By Deanna Dement Myers
‘The Christians’, written by Lucas Hnath. Directed by Brooks Reeves. Music Direction & Sound Design: David Reiffel; Design: Danielle Fauteux Jacques; Set Design: Joseph Dunn; Stage Manager: Maurine Heberden; Assistant Stage Manager: Jaime Hernandez. Presented by the Apollinaire Theater at the Chelsea Theater Works, 189 Winnisimmet St., Chelsea through March 9.
“Build your hope on things eternal”
A Charismatic white man, with an open, kind face, shakes hands and connects with the audience, bringing us into his personal space. A young man of color works the crowd coming from the opposite direction. Other leaders take their places on the stage, flanked by microphones. An excellent choir, made up of people of all genders, abilities and races, files in singing hymns that have us clapping, eager to hear the words of wisdom that have brought us all to the Chelsea Theater Works cum pews a nondenominational megachurch. We become the flock, and with familiarity born of years of weekend services, settle in to watch the action unfold.
All good worship leaders have theatrical skill. So it is with Paul (Michael Poignand), the founding pastor of this church. We are drawn into the story of this little church that grew from a humble storefront, to this magnificent structure, with seats for thousands, a coffee shop, and a swimming pool-sized baptismal font. Excitement builds as Paul lays out his sermon, and lets us know that today, on the very day that the church has become debt-free, he will also share a revelation he received directly from God.
Come on. We are in a theater. In the Northeast. We are expecting perhaps a satire of megachurches, or a condescending commentary on crazy church people.
Instead, playwright Lucas Hnath has given us an earnest, sincere, and complex examination of faith, leadership, and love. Paul had a crisis of belief after hearing a tragic story. A young man of a different faith performed an act of great goodness, and died as a result. Paul received an epiphany that this non-believer would not go to hell, because, there is no hell. In fact, “hell” is on earth, and when we die, all of us, believers and non-believers alike, will go to heaven. It is not a reward, but really a benefit to all of humankind because Jesus died for all of us.
This shakes the congregation, especially young Associate Pastor Joshua (Armando Rivera), who commands the stage and respectfully begins slinging Bible verses to disprove Paul’s radical revelations. Paul uses different Bible passages to defend his less-judgmental view of heaven, and soon, it is not only Joshua who is uneasy with this new concept. Board member and Church Elder Jay (Arthur Waldstein) and single mother Congregant Jenny (Alison Meirowitz McCarthy) question the timing of this sermon. Would these questions have come up if they church was still struggling? Who is served by these revelations? How much of our belief relies on our own circumstances? The most personal tests of belief are played out on the public stage of the pulpit.
Paul stands by his conviction, even as his most ardent supporter finally expresses her opinion. For most of the production, Sister Elizabeth (Christine Power) sits as the dutiful, adoring wife, the only spot of color on the whole stage. Before she utters a word, emotions play out over her face and posture, expressing her feelings. When she finally does speak, intimately sharing a microphone with her husband, we see the schism goes beyond the congregation.
It’s a great privilege to be able to upend the belief system of thousands of people just because you have a personal conversation with God (while on the toilet, no less.) Those who can’t afford this radical change in faith, are people of color, women, or those of lower socio-economic standing. In tradition and ritual, they seek to find a way to make sense of the injustice they face, and liberal interpretations are a luxury available to those who are affected the least.
Asking legitimate questions about difficult topics is speaking truth to power. The characters in the play have depth and humanity, and we are not given easy answers. We wrestle with the question of when religion shares characteristics of a profit-generating corporation, are we congregants, or consumers? Can there really be a heaven, if you know others that you love might be eternally suffering? If anyone can be saved, even non-believers, then why bother with faith?
Throughout the performance, all characters speak into handheld microphones. This highlights the performative aspects of megachurch services, even as some of the conversations are meant to be in private. The actors are masterfully skilled, and use this artifice to bring nuance to what could simply be archetypes. The microphones create distance between the people on stage. We feel like Pastor Paul, his wife and the other congregants are living out a parable, one where there are no clear winners or losers. Tickets can be purchased by calling (617) 887-2336 or online at www.apollinairetheatre.com.
