By Benedicte Dansie
Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah presents The Christians, a moving and heartrending work that is extremely relevant for today’s society. An absolutely transformed Vieve Gore Concert Hall acted as the backdrop for the show, which swept audiences in from the get go.
When you walk in to take your seat at The Christians, you are immediately drawn in by the set. Set Designer Nina Vought and Lighting Designer Spencer Brown have done an incredible job transforming the simple concert hall into an easily identifiable televised church chapel complete with palm trees, vibrant flowers, a podium, stained glass mimicking lights, and an enormous baptismal font. The effect is magnified by Kevin Klay who is over videography, and broadcast the characters’ sermons and testimonials onto the backdrop as though it is truly a televised event. Sound Designer Sam Allen, Music Director Heidi Townsend, and Accompanist Maya Rockwell do an amazing job setting the mood by playing acoustic spirituals in the background and incorporating group spirituals throughout the show. The message of the songs fit perfectly with the overall themes of the play and really helps tie everything together. Costume Designer Victoria Bird’s costumes are very simplistic, fitting the personality of each character. They are easy to move in and not at all distracting for audience members which is nice. The overall production is so well thought out thanks to Director Michael Vought, and runs seamlessly with the help of Stage Manager Emma Thompson and Props Master Maya Rung.
The cast works so well together, they all just seemed to slip into the skins of their characters as though they are another version of themselves. Before the show even started, the actors walk around and interact with each other and the set. It is a great mix of real life and theater. The play starts with members of the cast, chorus, and Brother Joshua (Eli Unruh) singing a spiritual to open the church meeting. The piece is very simple yet beautiful with nice harmonies and a poignant religious message. The way the actors are set up, the audience members are seated as though they are the congregation receiving spiritual insight. The cast members use microphones during televised sermons and testimonials, but are otherwise un-miced during the more personal scenes. This make those moments feel much more intimate, although it also means when things get emotional it is hard to understand what is being said. Due to the simplified setting and first person narrative, the characters use a lot of non-verbal, body language to show what they are feeling.
Tage Gould,who plays Pastor Paul, is extremely charismatic and fits the role so well. He’s a good balance of naively blinded by his beliefs and sympathetic of others. He struggles throughout the show with the fact that others could go against his newly discovered beliefs pertaining to Hell when they protect those he sees as innocent.
Gould’s interactions with Unruh are a good mix of humor and consternation. As the two struggle with their conflicting beliefs in front of the congregation, and through their shared dialogue, the audience is able to understand the two on a deeper level. You receive their background stories in small pieces that allows you to understand how their beliefs and values are such a defining thing for them.
Ryeleigh McCready, who plays Wife Elizabeth, is a strong and reasonable woman in the face of trial. She stands steadfast in her beliefs even as she struggles to protect her daughter, and balance her emotions toward her husband. The interaction between McCready and Gould is absolutely heart-wrenching. They act so well together pulling out different levels of emotion and intimacy from each other. Their first interaction we see is when Pastor Paul tells their love story—this simple, sweet moment really shows the love and attraction behind their marriage. This then develops as they begin to delve into their differing beliefs and what that means for them as a family. You can feel the deep want they have to reach for each other in this time of need even as they push each other away.
Sister Jenny (Cora Fossen) and Elder Jay (Alvaro Cortez) act as voices of question and reason amid all of the tumult. Cortez helps to show how Christianity, while belief-based, is also a commercial enterprise. He tries to act as though he is a supporter of the pastor, but he really is more concerned with the money. Fossen gives us a look at the emotional toll the congregation members are going through over the schism. She shows how each person has different factors pulling at them, and that life isn’t always so black and white.
Westminster College’s The Christians in Salt Lake City, Utah is absolutely amazing. It raises so many pertinent questions and really leaves the audience contemplating their beliefs and decisions. Do we cast out those who have different opinions and beliefs than ourselves? Do we alienate them and vilify them? Or do we accept that our beliefs and values do not always align and maybe that doesn’t matter because in the end we’re all just trying to survive the world we live in today? The Christians is probably the best production I have ever seen Westminster College put on. It deserves to have people come and see it, so I highly recommend purchasing a ticket and viewing this work before its run is over.
Westminster College Presents: The Christians by Lucas Hnath
Vieve Gore Concert Hall, 1840 1300 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84105
February 28-March 2 and March 7-9, 2019 7:30PM
Tickets: $12/Free for Westminster students, staff, and faculty
Westminster Performing Arts Facebook Page
The Christians Facebook Eventh
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