A Prayer for Nettie

Overview

A Prayer For Nettie dramatizes the death of an elderly woman who was Cumming’s photographic model from 1982 to 1993, presenting an improvised series of prayers and memorials for Nettie Harris by people who knew her, and some who did not. In its ambiguous mix of tenderness and aggression, A Prayer For Nettie extends the traditions of the grotesque and the absurd. The fervent prayers of the actors are undermined by indifference, forgetfulness, and the presence of the camera. In the end, comedy turns the tables on piety and remembrance as Nettie looks up from the grave.

Cast

Donigan Cumming

Donigan

Geoffrey Bates

Geoff

Gerald Harvey

Gerry

Nelson Coombs

Nelson

Joyce Donnison

Joyce

Nettie Harris

Nettie

Raymond Beaudoin

Raymond

Albert Ross Smith

Albert