Last night was the conclusion of an epic saga that ironically lasted only seven weeks for those of us who were lucky enough to be a part of it. Sweeney Todd is one of the greatest musicals ever written, and I cannot tell you what a blessing it was to be a part of Carnegie Mellon’s production directed by Joe Calarco. From the cast, to the crew, to the audience, and last but not least the director, the show was a theatrical experience that was not to be missed. I say this with all humility, knowing that it was despite my imperfections, as well as those of my cast mates that this production succeeded the way it did. And in it’s final hour, we as a company began to experience something incredibly rare, and completely beyond my comprehension.
I have always said, God must love the theatre. Because no matter how slow or bleak the rehearsal and tech process is, when that curtain goes up, something happens, and the show goes on, not always without a hitch or two, but it happens, and beyond all odds, a piece of theatre is created. It is then that we begin to experience the spiritual and communal side of theatre. And to be honest, I have never been sure how to react to it, or what to make of it.
The community one can create in the theatre is truly God breathed sometimes. And last night as I stood in a circle with my cast mates before the show, seeing all their faces gleam with love and appreciation for one another I thought, this is church baby! The relationships and bonds that are formed by putting on a piece of theatre together are both deep and long-lasting. It’s like going on a mission trip with someone, and whenever you run into them afterward you share a certain intimacy, because you have experienced something together that was completely outside of yourselves.
Standing on the stage after the show, I was struck with how truly unbelievable it was that the show came together in the way it did. It was special, and one could say, ‘Oh, the cast was great’ or, ‘the direction was phenomenal’ or, ‘it’s one of the best written musicals of all time’, and all of this would be true. But when the light board gives out during the final minutes of the show, leaving a true horror musical to be concluded in a beautiful symphony of complete darkness, one can’t help but think that something else is going on here. I believe that the Lord was doing something, He was trying to tell us something, He is pointing something out. What? I’m not totally sure. Maybe He was making a point about production value, or the emptiness of the pursuit of perfection, or the beauty of spontaneity. I really don’t know, but for now, the mystery and the magic are good enough for me.
-jon
The community one can create in the theatre is truly God breathed sometimes. And last night as I stood in a circle with my cast mates before the show, seeing all their faces gleam with love and appreciation for one another I thought, this is church baby! The relationships and bonds that are formed by putting on a piece of theatre together are both deep and long-lasting. It’s like going on a mission trip with someone, and whenever you run into them afterward you share a certain intimacy, because you have experienced something together that was completely outside of yourselves.
Standing on the stage after the show, I was struck with how truly unbelievable it was that the show came together in the way it did. It was special, and one could say, ‘Oh, the cast was great’ or, ‘the direction was phenomenal’ or, ‘it’s one of the best written musicals of all time’, and all of this would be true. But when the light board gives out during the final minutes of the show, leaving a true horror musical to be concluded in a beautiful symphony of complete darkness, one can’t help but think that something else is going on here. I believe that the Lord was doing something, He was trying to tell us something, He is pointing something out. What? I’m not totally sure. Maybe He was making a point about production value, or the emptiness of the pursuit of perfection, or the beauty of spontaneity. I really don’t know, but for now, the mystery and the magic are good enough for me.
-jon
