playwriting for the contemporary church
Christ the King Presbyterian Church rehearses for "Kings in Judea," 2017
Christians have had a tempestuous relationship with the theater. Sometimes in harmony, sometimes at odds, the church has banned theater multiple times and often viewed it with skepticism or outright fear.
It is true that theater is a powerful tool that can be harmful in the wrong hands, and yet it can also be a powerful tool for good. As medieval Christians understood, there is no better way than theater for engaging a community, sharing truth, imaging our creative God, and remembering his works.
I believe our churches can draw on this rich tradition and reintroduce theater as a tool not only for communication and education, but also to build community among congregations where it is desperately needed.
Below, you will find video of a short performance created by congregants at Seven Hills Presbyterian Church, portraying a passage from the book of Ezekiel.
Seven Hills Presbyterian Church performs a short piece of theater as part of a Maundy Thursday service, 2019
Plays for the Church
The church's trove of plays is impoverished. There are very few works available that are suitable for use by a church looking for quality theater either about the lives of the saints, or drawn directly from scripture. I am embarking on a project of writing plays for use by the contemporary church: plays that use the words of scripture, are adapted from an older work of sacred theater, or are on a theme/story of interest.
Below you will find some of my completed works and works in process. If you would like more information or to ask about performing one of the pieces, please feel free to contact me.