Religious Indigestion

“I’ve had the Bible shoved down my throat since I was little …. I’ve got a bad case of Religious Indigestion!” says Gideon LeRoux (Charlie Barron) to Martinus Zoeloe (Erik Kilpatrick) in PLAYLAND.

Perhaps the truth is sometimes hard to swallow. Perhaps the problem is the shoving down the throat. Perhaps the man-made trappings of religion can’t be digested because they should be spit out.

All Good Gifts

Turn back!

In the process, here’s the cast working on “Turn Back, O Man.”  Watch the great work by Music Director and Pianist Joe Schoen. Cast members include:  J. Samuel Davis (Jesus), Charlie Barron, Justin Ivan Brown, Laura Ernst, Justin Leibrecht, Isabella Liu, Amy Loui,  Khnemu Menu-Ra, Deborah Sharn & Anna Skidis.

You may have to cut & paste this link — sorry – but it’s worth it! Turn up the sound..

http://www.youtube.com/user/Deanna802?feature=mhee

The First Stone

It’s easy to understand the parable about seeing the speck of dust in someone else’s eye while ignoring the plank in your own eye.

Easy to understand. Hard to act on.

Because taking that plank out of MY eye is going to hurt! And who knows what the world might look like with all that new clear vision?

It’s easy to criticize. It’s easy to see the problems. It’s hard to see myself as part of the problem AND figure out how to change so I can be part of the solution.

Catch me!

“Your pain is interesting, my pain hurts.”
“One person talks about God’s love, the other person IS that love in action.”
“How did you know my story?”
These are just a few of the comments from our post-show discussions. Over and over we have realized that experiencing the truth of one family’s life is to experience the truth of life in general.
And why is that so scary? We fear what others will think, how they might judge us, laugh at us, pity us.
Or – they might join us.

FALLING and where will we land?

Opening weekend for “Falling” and such amazing responses. It is a difficult story, touching people in many ways; it is a funny story, a scary story, a roller-coaster ride. We have extended the run of the show, adding four more performances. It has been a wonderful collaborative experience. I am open for questions, comments, suggestions?

Terror and Trust — FALLING

“Falling” is the title of the play I wrote that is now in rehearsal. 

“Falling” is also an apt description of the exhilirating and terrifying process it has been, watching the words jump from page to stage. 

The terror of falling comes from the unknown: Will I look like a fool? Will it hurt? Can I trust someone to catch me?

Trust comes from relationship. I can let my script “fall” into the arms of this director and cast because I know their work. They tell stories truthfully, passionately.

In the play, the Martin family also experience moments of terror and questions of trust. Raising a son with severe autism has shaped the dynamics of their relationships – with each other, with “outsiders” and with God.

For me, it is ultimately a story about loving someone who is hard to love.  While the specifics of this play involve a person with autism, the situation can be found in almost any family.  

I hope you can join us for this. Tickets are available online at our website: www.mustardseedtheatre.com

“Greed is not a virtue, sharing is not a sin.”

  That quote is from David Korten’s book Agenda for a New Economy. He talks first about the cultural stories which shape our view of reality, in particular that “…the capitalist culture has taken what religion has characterized as the seven deadly sins, and has actually come to characterize those as virtues ….. convincing us that somehow the pursuit of the seven deadly sins is really good for society and helps us build wealth and happiness.”

   It’s a complicated and challenging book, in particular for someone who tells stories for a living.

   Do you agree with Korten about our “rapacious capitalism” turning the seven deadly “sins” into virtues and the virtues into sins? And if so, what stories can we tell to engage people in conversations about the reality of the economy and the possibilities of change?

Making connections: Greenbelt Festival!

This looks like an amazing experience — would love to attend the Greenbelt Festival in England this August.  Here’s a brief description:

“With 21,000 people, music, campers and traders aplenty, Greenbelt might look like any other Festival. But scratch beneath the surface and you find something special…

Alongside musicians such as Billy Bragg, Fightstar, Royksopp, Athlete, Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, José Gonzalez, Gilles Peterson, The Proclaimers and Seth Lakeman, each year the Festival hosts a rich programme of visual and performing arts, spirituality, comedy and talks and discussion – recently welcoming the likes of Michael Morpurgo, Tamsin Omond, Anita Roddick, Jasper Fforde and Billy Childish, Union Dance and The Reduced Shakespeare Company The diversity of content not only demonstrates our commitment to the arts, faith and justice, but also our underlying values of tolerance, dialogue and hope.

Our 37-year history is firmly rooted within a Christian tradition which is world-affirming, politically and culturally engaged. Ours is a belief that embraces instead of excludes. And, as such, the Festival is family-friendly celebration, inclusive and accepting of all, regardless of ethnicity, gender, sexuality, background or belief.”

More info at:  http://www.greenbelt.org.uk/

New Play Contest

Mustard Seed Theatre is launching a New Play Contest for scripts that relate to the theatre’s mission of “exploring our relationship with God and our ethical responsibility to the world.” The winning script or scripts will receive a staged reading on April 22 and 23, 2012.

Full-length plays, one-acts and adaptations will be accepted; at this time no musicals will be considered. Submission guidelines and the application forms are available at the company’s website: www.mustardseedtheatre.com.
All submissions will be done electronically. For more information, call Emily Immer at 314-719-8060 or email at emily@mustardseedtheatre.com.