CHURCH BURNING!

We knew our production of CHURCH might be provocative--after all it is the work of one of America’s most provocative playwrights.  But CHURCH has succeeded beyond our expectations.  We have had an outpouring of responses, ranging from delight to dismissal. Some people have even walked out in the middle of the show, and that never happens at THEATREWORKS.  CHURCH may be the most controversial production in our history.  So it seems only right that our Artistic Director, Murray Ross, should stand up and face the music for including this play in the THEATREWORKS season.  He will do so this Sunday, November 6, at 2:30 p.m. in the Bon Vivant Theater.  He will talk about the play, about Young Jean Lee, and about the responses CHURCH has provoked, and then open the floor for group discussion.  If you loved CHURCH, or if you hated CHURCH, or if you were just plain baffled by CHURCH, you are particularly invited to this THEATREWORKS town meeting.  Beverages will be served, and we will check all rotten fruit at the door. Remember that while light will be shed, this is also the day Daylight Savings ends.

Comments

[Patricia White]

While I will be unable to attend the Nov 6 town meeting, I want my opinion and that of my husband and two friends who attended Church with me to be noted. We were baffled for most of the play, but concluded by the end that it was the atheist playwright's statement that religion is stupid and irrational and should be laughed at. There certainly wasn't much laughter at the Thursday Oct 27 performance. Neither did anyone in my party enjoy much of it, with the exception of the two musical presentations, dance and gospel. One of our guests was a pastor, and he was polite enough to say it was "thought-provoking." Please include our opinions in your presentation Nov 6.
Patricia and Frank White
the Strongs

[R. H.]

My husband and I also attended CHURCH, and as non-believers we were intrigued by the concept of the play. However, we were highly disappointed by the play itself, which was an incoherent attempt at highlighting the incoherency of religion itself. It fell short of a true statement, and floundered in shallow gestures towards this point. Honestly, we hated it. The concept deserved a more skillful playwright.

The only intriguing consequence of the play was in seeing how many members of the audience clearly had no idea what was going on, and indeed clapped and sang along just as they do every Sunday. I certainly disagree with the previous poster's idea that the playwright intended the audience to "laugh at" religion, however I do believe she was attempting to highlight the irrationality of the typical church service. Instead of reaching the audience on a deeper emotional level, though, the weak attempts to hold up a mirror became the only laughable matter.

[Vernon Cope]

Murry Ross is to be commended for hosting Sunday's group discussion of Church. He acknowledged the full range of feedback the play generated (some positive, most negative) and provided a well thought out and impassioned defense of the play's inclusion in this season's schedule. He then solicited comment from those in attendance. Personally, I found the session FAR more interesting than the play itself. I found little in the play itself that was worth discussing, but it was very interesting to listen as people revealed such a broad range of reactions to having seen it.

[Terri Harrison]

I was one of those that was extremely moved by the play. Parts of it hit me very hard. I enjoyed the chance to make up my own mind as to what the play meant.

I very much appreciated both of the prologues that were held in conjunction with Church. I sat in the room on Sunday, Nov. 6th and was struck by how differently we all perceived the same play. What a wonderful and amazing gift the play gave us all. Thank you TheatreWorks.