Godspell

This post is not about the film, nor the Broadway production per se, but last night I did attend a rendition of Godspell put on by the Huntington University Theatre Company.  They updated the show with contemporary pop-culture references (Pirates of the Caribbean, Spongebob Squarepants, Survivor, Lost, Cast Away, etc.).  The original Godspell featured Jesus as a Harlequin, surrounded by a following of clowns, something that has been highly controversial, and it did take me just a little while to get used to a hippy/pirate Jesus.  I think what did it for me was the first act, which was the entire sermon on the mount.

As I was sitting in the audience listening to the words of Jesus, and seeing them taught and acted out, I got to thinking about Jesus’ most famous sermon.  You know what?  I don’t know that I have ever heard a sermon on the Sermon on the Mount.  In fact, Jesus’ words are taught infrequently in the churches I have been attending, at least in comparison to the words of Paul, John, Timothy, and some of the Old Testament books.  The Sermon on the Mount seems to be a good summary of the bulk of Jesus’ teachings, so why wouldn’t that be taught all the time?  And, considering that the great commission includes teaching everything Jesus commanded, wouldn’t the Sermon on the Mount be a great place to start?  Why is a theatre troupe more bold with Jesus’ teachings than the church?

Returning to the show last night, I think one of the greatest strengths of the production was the tonal shifts.  The humor, pop-references, quirky voices, excellent music, and the thrilling physicality of the choreography really captured the audience.  Then, all of a sudden, especially in the second act, the audience would find itself caught off guard completely by the gravity of some of Jesus’ words.  The second act really bounces the audience around, and when it is time for the last supper and the crucifixion, the bouncing leaves you just a bit shocked.  The rendering of the Crucifixion last night was powerful and moving, eerie and electric (literally).  The use of the arts, especially in a humorous way, can really break down a person’s barriers and defenses.  Some might consider this manipulative, but I think if this power of the arts is used in a positive way it can really help to create critical awareness and help individuals become better people.

If you are interested in checking out Huntington’s tour dates or reading the Theatre Company’s blog, you can check it out here: http://godspell08.blogspot.com/

I’m definitely starting graduate school.  I graduate with my BA May 17th, and less than three weeks later I will begin working on my MA in Urban Studies.  I’m pretty darn excited, so excited its making concentrating on my current classes a bit more difficult.  Nothing to kill your motivation like being accepted into grad school, eh?   I’m so tempted to just throw in the towel, but I seem to be temperamentally incapable of quite rolling over and dying.  My first residency and classes will be June 4-11.  I’ll be taking the following:

1. Foundations for Arts in Transformation
2. Arts, Creativity, and Human Development
3. Arts and Spiritual Development
4. Arts in Education
5. Organization for Community Arts

I’m sure there will be lots of fuel there for future pontifications.

I’m really nor sure where I’m going to be working so if you know any place that is hiring English Majors, besides Wendy’s, then feel free to pass along some information.  I was listening to The Prairie Home Companion the other day and they told me that, “An English Major’s prize, is a job selling fries, or making lattes nice and hot…”  I’m afraid that might end up being my lot, at least for the next couple of years.  I do have an interview next week with Americorps for a possible literacy position in Pittsburgh.

On April 1, 2008 Kurt Vonnegut, Jr’s latest work, Armageddon in Retrospect, was published.  I received it in the mail on the 9th, and was done with it by the 12th.  I really do love old KVJ (not to be confused with KJV).  He really did respect Jesus, I’m a little disappointed he never really became a full, outright, follower of him.  Anyway, Armageddon is a series of short stories and essays about war and peace.  KVJ served during WW2, and even though he was not in combat for very long he saw some gruesome pictures of humanity.  His accounts of his German captivity in Dresden is haunting.  His depictions of Americans as just like their German enemies, as well as the Russians, helps remind us that we are no better than our enemies most of the time.  The allies firebombed Dresden into rubble.  Dresden that was a civilian city filled with hospitals, schools, the arts, and churches.  Over 100,000 lost their lives overnight, many of them women and children.  Vonnegut and his fellow prisoners spent weeks digging out bodies from the rubble.  One corpse he found was of a young boy with his dog still leashed to him.

Anyone who likes KVJ will like this book.  It is much more reserved than some of his other books.  It has an older feel to it.  Anyone interested in some creative arguments against war should pick it up too.  Fiction is capable of making the truth digestible, even if not desirable.

Looking Ahead

I’m a forward thinking person, and I think that drives some people crazy. It sometimes drives me crazy. I’ve been looking forward to life after graduation for a while. I’ve wanted to move to Aliquippa since I first worked there back in 2006. I considered transferring to two different colleges in the area. But now, graduation is finally on the horizon, and I’ve got some exciting things coming.

A little over a week ago I received a letter of acceptance to Eastern University for a graduate program in Urban Studies: Arts in Transformation. I sent in my non-refundable deposit this week, which pretty much seals that I will be going there next Fall. It is a two year Master of Arts program designed for people who work full time on the side. It is low residency, so I only need to be in Philly for about two weeks a semester. I’ll be moving into Aliquippa initially for at least the next year. When I get more information on courses and all that I’ll probably update.

graduate school?

Alright, so in my last post I mentioned I was planning on joining a CPT delegation to Israel.  Those plans might be shifting just a touch.  I found out Friday morning that I’ve been accepted into graduate school at Eastern University.  I’d be working on a Master of Arts in Urban Studies, concentrating on Arts in Transformation.  It is a fascinating program, and a privilege to be accepted into it.  I’ll be deciding in the upcoming days/weeks whether or not to attend.  More updates to follow…