MAY 5, 2015

Impact beyond the Trinity black box, why approaching theatre

from a Christian perspective makes all the difference.
By: Halie Wisse
Ah-menEnergy, energy, pace, pace. Energy, energy, pace, pace, the cast of the
Musical Theatre Revue begin to chant as soon as the last notes of the doxology fade
away. Praying, singing the doxology and chanting together are all deeply embedded
performance traditions in Trinitys theater program.
They do not look like it now, but just months ago many of the cast members holding
hands were hardly acquainted with each other.
Most of the cast members are actually not Communication Arts majors with theater
emphases, said Priscilla Hummel, the Musical Theatre Revues director and
choreographer, It has been really cool to see a community form that is not just theater
students.
The Musical Theatre Revue is continuing a program trend that has been playing out since
most of these students arrived on campus.
Over the past three years at Trinity, we have represented every academic discipline in
students involved onstage or backstage, said Dr. John Sebestyen, director of the theater
productions at Trinity.
Students from every corner of Trinitys campus are involved in the theater program. For
many of them, theater is completely new, but their shared Christian perspective serves as
the perfect launch pad for building community.
Coming from a faith based background in grad school, there was a strong emphasis on
how you cultivate your art and your faith as a unit, Hummel said, Its really cool that I
can come into a place where those values are already established and we can speak the
same language.
Whether they are theater veterans or rookies, most Trinity students are familiar with the
language Hummel is referring to. It is a language that encourages the cultivation of the art
and faith, one that has an effect on the individual and the greater world.
Of course, students would not have a chance to experience this dual growth of faith and
art if theater at Trinity was uninviting and intimidating. First year theater student, Fakhria
Akbari can attest to the anxiety that came along with being on the stage for the first time.

I didnt know if I could pull it off, Akbari said. I was beating myself up for not
remembering my lines.
The laughter, whistles and clapping on closing night are all evidence that Akbari and her
cast members did indeed pull off the show. She contributes much of her personal success
to the welcoming nature of the theater program.
The experience at Trinity is that you are always welcome, Akbari said. That aspect
would not be present everywhere else. You would be welcome but you would have to
work for it or change yourself to be someone else that other people want you to be. Here
at Trinity you can be yourself.
Both Akbari and veteran theater student, Billy Doyle, credit the encouragement of the
programs faculty for introducing them to theater. Both explicitly mentioned Dr. John
(use last name) as an individual who showed them how theater can help them live out
their Christian calling.
As Christians we can recognize more about the creativity of God our creator through
how he has created us to be creative, Sebestyen said. There is something humbling and
meaningful in being able to participate in a small way in an act of creation, because thats
how hes designed us.
For Doyle, the Trinity theater community has opened doors in the professional world.
Hummel helped connect Doyle to the Provision Theatre where he recently landed a
summer internship.
I really do believe that God has brought me here, Doyle said. Hes keeping me here.
Doyle is also hoping to pursue some form of theatre professionally after college. He may
be leaving Trinity in a couple years, but it sounds like he will be taking some of the
shared language surrounding calling and personal growth with him.
I would just love to be a creator of sorts, said Doyle, of his plans to pursue theater
outside Trinity. To put something down on paper like writing, like a screenplay- creating
like that is something I feel we are called to do as people of God. Glorifying God through
artistic means is something that is done a lot, but should be done more.
A shared outlet for living out our calling as creators may be the glue that makes the
Trinity theater community strong. However, part of the beauty of this calling is that it can
be shared across Trinitys campus and beyond.
Theater, music and dance are intentionally communal art forms, said Dr. Peters, Area
Chair for Arts and Languages. They need to be performed in public and they need an
audience to exist.

Approaching theater as a communal art form only adds to the responsibility of Christians
to engage in the world around them.
The fact that we care about communication through a Christian lens is important
because that helps us know how we are hospitable to each other, Dr. John (last name)
said. We engage in discussion with our community to leave space for conversation, to
generate dialogue, to involve people from different perspectives so that we can learn
about each other.
The greater Palos Heights community is recognizing the benefits of theater, too. In 2014,
Sarah DeBoar founded My Time to Shine Musical Theatre and had over 70 children
involved with this springs musical.
I think every kid should do it, DeBoar said. Thats one of the reasons I started the
company, I wanted to make sure that my vocation is helping to transform the world.
There is a great deal of joy surrounding that kind of world transformation. That joy
connects child actors with gray haired ones. It connects actors just starting out with those
who do it professionally. It connects actors who may be spiritually lost with those who
wait in anticipation for the joy of the next world.
Joyfulness, that feels like something Christians should care about, said, Dr. Craig
Mattson, the Communication Arts Chair.