The reading!

So last night, Bill Rauch, Adrienne Gleeson, Kristen Robinson, and Sarajane Alverson did the reading of Passion. (I've changed the font for this posting to verdana, because that's what the script is in.) I popped in occassionally with the reading of the projections, stage directions and musical moments. It was wonderful to hear the language (kind of formal, see previous post) and see the movement (in my head) and find out where the holes were (there weren't many, thank goodness!)

We breezed through the scourging and the crucifixion - not a lot of talking! But those scenes in particular, made me consider just what the sound design should be. In the theatre, you can only listen to the mob for so long before you file it away as annoying background noise and it loses it's punch.

Obviously, there is not a lot of humor in the show. It will take a concentrated effort to find moments of lightness, given the ongoing tragedy. And I don't mean moments of "ha ha, funny stuff" just times when there are conversations taking place, times where the audience can take a breath and regain their equilibrium. It's an exhausting story to tell and an equally exhausting story to watch.

After the reading, the actors gave me feedback regarding text, and context. One of the things I really wanted to include in this story, which is NOT in any of the gospels, is Judas' torment at what he's done. The gospels state very simply that Judas was consumed by Satan and took his own life. I've had issues with Judas for a while but have made the artistic decision that he needs to tell us and show us what he's feeling, which I think creates a touchstone for the audience. Who hasn't been tortured over a poor decision we made? Thankfully, in discussions with dramaturg Dianna Thomas last year, I came to the decision that Judas wasn't just a pawn in the game. He exercised his free will and committed the betrayal. Otherwise, wouldn't we be celebrating him as a saint who did his part in moving along the events that would kill Jesus and then have him rise? Like Jesus, who questions his Father in the garden, Judas could have chosen NOT to take part, NOT to take the money from the Sanhedrin. And he was so tormented, he couldn't even ask for forgiveness, because it would have been given to him if he'd asked. Instead, he acted on his free will again, and took his own life. As Kristen read Judas' monologue last night and knowing that it is against the background of Jesus' scourging, I heard how selfish he was, and that he didn't fully believe in the mercy of God. He wasn't all in,but held a piece of himself back and that sealed his doom. For those wondering just how Judas is saying all this in keeping with my "no created dialogue" rule, most of his lines come from Job (who also had a rather volatile relationship with God) and from Lamentations (woe is me stuff).

Much of the text in the gospels is circular. And repetitive. And repetitive. It's kind of the Department of Redundancy Department. The gospel stories were told in an oral tradition for centuries and the storytellers knew that for something to sink in, they needed to say it more that once. No where is this more evident than in the Last Supper. I have made the Last Supper purposely long because I figure it will take quite a while to wash the feet of 12 people.  In my church's Holy Thursday service (the washing of the feet), 12 chairs are lined up and we don't really even get to see the washing because the priest is in front of them and we only see his back. In Passion, Jesus calls each disciple up one at a time and we get to see the personal interaction. We actually did feet washing a couple months ago at SATE training and it was a very eye opening experience. Everyone washed and got washed. It is a humbling experience on both sides - intimate yet bold, loving, and nurturing. It makes you really consider who is the servant. Anyhoo, that scene, taken mostly from John's gospel because apparently, Jesus was really chatty at the Last Supper, is what covers most of the time spent washing feet. And even with all the text, I still want there to be moments of silence where only the sounds of the water can be heard. So that scene may receive substantial chopping in the end, cutting out much of the circular talk and that would be fine.

So I have some adjustments to make. And I still have to find a dern Hallelujah that is joyous and upbeat. Oh. And a venue.

Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ

I finally watched Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. I have avoided this movie because I heard so much about the violence in it, and I'm not a fan of that. To be perfectly honest, I sped through the scourging because my husband said he watched it and felt like he needed to throw up.

So Monday night, I sat down and watched Mel's take on the story. I will say, even avoiding the scourging as I did, Mel seemed to focus an awful lot on the violence. I'm not saying it wasn't this way historically, in fact, it probably really was this horrible. I wondered how he actually even made it to the Skull Place he was so beat up. But the focus on the violence was distracting at times. I'm fairly certain I don't need to be nauseated to know what he went through. Things I can imagine in my head are horrific enough and more than that, it wasn't just the physical that makes this story tragic. It was the way that EVERYONE, not just Judas betrayed him, with just a few exceptions. The disciples, except for John, are nowhere to be found. The sanhedrin and religious authorities are making stuff up to put him to death (holy men, my butt!) Even the people who welcomed him into Jerusalem 5 days earlier with such enthusiasm are caught up in the mob mentality. And let's not forget the Romans: Pilate bowing under the political pressure from Caesar and the Jewish leaders, and the soldiers who took delight in his pain (talk about no mercy). And finally, the thief, who, at his own execution can only belittle Jesus. Betrayal after betrayal after betrayal. THAT is what I wouldn't be able to stand up to - knowing that there was no one to comfort me, albeit that Mary and Magdalene were there too, but they were women and who cared what they thought, said or did.

Mel puts the devil right there in the midst of the people, too. First, taunting Jesus in the garden, then at the riot during Jesus' trial, appearing to Judas (seeming to make him possessed), and then cackling gleefully at Jesus' death. Didn't much care for that part.

Passion, by me, is taken only from the Bible. For several reasons, I didn't want to "create" any dialogue. Some of the translations took me right out of the movie. I think one soldier said, "Come on, we don't have all day," which seemed a little modern to me. We create and add new words to the dictionary all the time, but I don't think the slang or colloquisms were quite so rampant in that time. I could be wrong, but my feeling is that language in general was less developed than it is now and so formal language was the order of the day.

They did show Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus taking Jesus off the cross and that was cool. It will be cooler when we do it, and very strenuous, but beautiful and touching and elegant.

So check that off the list.

Holy Week

I refrained from posting during Holy Week because I wanted to have the whole experience.

Holy Thursday: I sang at this service with another cantor. I think, at times, I sounded ridiculous on the mic, going in and out because I often turned my head to see just what was going on. Holy Thursday is the washing of the feet, as seen in Luke's gospel. It is also considered the first commission to the priesthood in my church. Somewhere in the back of my head, I had that information stored away but it was brought to the forefront at this service. And it wasn't something that was crystal clear in my numerous readings of this gospel but I can kind of see it now. But I wonder if Jesus was calling them to be rabbis/teachers, not priests. Priests, as sisters or nuns, have may vocations within their call to be religious figures. Some are teachers of math, history or English, some are administrators, some go into the field and some head parishes and guide the spiritual well-being of their flock. Is this the same with rabbis? I guess I thought they were always there for spiritual guidance and knowledge. I need to do some research on this topic. I have a vauge idea of the ceremony around the priesthood, but wonder if Jesus did any kind of laying of hands, or special blessing on the twelve that night.

Good Friday. I first attended this service last year and then sang for it this year at my own church. It is not a "mass." There is no opening or processional entrance because it is a continuation of prayer from the night before. The story of the Passion is read and then people venerate the cross, meaning they come to a large cross, kneel or genuflect, touch it or kiss it. It can be a very powerful thing to watch. And I do so love the song Behold the Wood.

    "Behold, behold, the wood of the cross, on which is hung our salvation. O come, let us adore."

The body of Christ is taken out of the tabernacle on Holy Thursday. On God Friday, there is no liturgy of the Eucharist, but people do receive communion. At the end of the service, again, there is no ending song, just the repetition of a taize change: Stay with me. Remain her with me. Watch and pray. Watch and pray."
The church is darkened and people file out at their will. This is to lead directly into Holy Saturday.

Holy Saturday. I did not attend this service due to a family obligation, but this is the time when new Christians/Catholics are initiated into the church. It's a loooooooong service, (also called the Easter Vigil) where they do something like nine readings and as many responsorial psalms. Each person (almost always and adult) being initiated receives the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and Holy Communion.

I sang again on Easter Sunday. This is a joyous service musically, in the readings and just in general as everyone has dressed in their Easter finery to celebrate the Risen Lord.

Last year I attended a tenebrae service. Tenebrae means darkness in Latin. It's funny that the dictionary mentions it's a Roman Catholic term, considering I'd never heard of it until last year. Essentially, during Holy Week, a series of readings are done (seven I believe), all leading up to the death of Christ. As each reading concludes, a candle is snuffed out until, after the final reading the church or chapel or room is left in complete darkness. You hear a door slam or a curtain tear and the darkness continues for about 2 minutes. The idea being that Christ has died, the light has gone out, and now we wait in darkness. Two minutes sounds like a really short amount of time, but I will tell you as an actor, that kind of time onstage without anything, can be deadly (pardon the pun). Moreover, it makes people very uncomfortable, rather the feeling you would expect to have knowing that the Savior has died. I liked it so much, it is a part of Passion. Whether people will realize that it's a riff on the tenebrae service, who knows? But it's a very clear marker of each incident that brought Jesus to be crucified and ultimately die. Me likey.

I could see it all

Yesterday was Palm Sunday. The reading of the Passion of Christ according to Matthew. (Easter Sunday will be John.) As Holy week began yesterday, I could see Passion in my head as it was read in my church. I lent a small part of my ear to the congregation which has various responses in the version we read and I know, truly, in my heart, that people need to SEE this. As with anything we read aloud over and over, the tendency to become complacent, or read/speak by rote is the natural path. Just listen to a group of kids recite the Pledge of Allegiance or even people at church recite the Our Father. It's like they forget what the words actually say.

This week is a long one for me in church, but not in a bad way. I am singing Holy Thursday service (the washing of the feet and the Last Supper), again on Holy Friday (the Veneration of the Cross), and then again on Easter Sunday. My hope is to not get distracted while I'm singing because I find the whole aspect of these moments of the story to be spellbinding. So many times in the last 18 months, particularly when I'm cantoring, I find myself wondering how the disciples reacted during the offering of the bread and wine/body and blood. Then I'm like, "Whoops! Sing girl!" Maybe it's because I'm up so close to the alter, the body and blood, but I seriously get a little lost in the ceremony and in thought.

But now begins a renewed effort to bring Passion to the stage in 2012. The venue is once again top priority in my mind. Once that is secured, advertising and group sales can begin. I am however, beginning to rethink my former position on NOT having a church involved. I definitely want to do it in a church, but now I'm wondering if having the "blessing" of the Catholic Church, the Missouri Lutheran Synod, the Methodists, etc, wouldn't be optimal. I don't want to propogate doctrine, and that's where I've felt the problem lies. With the whole script taken from the Bible, I don't know how organized religion can argue doctrine, but that's been my fear. And maybe that's been my problem - I'm operating from a place of fear. Also, that I don't want to evangelize. I want people to see the work, see the story, and decide on their own how it affects them. It's only when we've reached the age of reason that we begin to question our faith and really reflect on how it pertains to us, if we truly believe in the doctrine of one church or another (or not a church at all - For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. ... Matthew 18:20) and if we can actually live what we believe. And even if someone doesn't believe, that's OK too.

The relevance of Passion can still be seen today. Who hasn't witnessed the love of a mother for a child? Been a part of a betrayal? Seen the justice system be swayed the wrong way and an innocent dies for uncommitted sins? Watched violence unfold and felt unable to do anything about it? THESE are the human instances where I think Passion will resonate.

Perhaps what I'm really coming to is a COMMUNITY effort to produce Passion. People of different faiths, churches whose doctrine is Bible based. Whatever and however this comes to fruition, it will be with the help of many, not just those who do theatre, not just those within my church group, not only those who believe in the story of Christ. But the key word is many: many hands make light work.

I hope this Holy Week is one of new discoveries for me, not just within my faith, but for Passion, the project. I just need to keep my eyes and ears open for what comes next.

Church play

"Isn't Passion a church play?"

That question (and any number of variations on it) has been presented to me any number of times in the last 18 months, and it's one I have struggled to answer. Yes it can be and no, it's a play that deals with a Christian theology. I just read a review of something being done at the Ivory, called A.D the Musical. The reveiwer from Post Dispatch called it a church play but did not elaborate on 'what' a church play is, called it amatuerish, and not a professional treatment of the material. So what exactly IS a church play? One dealing with a person's struggle with faith? One that presents biblical stories? One where only those of a certain faith would understand?

This has been a conundrum for me. Passion is not about a struggle of faith, unless it's the faith of the disciples or the audience or the Sanhedrin. Jesus (at this point in his life) is not unsure about his faith in God. Is he a little worried and concerned about the way he's supposed to die? - sure. How exactly do you get yourself psyched up to die a torturous, painful, humiliating death? And yes of course, he asks if there's any way this can be done where he doesn't have to submit to this horrific death, but he remains committed. And struggles with faith are not exclusive to the Christian community. Pretty sure human beings of all faiths question, fail, leave, come back, change and/or revise their thinking about God, the world, and our place in it. So that can't be what makes it a church play.

Biblical stories: Moses, Noah, Jonah, Abraham and Isaac, Samson and Delilah, David and Goliath - these are biblical stories about Jewish people, God's chosen people. The majority of the bible tells stories about Jewish people (the Old Testament is waaaay longer than the New Testament) and yet they are all lumped into a Christian theology and in my experience, no one really considers them tales of the Jewish people. Hmmm.

Amatuerish: this must deal with the poor direction, crappy music and lyrics, poor script, and range of acting/singing styles - none of which reflect on the material itself. It may very well be an amatuerish production, but I don't see how that contributes to the "church play" mentality.

Professional treatment: as I have said before, Passion was conceived for a professional theatre artists. This has been done before with Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar. The truth is, the story of Jesus' Passion is A REALLY GOOD STORY. There's love, betrayal, violence, forgiveness, a good guy, a bad guy, and an arc that moves from wildly excited to poignant to despair to fear and violence to acceptance to redemption and back to love. It is similar to stories about mythological characters, we just don't seem to have anyone who believes in Poseidan, Zeus, Aphrodite, and Hades anymore. So what constitues the professional treatment? For me and for Passion, it's about having actors who understand what bodies in motion can say to an audience, it's about knowing the arc of the play, building the action and being so committed to those actions and the arc that the entire audience is engrossed and FEELS the climax, even if they don't believe in the particular theology. That is the actor's JOB. I know plenty of people at my church who know the story, believe in the theology but I don't want them in Passion because they do not possess the tools of an actor. I find it hard to believe that in producing Godspell, JC Superstar, the Mel Gibson movie The Passion, there was a box to check off if you are Christian. Producers want good actors, and the actor's job is to portray a character.

So I still don't have a good answer to the question about whether Passion is a church play. Thoughts?