HowlRound: The Associate Pastor reads his prayers for the sick, and I think of those who are unwell, or those I miss and can no longer see. When he finishes, we lift our heads and offer an “Amen.” Shortly after, it’s our turn to stand and sing: “Farther along we’ll know more about it, farther along we’ll understand why. Cheer up my brother, live in the sunshine, we’ll understand it, all by and by.” The song is buoyant and bright — so much so that it feels like Sunday morning, like I’m back at my hometown church. But I’m actually on a stage, not an altar, performing in The Christians where the sacred line between church and theatre often blurs.
1 comment:
I already commented last week about the interesting similarities between religion and theater, and it only makes sense that the lines blur in a representation of religion onstage. In both a mass and a play, community is at the heart of the event. Giving and receiving is a large part of the message, and while they are both group "activities", there is an important individual component in the way each person experiences the "story" at hand. This play seems like such a beautiful way to bridge the gap between believes and non-believers, and get to the heart of the human part of simply going to church. I'd love an opportunity to see it, and I'm sad to see that I missed the livestream of a symposium about the play yesterday.
The remarks of the writer about the blurred lines are very astute, and I'd love to hear perspectives from more members of this real make-believe choir.
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