Who is Church?

Roots Among the Rocks:
Young actors break open deep truth and big questions.

How do we find life, faith and authenticity in an ever-changing world, where faith, religion and ‘going to church’ are so often questioned? Who is Church? Why do we continue to gather in this way? Roots Among the Rocks, a brand new play, explores some of these questions and opens up a whole lot more.

The show has been built using a process called collective creation, where the performers gathered stories from over seventy people, ages 11 – 95 from all over Canada. The stories were gathered from people in church, out of church, people who have stayed or left or struggle to find answers to deeper questions in life. Five actors and two directors spent a month in the collective theatre process listening and talking, praying and laughing, improvising and writing to bring to you the stories that they have heard.

Each actor plays a wide variety of roles; no small feat for a company whose ages range from 19-22. The characters tell their stories around a kitchen table, friends whisper in church pews, get distracted while praying and bare their souls to us. Some choose to leave and others choose to stay. The performance journeys through the themes of Sunday Morning, Identity Crises, Resilience and Grace, Confession and Absolution, and Finding Home.

The company of Roots Among the Rocks is anchored by Jenny Salisbury, 26, and Peter Reinhardt, 30, who both work in youth ministry, and in performing arts; Salisbury as a director and playwright in Toronto and Reinhardt as a recording artist and composer based in Vancouver.

After the opening in Halifax on June 8th, the audience was buzzing with excitement. “It was fantastic,” commented one “I wasn’t sure what to expect, but this blew me away.” The performance was also simultaneously webcast, and viewed by people across Canada and around the world, generating instant on-line reviews and comments. Many people commented that the stories could be located anywhere. Scenes and monologues spoke to common experience. Laughter and tears were both in surprise and recognition. One woman from Nova Scotia said “This is not just good theatre, it is the most profound piece of theology I have heard in a long time – anywhere!”

Following the opening in Halifax, the company travelled from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island over two months for shows in churches, theatres and outdoor performance spaces. Audiences were amazed and inspired at every venue. “This is truth-telling at its best” commented Dan Hines, a local pastor, after a performance in Sorrento, BC. “This is reality and a voice that the church needs to hear, and so seldom hears”. Phil McIntyre-Paul who also saw the show said “In the true spirit of “The Farm Show” (a well known Canadian theatre collective project) “this tells the story of who we are”. Another audience member said “I expected it to be, well, church drama or skits. I was amazed that this was a professional, thoughtful and truly engaging performance. I’ve never seen anything like it”.

Roots Among the Rocks features Melissa Glover (Prince George), Karyn Guenther (Vancouver), Carolyn Pugh (Guelph), Magdalena Jennings (Halifax), and John Daniel Steele (Victoria). Sponsored by Huron University College/Faculty of Theology and the Ask & Imagine youth theology program, Roots Among the Rocks is the product of an experiment in engaging young Christians with theology, creativity and their own considerable talent and wisdom. Come share the journey and be inspired.

Click here to download the poster.

Performances:
August 23, 2010, 7:30 pm
Christ Church, London (Wellington at Hill)

Ticket Prices:
$10.00
$5.00 for students and un-waged

Tickets:
Purchase at the door