From Cloud County Community College to New York City: "The Chosen" to be Shown at National Orphan Train Complex's Annual Celebration

The National Orphan Train Complex’s Annual Celebration of Orphan Train Riders kicks off on June 2nd.  The weekend is packed with presentations and other events.  Some of these include tours of the National Orphan Train Complex, POW Camp Concordia, and the Brown Grand Theatre.  The weekend will also include two statue unveilings – one on Friday, June 3rd at 4 pm at the Brown Grand, and one on Saturday, June 4th at 2:30 pm at Neighbor to Neighbor.

Attendees will also get a chance to hear from orphan train descendants during two Descendant Speak sessions on Friday at 2:30 pm and Saturday at 1 pm.

The weekend will come to a close with their Mystery Tour – a bus tour of orphan train sites in Cloud and Republic Counties.  Mystery
Tour tickets can be purchased in advance or day of for $10.

Kaily Carson, Curator of the National Orphan Train Complex, says Friday night will also feature a special showing of “The Chosen,” at 7:30 pm at the Brown Grand Theatre.

The staged premier of “The Chosen” took place April 24th, 25th, and 26th, 2003 at Cook Theatre at Cloud County Community College.  Cast members included Kendra Senrick, Amanda Strait, Chris Franklin, Jathan Show, Katie Jones, Jeri Anne Mayo, and Andrew Allen.  Faculty member, Brenton Phillips played the fictionally-created newspaper editorialist.

A few short weeks after “The Chosen” debuted, the play was staged at the Brown Grand Theatre in Concordia in association with the Annual Orphan Train Celebration featuring a cast of Heather Wheeler, Barbara Johnson, Jathan Show, Alisha Blochlinger, Jeri Anne Mayo, Andrew Allen, and Brenton Phillips.

Finally, a performance of the play was staged at the Brown Grand Theatre in April 2005, a few days prior to the group’s trip to New York to perform “The Chosen” off-Broadway at the June Havoc Theatre, complete with the college cast and an energetic company of community boosters.  It is this version of the production that will be screened Friday, June 3rd at the Brown Grand Theatre.  Cast members include Wendy Mitchell, Alisha Blochlinger, Andrew Allen, Josie Henry, Cassidy Jones, Kat Chans, Josh Urban, and Brenton Phillips.  All versions of the play were directed by Sue Sutton.