'Sugarcreek Amish Mysteries' actors learned the lingo

Over the decades actors on film and in television have had to learn a variety of dialects as they perfect their craft and provide a genuine representation of certain areas of the world.

In filming the "Sugarcreek Amish Mysteries" series, an eight-episode series filmed in Sugarcreek and Holmes County and set to premier this April, the actors have had to grasp the nuances of Pennsylvania Dutch and the main idiosyncrasies that come with the language.

That proved to be a work in process, one that was enhanced by having a local Amish woman on set to guide the actors through the difficult and unique words that come with the language.

The actors shared both the joys and challenges of perfecting the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect, and in the end they were able to grasp the nuances to create a series that blends mystery and drama with the distinct lifestyle and faith of the Amish, offering a look into the community while following the lead female’s journey of healing and discovery.

Actor Riley Beeson, who plays the role of Esther Miller, a daughter in the Miller family, said perfecting the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect was a challenge she was ready to face.

“It was very interesting because I don’t talk like that, obviously,” Beeson said.

The word Mom sounding like mem or Dad being pronounced like the word debt were only a couple of the words she had to navigate.

With local Amish woman Cindy on hand to coach the actors, each day brought new challenges in overcoming the dialect differences.

“Anytime we have a problem, we talk to her, and she helps us learn how to say things correctly,” Beeson said. “It has been a challenge, but it has been really fun.”

Beeson said she enjoyed playing a character who lived a life that was slowed down from the hectic pace of life, with a family whose lives were built around faith and good morals.

She said the experience taught her a great deal about the Amish people and their way of life, and she said she grew to have great respect for the culture.

“I’ve learned so much through this process,” said Beeson, who was a member of the cast for the initial feature-length film, “Sugarcreek Amish Mysteries: Blessings in Disguise,” which was filmed in 2024.

Each of the eight episodes in the upcoming series that will air on UPtv is based on one of the 32 books in the series. This television series is based on the first third of the 32-book series, with hopes of filming more shows in the future a definite possibility.

Beeson is a 17-year-old actress whose mother Denise Gossett plays her mother in the series and grew up as an actress. She said the lessons that stem from the series are powerful for anyone to witness.

Beeson said she hopes to eventually get into script writing, directing film and TV shows.

Ryan O'Quinn is a veteran American film and television actor and producer who has acted in many movies and television shows. The actor who plays Esther’s father, Seth Miller, also is the founder and CEO of Damascus Road Productions, a Los Angeles-based film and television production company specializing in family content.

O’Quinn said the challenges of learning the dialect were made easier by having quality local people on hand to help the actors learn. He said the actors made sure the accents were on point and words were pronounced correctly.

He pointed out one example that took place during filming in which there was one specific word they weren’t sure about its pronunciation. Cindy wasn’t on set, so they contacted her to get the correct pronunciation.

Such is the detail that went into the filming of this series.

“We’re trying as best we can to nail the Amish ways and dialect,” O’Quinn said. “We want to be as close to it as possible, and we’re taking real pains to say things correctly. Our directors and producers are really focused on doing this the right way to create authenticity.”

O’Quinn has been acting for more than three decades, with 113 acting credits to his name in the International Movie Data Base.

As for perfecting different dialects, O’Quinn speaks Spanish fluently, is well-versed in Irish and is a well-respected actor directors know can get regional dialects down, whether on film or in voice-over work.

He is even a go-to guy for ADR work, where actors are brought in to dub over swear words in films to make them suitable for television viewing.

“Either the actors must come back and redub the words, which is very expensive, or they get someone like me, who is brought in to do voice matching to the A-list star. I replace the bad words with made-for-TV words.”

However, this series proved to be challenging enough that he and the cast had to devote much attention to detail to get things right.

As for the series, O’Quinn said filming in Sugarcreek and throughout Amish Country was a wonderful experience.

He said doing research is always one of the most demanding yet joyful parts of the process for him. That his college roommate at William & Mary hailed from Lancaster, Pennsylvania gave him a built-in advantage.

“That got me interested in the culture, but then when this opportunity came, I really dove into the roots and striations of the New Order versus Old Order, Mennonite versus Amish, and much more,” O’Quinn said.

American Cinema International Co-founder and President Chevonne O’Shaughnessy said she was impressed with the talent of the actors and their ability to adjust on the fly as they perfected the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect.