stained glass
FINALIST at the
Grace InFused Theatre Festival
Columbus Performing Arts Center
Columbus, OH
Aug. 2016
Scenic and Lighting Design
by Patrick M. Strain
Costume Design by Motley
Play Summary: stained glass
Time and Setting: 2010, Westfield, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis.
Roles: 5 women and 4 men.
Genre: Drama
First Lutheran Church is in the midst of a building project and they cannot agree on what should be done with the church’s stained glass windows, some of which are in pretty bad shape. Charlene “Charlie” Romano, general contractor and friend of church council president Conway Harding, squares off against Rich Saunders, First Lutheran’s Youth Director and worship leader, supported by Sophia Lumens, a stained glass consultant. Caught in the crossfire is the newly called Pastor Rachel Paulsen. Charlie believes that the whole building complex should be brought down and the windows, which are expensive, hard to maintain elements of a bygone era, be sacrificed. Sophia is passionate that the windows are the sublime work of a master artist that needs to be preserved. As if this wouldn’t be enough to cause factions, Charlie, emboldened by her view that the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America – the liberal one, for you non-Lutherans) is sympathetic to gay marriage, seeks to wed her partner, Naomi Stone, at First Lutheran. Is tradition standing in the way of progress and can Pastor Rachel keep this powder keg from igniting? stained glass offers a view of mainstream America set squarely in the intersection of religion and sexuality.
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Video Promo #1 - shorter
Video Promo #2 - longer
Video Promo #3 - is this an ELCA problem?
Video Promo #4 - the symbolism of stained glass
Photos from our GIFT presentation.
Prelude
(Pastor Rachel, Conway, Charlie, Naomi, Sophia, Kurt, Susannah, Rich)
Act I, Scene 1
(Pastor Rachel, Charlie, Alan and Sophia)
Alan Zastrow reflects on when he last saw Charlie... early '80s, he believes it was.
Act 1, Scene 8
(Sophia, Rich, Charlie, Pastor Rachel and Conway)
Rich is dismayed that the building plans Charlie is suggesting would not include a permanent cross in the sanctuary.
Act 2, Scene 3
(Pastor Rachel, Charlie)
Charlie lays into Pastor Rachel for refusing to perform a blessing ceremony for her and her partner.
Act 2, Scene 8
(Sophia, Rich, Pastor Rachel, Conway, Charlie, Naomi (blue), Susannah (back), Kurt)
Rich realizes that Jesus would have been present in the gay community... but not the way Charlie thinks.
Postlude
(Naomi, Pastor Rachel, (a bit of) Sophia, Alan, Kurt)
After Pastor Rachel is killed (not a spoiler, you'll learn that in the prelude), Alan summarizes the impact it has on each character.
Q and A about the play (especially for the Pastor or Church council president who is nervous):
Q: Is this a religion-bashing play?
A: Absolutely not. The playwright self-identifies as a born again Christian.
Q: Is this a gay-bashing play?
A: Absolutely not. The playwright does not advocate the denigration of anyone.
Q: Does this play promote same-sex marriage?
A: No.
Some characters advocate same-sex marriage, however.
Q: Does this play condemn same-sex marriage?
A: No. Some characters condemn same-sex marriage, however.
Q: So... the play/playwright is wishy-washy?
A: No.
There are strong, intelligent voices speaking in support of same-sex marriage
and strong, intelligent voices speaking against same-sex marriage
and strong, intelligent voices that are unsure what to think about the issue.
This play reflects the state of congregations that are not in agreement.
Q: Is this play just about the ELCA?
A: Yes and no.
It is specifically set in the wake of the 2009 ELCA statement on sexuality,
but it addresses issues congregations who debate same-sex marriage will face, regardless of the denomination.
Q: Is this play belittling the ELCA?
A: No, but there are characters who are frustrated with the ELCA in the play.
Q: Is this just a "religious play"?
A: I hope not.
It is, however, play in which religious views are central to the action of the play.
Q: Is this just a "gay play"?
A: I hope not.
It is, however, a play that spins around the question of whether or not homosexuality is a sin.
Q: What movie is this play most like?
A: None that I've seen.
It is not attempting to preach, like "God's Not Dead."
It is not fictionalizing a Biblical narrative like the most recent "Noah."
It is not like "The Passion of the Christ" or "Last Temptation of Christ" - again, it is not putting the Bible narrative on the stage.
It may be most similar to "Heaven is for Real," but only in the way it reflects a schism in a congregation as they react to an event.
Q: Will this play cause my congregation to split?
A: No.
This play, however, is reflecting the fact that congregations have and are and will split over the issue of same-sex marriage in America in the early 21st Century.
It is my hope that this play could address some of the behaviors that exacerbate that phenomenon.
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