Fall Main Stage 2019: THE CHRISTIANS by David Hnath
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THE CHRISTIANS
by Lucan Hnath
Directed by Stepan Simek, Professor of Theatre
Choir Director: Susan McBerry
The What and The How
The Christians as a deeply probing play that raises questions about how and why entrenched beliefs within organized religion can exert great power and cause division within communities, and how changing those beliefs can often be difficult, disruptive, and accompanied by great personal cost the the individual. It is a highly theatrical and relatable, yet at the same time profoundly intellectual staged debate about the real human consequences of choices based on spirituality. The play is set in a modern and diverse American Evangelical megachurch, and the action is backed by a twenty-five-member choir and a live church band.
Play Synopsis
Twenty years ago, Pastor Paul’s church was nothing more than a modest storefront. Now, he presides over a mega-congregation of thousands, with classrooms for Sunday School, a coffee shop in the lobby, a baptismal font as big as a swimming pool, a top of the arts multi-media machinery, and a parking lot for hundreds of cars. Today should be a day of celebration – the congregation has become more powerful than ever, and the gigantic church building is now finally fully paid for and debt-free. But Paul is about to preach a sermon that will shake the very foundation of his church’s belief and lead to a complete reexamination of everything that each of the characters in the play stands for.
PERFORMANCES
Fir Acres Theatre Main Stage
Thursday, Friday and Saturday, October 31, November 1 & 2 – 7:30pm
Sunday, November 3 – 2:00pm Matinee
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, November 7, 8, 9 – 7:30pm
