I believe that theatre is a powerful form of communion between artists and audience. You are with people, experiencing a story together, without the ability to pause or fast forward short of walking out of the theatre. Many facets of the human experience are portrayed raw before your eyes. Actors often say that moments in rehearsal or on stage can somehow feel more truthful than moments in real life. Acting demands vulnerability that we rarely engage with in the day to day. There is an irrefutable exchange of energy, a transaction, something visceral happens. Something that could be arguably described as 'spiritual'. My faith demands that I ask hard questions of myself and so does good art. That is part of the reason both of these things are important to me. They compel me to dig deeper, wrestle with darkness, celebrate goodness and challenge me to become a better person. I'm not saying that one can't exist without the other or anything like that, just that for me the two are complementary.
Most 'church drama' I've encountered has been terrible. Dangerously cheesy. A Jesus character dressed in white comes out with a big smile and abruptly becomes more and more distraught as people dressed in black writhe around and place signs labeled lust, greed, alcohol, etc. onto the citizens of earth. Jesus takes the signs onto himself and starts convulsing until he dies and then rises again without the sexy signs. The people rejoice and dance around. Granted, these 'drimes' often come from a good place and have, without a doubt, touched many lives - I have always found them appalling. The crystal clear message of redemption does not make up for the lack of imagination.
It has been a fascinating few months for me working for a professional theatre company known for artistic quality and integrity that is also rooted in Christian spirituality. At Pacific Theatre I find that the material digs into the human heart and pulls up laughter, tears, and horror at what we are capable of. There doesn't seem to be a motive to compel people towards religion, which would likely revoke an opposite response from Vancouver theatre goers, but rather a goal to present difficult questions of spiritual importance through challenging material. With Ron there is no shying away from the importance of the values of Jesus and this is evident in the work. But unlike the religious hypocrites, who stand back and dish out dogma, this company gets into our mess, engaging our deepest fears and longings. Not to mention the performances are usually of the highest calibre.
The connections between faith and art have always intrigued me and I find Ron Reed's take on them very compelling. Below is a link to an interview with him about his experience of how the two are aligned.
In this candid interview with Ron Reed, the Artistic Director of Pacific Theatre, you'll learn about a relationship between faith and art that lies at the core of what we do. Regent College's Tim Bratton brings Ron back to the beginning; to his decision to pursue theatre while studying New Testament Greek at Regent College. Ron talks about the relevance of theatre in our culture today, his personal experience as a Christian and as an artist, and the correlation between faith and storytelling.
For the interview Word Becomes Flesh: Thoughts on Theatre and Faith with Ron Reed visit the link: http://world.regent-college.edu/profile/words-becoming-flesh
Ron Reed is Artistic Director of Pacific Theatre located in Vancouver, Brititsh Columbia. He also co-teaches the Vocation of the Artist course at Regent College with Dr. Iwan Russel-Jones.
Most 'church drama' I've encountered has been terrible. Dangerously cheesy. A Jesus character dressed in white comes out with a big smile and abruptly becomes more and more distraught as people dressed in black writhe around and place signs labeled lust, greed, alcohol, etc. onto the citizens of earth. Jesus takes the signs onto himself and starts convulsing until he dies and then rises again without the sexy signs. The people rejoice and dance around. Granted, these 'drimes' often come from a good place and have, without a doubt, touched many lives - I have always found them appalling. The crystal clear message of redemption does not make up for the lack of imagination.
It has been a fascinating few months for me working for a professional theatre company known for artistic quality and integrity that is also rooted in Christian spirituality. At Pacific Theatre I find that the material digs into the human heart and pulls up laughter, tears, and horror at what we are capable of. There doesn't seem to be a motive to compel people towards religion, which would likely revoke an opposite response from Vancouver theatre goers, but rather a goal to present difficult questions of spiritual importance through challenging material. With Ron there is no shying away from the importance of the values of Jesus and this is evident in the work. But unlike the religious hypocrites, who stand back and dish out dogma, this company gets into our mess, engaging our deepest fears and longings. Not to mention the performances are usually of the highest calibre.
The connections between faith and art have always intrigued me and I find Ron Reed's take on them very compelling. Below is a link to an interview with him about his experience of how the two are aligned.
In this candid interview with Ron Reed, the Artistic Director of Pacific Theatre, you'll learn about a relationship between faith and art that lies at the core of what we do. Regent College's Tim Bratton brings Ron back to the beginning; to his decision to pursue theatre while studying New Testament Greek at Regent College. Ron talks about the relevance of theatre in our culture today, his personal experience as a Christian and as an artist, and the correlation between faith and storytelling.
For the interview Word Becomes Flesh: Thoughts on Theatre and Faith with Ron Reed visit the link: http://world.regent-college.edu/profile/words-becoming-flesh
Ron Reed is Artistic Director of Pacific Theatre located in Vancouver, Brititsh Columbia. He also co-teaches the Vocation of the Artist course at Regent College with Dr. Iwan Russel-Jones.
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