"Sin" opens Friday in Glen Ellyn

Take a look at the seven deadly sins though the life of Avery Bly, a helicopter traffic reporter.

In the play "Sin," by Wendy Macleod, Village Theatre Guild presents a diverse cast of characters adding wit and wisdom to the those seven deadlies - envy, gluttony, lust, wrath, greed, sloth and pride. The play includes a San Francisco earthquake and the AIDS epidemic for Bly to realize her perception and reality are both part of life on earth ­- not the perfection she views from the sky in her helicopter.

The play is directed by Lisa S. Dolnics of Naperville.

"Wendy Macleod created characters who pushed the comic envelope of each particular sin, but she was determined to keep the characters human and believable without resorting to stereotypes, often blending one sin into another," Dolnics said. "The playwright also rejected the black and white lessons of medieval morality plays in favor of gray areas that reflect a more contemporary view of modern culture."

Throughout the course of the morality play about Bly as a traffic reporter during the San Francisco Earthquake of 1989, Bly's character learns about inevitable human flaws and how these imperfections are really what create life.

"Avery learns that people are human," said Lisa Savegnago, who plays Bly. "It's OK to make mistakes. Sometimes people can be very narrow-minded and try to make themselves perfect."

Dolnics added, "I really liked the theme and the characters. As much as we think we're above sin, we need sin to live life."

As director, Dolnics also chose the play because of its connection to real life and its ability to demonstrate that everything isn't always "clean and neat. In order to live a little, we need to sin a little."

Auditions were held at the end of August, where the 30 people who tried out for the play were whittled down to eight based on physical characteristics, experience and personality.

"I needed the right kind of people to play the characters," Dolnics said. "You think of a certain kind of character when you think about gluttony."

All the people who contribute to the production, including the actors and crew, are volunteers who run the play in their free time.

"It's a wonderful show," Savegnago said. "Avery is a very challenging character. It's a dream role. This is also a great theater, and I love spending my time working here."

Dolnics said the play originally was produced by Chicago's Goodman Theatre before moving to New York and offers sharp insights for the audience and edgy situations with strong language.

Performances are at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, Oct. 17 to Nov. 8, and matinees at 4 p.m. Oct. 26, Nov. 2 and Nov. 8 at Village Theatre Guild, northwest corner of Butterfield Road and Park Boulevard, Glen Ellyn. Tickets are $18. For tickets or details, visit villagetheatreguild.org or call (630) 469-8230.

• Daily Herald staff writer Jessica Dillard contributed to this report.

Cast list

Avery: Lisa Savegnago of Carol Stream

Man: David Amato of Glen Ellyn

Jonathan: Dave Dolnics of Naperville

Jason: Tony Farruggio of Lisle

Fred: Larry Horn of Wheaton

Michael: Paul Mapes of Winfield

Gerard: Chris Richardson of Wheaton

Helen: Dianne Wawrzyniak of Rolling Meadows