The Rimers of Eldritch

The Rimers of Eldritch is a play by Lanford Wilson. Set in the mid-20th century in Eldritch, Missouri, a decaying Bible Belt town that once was a prosperous coal mining community, it focuses on the murder of aging hermit Skelly by a woman who mistakenly thought he was committing rape when he actually was trying to prevent one. Presiding over the trial is the sanctimonious local preacher, a hypocrite who instills the fear of hellfire and eternal damnation in his diminishing flock.

The play was staged for the first time by the La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in July 1966.^[1] On February 20, 1967, a production directed by Michael Kahn opened at the Cherry Lane Theatre, where it ran for 32 performances. The cast included Dena Dietrich, Don Scardino, Helen Stenborg, Susan Tyrrell, and Bette Henritze, who won the Obie Award for Distinguished Performance.^[2]

Wilson adapted his play for a television movie broadcast by PBS as part of its Great Performances series on March 20, 1974. Directed by Davey Marlin-Jones, it stars Roberts Blossom, Susan Sarandon, Rue McClanahan, K Callan, Will Hare, Kate Harrington, Frances Sternhagen, and Ernest Thompson.

Mark Brokaw directed a revival at the Second Stage Theatre that opened on November 8, 1988 and ran for 43 performances. The cast included William Mesnik, Adam Storke, and Amy Ryan.^[3] In reviewing the production for the New York Times, Mel Gussow cited the playwright's "sensitivity and his gift for language." ^[4]

Lindsay High School in Lindsay, Texas produced the show for the 2009 One Act Play State Meet, where it won. Also,the Milton High School Theatre Company (Vermont) produced this show, and won the Vermont State One Act competition with it in 2010.

References

External links

• The Rimers of Eldritch at the Lortel Archives