Whitefish Theatre Co. presents 'The Christians'

Final black curtain production of the season for WTC

The Whitefish Theatre Co. presents “The Christians” at the O’Shaughnessy Center this weekend in Whitefish.

This important and nuanced play written by Lucas Hnath, one of the most thoughtful and original playwrights working today, has performances on May 4 and 5 at 7:30 p.m.

“The Christians” revolves around Paul, a pastor whose church twenty years ago was nothing more than a modest storefront. Now he presides over a congregation of thousands with classrooms for Sunday School, a coffee shop in the lobby, and a parking lot big enough to get lost in it. Today should be a day of celebration. But when the beloved minister steps up to the pulpit to share his reconsidered version of salvation, his stunning revelation shakes the foundations of his church's belief. Critics have raved about this unique play's ability to represent all points of view, including the unaffiliated, and it has been praised by the National Catholic Reporter for being “powerful, riveting, and handling a complex and intellectual debate in a relatable way.”
“’The Christians" is a gentle, sophisticated play that asks difficult questions about belief, faith, family and community,” director Nina Levitt said. “In delivering his sermon, Pastor Paul believes he is bringing good news to his congregation, but instead creates a schism within the church community that they must try to resolve. The beauty of a Lucas Hnath play is that you find yourself agreeing repeatedly with one particular character, then completely agreeing with the rebuttal of another character. Every one of these characters is coming from a place of personal truth and the play is ultimately how they struggle to reconcile the differences in their beliefs.”
Cast members include Robert Fleischman as Pastor Paul, Rye Taylor as Joshua the Associate Pastor, Andrew Matulionis as Elder Jay, Lenny Granger as Pastor Paul’s wife Elizabeth and Collette Strean as church congregant Jenny.  “I am so thankful for this cast. These talented actors, in amazing ways, helped me to find the truth of these characters and of the playwright’s vision," Levitt said.

This is Whitefish Theatre Company's final Black Curtain Theatre production of the 2018-2019 season withViewers are reminded that as a Black Curtain production, there will minimal staging, no set or props, and actors will be reading from a script. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students with general seating. Tickets can be purchased at the WTC Box Office, online at whitefishtheatreco.org or at the door on the evenings of each show. The Box Office, located at 1 Central Ave. in Whitefish, is open Monday through Friday from 10am to 4pm and at 6:30 p.m. on the night of each show. For more information, call 862-5371.  This show is sponsored by Soroptomist International of Whitefish.