A Prayer for Nettie

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

Metadata from the source database.