,
Laban, is Steve Jackson of
Elizabeth City. Jackson, act
ing in his seventh Emme
rich show and his first
since 2003, agreed that the
show will take audiences
along a rollercoaster ride of
happenings and emotions.
“We’ve got every range of
emotion in that show that
people feel every day,” Jeff
said.
A quick synopsis: Jacob
steals Esau’s birthright
through trickery. Esau plots
murderous revenge. Laban
M if I ''
—
JL.
Earline White/The Chowan Herald
Hunter Jones crunching at the Northern Chowan Community Center. Jones picks working
out over lying around all day during retirement. He has lost 25 pounds.
hi8 wife, Minnie, work out 4
times a week for about an hour.
He’s seen the difference it can
make.
“In 2004 I got off my pills. I
know it is because I come here,”
Barnes said.
The hardest part for many is
sticking with it. The routines be
come dull. The smallest of reasons
grow into easy justification for put
ting off working out.
Many have decided that having
a workout partner is the way to go.
Cousins Charlotte and Robin
Nixon of Rocky Hock joined
Curves a fitness center geared spe
cifically toward women- the same
day. They work out together 3 to 4
Rocky Hock Playhouse is back
at it with a brand new original
production for summer. “Jacob:
Prince of God” opens July 6 and
runs through August 12.
■
Times and tickets
I Tuesday 10:30 am/Saturday 5:15 p.m.
Adults $16
Seniors $15
Child (5-12) $ 9
Group A (10-24) $14
Group B (25-44) $13
Group C (45+) $12
I Thursday 10:30 a.m./Tuesday-Thursday 2 p.m.
Adults $17
Seniors $16
Child (5-12) $10
Group A (10-24) $15
Group B (25-44) $14
Group C (45+) $13
I Saturday 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Adults $18
Seniors $17
Child (5-12) $11
Group A (10-24) $16
Group B (25-44) $15
Group C (45+) $14
:■ ¥
Darryl Stallings, left, and
Nancy Wyatt offer comic
relief during "Jacob:
Prince of God".
tricks Jacob into marrying
the wrong women. Jacob
works 20 years to fix that
and, through perseverance
and resolution with h.is
brother, all works out in the
end. Of course it’s more
complicated than that, and
there’s the theme that God’s
mercy can help heal most
all wounds.
But for a complete ver
sion of what the Emme
richs and their cast have in
store, visit the theater at
Rocky Hock Playhouse this
summer.
“Jacob” opens July 6 and
runs through August 12.
Shows are held on Tuesday,
Thursday and Saturday.
(See box for more ticket info
By the numbers
■ Northern Chowan Community Center: 1879 members
B Curves: 300 members
B Classic Fitness: 200 members
■ Chowan County Senior Center: membership not
required; average monthly visitors, 500
days a week and Robin typically
brings her teenaged daughter,
Sherlynrte.
“We all come together,”
Sherlynne said. “It makes it easier
and more fun.”
Both Charlotte and Robin have
rheumatoid arthritis.
“My doctor recommended that I
come here for that,” Charlotte said.
* W
and show times.)
Joining the Emmerichs,
Wyatt, Jackson and Stallings
are three other young bud
ding actors. Jessica Stephens
(Rebekah/Rachel) is from Co
lumbus, Ohio and earned a
Bachelor of Arts degree in
Communication Arts from
Clearwater Christian Col
lege in Florida. Jason M.
Wooldard (Isaac/Hamul/An
gel) of Wilson, N.C., is a re
cent graduate of Roanoke
Bible College in Elizabeth
City, N.C., where he majored
in Bible and Theology.
Noreen Hughes (Leah), of
Bloomfield, N.J., is a senior
at The Catholic University of
America in Washington, D.C.
“And I’m glad I did-it really
helps.”
J
Elsewhere
The "Biggest Winner" is
named. Another competi
tion begins in two weeks.
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