Occidental’s theater department will showcase its production of “The Christians” Nov. 5-8 in Keck Theater with free tickets for students. According to director Laural Meade, resident professor of Theatre & Performance Studies, the play is a drama set in an evangelical megachurch, centered around the controversial sermon of a head pastor who calls the beliefs of his congregation into question.
According to Sam Gillespie (senior), who plays the lead pastor, “The Christians” is different in structure and content from other shows produced by the theater department.
“The play is very sermon-like,” Gillespie said. “You will be immersed in the world we’ve created and the drama they’re in.”
Gillespie said regardless of their knowledge of Christianity, anyone can resonate with the play’s message.
“You don’t need to be a Christian to understand the drama of the play,” Gillespie said. “There are debates that have some theology in it, but the drama is so high anyone could understand it.”
According to Meade, despite its name, “The Christians” is about questioning faith as a concept rather than Christianity itself.
“You think [the show] is going to be about being Christian or specifically aimed at a Christian audience […] it’s really not,” Meade said. “It could be about any other faith community wherein the leader stands up […] and says ‘That thing we’ve been believing for thousands of years? We’re not going to believe that anymore.’”
Shelby Kernisant (senior)*, who plays the pastor’s wife, said she is aware of the connotations that come with the show’s title.
“When I tell people about the show […] the first thing I say is it’s not gross and weird,” Kernisant said. “It’s more along the lines of debate and personal philosophies rather than ‘if you’re gay, you’re going to hell.’”
Eli Ander-Biegelsen (junior), who plays the main antagonist, said although they were wary of the surrounding themes, spending time with the show brought them to self-reflection. Ander-Biegelsen said it was interesting to take on the role given that the characters religious orthodoxy differs so much from their own beliefs.
“[Antagonists] occupy a very critical narrative and an ideological part of the stories that we tell,” Ander-Biegelsen said. “This show will bring to you very interesting questions that you will have to unpack your own beliefs to answer.”
According to Ander-Biegelsen, the five main cast members and 12 ensemble members make up the church’s congregation.
“This show is essentially a theological debate played out on stage between [the protagonist], who has a very strong conviction for his theological position [and] people from his congregation and in his life […] [who] oppose him on that,” Ander-Biegelsen said.
According to Meade, to help research the characters and setting, the cast went on three outings to observe different megachurch services in LA, including Grace Community Church, which she was a part of at a young age.
“It was good to get a feeling of the ecstatic nature of how this specific denomination of Christianity worships,” Meade said. “It was a surprise to us in many ways, because of the tone and tenor of the congregation and the nature of the service.”
According to Kernisant, the actors incorporate the megachurch as a concept both in scene and in how the characters interact with each other.
“The megachurch industry itself is an extremely American concept,” Kernisant said. “You think of the big Texas megachurches where they have things flying through the air […] it’s like Lady Gaga at the Super Bowl.”
Gillespie said his favorite part of his role, as the lead, is that he gets to observe each of his fellow cast members in their best moments on stage.
“Everyone adds something super key and we have a great cast,” Gillespie said. “Everyone elevates it; the drama starts super high and stays there.”
While the show is sermon-like, Kernisant said the tone of the show is not intended to be preachy.
“We’re going to have the pre-show announcement as [if] the audience, are in attendance at a sermon, but only for the start and then it shifts,” Kernisant said. “We’re not here to proselytize to you; we’re here to put on a good show.”
*Shelby Kernisant is a staff writer for the Occidental
Contact Nathan Bae at nbae@oxy.edu
