Church plays (or musicals) can be a goldmine for hilariousness and poking fun.
Like the time when a church tried to use pyrotechnics in their passion play and Jesus was almost roasted alive.
We put on so many plays and musicals at church about the same story that getting butts in the pews means doing something to stand out from the crowd. Which often results in disaster…and a few good laughs.
But this play seems different. And I share it, not for laughs, but because it sounds genuinely fascinating and seems like a breath of fresh air.
It’s called The Lower Room and it’s a passion play told from the perspective of Jesus’ female disciples.
I don’t know that I’ve ever said this about a church play before (other than the ones I was in ’cause obviously they were amazing), but this play sounds like a fantastic, creative, and much needed change of pace – and perspective.
It’s currently being performed by a church in Georgia, but if it ever shows up in my neck of the woods, I’ll definitely have to check it out.
If you live near the church and have a chance to see the play (or you’ve seen it before), I’d love to know what you think.
Otherwise, check out the story below from the Gwinnett Daily Post on this fascinating (new?) passion play.
By Danielle Ryan
Gwinnett Daily Post
Lionheart Theatre and Norcross Presbyterian Church will present “The Lower Room”, a passion play revolving around the women in Jesus’ life, from Wednesday through Saturday this week. The play explores the emotions and personalities of the women in the lower room of the house where Jesus’ disciples lived during his final days.
“(The play) is about the women that followed Jesus. It’s about how they followed him, but yet during that time period they weren’t given equal access. The women had to stay away and kind of be on the outskirts of it,” said Dot Reilley, who plays Maria, the owner of the house that the play takes place in. “This play gives all of the women a chance to talk to each other about feelings that they can’t say directly to Jesus or directly in public. In the privacy of someone’s home they can say what they want”
By taking the viewpoint of the women surrounding Jesus, the play offers a unique perspective into his final days. It also allows for a more feminist perspective.