Laying it all out

My search for a venue has once again begun in earnest. I have a couple already identified and I'm working on getting a letter out before I leave for Rolla on June 21. The thing is, I can't really speak about Passion in short, bullet-points. There has been so much work done on the project in terms of working through staging, the sound design, the set, etc, that I find myself going on and on. Below is what I've tentatively written out to accompany the letter to prospective venues, most of which are churches, btw.

The story concentrates on the universal themes of love, betrayal and redemption, but also on the primordial relationships of mother/son and devoted friends. Contemporary touchstones include a justice system swayed by political pressures and the execution of someone who is innocent.


The text of Passion is from the Bible, sacred music and Jewish prayers. The Old Testament provides text for Mary, Mary Magdalen and Judas, and verses used as projections to reveal prophecies fulfilled. The most dramatic elements of the story are drawn from all four gospels. Creating the bulk of Passion solely from the Bible allows a straightforward telling of the story devoid of specific denominational doctrine, derogatory remarks or anti-semitism.


The music follows the arc of the story, starting with taize music - chants with one line of text and a single melody. As the show progresses, more text is sung and harmonies are added until the crucifixion which has the most complicated music in the show, Benjamin Britten's One Ever Hangs/Agnus Dei, from his War Requiem. Music is sung by the principal actors and a separate chorus.


The concept for Passion is based on Suzuki and Viewpoints, two very physical approaches to theatre, to recreate sacred works of art (DaVinci's Last Supper, Michelangelo's La Pieta) and accomplish the brutal physicality of the story. Projections highlight the fulfillment of prophecies from the Old Testament and the set is extremely simple. The production rests on the structure of a tenebrae service with seven candles lit at the beginning of the show and being snuffed out one by one until Christ's death on the cross. The audience also plays a role in Passion. From the staging, to seating arrangements, to sound design and music, they are meant to be an integral part of the story.

The players include union and non-union professional theatre artists, community players designated as disciples (non-speaking roles) and Simon of Cyrene, and a singing chorus. 

So I ask you, my 4 followers, does this make things clear?

No church and no bible

Twice, I have travelled to countries who are known as devoutly Catholic: Italy (2006) and most recently Ecuador, and here's my conundrum: these people who shout that they are Catholics don't go to church much at all. I have seen so many breathtakingly beautiful churches with no one in them. In fact, in Italy, people are very proud to tell you they are Catholic but when you ask if they attend mass, they say, "oh...no." Perhaps it is due to the very real lack of ordained priests but that's not my first inclination.

The last two years has seen my nose in a bible more than all the time prior to 2009. Oh, I know the bible stories - old and new testament - but as for sitting down to read the bible myself and hook the stories and lessons together, that was never required of me in my Catholic upbringing. A fact I had confirmed by my mother-in-law about a month ago when she said, "I don't know the bible very well. We never read it much." Whaaaaaa??? I know, right?!

Matt (my husband) thinks the Catholic church wants to concentrate on the lessons which is why we never discuss the history of the bible or the inconsistencies in many of the gospel stories, even thought EVERY SINGLE PRIEST learns this stuff at seminary. That makes it so much more interesting to me!!!  Matt says that's what a bible study class is for. Now for those who know me pretty well, I don't consider myself a very good Catholic. I'm not murdering, stealing, worshipping false gods, coveting my neighbor's goods or anything, but as a Catholic, you're supposed to be "all in" with the doctrine and this is where I have some issues. There seems to be quite a bit of doctrine I cannot find anywhere in the gospels, which, as far as I know, is the only bit of text we have on what Jesus said. Not gonna get into that right now (maybe another post) but suffice it to say, I would rather take my studies of Jesus' teachings on their own and live my life in that fashion.

I go to mass: because I find comfort in the service, because it's familiar and I like the music, because often times the readings seem to address exactly what I'm dealing with at a particular time. AND, I read the bible, most often the gospels, because that story interests me most of all. I will continue to bat around the idea of no church and yet devout, believer in Jesus as my savior without the doctrine and trust that eventually I will be able to see what adjustments to make and given the motivation to make them.

Oh, and I still need an Alleluia, dangit.