By Amber C. Nore
Eminent Domain, Angels Theatre Company, Thursday March 20, 2025
Sitting in my chair at the Angels Theatre Company debut production of Eminent Domain by Nebraska playwright Laura Leininger-Campbell, I was taken back to my childhood memories of my grandparents’ farm. Rising from center stage was a beautiful eggshell-colored farmhouse, complete with a front porch and pots of flowers. In the background, the silhouette of a large windmill. In my mind, though so seemingly real, I could feel the wind blowing in the special way that it does only on a farm. I could smell the blend of grass, flowers, animals and dirt. This set, designed by Jamie Bullins with lighting by Dan Stratman, was what greeted me as I entered the intimate black-box theatre. This was not only my childhood memories, but the memories of so many of us in Nebraska. I knew that I was about to see a Nebraska story, and I could feel the weight of what that would be as I sat in the second row, waiting for the story to unfold.
The lights come up on Richard Nielsen as Robert MacLeod, a farmer. It is Palm Sunday in Nance County, Nebraska. He is sharing drinks with a man in a suit and tie. Trent Nichols, played by Eric Moyer, is a representative from a Canadian company trying to make an offer for part of MacLeod’s farmland. The reason? To build a pipeline through it. It starts out friendly enough but takes the expected turn into clear un-friendliness as MacLeod stands firm in protecting his family land. A farm that his father farmed. That he himself was raised on. That his children were raised on. This is land with history, not only rich in crops and soil but in generational roots.
A beloved Lincoln actor, Nielsen is jovial and smart as MacLeod. He brings the perfect amount of swagger and authority to the character. While dressed in the casual farmer attire, he is not a “humble farmer.” MacLeod is educated and lively. It isn’t going to be easy for Nichols and his company to sway him to their side. Luckily, Rob’s daughter Adair is a skilled attorney living in California. He calls for her to come home. “A storm is coming,” he says. The lights flicker a bit.
We are introduced to the rest of the MacLeod family: pretty Teri MacLeod (played by Britta Tollefsrud) and her husband Bart (played by Scott Shomaker in his Angels Theater Co debut) who live on the farm with Rob. Bart tends the land and runs the farm with his father, while Teri performs the domestic duties of a farm. She is clearly not cut from the cloth of a farmer’s wife. Both dream of a time when they will leave the farm and embrace their creative side again, having met when they were actively writing poetry.
Rob’s brother Cam (played by Tim Mitten) and his wife, Jane (played by Sandy Van Pelt) arrive to pick up their sweet son, Evan (played by Harrison Yost in his Angels Theatre Co debut). Evan is sweet and differently-abled. The family tension between brothers is instantly apparent. The family tension between sisters-in-law is also. All of the actors play to this so well, it is difficult to think they are not related off the stage. The family dynamic is rooted in the language of the script, of course, but in the company’s nonverbal expressions and impeccable timing of line delivery, we truly see and recognize the love and frustration that it means to be a family.
Adair (played by Hannah Tewes) arrives from California, inviting another attorney, Mat Salinas (played by Anthony Delaney in his Angels Theatre debut) to assist in the legal case the family will be building to fight the pipeline. She is bold, spirited, and brilliant. Absolutely her father’s daughter. Naturally, these similarities are what fuel the fire in their interactions. It doesn’t help that she is the one who has left the farm to live on the West Coast. Both father and daughter clearly adore and respect each other, even so. Mat is an attorney with a cause who fights the pipeline, assisting families across the country in their fights for justice. Both Tewes and Delaney deliver excellent performances.
The title of the play, “Eminent Domain” means “the power of the government to take private property for public use, even if the owner does not want to sell, but only upon paying just compensation.” A private company taking private property for their own use to make money from should very clearly not qualify as eminent domain, but we know that is rarely the case the courts rule in favor of the landowners. But the power play in this story goes beyond the battle for the land. Leininger-Campbell weaves the bonds of family into the story, and what happens when they become broken.
As the timeline of events unfold from Palm Sunday to Samhain, we witness this family be pushed to the limits. We celebrate when they are celebrating and we grieve when they grieve. Leininger-Campbell does not hold back from offering up the very best and the very worst of that can happen in life. She does this so wonderfully through the Midwest family farm setting. Small blessings pop up throughout the story: a pocket watch, a song, a happy memory and delicious ham balls (by the way, there is a recipe for those in the program so you can make them yourself at home).
Interestingly, there is a character in the story who isn’t played by anyone and yet still leaves a lasting impression: Rob’s wife Billy, who has passed away. Her love for her family and the impact she made on them is endearing.
The entire company does a wonderful job in each of their roles, especially Nielsen and Van Pelt, who are favorites of the Lincoln stage. It is Shomaker’s exciting and passionate performance as Bart MacLeod that is not to be missed. I want to find someone from The Tony Awards to come to town and give one to him that was created just for him in this show.
The muted, earthy colors of the costumes, designed by Hannah Hansen, are thoughtful and add the perfect elements to the aesthetic created by Bullins and Stratman. Music by the Leininger-Campbell’s husband, Mike, add perfectly to the story. Special note to BJ Montague for sound design as well.
The direction of this show by Timothy W Scholl is very clear and expertly done. He has seamlessly blended the ephemeral characters and brilliant, award-winning script with beautiful visual elements of the set, sound and lighting. Scholl understand the heart of the story and has given us an exceptional interpretation of it. Everything about the show feels deep and personal, and that is due to Scholl’s touch on the production.
Leininger-Campbell has impressed me with her rich story-telling and ability to deliver a compelling, thought-provoking experience. The script is a perfect, poignant dramatic story. I am excited to see more of her work.
One of the joys of having a company like Angels Theatre Company in our community is that they focus on creating, developing, and producing new work. It was an honor to be in the very first audience for this show. The playwright herself was in the audience with us. This was a very special experience to have, and I am thankful to Angels Theatre Co for giving us this gift. Another joy is that they truly bring the very best performances from the actors in the company. I can always go into an Angels Theatre Company with high expectations and know they will deliver. I value the opportunity to see support this work.
Mittan shared with me that he enjoyed having the playwright be involved so much with the production, to offer feedback and help shape the life of the story as it moved from script to stage for the first tiem.
I can wax poetic about everything in the production, but vvery simply put: it’s really, really, really good. Thought-provoking, memory-invoking, talk-about-it-for-weeks-afterward good. I am buying tickets for my daughter and my friends to see it so that I have more people to talk about it with.
Coming away from seeing this production, I am thinking about the responsibility that we have as caretakers of our land and how we will leave it for the generations that come after us. I am thinking about how my ancestors immigrated to Nebraska all the way from Norway to farm the rural Nebraska land that continues to produce crops to this day. I am thinking about love and heartache. Community and country. Justice. Family. Ties that bind. I am reminded what a wonderful gift that we have in the work being done by The Angels Theatre Company.
If you go: Eminent Domain runs March 20-30, 2025. Thur-Sat 7:30PM, Sun. 2Pm. Ticket information at https://angelscompany.org.
Amber C. Nore is a singer/actress/writer who has performed locally with Angels Theatre Company, TADA, Pinewood Bowl and Lincoln Community Playhouse and nationally with Spokane Repertory Theatre and Rogue Players. She sings in the band Andy Pappas & Jukebox Gyro, the debut album “Inside Voices” is available on iTunes and Spotify. Her favorite role has been Stage Mom to her daughter, Chloe and Foster Mom to niece, Mars. Amber is the Director of Community Engagement for Big Brothers Big Sisters.
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