| Godspell Returns to the Calvin Stage |
Twenty five years after its first appearance at Calvin College, Godspell returns to the stage. The musical by Stephen Schwartz follows the life of Jesus Christ according to the Gospel of Matthew, beginning with his baptism and ending with his crucifixion. In a storytelling fashion, the audience follows Christ’s story and parables through music and pantomime somewhat similarly to Jesus Christ Superstar, another religiously based musical from the early 1970s. However, Godspell is significantly different from Jesus Christ Superstar say cast and crew members. The dialogue is directly quoted from Matthew and each song comes from the Episcopal Hymnal, making it seem more true to Christianity than many people take from the other production. Cast and crew members have their opinions about the controversy in the play. “Twenty five years ago, they [audiences] thought it was sacrilegious,” said Assistant Stage Manager Rita Feikema. She and cast members Laura Cooke, Ashley Mulder and Chris Rozenboom went on to explain that among other questionable things, followers of Jesus donned clown make-up when choosing to be his disciples which was an unclear and offensive interpretation for some Christian audiences. In Calvin’s production, cast members will not dress as clowns, a change easily accepted with the lack of direction in the original script. “Directors have a lot of freedom with this musical. There is no definite cast, no designed set,” said Mulder. “Any controversy is in the interpretation” replied Cooke. Even though the words come from the Bible, the director’s and actors’ physical interpretation are where theological debate enters the scene. There were difficulties among cast and crew on how to act out scenes from 1st century Palestine in a modern Grand Rapids setting. Particularly Jesus’ physical actions when explaining his parables and the Lord’s Supper were difficult to organize, mentioned Feikema. The crucifixion was another tough scene to set. The finale of the show will not take place on an electric fence as it was in the original production, but with a fresh interpretation, one that will be kept a secret by cast and crew until the actual performance. “There are hints to the resurrection… but the main theme is the community formed around Jesus, and the love, hope and compassion for one another that continues on among that community even after Jesus is gone,” Mulder emphasized. Despite arguments on theological soundness, Calvin’s rendition of Godspell should be an exciting one. The set is the largest that current Calvin Theatre Company members have ever seen, taking up the entire stage in order to accommodate the 14 member cast and the live band that joins them. As previously mentioned, the play takes place in modern Grand Rapids which is shown on stage by including actual photographs of the city as the backdrops and characters that are recognizable stereotypes from the G.R. area, some based on actual people seen at the Farmers Market. Debra Freeberg, professor of Theatre and Communication, is directing the production. Professor Freeberg has directed many plays at Calvin including most recently The Lady’s Not for Burning, American Musical Theatre History Review, As You Like It and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Godspell will be performed in the Gezon Auditorium November 1-3 and November 7-10 at 8pm. Tickets will also be available for the October 31 dress rehearsal for a reduced price. Tickets may be purchased at the box office or at the door, but buying early is the best way to ensure saving your place for this much anticipated performance. Oct 31 Dress Rehearsal $10 & $5 (students) General Admission $14.00 Weds – Thurs $15.00 Fri – Sat $7.00 Students |
Anne Reilly |
10/19/07 |
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