The Christians!
Lucas Hnath (nayth) is a prolific playwright whose take on the theatre returns us to where it all began: The Church.
"The
Christians" Hnath's 2014 play went up at The Taper in 2015 and comes
again currently to the Actors Co-op in Hollywood. The beauty of this
play is that it is a broad think piece that comes from the depths of the
playwright's background.
Hnath's
mother, Dana, was a seminary student and in the summer he would
accompany her to classes, steeping him in the work that she was called
to. His bio mentions his considering as a young man that he might be a
preacher but decided that he didn't want to look after people's souls.
He then went into pre-med but didn't want to look after people's bodies,
so... of course... he became a playwright.
Hnath states, "Here’s something I believe: A church is a place where people go to see something that is very difficult to see. A place where the invisible is—at least for a moment—made visible. The theater can be that, too. "
This reminds me of a quote from Kahlil Gibran who tells us that "Work is Love made visible."
The work of making theatre is almost always filled with the genuine excitement of putting on a show. It's joyful work. Visible work.
In The Actors Co-op's production of "The Christians" we find not only life lessons and food for thought, but a banquet!
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Front Row L to R: Kay Bess, Townsend Coleman, Thomas Chavira, Phil Crowley. Back Row: Choir
Photo credit Matthew Gilmore |
Director
Thomas James O'Leary delivers the feeling of a mega church to the tiny
Crossley Theatre on the campus of the First Presbyterian Church. We are
greeted by a beautiful usher who hands us an authentic Sunday program.
Pastor
Paul (excellent Townsend Coleman) addresses the audience, now become
the congregation of literally thousands.. to deliver two important
announcements. Coleman is appropriately humble and direct. Sincerity is
Pastor Paul's stock in trade. His sincere devotion to his calling is the
reason that this church has grown from a storefront to a gymnasium to
the edifice that echoes the success of not only Pastor Paul, but the
physical body of Faith in the now paid for building that houses them
today. A deep sigh of relief comes after some rocky times, but now, the
foundation of the church is solid... but as we find in Isaiah ..
there's a crack.
To the
surprise of everyone, including Elder Jay (attentive Phil Crowley) who
chairs the board of directors and Paul's lovely wife, Elizabeth (Kay
Bess) Paul will guide the church in a new direction.
This church will no longer preach a belief in Hell!
The
liturgical and ecumenical and philosophical foundation has rested on
the threat of Damnation for those who have not taken Jesus Christ as
their personal Lord and Savior. The gut punch of this radical reversal
of what the wages of sin might really be becomes not only the through
line of the play, but the tenor of the room also changes. The audience
is now engaged in the visceral reaction to the argument of the play as a
congregation as well as playgoers.
Hnath's
beautifully constructed speeches are undeniable as Associate Pastor
Joshua (Thomas Chavira) rises to the pulpit to question Paul's new
direction for the church. Joshua's devotion has come from a deep
reversal of fortune that brought him from the brink of destruction to
his now official association with the church.
Hnath
in long and thoughtful speeches with director O'Leary's lengthy stage
waits ..... painful anticipations.... bring Paul's crisis in faith to a
showdown. Paul's suffering comes from his conscience by being exposed
to an example of the unfair business of losing the soul of any human
being who has, by belief in another religion or denial of the
opportunity to be 'saved' to die and then... to be chucked into Hell.
Paul points out that the "Word of God" is a bit like the game of
Telephone where interpretations of the text over time may differ.
Joshua
challenges Paul in front of the congregation and in a dramatic moment,
Joshua splits from his church home, the church that has literally
changed him as a person .. taking a handful of others with him.
The challenge of personal ethics and keeping on board
a church with literally thousands, if not millions of 'faithful' is
the crisis that Paul must now come to grips with. Out of the choir we
meet the cutest congregant and choir member, Jenny (Nicole Gabriella
Scipione). Jenny literally owes her family's well being and current
success to the outreach of Paul's ministry and indeed, to Paul himself.
She's prepared a statement with serious questions that take Paul by
surprise. Jenny is deeply invested in the Truth of what she believes, as
was Joshua. She poses incisive and thoughtful questions that she's had
to compose and write out to be sure that what the new direction of the
church is now, she may really understand. How can we not accept the
Bible's "absolute directive" to believe in punishment for all who are
not washed in the blood of the lamb. Isn't the fear of Hell what keeps
us on the straight and narrow path?
Depending
on our upbringing: in a formal church or faith; without the guidance of
religion, or left to our own devices, Paul openly wonders how his
literal indoctrination into the Christian Faith might be different had
he been raised with other beliefs or traditions. His is a true crisis
in that what he believes, what each of us truly believes, even the
agnostic who's beliefs are unsure.. each of us must turn to either Faith
or Reason: our own sacred and personal ethic in an attempt to
personally resolve the question:
"What do I really believe?"
I
really believe that "The Christians" is a play that must be
experienced. The beauty is in the telling and the evocative critical
thinking that each of us may be called to: like it or not!
THE CHRISTIANS by
Lucas Hnath
Actors Co-op Crossley Theatre
1760 N. Gower St.
(on the campus of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood)
Hollywood, CA 90028
May 10 – June 16, 2019
Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm
Sunday Matinees at 2:30 pm
Saturday Matinees May 18 and May 25 at 2:30 pm.
Adults: $35.00. Seniors (60+): $30.00.
Students with ID: $25.00. Group rates available for parties of 6 or more.
Reservations and information
(323) 462-8460
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