By Steven Norris
Have you ever had the joy of participating in community theater? Professional shows are great, but there is something magical about performing for the compensation of audience members’ smiles. This weekend, I have the privilege of returning to the stage for the first time since high school, playing a very small role in Camelot Theater’s production of “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.”
As we have prepared this show over the past few months, I have seen many parallels to my work as a pastor. Though a fuller treatment is certainly necessary to cover all the nuances, let me offer a few inspiring examples.
Theater teaches us about working together as a team. By my estimation, there have been well over one hundred individuals bringing this particular show together. I am reminded of the Apostle Paul’s statement about the church being “the body of Christ” (see 1 Corinthians 12). As such, we belong to something bigger than ourselves and are connected to an experience where the whole is more than just the sum of its parts.
Theater teaches us that everyone has a gift to share. In this show, we have actors, singers, stagehands, sound and lighting engineers, music directors, choreographers, set designers, costume designers, prop masters, people transporting equipment, parents helping coral kids in the green room, ushers, tickets sales, concessions, the list could go on and on. Everyone has a role to play and skill to bring to the table — just like the church and just like the larger community in which we live.
Theater teaches us that no one is expendable. Our lead characters carry the bulk of the dialogue. However, no part is expendable. Even the smallest roles tell an important part of the story. When cast members have missed rehearsals, jokes fell flat and scenes did not flow properly. Paul asserts, “God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be?” Our world would be a little more beautiful if we recognized that kind of interconnectedness and interdependence each day.
Finally, things go off script. Actors forget lines, microphones do not work correctly, and sets or props are misplaced. Flexibility and improvisation are essential in such moments. Improvisation teaches actors to creatively problem-solve in the moment, leaning on the training, preparation, and relationships to keep the show moving. (For a more detailed connection to the church, I highly recommend theologian, Samuel Wells’ book, Improvisation: The Drama of Christian Ethics.)
In the end, theater teaches us about love. I have had a front row seat to seeing young actors discover gifts that they never knew they had. I have seen them rise to the challenge to do more than they thought possible in the safety of a community of love and support. I’ve seen joy, laughter, and tears transformed into something beautiful. Such is the Kingdom of God.
Diary of Wimpy Kid will be performed September 27-29 at the Griffin Auditorium. Tickets and showtimes can be found at camelottheatre.com.