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The Heart and Craft Behind Godspell with Anna Eaton, Ellie Knobloch, and Abigail Pletcher
74 Plays1 year ago
In this episode I speak with the creative team for Godspell, our assistant director Anna Eaton, music director Abigail Pletcher, and choreographer Ellie Knobloch, as we discuss our hearts behind this production, some of our goals artistically, and what the process of putting this show together has been like.
Godspell opens this Thursday, July 18, at the Gezon Auditorium! Get your tickets today at https://artistsoftheway.ludus.com/index.php
Sign up for our newsletter: https://www.artistsoftheway.com/contact.html
Find out more about Godspell: https://www.artistsoftheway.com/godspell.html
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Transcript
Introduction and Episode Overview
00:00:00
Speaker
Hey friends, welcome back to a surprise episode of Artists of the Way.
00:00:03
Speaker
I'm John, the host.
00:00:04
Speaker
Today, it's a surprise episode with the creative team of Godspell.
00:00:09
Speaker
I thought it would be cool in the week leading up to our opening, just to have a conversation with these guys, talk about what they love about the show, what's important to them, what they've enjoyed about the process.
00:00:19
Speaker
So we're inviting on our assistant director, Anna Eaton.
00:00:23
Speaker
Our music director, Abby Plesher, and our choreographer, Ellie Knobloch, along with myself, just to talk a little bit about the show.
00:00:31
Speaker
It's a wonderful discussion, an extra long episode, so surprise episode and a longer episode, so you're getting...
00:00:37
Speaker
You're getting your full of artists of the way this week.
00:00:41
Speaker
This will be our last episode before we take a month-long break through the month of August, and then we'll jump back in in September with some more episodes.
00:00:50
Speaker
But it's been a wonderful journey to get to Godspell.
00:00:52
Speaker
I'd love to see all of you guys come out and see it, and I can't wait to share with you some of my heart and some of our team's heart behind this show.
00:01:00
Speaker
So how are the three of you guys doing today?
00:01:04
Speaker
Good!
00:01:04
Speaker
Oh, we're starting right now.
00:01:07
Speaker
I'm not really... I had something right now.
00:01:11
Speaker
Okay.
00:01:11
Speaker
I'm doing great.
00:01:13
Speaker
I'm doing okay.
00:01:14
Speaker
Cool.
00:01:14
Speaker
Okay.
00:01:14
Speaker
Good.
00:01:14
Speaker
Good.
00:01:15
Speaker
I'm good.
00:01:16
Speaker
Sweet.
00:01:17
Speaker
Goods all around.
00:01:20
Speaker
So this episode's a little bit different from normal episodes because I...
00:01:23
Speaker
kind of want to
God and Art in Life
00:01:24
Speaker
focus in on the experience with Godspell.
00:01:28
Speaker
Normally I ask two questions, which is what are you working on right now and how's God using art in your life?
00:01:34
Speaker
The what are you working on question is going to be like the whole episode.
00:01:37
Speaker
So I guess I didn't, I didn't warn you guys about this question, but I'll ask it and we'll see if it goes well.
00:01:42
Speaker
Um,
00:01:44
Speaker
What are some ways that you guys feel like God's using art in your life right now?
00:01:49
Speaker
Either as you create it, or as you teach it, or as you take it in.
00:01:55
Speaker
Specifically pertaining to Godspell?
00:01:58
Speaker
Just in general.
00:01:58
Speaker
Okay.
00:01:59
Speaker
Yeah.
00:02:05
Speaker
I...
00:02:08
Speaker
I usually, I listen to so much musical theater, just like on a regular basis.
00:02:13
Speaker
And I've been listening to Godspell so much at like rehearsals.
00:02:18
Speaker
I'm like, I cannot listen to anything else that sounds like this.
00:02:25
Speaker
And not that I don't usually listen to worship music, but I've been listening to a lot more worship music just because it's like, that's my next go-to.
00:02:32
Speaker
And then like my third is usually like Christian rap and that's my whole Spotify.
00:02:35
Speaker
I love it.
00:02:36
Speaker
It was like those three.
00:02:38
Speaker
So I don't know.
00:02:38
Speaker
It's just been a lot of like, uh, I don't know.
00:02:44
Speaker
It's, it's hard for me to say worship music is art, but I guess it is.
00:02:49
Speaker
Well, I mean it is, but it's, it's a different thing and it's, it's intentionally made to be like,
00:02:55
Speaker
a hand of God in your life.
00:02:57
Speaker
But it's been nice to kind of like, instead of kind of zoning out on my way to work and having something to like listen to and think about it like throughout the day and stuff.
00:03:07
Speaker
I should do this.
00:03:08
Speaker
Well, there's a reason that there's worship music and not like worship speeches.
00:03:14
Speaker
Because... Yeah.
00:03:15
Speaker
Isn't that sermons?
00:03:16
Speaker
That's not the same thing.
00:03:18
Speaker
No, it's not.
00:03:19
Speaker
Like you don't feel as worshipful during a sermon because you're learning...
00:03:23
Speaker
in a different mode.
00:03:25
Speaker
Whereas worship, I feel like it needs kind of that artistic outlet.
00:03:32
Speaker
Not necessarily, but it accesses a different part of you, like a different part of your spirit, I feel like.
00:03:38
Speaker
I
Anna Eaton's Theater Journey
00:03:39
Speaker
do think to jump off that a little bit, I don't want to do this, talk about it too much.
00:03:45
Speaker
No, I mean like my thing, because I'm about to say something.
00:03:47
Speaker
I think the podcast has heard before.
00:03:48
Speaker
But I do think artistically worded
00:03:52
Speaker
prayers or speeches can be because I found in the Anglican church now as I've just been speaking things, the like part of me that's an artist as an actor is able to worship in the truth of the words that I'm saying and the journey that that takes my soul on.
00:04:10
Speaker
which is very interesting it's very similar to poetry almost it is a speech it's like a spoken performance but it is art at the same time another thing is like I don't know have you guys ever heard of the street lights app no I don't think so yeah it's I think they're based in Chicago and it's just like a word for word reading of
00:04:37
Speaker
the Bible, but they do it to like, like music and soundscapes and like speak it in rhythm.
00:04:43
Speaker
But it's like, it's all the, like they don't change any of the words so that it like rhymes or anything like that.
00:04:47
Speaker
Like it's, it's, I think they do the NLT.
00:04:49
Speaker
I'm going to be your commercial buddy.
00:04:51
Speaker
What was it called?
00:04:54
Speaker
That's streetlights.
00:04:56
Speaker
Anywhere you get your apps.
00:04:59
Speaker
But that's very nice.
00:05:00
Speaker
Cause sometimes like, I'm not always the best at like sitting down and focusing on like reading my Bible, but then like, yeah,
00:05:07
Speaker
to listen to the guy on the bible apps like yeah john 11 and there's this weird like sort of audio yeah and so this is just like just engaging enough that like turns on a different part of my brain but it's still like the word of god yeah that's awesome that's it for me ellie or abby any thoughts on how god's using art right now
00:05:34
Speaker
I'd say similar to Anna.
00:05:35
Speaker
Like I've been like when I work on musical theater a lot, like most of my year.
00:05:45
Speaker
And I love it.
00:05:45
Speaker
It's like one of my absolute favorite things.
00:05:47
Speaker
But every once in a while I'm like, I need to not.
00:05:50
Speaker
And so then I'll put on, yeah, like worship music or oftentimes I'll...
00:05:57
Speaker
Because my brain has a very hard time shutting off and focusing on when I'm either reading my Bible or praying.
00:06:06
Speaker
I do a prayer journal, so I'll write it out.
00:06:09
Speaker
And I do it at the end of the day.
00:06:11
Speaker
A lot of people do their Bible time in the morning, and I do mine at night.
00:06:14
Speaker
And my brain is always, especially after rehearsal, that I'm just like, oh, I can't stop thinking.
00:06:19
Speaker
about it yeah um and so then i like i have a playlist of like worship music and i'll put that on while i do my um like either praying or reading my bible and that that helps me focus because then even like what i'm like consciously thinking about which is either like what i'm writing or what i'm reading then even my subconscious is listening to the music so the white noise yeah also yeah yeah
00:06:50
Speaker
is without it yeah the only thing that's coming to mind for me right now is having nate doing the role of jesus and of course like we go home and talk about that and stuff if you don't know nate is ellie's husband yes he's on the last episode of the podcast question mark he's on every other episode of the podcast
00:07:11
Speaker
He is my most frequent guest now.
00:07:13
Speaker
I think, yeah, he's been on three times.
00:07:15
Speaker
For you all that have not gone back in the archives, I think it's the second episode you're on together.
00:07:22
Speaker
Yes, we are.
00:07:23
Speaker
And I think...
00:07:26
Speaker
Yes.
00:07:27
Speaker
They weren't pregnant, so I hope so.
00:07:31
Speaker
I honestly couldn't remember how long ago that was.
00:07:33
Speaker
I was like, maybe they were still just engaged.
00:07:35
Speaker
I don't know.
00:07:36
Speaker
Sorry, we interrupted you.
00:07:37
Speaker
Sorry.
00:07:38
Speaker
But Nate is Jesus.
00:07:39
Speaker
All relevant.
00:07:40
Speaker
All relevant information.
00:07:43
Speaker
Yes, but with Nate as Jesus, it's been interesting just kind of talking...
00:07:49
Speaker
in a different way about who Jesus is and about like how to portray him and how there's a little bit of him in each of us.
00:07:59
Speaker
And, um,
00:08:02
Speaker
Yeah, and so just that interesting thing about theater where you have to bring a part of yourself into the show.
00:08:13
Speaker
And I think you do that even no matter what you're doing.
00:08:16
Speaker
Like if you're
Ellie's Dance and Choreography Insights
00:08:17
Speaker
doing music or if you're directing, you bring a part of yourself to the show.
00:08:22
Speaker
And it becomes way more meaningful and way more impactful if you are...
00:08:28
Speaker
bringing the Jesus part of you.
00:08:30
Speaker
That sounds right.
00:08:33
Speaker
Rather than just the worldly part of you or the flesh part of you or the whatever.
00:08:39
Speaker
And you don't have to
00:08:44
Speaker
create something out of nothing you can pull from within and not in like that weird modern way of like everything you need is inside of you but the holy spirit is inside of you and so it is true but in a different way for a christian that's awesome cool um
00:09:05
Speaker
So let's focus, shift to Godspell now.
00:09:09
Speaker
Would you guys go around, we'll start with Anna, and share for our listeners who you are and what you're doing in the show.
00:09:19
Speaker
Yeah, we'll start with you.
00:09:21
Speaker
Okay, my name is Anna, and I am assistant directing.
00:09:27
Speaker
Do you want to know anything else about me?
00:09:30
Speaker
Why did you want an assistant director?
00:09:32
Speaker
Oh, good question.
00:09:33
Speaker
Because you haven't done it before.
00:09:35
Speaker
I haven't done it before.
00:09:36
Speaker
I did a little bit of theater when I was younger.
00:09:44
Speaker
I did a lot more in middle school and elementary, and then...
00:09:50
Speaker
I didn't really.
00:09:52
Speaker
I love musical theater in an experiential, intellectual way.
00:10:00
Speaker
But I think it was talking to you, and you had—we talk about a lot of different things, just because we're cousins.
00:10:11
Speaker
And you were like, hey, can we get coffee?
00:10:14
Speaker
I want to talk about some stuff.
00:10:16
Speaker
And you kind of laid out your vision for the show and had different questions and stuff.
00:10:21
Speaker
And were like, I'd love to bounce some ideas off of you and think about that.
00:10:24
Speaker
And I was like, sure, that sounds like a great time.
00:10:27
Speaker
And it was a really good conversation.
00:10:29
Speaker
We had a lot of fun talking about it.
00:10:31
Speaker
And I was like, oh, that's very interesting.
00:10:33
Speaker
Because I didn't really know a lot about it, the show.
00:10:37
Speaker
I hadn't seen a staged production of it.
00:10:39
Speaker
And I hadn't seen the movie.
00:10:41
Speaker
Because I had been told a long time ago not to.
00:10:43
Speaker
But I think that's just because it's very sad.
00:10:46
Speaker
Aunt Sheila being like, this show that your aunt loves.
00:10:49
Speaker
Don't watch the movies.
00:10:51
Speaker
No, I don't believe it was my mother.
00:10:52
Speaker
I think it was somebody who was just like, well, you've got to see the show.
00:10:57
Speaker
The movie is not as good.
00:10:58
Speaker
You know, like that sort of thing.
00:11:00
Speaker
That is it.
00:11:00
Speaker
And I think it's just because it was the 70s and the movies were kind of,
00:11:04
Speaker
It was stylistically pretty.
00:11:05
Speaker
It's a very 70s movie.
00:11:07
Speaker
Well, and different people that do God's Belt.
00:11:09
Speaker
It can be done very reverently or very irreverently.
00:11:12
Speaker
So you have to be careful which one you see for sure.
00:11:14
Speaker
Exactly.
00:11:15
Speaker
And I didn't, I don't think I'd even heard any of the music for it.
00:11:18
Speaker
And so you were having to explain to me, it's like, oh, so this is the show and then this is my vision for it.
00:11:23
Speaker
And I, yeah, so I enjoyed that conversation.
00:11:26
Speaker
I was like, great, tell me when you actually do it and I'll come see it.
00:11:30
Speaker
And this was like August last year.
00:11:33
Speaker
You were like in pre-pre-production.
00:11:35
Speaker
You were still just like getting... Seeing if it could happen.
00:11:38
Speaker
Your ducks in a row type of a thing of like, okay, well, what would that cost and how would I do that and that sort of thing.
00:11:43
Speaker
And I was like, great, see ya.
00:11:45
Speaker
And see ya Thanksgiving.
00:11:48
Speaker
And then you texted me like two days later and was like, hey, I'm having a really hard time finding an assistant director who's on board with my vision.
00:11:58
Speaker
And I was like...
00:12:00
Speaker
I can't imagine why.
00:12:05
Speaker
Which we can talk about if you want to.
00:12:06
Speaker
But you're like, would you like to do it?
00:12:10
Speaker
And I was just like, that would be really
00:12:13
Speaker
challenging and different and kind of a creative outlet I don't really have.
00:12:18
Speaker
I work as a paramedic right now and that's just very, there's a huge emotional piece to that but it's not artistic at all.
00:12:28
Speaker
And I've never really like, I wasn't really sure if I was artistic.
00:12:35
Speaker
Until I was like, I would love to, but I'm also like an adult with a mortgage now.
00:12:41
Speaker
So like I. Once you get that, you're no longer artistic.
00:12:43
Speaker
Well, no, but it's like I, it wasn't something I was going to really seek out because it would, it would be a hobby, right?
00:12:52
Speaker
Like I, I definitely was never going to be like my career of any kind.
00:12:57
Speaker
And so it was something that I'm like, oh, maybe I'll, you know, run lights for master arts again at some point.
00:13:02
Speaker
Cause I'd done that a couple of times and yeah.
00:13:05
Speaker
I was like, that'll be fun, and I'll get a free ticket.
00:13:08
Speaker
Dope.
00:13:10
Speaker
But it's been really cool.
00:13:12
Speaker
Awesome.
00:13:13
Speaker
Sweet.
00:13:14
Speaker
I'm on my necks for skipping you.
00:13:17
Speaker
If you don't know me, I'm John.
00:13:18
Speaker
I'm the host, and I'm the director, and I decided to do all this madness.
00:13:24
Speaker
Perfect.
00:13:24
Speaker
He let us all come into his home and sit together.
00:13:28
Speaker
At this very, very small table.
00:13:31
Speaker
But on camera, it looks great.
00:13:33
Speaker
Does it?
00:13:34
Speaker
Yeah, I think so.
00:13:35
Speaker
Cool.
00:13:37
Speaker
I haven't seen it on camera.
00:13:41
Speaker
I don't know.
00:13:42
Speaker
Oh my goodness, I'm sorry.
00:13:44
Speaker
Are we saying our names as well?
00:13:45
Speaker
Yeah, I forgot the questions.
00:13:48
Speaker
Who are you and what are you doing?
00:13:50
Speaker
If you want to take who are you in a really existential way, I guess we could go there.
00:13:54
Speaker
But you could just stick with your name.
00:13:56
Speaker
Don't make me go there.
00:14:00
Speaker
Start singing, who am I?
00:14:03
Speaker
Too many songs called Who Am I. That's true.
00:14:12
Speaker
Okay, to get back to the question.
00:14:13
Speaker
Yeah, sorry.
00:14:14
Speaker
I'm Ellie, and I'm the choreographer.
00:14:18
Speaker
And this is the first show that I've choreographed.
00:14:23
Speaker
So I've done ballet since I was nine and made the pretty smooth transition into becoming a ballet teacher.
00:14:33
Speaker
And in most realms, that includes at least a little bit of choreography.
00:14:37
Speaker
Mm-hmm.
00:14:38
Speaker
Because you're at least putting something on the little kids so that they can show their parents they learned something.
00:14:45
Speaker
And so I've done bits of that everywhere from teaching two-year-olds to dance for a minute to a princess song.
00:14:55
Speaker
To teaching high schoolers how to make a dance worth paying to sing.
00:15:04
Speaker
So a little bit of a range there.
00:15:07
Speaker
But that was all ballet.
00:15:10
Speaker
And I've been in musical theater.
00:15:12
Speaker
I know what it's like, but I have never had an opportunity to choreograph a theater show before.
00:15:19
Speaker
So it's been a lot to take on.
00:15:21
Speaker
Like, I don't have an assistant choreographer.
00:15:23
Speaker
I'm doing all of it.
00:15:25
Speaker
Unless you want to count Baron as your assistant choreographer.
00:15:28
Speaker
He technically will be listed.
00:15:30
Speaker
I love that.
00:15:31
Speaker
We discussed this, that Baron, Ellie's one-year-old, will be listed as assistant choreographer.
00:15:36
Speaker
He's come to every rehearsal with him.
00:15:38
Speaker
He has, and he's also danced through many of those.
00:15:41
Speaker
So come see the excellent work of this one-year-old prodigy who's assistant choreographer.
00:15:46
Speaker
He was really helping them with their clapping.
00:15:48
Speaker
He was.
00:15:49
Speaker
Getting them on beat.
00:15:49
Speaker
It's very on beat.
00:15:50
Speaker
It's like about a half beat after Baron goes,
00:15:57
Speaker
But at least he's consistent with that half beat.
00:15:59
Speaker
That's true.
00:16:00
Speaker
He knows there's a beat somewhere in there.
00:16:02
Speaker
Somewhere.
00:16:03
Speaker
I'll find it.
00:16:03
Speaker
And he found the grace note.
00:16:08
Speaker
But yes, and so it's been really cool.
00:16:12
Speaker
I wanted to be involved, first of all, to have the opportunity to choreograph a show because I love musical theater.
00:16:18
Speaker
And so that's been really cool.
00:16:21
Speaker
I trusted you and I trusted your vision for it because, yeah, I mean, you can do God's Bill so many different ways that it's a little like when you look at what's out there, it's like, do I want to be a part of this or do I not want to be a part of this?
00:16:36
Speaker
But I think also you sent me a... A bootleg.
00:16:43
Speaker
Yeah.
00:16:43
Speaker
There was one that I was like, this is kind of close to... Yeah.
00:16:47
Speaker
And I could tell that they were at least being fairly respectful to the actual story, which was good, but the choreography was crap.
00:16:54
Speaker
And I was like, I can do better.
00:16:56
Speaker
Most filmed version of any show on the internet, the choreography is bad.
00:17:04
Speaker
There were so many that I found that were just like in a church and I was like, I'm glad you're doing this for a Sunday morning, but it is a little painful to watch you guys walk down the aisle and try and sing Tower of Babel on a Sunday morning with a bad sound system on a carpeted stage.
00:17:20
Speaker
The music itself is so gorgeous.
00:17:23
Speaker
If you don't do it justice, and that includes the dancing, like it really does.
00:17:28
Speaker
Yeah.
00:17:29
Speaker
then it's just so sad because you had a great thing to work with and you just skipped maybe.
00:17:38
Speaker
Well, and I feel like you had to around.
00:17:41
Speaker
Yeah, I feel like that's what's hard about this show is because it is so vocally demanding.
00:17:45
Speaker
Like everybody is on stage the whole time.
Artistic Truth and Collaboration
00:17:48
Speaker
Everybody sings every show.
00:17:49
Speaker
I feel like a lot of times productions of this show, they're like, well, since singing is so hard, we just won't make their dancing that hard.
00:17:58
Speaker
Right.
00:17:58
Speaker
Which is nice.
00:17:59
Speaker
And I have had to think about that, right?
00:18:02
Speaker
Like, I'm not having them leap across the stage or run up and down.
00:18:06
Speaker
Except for maybe once.
00:18:08
Speaker
Well.
00:18:10
Speaker
But you have to come see to find out.
00:18:11
Speaker
Oh, wait.
00:18:11
Speaker
Maybe.
00:18:12
Speaker
Maybe.
00:18:18
Speaker
But yeah, so it is a challenge to combine those things, to combine difficult vocals with something that's actually interesting and engaging to watch.
00:18:28
Speaker
Especially when you're dealing with musical theater people, and usually dance is not their strongest part, because then they'd be in the dance world.
00:18:37
Speaker
Especially people who come out for Godspell are usually going to be more singers than dancers.
00:18:43
Speaker
Yeah.
00:18:43
Speaker
That's a balance, though.
00:18:44
Speaker
I feel like you...
00:18:46
Speaker
Struck?
00:18:47
Speaker
Yeah, struck really well.
00:18:49
Speaker
And even watching you work with them as they learn the songs vocally, and then you're like, okay, now we're going to run this one.
00:18:57
Speaker
And someone will be like, hey, so I'm going to sing a crazy high note for a really long time.
00:19:02
Speaker
Do I have to be running in a circle?
00:19:05
Speaker
Right, right.
00:19:06
Speaker
And be like, no, what we're going to have you do is you're going to stand over here.
00:19:10
Speaker
You're going to do this, and you're going to kind of sway.
00:19:12
Speaker
But then it still looks cool.
00:19:13
Speaker
It's not like, yes, you can go stand on the stairs and just sit there so that you can get good breath control.
00:19:19
Speaker
It's a bounce.
00:19:21
Speaker
Yeah, because in that particular song, she still dances a lot.
00:19:26
Speaker
Right.
00:19:26
Speaker
But there's certain moments where it's like,
00:19:29
Speaker
Okay, in this moment, now that the ensemble is singing a lot more, she can be more over here and doing a little bit less.
00:19:35
Speaker
And then at this very moment, we'll have her just kind of climbing the stairs for the end pose, and here we go.
00:19:42
Speaker
Finding that balance of looking nice, but also not making it so...
00:19:47
Speaker
difficult that they can't do the singing.
00:19:49
Speaker
Exactly.
00:19:50
Speaker
You've done a great job with like things.
00:19:52
Speaker
Because you choreographed it prior.
00:19:55
Speaker
I believe for the most part.
00:19:57
Speaker
There were a couple things that I suddenly found out.
00:20:00
Speaker
Oh, I couldn't hear that in the soundtrack.
00:20:02
Speaker
You're singing that?
00:20:04
Speaker
Oh, let's not have you clap offbeat and sing onbeat.
00:20:09
Speaker
That, no.
00:20:10
Speaker
Oh, gosh.
00:20:12
Speaker
Now I'm like, I want to try it.
00:20:13
Speaker
The part with the triplets where they're like clapping off.
00:20:16
Speaker
Yeah.
00:20:17
Speaker
That's awesome.
00:20:18
Speaker
And there's like a lot of doot doots.
00:20:20
Speaker
Oh yeah.
00:20:20
Speaker
All on different beats.
00:20:23
Speaker
And I'm like, oh, I can't, I can't have you clapping at that point.
00:20:26
Speaker
That's just torture.
00:20:27
Speaker
That's too much.
00:20:29
Speaker
Yeah, you're not getting paid to be here.
00:20:31
Speaker
That's not fair.
00:20:32
Speaker
You're not a paid actor.
00:20:34
Speaker
We can only put you through so much torture.
00:20:36
Speaker
You're a volunteer.
00:20:38
Speaker
But that is an interesting thing about choreography that I feel like is different than what you guys are doing and what you're doing and the vocals is you get the music and you have to let it tell you what to do.
00:20:51
Speaker
Because you can come in with a vision, but if that's not what the music is doing...
00:20:59
Speaker
There's not too much manipulation you can do to make the dancing take over.
00:21:05
Speaker
Because you always dance to music.
00:21:07
Speaker
Yeah.
00:21:08
Speaker
And so therefore, you're matching something.
00:21:12
Speaker
Mm-hmm.
00:21:13
Speaker
And I just think that that makes it a very cool art form.
00:21:17
Speaker
Yeah.
00:21:17
Speaker
Because it's kind of that whole thing of like with acting, you have to match reality to a degree.
00:21:24
Speaker
And so there's something real that you're striving for, even in a like...
00:21:30
Speaker
a synthetic setting.
00:21:31
Speaker
Yes.
00:21:33
Speaker
There's to be some element of truth there.
00:21:35
Speaker
Right.
00:21:36
Speaker
The setting is fantastical.
00:21:37
Speaker
It's like an abstraction of the reality and truth that you're portraying.
00:21:41
Speaker
Yeah.
00:21:42
Speaker
So dance, the truth is the music.
00:21:45
Speaker
And you have to find the movement within the music.
00:21:49
Speaker
Yeah.
00:21:49
Speaker
And if you think about music, there's a lot of movement turns in it anyways.
00:21:55
Speaker
So there's just a lot that you just have to rely on that.
00:22:00
Speaker
And yet the cool thing is different choreographers can listen to the same song and find different truths within the same music.
00:22:08
Speaker
And you just know that you're not a good choreographer if it doesn't work with the music.
00:22:12
Speaker
Like you're not finding the truth in the music.
00:22:14
Speaker
Uh-huh.
00:22:16
Speaker
That is cool.
00:22:17
Speaker
That's very funny.
00:22:18
Speaker
Abby, I'll throw it to you.
00:22:19
Speaker
Yes.
00:22:21
Speaker
My name is Abby, and I am the music director.
00:22:26
Speaker
I, again, forgot what the...
00:22:28
Speaker
follow-up question to that was.
00:22:29
Speaker
I think that was... What do I do in the hashtag?
00:22:32
Speaker
And then I just talked about my role.
00:22:33
Speaker
Because you both kept talking and I was like, I don't remember what that question was.
00:22:36
Speaker
My sort of like sub-question, which kind of got partly answered, which was going to be the next one.
00:22:40
Speaker
It's like, how did I get involved with the show?
00:22:42
Speaker
Yeah, and like, why?
00:22:44
Speaker
I still kind of have that question.
00:22:45
Speaker
Because for several of you, I'm still not sure why you said yes.
00:22:49
Speaker
And particularly you, Abby, I was very much like, there's never, there's a snowball's chance in a really hot place
00:22:58
Speaker
would say yes to this show and there's something about just this show in particular and that was like my thing with like every single person I was asking I was like there's no way they're gonna say yes and basically everybody I asked to like be involved in the behind the scenes said yes and I've never asked why so I have an opportunity on the podcast now to be like why did you guys say yes to this show wow that's so funny I love it
00:23:23
Speaker
Now you get to find out.
00:23:23
Speaker
Okay, I mean this in a really nice way, and I don't feel bad.
00:23:28
Speaker
No, it's not what you... Okay, so there's two reasons.
00:23:29
Speaker
There's two reasons.
00:23:30
Speaker
Okay.
00:23:31
Speaker
The first one is I would say... Because, John, you've helped me with every show that I've directed.
00:23:36
Speaker
So I very much felt... Well, yeah, because you helped me with Singing in the Rain.
00:23:41
Speaker
And then with Pirates, you were on crew.
00:23:45
Speaker
And then the woman, you helped move the piano.
00:23:47
Speaker
Like, we had to get that piano moved in.
00:23:49
Speaker
That's right.
00:23:49
Speaker
And you gave us your Christmas tree, and...
00:23:52
Speaker
I did.
00:23:52
Speaker
I forgot about that.
00:23:53
Speaker
So on varying degrees, you've helped me with everything that I've done.
00:23:56
Speaker
I just got more and more involved until I got to assistant director.
00:23:59
Speaker
So I very, very much felt like, okay, I should definitely help John with his project, but not to make me feel like I was obligated to get more busy.
00:24:07
Speaker
I was turning in my car.
00:24:09
Speaker
And then also, I was involved...
00:24:13
Speaker
Well, I'm... Okay, there's lots of reasons.
00:24:16
Speaker
I primarily work with kids.
00:24:18
Speaker
Like, I teach 5 to 12-year-olds most of the year.
00:24:22
Speaker
And so every once in a while, it's very refreshing to work with adults.
00:24:26
Speaker
Not that I don't love teaching kids, but just the retention ability of adults is much higher.
00:24:31
Speaker
It is nice.
00:24:32
Speaker
And the finished product is usually much better.
00:24:34
Speaker
So every once in a while, that's really refreshing.
00:24:38
Speaker
And then I was in a production of Godspell when I was like 15.
00:24:44
Speaker
And it definitely could have been better.
00:24:47
Speaker
So I was excited to do a production of it and know that with the team that you had already that it would definitely probably be better.
00:25:00
Speaker
Yeah.
00:25:02
Speaker
Those were all of my reasons.
00:25:03
Speaker
Cool.
00:25:04
Speaker
Anna, did you have a reason that made you say yes other than just, I want to dive into assistant directing?
00:25:09
Speaker
Was there something about that show that interested you?
00:25:13
Speaker
Yeah.
00:25:15
Speaker
Cool.
00:25:15
Speaker
I think she said all of her reasons.
00:25:17
Speaker
Well, I don't know if you want to talk about it.
00:25:20
Speaker
Oh, that.
00:25:21
Speaker
Oh.
00:25:22
Speaker
We should leave some surprises for the audience.
00:25:24
Speaker
Okay.
00:25:25
Speaker
Well, I'll say this.
00:25:29
Speaker
You're tackling a lot of different things and you wanted the show to be very real to life in the way that the church is very diverse.
00:25:40
Speaker
And yeah, I just really, I loved your vision for it and I really wanted to, I was like, I...
00:25:52
Speaker
I know John has the heart, but maybe not always the knowledge to know everything about every group of people and subgroup of people.
00:26:01
Speaker
Yeah, that's incredibly fair.
00:26:03
Speaker
Because I don't.
00:26:07
Speaker
But I'm like, in certain particular areas, I know different things.
00:26:11
Speaker
Yeah, and we're kind of have experience in different circles.
00:26:14
Speaker
Yeah, and I was like, I would really love to try and do this as well and as God-honoring as possible while honoring people's lived experiences.
00:26:25
Speaker
Right, because that's...
00:26:26
Speaker
For any who haven't heard me talk about Godspell a million times leading up to this, it is very much like if it's in the modern day, I was like, okay, then let's bring Jesus into the modern day or more bring the modern day into contact with Jesus and see what happens there.
00:26:42
Speaker
Which then means, okay, you're dealing with real people's lives and...
00:26:47
Speaker
issues that are at the forefront of our minds in the election season, which I didn't think about when I planned on doing this in 2024.
00:26:53
Speaker
We still have a few months.
00:26:56
Speaker
Yeah.
00:26:56
Speaker
I'm sure we'll figure it out.
00:27:00
Speaker
But that's... So it's been... All four of you, I guess I included myself.
00:27:05
Speaker
Yeah, all of us.
00:27:06
Speaker
I feel like there is a really nice sort of broad, diverse perspective amongst us, but we're all very grounded in Jesus is the Lord of our life and we love him.
00:27:15
Speaker
And so that has just been really great that I feel like it's been able to like iron sharpen iron and make the show better and make sure it's really aligned with...
00:27:26
Speaker
the
Creative Team Dynamics
00:27:27
Speaker
truth of the gospel and the heart of Christ, um, while also like bringing in these different viewpoints that can flesh out the story and the world and make it richer and deeper and truer.
00:27:39
Speaker
So that's been really cool.
00:27:40
Speaker
And you've been a great part of that.
00:27:42
Speaker
Thank you.
00:27:43
Speaker
Also, uh, do you want me to turn that off?
00:27:53
Speaker
Turn one off.
00:27:54
Speaker
The thing that keeps beeping outside.
00:27:56
Speaker
That's my phone.
00:27:59
Speaker
And I can turn that off.
00:28:01
Speaker
I don't know if... I only heard it once.
00:28:03
Speaker
I doubt the microphone can hear it.
00:28:05
Speaker
It's probably fine.
00:28:06
Speaker
I think it's okay.
00:28:07
Speaker
Okay.
00:28:07
Speaker
We're good.
00:28:08
Speaker
All right.
00:28:09
Speaker
Listen for it.
00:28:10
Speaker
You might hear it.
00:28:11
Speaker
You never know.
00:28:12
Speaker
Comment.
00:28:13
Speaker
Tell us how many times you heard the phone ring.
00:28:16
Speaker
Also, how many times?
00:28:17
Speaker
I look right at the camera.
00:28:19
Speaker
Do the gym look.
00:28:21
Speaker
I feel like you're not supposed to do that.
00:28:23
Speaker
I do it a fair amount.
00:28:24
Speaker
I think the podcast is different.
00:28:25
Speaker
Exactly.
00:28:26
Speaker
You're the fifth person at this table, random listener, viewer.
00:28:30
Speaker
No, no, no.
00:28:32
Speaker
Sorry.
00:28:32
Speaker
According to Anna, you're excluded.
00:28:35
Speaker
Just turn off the podcast now.
00:28:36
Speaker
No, you're a silent observer, and that is different.
00:28:40
Speaker
That's different.
00:28:44
Speaker
Ellie, did you have any more reasons why you said yes?
00:28:47
Speaker
See, I was just trying to answer your whole big, broad question.
00:28:50
Speaker
I didn't realize we were just answering part of it.
00:28:52
Speaker
That's fine.
00:28:52
Speaker
Yeah, I think we answered it, too.
00:28:54
Speaker
That's okay.
00:28:55
Speaker
That's why I was like, I feel like there's more questions I'm supposed to answer, because they answered, like, four.
00:28:59
Speaker
I was just trying to.
00:28:59
Speaker
I'm the music director.
00:29:00
Speaker
I'm the music director.
00:29:01
Speaker
Say everything.
00:29:05
Speaker
Yes, that is my problem.
00:29:06
Speaker
If you get me talking, I will just keep doing it.
00:29:08
Speaker
So we'll probably end up doing it all.
00:29:10
Speaker
You didn't have sent us these questions ahead of time because now we're like, okay, we're answering them.
00:29:15
Speaker
That's true.
00:29:15
Speaker
I did write down a bunch of answers while I was at work today.
00:29:18
Speaker
I'm like, what are resources for artists?
00:29:23
Speaker
Don't jump to the end.
00:29:24
Speaker
We're only halfway through.
00:29:25
Speaker
I guess you'll have to wait in my house.
00:29:27
Speaker
Keep listening.
00:29:28
Speaker
Skip to time, go two hours and 50 minutes.
00:29:35
Speaker
It's just me in this room.
00:29:36
Speaker
We've all laughed.
00:29:39
Speaker
Signing off.
00:29:40
Speaker
We give Anna all of our resources.
00:29:42
Speaker
We're like, when you're done, share these.
00:29:47
Speaker
Did you have a specific reason why you said yes?
00:29:49
Speaker
I think my reasons were that I trusted your vision for it and I wanted to see it come to life.
00:29:55
Speaker
And also I wanted to do the songs justice and choreograph something good.
00:30:02
Speaker
Which you've got.
00:30:03
Speaker
Yeah.
00:30:04
Speaker
And I wanted to see if I could do it.
00:30:06
Speaker
If I could choreograph a musical theater show.
00:30:08
Speaker
Yeah.
00:30:08
Speaker
Because it's just a different thing.
00:30:10
Speaker
And you don't know if you can do something until you try.
00:30:13
Speaker
So it was like, this is a great opportunity.
00:30:16
Speaker
I'm going to take it.
00:30:18
Speaker
Yeah.
00:30:18
Speaker
Unfortunately, we didn't make something blasphemous with it.
00:30:21
Speaker
So far.
00:30:22
Speaker
I guess we have three weeks.
00:30:23
Speaker
We can still.
00:30:24
Speaker
Well, and I didn't know you hadn't choreographed for musical theater before.
00:30:28
Speaker
Because I have seen you in things before.
00:30:30
Speaker
Because you and John have been in a lot of similar things together.
00:30:34
Speaker
But I hadn't realized that until I got your bio for the program.
00:30:38
Speaker
And I was like, I know that.
00:30:41
Speaker
She's doing a great job.
00:30:42
Speaker
This is my debut.
00:30:45
Speaker
I think for both of you guys, though, I don't feel like either of you have missed a beat in the new roles that you guys have stepped into.
00:30:52
Speaker
I've been thinking about being an actor under your assistant direction or under your choreography, and I'm like, if somebody told me this was their first show, I would not believe it at all.
00:31:01
Speaker
Well, you told Lisa the other day, and she was incredibly surprised.
00:31:04
Speaker
Flabbergasted.
00:31:05
Speaker
Either that or...
00:31:07
Speaker
which is probably why we cast her.
00:31:10
Speaker
She's a good actor.
00:31:13
Speaker
Well, which is actually like a compliment because I think it's a very, a very common misconception in the performing arts world that if you are good at something, then you are also good at teaching it.
00:31:27
Speaker
Yeah.
00:31:28
Speaker
Which, I mean, seems like that would make sense, but it's really not the majority of the time.
00:31:33
Speaker
Like you can be a good dancer, but that doesn't make you a good choreographer.
00:31:36
Speaker
Yeah, sure.
00:31:37
Speaker
And so the fact that you guys are is great.
00:31:39
Speaker
Yeah, it's awesome.
00:31:40
Speaker
Well, and I...
00:31:42
Speaker
Granted, I haven't acted in a long time, but I am not a good actor.
00:31:45
Speaker
Well, see, sometimes it's like that, too.
00:31:47
Speaker
Well, that's true, because think about Hollywood.
00:31:49
Speaker
None of the movie directors hardly ever act.
00:31:52
Speaker
There's some, but most of them are very focused.
00:31:55
Speaker
They are great at getting their actors to give a performance and helping them explore that.
00:32:01
Speaker
A lot of the choreographers for professional ballet companies are the ones that weren't good enough to be professional ballerators.
00:32:08
Speaker
That's so sad.
00:32:10
Speaker
But that is that saying, right?
00:32:13
Speaker
And they know what makes it good.
00:32:15
Speaker
And they can bring it out of people and they can create something beautiful on other dances.
00:32:21
Speaker
Yes, and people can like visualize it better than they can do it.
00:32:25
Speaker
I couldn't make my body do it, but I know it needs to look like this.
00:32:28
Speaker
Which I feel like I...
00:32:34
Speaker
I can bring a lot of social skills.
00:32:37
Speaker
Of working with people.
00:32:38
Speaker
Because I work with people all the time.
00:32:39
Speaker
Which I do not have.
00:32:41
Speaker
Which I love about you.
00:32:46
Speaker
There is something about... That's why we round out this team very well.
00:32:51
Speaker
Yes.
00:32:53
Speaker
I have to say, one, when I first met you... Oh, no.
00:32:58
Speaker
Here we go.
00:32:59
Speaker
Well, I had met you before.
00:33:00
Speaker
Did you think I didn't like you?
00:33:02
Speaker
Correct.
00:33:05
Speaker
Well, also, I'm sure I'd met you at different times.
00:33:09
Speaker
At least when you and John were in Mary Poppins.
00:33:12
Speaker
I'm sure I met you then, because I saw that show.
00:33:14
Speaker
You introduced me to everybody.
00:33:16
Speaker
Yeah, probably.
00:33:17
Speaker
Yeah, because our whole freaking family was there.
00:33:19
Speaker
We were right next to each other, and there was a crowd, so that makes sense.
00:33:22
Speaker
And this is my cousin, and my other cousin, and he's that cousin.
00:33:26
Speaker
That one's related to us, I think.
00:33:29
Speaker
But then, yeah, I wasn't sure.
00:33:33
Speaker
And then we were casting.
00:33:33
Speaker
I'm working on it.
00:33:36
Speaker
I love it because I there's two big things I don't one I don't remember what I said but the first time I like really made you laugh I was like she likes me it's gonna be okay and then the other time is we were we were talking about casting we were sitting in the coffee shop like okay where is this gonna be and there was a couple of different times where you're like
00:34:00
Speaker
I mean this in the nicest way possible.
00:34:02
Speaker
And then said something incredibly direct where I'm like, that wasn't mean, but that was so helpful.
00:34:08
Speaker
Like that was so needed to just like, instead of us being like, well, but maybe we could get them there.
00:34:14
Speaker
I don't.
00:34:14
Speaker
And we beat around the bush sometimes.
00:34:16
Speaker
And you were like, but they can't sing.
00:34:17
Speaker
Which is great for me who beats around the bush.
00:34:19
Speaker
They cannot sing.
00:34:20
Speaker
It's like, but we could put them here.
00:34:21
Speaker
Like it was very like, and so there's moments where you're like,
00:34:26
Speaker
I mean this in the nicest way possible.
00:34:27
Speaker
And I'm like, this is going to be the truth.
00:34:32
Speaker
And I love it.
00:34:33
Speaker
It's helpful sometimes.
00:34:34
Speaker
Yeah, and I feel like we bow to each other.
00:34:36
Speaker
I feel like Anna, you and I are very blunt and honest.
00:34:39
Speaker
Yes, that can be.
00:34:40
Speaker
And then John and Ellie are very, very polite.
00:34:44
Speaker
They say the blunt thing, and then we push it around.
00:34:46
Speaker
They're like, that was really great.
00:34:48
Speaker
And I'm like, but... But also, I know, we were doing the...
00:34:56
Speaker
doing the costume parade on Thursday.
00:34:59
Speaker
And I'm like, I thought to myself, there's a very specific reason me and Abby are behind the table.
00:35:04
Speaker
Yes, John was in front of the table with the costumer.
00:35:08
Speaker
And they were like being very like, okay, so this is working, this is not working.
00:35:13
Speaker
And then Anna and I were like behind the table.
00:35:16
Speaker
Just like a little peanut gallery.
00:35:19
Speaker
Just so many reads.
00:35:20
Speaker
I'm like, this looks like a pastor from the 90s.
00:35:24
Speaker
My favorite one was we put Molly in a different shirt and all of a sudden I was like, she went from like,
00:35:30
Speaker
attractive like professional woman suspicester so fast we can't let her wear that shirt we can't do that to her she like grabbed me and was like john john john she cannot wear that shirt i was like why what am i missing she comes out molly comes out in her second shirt and john and john's like yeah okay that's like a nice different color and i was like she cannot wear that shirt
00:35:54
Speaker
And part of it was the colored lips she was wearing as well.
00:35:58
Speaker
I'm like, I think we could have probably changed.
00:35:59
Speaker
We could have made it work, but she just looked so much older.
00:36:02
Speaker
The other one, I think, is a different character.
00:36:04
Speaker
Well, and that just happens.
00:36:06
Speaker
Because I'd say everybody in a directing team gets there at some point.
00:36:12
Speaker
But it's just so much more stressful if you get to that point at like final dress or even the week of.
00:36:17
Speaker
If you can be, if you can, I know that you need to be rude.
00:36:21
Speaker
I don't feel like we're rude.
00:36:22
Speaker
Sometimes my face looks rude, but I don't act rude.
00:36:25
Speaker
Sometimes that's because you've had oral surgery.
00:36:27
Speaker
I'm like, that's not fair.
00:36:29
Speaker
You're like, my nose is killing me.
00:36:30
Speaker
I literally can't smile.
00:36:34
Speaker
At auditions, Abby had just had sinus surgery.
00:36:37
Speaker
Sinus surgery.
00:36:38
Speaker
That's right.
00:36:39
Speaker
And she's like, I usually smile more, but I physically can't.
00:36:42
Speaker
So I will just stare daggers at you during auditions.
00:36:45
Speaker
Yeah, I was very serious.
00:36:47
Speaker
Very scary.
00:36:49
Speaker
But it's, it's, if you, I mean, like, and I say we, we, we speak the truth still in love, but very, very more straightforward.
00:36:57
Speaker
Yeah.
00:36:57
Speaker
But it saves so much stress if you can do it ahead of time.
00:37:01
Speaker
Like, don't lie to yourself the whole time that I like this color shirt.
00:37:04
Speaker
And then on final dress, look at your customer and be like, she can't wear that shirt.
00:37:07
Speaker
Cause then now you're stressed and she's stressed.
00:37:09
Speaker
Right.
00:37:10
Speaker
And I think a lot of times you just have to learn to like, I'm just going to say the thing as the director that's the true thing that needs to happen in this situation.
00:37:17
Speaker
And as much as I care about this person and would like to work through the emotions that this note may cause or something, I just need to say it and then they need to deal with it.
00:37:24
Speaker
And they can talk to me afterwards if there's something more to unpack.
00:37:26
Speaker
But a lot of times you just kind of have to say the thing and be like, not to be like traumatizing.
00:37:31
Speaker
Don't Stanley Kubrick it, ladies and gentlemen.
00:37:33
Speaker
Don't be mean.
00:37:34
Speaker
Right.
00:37:35
Speaker
But there's a point where it's like, I'm just going to say the direct thing.
00:37:39
Speaker
Well, because also, as an actor, I trust my director to not let me look stupid.
00:37:45
Speaker
Whether that's in what I'm doing, what I'm singing, what I look like.
00:37:48
Speaker
And I've been in shows where I don't trust my director to not let me look stupid.
00:37:51
Speaker
And that's terrifying.
00:37:53
Speaker
I've walked down the stage and been like, I know I look stupid in this costume.
00:37:56
Speaker
There is no world that this costume does not look bad on me.
00:38:00
Speaker
And it does not fit in the show.
00:38:01
Speaker
And it does not.
00:38:03
Speaker
Or like...
00:38:04
Speaker
You know, like I'm playing a scene or I'm trying to be funny and I feel like I'm just floundering because no one's telling me if it's funny or not.
00:38:11
Speaker
Where I would, I would, and I think that gives me freedom as music director or as any part of the team to be more blunt because I know I appreciate that as an actor.
00:38:23
Speaker
Don't tell me I'm good if I'm not good.
00:38:24
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely.
00:38:25
Speaker
Like I'll quit.
00:38:28
Speaker
Yeah.
00:38:28
Speaker
Well, and that is just such the hard...
00:38:31
Speaker
The hard thing of working with people is because people take it in so many different ways.
00:38:34
Speaker
Yeah.
00:38:35
Speaker
Like, I have a friend who she coached collegiate women's basketball.
00:38:42
Speaker
And... I forgot about sports on a theater podcast.
00:38:46
Speaker
I know.
00:38:46
Speaker
I'm so sorry.
00:38:47
Speaker
I'm not going to understand a word you're about to say, but that's okay.
00:38:50
Speaker
You will because I don't understand basketball at all.
00:38:52
Speaker
Collegiate.
00:38:56
Speaker
For a while she was the assistant director of college basketball at GVSU for a few years.
00:39:02
Speaker
And it was very interesting because she also did other things around the athletics program and stuff.
00:39:08
Speaker
And she was like, it was so funny because every once in a while I would get pulled into the men's practice to just like, hey, can you take this group over and run drills or whatever.
00:39:17
Speaker
And she's like, it's so interesting coaching men versus coaching women.
00:39:21
Speaker
And it's not all the same, like, because there's obviously different kinds of women.
00:39:25
Speaker
Like, you and me are very different in how we, you know, direct people than like Ellie or John does.
00:39:30
Speaker
And they're not even both women.
00:39:31
Speaker
So like...
00:39:33
Speaker
Thanks for calling your back.
00:39:34
Speaker
So it's not like a, it's not an across the board thing.
00:39:36
Speaker
She's like, but like generally like guys, especially in sports, guys just want to be told like, don't do that.
00:39:44
Speaker
Do that.
00:39:44
Speaker
Yeah.
00:39:45
Speaker
All right.
00:39:45
Speaker
Yes coach.
00:39:46
Speaker
Got it.
00:39:46
Speaker
Whereas women you have to like, she's like at least in, in basketball in that particular like arena, you had to like kind of stroke it a little more of like, you're doing really well.
00:39:56
Speaker
I see that you like putting in a lot of effort, but what we really have to work on is the particular,
00:40:00
Speaker
basketball jargon right yeah that's what i usually get lost but uh and she was like it was so interesting because you couldn't just be like that was bad don't do that because like they would then they would like they would take it so seriously to heart that then they couldn't do well right right and that's such an interesting thing working with people because i'm the way my brain works because i'm way too black and white so often it's just like i would just like to be like
00:40:25
Speaker
no, let's fix that.
00:40:27
Speaker
It's like, don't do that.
00:40:29
Speaker
And it's like, that's just not how people work.
00:40:31
Speaker
But I think that's why it's good to have a team of directors because then you can kind of have both and you can find that balance.
00:40:39
Speaker
And I'm just saying the same thing.
00:40:41
Speaker
Maybe people respond better to you than they do to you.
00:40:46
Speaker
Like, I'm not very good at directing my brother most of the time.
00:40:49
Speaker
I would think that would be an odd dynamic.
00:40:51
Speaker
Which is why I'm here.
00:40:52
Speaker
That is.
00:40:53
Speaker
Because it goes into a relationship.
00:40:54
Speaker
It's funny directing my husband in a way.
00:40:57
Speaker
Yeah.
00:40:58
Speaker
I wondered about that.
00:40:59
Speaker
It's been actually kind of fun.
00:41:01
Speaker
Because I... It's been very fulfilling.
00:41:04
Speaker
No, but it's just funny.
00:41:06
Speaker
Because I switch into a completely different mode.
00:41:09
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:41:09
Speaker
Like teacher mode.
00:41:10
Speaker
And I'm much more willing to be like, no, don't do that.
00:41:13
Speaker
True, damn.
00:41:15
Speaker
Right, where at home you're like, that was great, honey.
00:41:18
Speaker
No, this isn't burn at all.
00:41:22
Speaker
So it's just a different thing because it's a completely different scenario.
00:41:27
Speaker
And then you're looking at people in a different way.
00:41:30
Speaker
Yeah.
00:41:30
Speaker
Because you're not really looking at them in a relational way in the same way you are when you're like interacting with them the rest of the time.
00:41:37
Speaker
Yeah.
00:41:38
Speaker
Because it is that thing where you all are trying to create something.
00:41:42
Speaker
Yeah.
00:41:42
Speaker
Ideally, you have a team of people, you have a team of actors.
00:41:47
Speaker
Yeah.
00:41:48
Speaker
And like a team of directors that all want it to do well and are all for the most part on the same page of what you're going for.
Themes of Godspell and Modern Relevance
00:41:56
Speaker
Right.
00:41:56
Speaker
So then it's so much easier to tell somebody, hey, you've got to stop doing that because it's pulling away from this and this is important because of this.
00:42:04
Speaker
And they're like, ah, OK, great.
00:42:06
Speaker
Because I want that to work because I want this show to work and I want this to be good.
00:42:13
Speaker
So it's not about, oh, I'm doing a bad job and taking it as a personal thing.
00:42:18
Speaker
But it's like, oh, that's not serving the story we're trying to tell.
00:42:22
Speaker
I can adjust and that's actually me doing a good job.
00:42:26
Speaker
Yeah, totally.
00:42:27
Speaker
Yeah.
00:42:28
Speaker
What about the show Godspell is important to you guys?
00:42:33
Speaker
I feel like it's probably going to be similar for all of us, but what about it has been important for you to draw out?
00:42:41
Speaker
I don't know what I'm going to start with.
00:42:42
Speaker
All right.
00:42:43
Speaker
You said Jesus.
00:42:43
Speaker
You get to go first.
00:42:44
Speaker
You get to go first.
00:42:45
Speaker
Dang it.
00:42:47
Speaker
It's like nose goes.
00:42:48
Speaker
Nose goes.
00:42:50
Speaker
You'll have to come see the show.
00:42:56
Speaker
It felt like a bingo card that everybody can bring to the show and be like, oh, they referenced that in the podcast.
00:43:02
Speaker
They referenced this in the podcast.
00:43:04
Speaker
I heard Anna's phone go off of me.
00:43:07
Speaker
Oh, yeah.
00:43:08
Speaker
Godspell bingo.
00:43:09
Speaker
That would be so fun.
00:43:11
Speaker
That would be fun.
00:43:11
Speaker
I feel like, what would the prize be, though?
00:43:14
Speaker
You get brought up on stage.
00:43:16
Speaker
Yeah, right.
00:43:17
Speaker
Oh, my gosh.
00:43:17
Speaker
For some people, that's so not a prize.
00:43:19
Speaker
I know.
00:43:20
Speaker
It's happened to me a couple of times in rehearsal, and, like, it's just rehearsal.
00:43:24
Speaker
No one else is there, and I've hated it.
00:43:26
Speaker
But also, like, love it a little bit.
00:43:29
Speaker
Or it's that weird thing of, like, don't look at me.
00:43:32
Speaker
You know?
00:43:33
Speaker
Have you ever seen, I'm going to go on a small tangent.
00:43:37
Speaker
Have you ever seen that SNL sketch with Kristen Wiig where she's like at a Christmas party and there's a piano but no one's playing the piano.
00:43:45
Speaker
And she like drapes herself across the piano.
00:43:47
Speaker
She's like, oh, it's here.
00:43:50
Speaker
Don't make me sing.
00:43:52
Speaker
Oh, someone's going to ask me to sing.
00:43:53
Speaker
And everyone is like, no one is.
00:43:55
Speaker
No one even wants music playing.
00:43:57
Speaker
And then just the whole thing is her just being like, don't make me sing.
00:44:04
Speaker
actually.
00:44:05
Speaker
I know, I know.
00:44:06
Speaker
Piano in sight.
00:44:07
Speaker
It's like the one ring.
00:44:09
Speaker
Yeah.
00:44:09
Speaker
Just like, I can't.
00:44:10
Speaker
And every once in a while, there's that little moment, and then I remember I have terrible stage fright, and I don't like that at all.
00:44:18
Speaker
So is that what's important about the show for you?
00:44:19
Speaker
Yeah.
00:44:21
Speaker
Oh, what is important about the show?
00:44:23
Speaker
Jesus and being brought up as an audience member.
00:44:26
Speaker
Those are the two things.
00:44:27
Speaker
Yes, yes.
00:44:28
Speaker
Well, see, I would say that if we had a bingo card, I've got to finish all these loops.
00:44:34
Speaker
The prize would be tickets to the show, but then the show would be over.
00:44:37
Speaker
So that doesn't make any sense.
00:44:38
Speaker
We'll workshop it.
00:44:43
Speaker
I, it's just been, it's been hard.
00:44:47
Speaker
They're like, we've definitely had a lot of like, what I can only describe as logistical nightmares, but that I have legitimately had like bad dreams about.
00:44:58
Speaker
But, and like different moments and like, and some like hard conversations, but like for the most part, it has been just an incredibly like joyful experience to be like, even when like,
00:45:12
Speaker
they're just trying to get through the choreography.
00:45:14
Speaker
They're not smiling.
00:45:16
Speaker
But they're worshiping God.
00:45:19
Speaker
I'm like, I don't know if they actually in their hearts are at that moment.
00:45:23
Speaker
Because they're just like, is it my left or my right?
00:45:25
Speaker
What is happening?
00:45:26
Speaker
But to me, watching it... They're running around looking so stressed.
00:45:29
Speaker
Like, bless the Lord!
00:45:30
Speaker
Bless the Lord!
00:45:32
Speaker
And then there's me who's sitting there not sweating and just listening to the music and watching the activity and just being like...
00:45:42
Speaker
Oh my gosh.
00:45:43
Speaker
I have so many moments where I'm just like... I feel just kind of blessed to be there.
00:45:49
Speaker
And just to see kind of... Because it can be such... There's so many great moments in the show that are just truly very joyful.
00:45:57
Speaker
That I think only... Sometimes only musical theater can kind of get to that level.
00:46:02
Speaker
Because so often in other art forms, it's like, that's too cheesy.
00:46:06
Speaker
But like...
00:46:08
Speaker
so much about like me trying to explain my faith to non-christians sounds so cheesy it's like i don't know he changed my life and i love him like yes and they're like this guy you can't see who i don't think is real like yes you know like like and it's it's so much more complicated than that we can talk theology if you want to but i it is just something like it can be so heightened to have like
00:46:34
Speaker
you know, what is it, like six, sometimes eight part harmonies while dancing this huge elaborate thing.
00:46:40
Speaker
And then you're, it's just like joy overflowing and it's directed at a God who deserves it.
00:46:49
Speaker
Right.
00:46:50
Speaker
Yes.
00:46:50
Speaker
Which is just, so like, I've just, yeah, I feel like I've just gotten to...
00:46:56
Speaker
Just to even be there for it feels like a huge blessing to watch it and watch them put it together.
00:47:04
Speaker
Even really early on, music rehearsals, they'll be like, oh, OK.
00:47:10
Speaker
They're learning all the parts.
00:47:11
Speaker
And it's like, oh, that sounds really rough because it's week one of learning Stephen Schwartz music.
00:47:20
Speaker
But there'd be a moment where me and John are sending emails to everybody.
00:47:26
Speaker
in the back and like writing up lists upon lists of lists to remember lists.
00:47:31
Speaker
I was like, what was the deadline for that?
00:47:33
Speaker
I'll add that to the other list.
00:47:35
Speaker
And then all of a sudden they were just like, they would just have a moment where you could hear the chord and we would like look at each other and be like, oh.
00:47:44
Speaker
I think they'll make it.
00:47:47
Speaker
I think it's coming.
00:47:47
Speaker
They're gonna make it, guys!
00:47:49
Speaker
I think it's coming together, and it's like, it's April, we have so much time.
00:47:54
Speaker
Of course it will, but like... Yeah.
00:47:57
Speaker
I don't know.
00:47:57
Speaker
So it's just been, yeah, I don't know.
00:47:59
Speaker
For me, it's been very joyful for the most part.
00:48:03
Speaker
Ellie, what's been important about the show for you?
00:48:06
Speaker
Well, I mean, my answer is also Jesus.
00:48:09
Speaker
And I think...
00:48:13
Speaker
It is cool that we get to see Jesus within a community that's more familiar to us.
00:48:22
Speaker
Because like you guys touched on earlier, you see real people going through real problems with real conflict.
00:48:29
Speaker
Some of the conflict is silly, but most of the conflict is real.
00:48:33
Speaker
There's definitely one conflict that we've made very silly.
00:48:36
Speaker
Yes.
00:48:36
Speaker
But I love it.
00:48:38
Speaker
No, you need that.
00:48:42
Speaker
And so it's cool to see everyone come together to create that picture because obviously Jesus isn't just a standalone person who existed.
00:48:55
Speaker
He came down to earth for a reason because he came down to show who God is in a unique way that God...
00:49:03
Speaker
couldn't do in the same way from heaven.
00:49:06
Speaker
Obviously, there's a lot of reasons Jesus came, but that is one of them.
00:49:11
Speaker
And so it's cool to bring that into a modern day context, but then also with the joy of musical theater and the life that that brings to it.
00:49:20
Speaker
It's very unique and it's cool to see...
00:49:26
Speaker
how much power it can have.
00:49:29
Speaker
And it's also cool to see a bunch of different people who all have different thoughts, different opinions, different lives coming together to do this show.
00:49:41
Speaker
Because really, within the cast and our production team, you don't feel like a lot of conflict.
00:49:51
Speaker
Yeah.
00:49:52
Speaker
Which is wonderful.
00:49:55
Speaker
And I think that that just shows... And not always usual in theater.
00:49:59
Speaker
Yes!
00:49:59
Speaker
No, it's not.
00:50:00
Speaker
Unfortunately.
00:50:02
Speaker
But I felt that during this show that it feels...
00:50:07
Speaker
like very united which you know then you know that it's not just the Jesus in the show but actually Jesus in the room um and that even though not everyone acknowledges him in the same way or to the same degree or at all in our cast um
00:50:29
Speaker
he's still there and he's still using everyone and he still placed everyone in this show.
00:50:35
Speaker
Yeah.
00:50:35
Speaker
And that's something that I think is really remarkable about our cast, if I can praise them for a second and just things I appreciate about them.
00:50:42
Speaker
It's very mixed religiously, but they have all like 100% committed to the thing that I said out at the start, which is I, you know, we care about this gospel as a true thing.
00:50:55
Speaker
Yeah.
00:50:56
Speaker
And I've never had a time where I've given a piece of direction that is very much like, you're feeling this way because Jesus is coming to set all things right because that's what Jesus does.
00:51:06
Speaker
Right.
00:51:06
Speaker
Where somebody's been like, okay.
00:51:08
Speaker
Like, they've all just 100% been like, yeah, we are on board that that's the story that we're telling is the Christian story of Jesus.
00:51:17
Speaker
Yeah.
00:51:19
Speaker
you know, and for whatever that means to them in different ways.
00:51:21
Speaker
But they've all are very united, I think, around that theme.
00:51:25
Speaker
And that's been really neat to see because I'm not I don't think I've experienced a lot of like casts that are this mixed in their walks of life and beliefs and stuff be as unified in that sort of the story that they're telling and the themes they're addressing as this one is.
00:51:42
Speaker
It's been really cool.
00:51:43
Speaker
It has been.
00:51:45
Speaker
Abby, what about for you?
00:51:48
Speaker
Um, I'd say a lot of the same things.
00:51:50
Speaker
I would say the, the doing it reverently is very, very important to me.
00:51:56
Speaker
Um, I will say that was something that was done well about the one I was in before, um, was it was done reverently.
00:52:03
Speaker
Cause it rarely is.
00:52:04
Speaker
We, the group I was in with it before, like we had a cast reunion.
00:52:08
Speaker
We're like, let's go watch this college version of Godspell, which was a very big mistake.
00:52:12
Speaker
Very not reverent.
00:52:14
Speaker
Um,
00:52:15
Speaker
Which is difficult because I know it's not written by Christians.
00:52:21
Speaker
The person who conceived it was.
00:52:26
Speaker
But Stephen Schwartz is not.
00:52:27
Speaker
So John Michael Teblak, who was the original director and writer, he was because he was either going to go become an Episcopal priest or go into the theater.
00:52:36
Speaker
And then he was gay and he was like, well, I don't think they want me in the priesthood.
00:52:41
Speaker
So I guess it's theater.
00:52:43
Speaker
But then in returning to the church, he was like, this feels really not joyful on Easter Sunday.
00:52:50
Speaker
And it's Easter.
00:52:51
Speaker
If there's a day it should be joyful, it should be Easter.
00:52:54
Speaker
So that was like the thing that kicked it all off.
00:52:57
Speaker
So he was, I don't know if he remained a Christian for his whole life.
00:53:02
Speaker
He may have...
00:53:03
Speaker
straight or drifted into some other beliefs but but like most yeah like the original producers and people on broadway and it's not usually really been done with that in mind yeah so there's definitely um but there's some parts of the script that are like actually from scripture and there's definitely some lyrics of songs that are
00:53:22
Speaker
from scripture a lot of it is actually directly from scripture or christian tradition in some way so that's been really important to do it well and i've even talked about um like working on vocals like how do we even just like emphasize it the right way when we're singing it that it's sung sung reverently um because that's really hard when it's i feel like it's it's a lot easier to take um
00:53:51
Speaker
like other there's like other stories from the bible that people have rewritten to do in like modern modern settings and i feel like those all translate fine and it's not irreverent but something about like jesus and jeans can often be not done well yeah um i actually don't know if jesus is wearing jeans i don't know what he was sick on costume parading so i don't know what he's wearing but um fishnets
00:54:19
Speaker
Let's just go with jeans.
00:54:20
Speaker
Yeah, I would like to clear that up.
00:54:22
Speaker
I'm 90% sure he's wearing jeans, and I'm 100% sure he's not wearing jeans.
00:54:29
Speaker
Awesome.
00:54:31
Speaker
So that's been really important to me, even from committing to it.
00:54:35
Speaker
I know I would do the music side reverently, but I was very purposeful in talking to John, making sure all elements of it were before I committed.
00:54:44
Speaker
That Jesus would not be in fish nets.
00:54:47
Speaker
That Jesus would not be in fish nets.
00:54:48
Speaker
That was the big one.
00:54:49
Speaker
Hours of conversation.
00:54:54
Speaker
And also, I think just making sure it's done well, because that's a big thing.
00:55:03
Speaker
even especially in the college world, of it's either done by Christians and done, even not just gospel, but theater in general.
00:55:13
Speaker
It's done by Christians and it's appropriate and whatever, but it's terrible performance quality.
00:55:19
Speaker
Or it's great performance quality, but it's raunchy stuff and inappropriate.
00:55:23
Speaker
And I very much believe that using your gifts...
00:55:31
Speaker
As long as it honors God and it's not, you know, your gift isn't murdering somebody or something.
00:55:36
Speaker
But, like, I don't think that's a gift he gives people.
00:55:40
Speaker
But it's... I don't know.
00:55:42
Speaker
David was pretty good.
00:55:44
Speaker
Got all those forscations.
00:55:47
Speaker
Wow.
00:55:49
Speaker
But using your gift...
00:55:52
Speaker
I think in some way is most often a form of worship.
00:55:56
Speaker
Like I, even if I'm like when I'm playing music in the pit for Cinderella, is that about Jesus?
00:56:01
Speaker
No, but I'm using my gifts and I'm giving it everything I've, I have because I'm giving it as a form of worship.
00:56:10
Speaker
So I think I don't have, I literally have no idea where I was going with that sentence, but I think it's, um,
00:56:17
Speaker
It's important to me that we do it well in terms of production quality and performance, what we're doing, and also reverently because as an audience member, I'm not going to notice the reverence and the message if they sing terrible.
00:56:38
Speaker
You know?
00:56:38
Speaker
Like, that's going to be distracting.
00:56:39
Speaker
It's kind of like how Jesus fed them and then he also preached to them because they're not going to listen if they're hungry.
00:56:46
Speaker
It's like, if you only spend time, like, you know, building a community with your actors and making sure, like, we're quoting this scripture correctly...
00:56:56
Speaker
Like, that's not going to matter if it's not also, like, with talent.
00:57:04
Speaker
So I'd say that is important.
00:57:07
Speaker
So even though it's like, you know, the music is not written by a Christian, I think us doing it well is...
00:57:13
Speaker
still a form of worship.
00:57:15
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely.
00:57:16
Speaker
And to Ellie's point, again, I've said this, I feel like a thousand times, but it does have just so much of rich Christian tradition where so much of it is either scripture or hymns that have been passed down for a long time.
00:57:30
Speaker
So it has been really...
00:57:32
Speaker
cool because I feel like there's a way in which doing it in musical theater can breathe new life into these things that people have heard over and over and over again but usually it's not done with the intention of like man this hymn is so rich and raw and a great expression of biblical truths so let's refresh it and make it cool not make it cool but like you know
00:57:55
Speaker
Make it new.
00:57:55
Speaker
Yeah, new in a machine-y way.
00:57:57
Speaker
And I'd say that.
00:57:57
Speaker
And that's kind of, I feel like we've done that to a degree.
00:58:01
Speaker
And I think other ones have in the past.
00:58:03
Speaker
Yeah, and everybody sings it different.
00:58:05
Speaker
And every song is almost a completely different style of music.
00:58:12
Speaker
And so even though it's like, oh, I know this hymn, or I know this psalm, or I know this passage of scripture, just even the style of the music makes you feel it differently.
00:58:22
Speaker
Yeah, for sure.
00:58:22
Speaker
I think it's great.
00:58:23
Speaker
Mm-hmm.
00:58:25
Speaker
I'm going to try and wrap us up here because we're drawn towards an hour.
00:58:29
Speaker
I want to ask quickly before we jump to my classic resources question.
00:58:38
Speaker
What are things that you guys hope people will take away from the show?
00:58:42
Speaker
We'll go to Anna because Anna hasn't answered your question in a minute.
00:58:46
Speaker
Anna always has to go first.
00:58:47
Speaker
She had to go first at the last one.
00:58:48
Speaker
That's fair.
00:58:49
Speaker
Should we start with Abby?
00:58:50
Speaker
No.
00:59:06
Speaker
What is it that you hope people will take away from the show?
00:59:09
Speaker
Oh, yes.
00:59:10
Speaker
I feel like we've been dancing around this the whole time.
00:59:14
Speaker
So I just feel like I'm going to summarize it.
00:59:16
Speaker
Do it.
00:59:19
Speaker
A fresh look on familiar passages for those who know the Bible.
00:59:26
Speaker
And a fresh look at Jesus and the life and community that he can bring really for everyone.
00:59:34
Speaker
Because I don't think anyone in America right now has never heard the name of Jesus.
00:59:39
Speaker
Probably not.
00:59:40
Speaker
I'd be surprised.
00:59:41
Speaker
Let's just put it that way.
Personal Journey of Faith
00:59:43
Speaker
And so we all have an impression of him.
00:59:47
Speaker
And I would go as far to say that none of us have a completely accurate impression of him.
00:59:53
Speaker
Yeah.
00:59:56
Speaker
And so I think there's always a new facet of his character that can be explored.
01:00:03
Speaker
And I think Godspell, the way we're doing it, hits one of those facets that's not always...
01:00:12
Speaker
talked about or seen or experienced when you're just experiencing him through the church.
01:00:19
Speaker
Yeah.
01:00:20
Speaker
Cool.
01:00:22
Speaker
Are we going to go left or right?
01:00:24
Speaker
I'll go.
01:00:27
Speaker
Stare down.
01:00:31
Speaker
What do I hope people take away?
01:00:35
Speaker
I mean, I would hope that people take away that Jesus loves them.
01:00:44
Speaker
And I think what – I hope this doesn't give too much away.
01:00:49
Speaker
But what you have incorporated and part of your vision is that everybody has a different thing that they're coming with that Jesus asks them about.
01:01:03
Speaker
to lay down in order to follow him.
01:01:06
Speaker
And I think that's really, really important.
01:01:10
Speaker
I think a lot of, I think it's gotten a little gray.
01:01:15
Speaker
Definitely, it's gotten a lot of gray over the years of
01:01:19
Speaker
you know, come as you are, which is true, but, but the, the phrase is not come as you are and stay that way.
01:01:28
Speaker
Um, it's yes, you don't have to be perfect.
01:01:31
Speaker
You don't have to be, you don't have to have it all together.
01:01:33
Speaker
You don't have to be cleaned up to come to Jesus, but you have to be willing to open up your hands.
01:01:38
Speaker
Yeah.
01:01:39
Speaker
You have to let go of what you may not know was a sin or, um,
01:01:46
Speaker
you from Jesus.
01:01:47
Speaker
Like he wants you to come, but then you have to do what he is asking you to do.
01:01:51
Speaker
And I think that's a, I think that's an important piece that you have incorporated into the show.
01:01:57
Speaker
So, yeah.
01:01:58
Speaker
And it's cause he cares about us.
01:01:59
Speaker
Yeah.
01:02:00
Speaker
It's not cause he's mean, right?
01:02:01
Speaker
He's like, you can't have that toy, but it's also like, but you can't have that flamethrower.
01:02:07
Speaker
Right, yeah.
01:02:08
Speaker
Right, it's like you don't know what's bad for you.
01:02:09
Speaker
That's like, sin doesn't look bad to you.
01:02:12
Speaker
Right.
01:02:13
Speaker
And some of it too, as I've been pondering this and because I've been thinking a lot about God's love over the last month or so.
01:02:20
Speaker
It's kind of been my meditative thing.
01:02:23
Speaker
Is we aren't just doing that just because it's what we're supposed to do or it's because it's what he says to do, but also because we love him.
01:02:30
Speaker
Yeah.
01:02:31
Speaker
And we know what he's done for us.
01:02:33
Speaker
And so...
01:02:35
Speaker
Because I just had this question, like, why do I love God?
01:02:38
Speaker
Do I love God well?
01:02:40
Speaker
How am I doing that?
01:02:41
Speaker
And it is by opening, like, letting him have the stuff of your life and then tell you what to do with it is in and of itself an act of love and a response to just...
01:02:51
Speaker
The unending incredible love that he has.
01:02:53
Speaker
Even if it's not a sin that he's asking you to give up, but something that you like maybe idolize too much or that you are prioritizing.
01:02:59
Speaker
You're like, oh, I think my life is going this way.
01:03:02
Speaker
I'm going to be a race car driver.
01:03:03
Speaker
And so I'm going to do everything.
01:03:05
Speaker
We don't have any race cars in the show, but I'm going to be a race car driver.
01:03:07
Speaker
So I'm working really hard to be a race car driver.
01:03:10
Speaker
But he's like, no, actually, I want you to work at the grocery store.
01:03:12
Speaker
Like even if it's not a sin, but something he asks you to give up.
01:03:17
Speaker
Yeah.
01:03:18
Speaker
Yeah.
01:03:18
Speaker
And that's from Abby's own life when she was being
01:03:23
Speaker
She works at Family Fair?
01:03:24
Speaker
No.
01:03:25
Speaker
None of that is true.
01:03:26
Speaker
Testimony of God's grace.
01:03:27
Speaker
None of that is correct.
01:03:29
Speaker
Ooh, clean up on aisle four.
01:03:33
Speaker
I'd be a terrible person.
01:03:34
Speaker
Clean up yourself.
01:03:37
Speaker
Anna.
01:03:38
Speaker
Hmm?
01:03:38
Speaker
What do you hope people take away from the show?
01:03:41
Speaker
Yes, my name is Anna.
01:03:44
Speaker
I have been taught from a young age to respond to that.
01:03:50
Speaker
We're doing that Pavlov programming and you're just the name.
01:03:53
Speaker
Working very well.
01:03:54
Speaker
I'm already salivated.
01:04:01
Speaker
Isn't that what it was?
01:04:02
Speaker
Like the dog who like said I heard the bell out?
01:04:07
Speaker
I didn't even go to college.
01:04:10
Speaker
Um, I, what do I hope people take away from the show?
01:04:13
Speaker
Um,
01:04:15
Speaker
Gosh, yeah, it's more of just the same, but it's that thing of... I do really hope that Jesus' heart for people and the...
01:04:33
Speaker
what I find incredibly confusing in my human brain, this combination of grace and truth that he holds and asks of people and gives graciously to people will really be seen and resonate with people.
01:04:53
Speaker
I'm hoping that because it's a modern setting and it's different enough from like
01:05:01
Speaker
you know, when you have Christmas or Easter and you always like read these passages and like, it's like, I can, I have them memorized.
01:05:09
Speaker
I know, you know, Luke too.
01:05:11
Speaker
And like, and so they went to Bethlehem and, you know, it's like, I know all the words.
01:05:16
Speaker
And so I know what's coming.
01:05:17
Speaker
And so I'm not really thinking about,
01:05:21
Speaker
the meaning behind that or the importance of it or what does that mean for my life or whatever.
01:05:26
Speaker
It's like, oh yes, I know the story.
01:05:28
Speaker
He died and he rose and there was the women and the linens and the angels and the, you know, it's like, yeah, I know all the things.
01:05:36
Speaker
And so I'm hoping like this is different enough and the addition of the music I think helps because that stirs the emotions, which brings in a whole different part of your brain even just to look at it scientifically.
01:05:52
Speaker
And I'm hoping that like for those that know the story that they are challenged or at least reminded of what they've been gifted and for those that either don't know the story or don't believe it's true or don't have that
01:06:11
Speaker
relationship with Jesus because that's what it all comes down to yeah right it's not the knowing of it which is kind of what you were talking about with uh surrendering things because you love him right like you can't you can't surrender things especially things that you hold very dear or things that you feel like are very much integral to who you are as a person uh either it be your your job or your marital status or like whatever it happens to be of like well but I'm a
01:06:39
Speaker
I'm a mom or I'm, I'm, I'm married or I'm single or I'm like, or, you know, I'm a race car driver.
01:06:45
Speaker
I like, it's incredibly hard to, to surrender those things or have those look different than you expected them to.
01:06:53
Speaker
Yeah.
01:06:55
Speaker
Just because it's the right thing to do.
01:06:58
Speaker
Like I find that very, I've found that very difficult in my life because I am a very, it can take you to a,
01:07:04
Speaker
to a point.
01:07:06
Speaker
It can.
01:07:06
Speaker
But it can't take you all the way.
01:07:08
Speaker
It can't take you all the way because I grew up a very black and white person.
01:07:12
Speaker
And I pretty much still am.
01:07:13
Speaker
Yeah.
01:07:15
Speaker
I got this haircut, but that's fine.
01:07:18
Speaker
And honestly, this is pretty vanilla at this point.
01:07:26
Speaker
I've never dyed it.
01:07:28
Speaker
But that is pretty black and white.
01:07:31
Speaker
I broke him.
01:07:32
Speaker
I broke him.
01:07:35
Speaker
he's gotten to this point a couple times.
01:07:37
Speaker
I have.
01:07:37
Speaker
I know, I know.
01:07:38
Speaker
But there was definitely this oldest child syndrome of like, yes, well, what is the right thing to do?
01:07:46
Speaker
Let's do that.
01:07:47
Speaker
My parents like to tell the story of, well, Anna really followed the parenting book.
01:07:52
Speaker
It said, if they're doing this, you do this, and then it fixes it.
01:07:55
Speaker
And it did.
01:07:55
Speaker
Yeah.
01:07:58
Speaker
that's how people work.
01:07:59
Speaker
Yeah.
01:08:00
Speaker
You know, and then, yeah.
01:08:02
Speaker
And then they had other children that are like, Oh, not all children do that.
01:08:05
Speaker
It's like, yeah, that's, that's how people are.
01:08:08
Speaker
Uh, but like I was that person and like that did get me so far and like kept me out of probably a lot of trouble I could have gotten into.
01:08:18
Speaker
Um, but yeah, when it came to a certain point in my life of having to like surrender what I thought my future would look like and like,
01:08:29
Speaker
you know, at first thinking I would be married and have kids and have a life that looked a lot like my parents and then being like, oh no, I'm gay, what do I do with that?
01:08:37
Speaker
And like, okay, well then, and knowing intellectually, really from the time I realized I was gay, knowing intellectually, I'm like, I don't think this is God's best for me.
01:08:50
Speaker
I don't think I can theologically get on board
01:08:55
Speaker
with like dating and marrying a woman.
01:08:56
Speaker
I just don't think I can even just on a mental level get myself that far.
01:09:01
Speaker
Yeah.
01:09:02
Speaker
Um, but like emotionally I'm like, but that's going to be really hard to live the rest of my life that way.
01:09:11
Speaker
And like then having this realization of like, I don't think like, I don't know if I know Jesus.
01:09:16
Speaker
I know a lot about him and I,
01:09:21
Speaker
But him just telling me no is not even close to a good enough reason for me to continue to live a celibate life.
01:09:31
Speaker
And so then that kind of led into this whole thing of like, well, what do I believe about Jesus and who is this person and how do I actually...
01:09:40
Speaker
get to know him and have a relationship with him and talk to him and how do you listen to his voice in your life which is a whole thing that takes that I'm still learning how to do and like and then like learning how to trust him with those things and like then it became so much less about my sexuality and it was so much more this thing of like
01:10:07
Speaker
okay, I think this is an important person I need to know and I need to figure this out instead of like, I gotta figure out what to do with this gay piece.
01:10:17
Speaker
It doesn't fit in any of my closets.
01:10:19
Speaker
You know?
01:10:20
Speaker
There's a shelf for this.
01:10:21
Speaker
I guess it sounds like a closet.
01:10:24
Speaker
Bitch.
01:10:29
Speaker
But yeah, but then like having like a small community of people that like listen to me and let me like
01:10:37
Speaker
through things and having a mentor that like prayed with me and pushed me to pray and be like I would come in like crying and be like do you want to pray about it I'm like no I wanted to whine to you about
01:10:56
Speaker
But then having that support and slowly growing and learning and meeting him, I really did fall in love with him and the person that he is.
01:11:09
Speaker
That's so cool.
01:11:11
Speaker
Yeah.
01:11:11
Speaker
And after several months of just doing that really basic core work,
01:11:19
Speaker
then being able to have that conversation with him of like, Jesus, what do you want me to do with this?
01:11:24
Speaker
Cause this is, this is something I experienced, which I, it doesn't seem like you really want to change or is going to change.
01:11:33
Speaker
So how do, how do I live like this in an honoring way?
01:11:37
Speaker
And like, I believe that like the question I kept asking was like, what, uh,
01:11:46
Speaker
why, why would I choose to live this way?
01:11:48
Speaker
Why would I choose to live a celibate life?
01:11:51
Speaker
And like the answer that I got from him and was enough for me because I knew him and loved him was just like a very gentle, cause I'm asking you to, I'm not telling you to, and I'm not saying that I'm going to leave you if you don't,
01:12:06
Speaker
but I'm telling you this is what's best for you.
Engaging with Godspell's Themes
01:12:09
Speaker
And we've spent these last months and months you learning how to take small steps and listening to me and trusting me and learning to love me.
01:12:19
Speaker
And that's why you would, because I'm asking you to.
01:12:21
Speaker
And I don't think you can get to that point until you know him.
01:12:27
Speaker
So, to put a pin in this, now that I've given my testimony.
01:12:31
Speaker
How dare you.
01:12:36
Speaker
Talk about what Jesus did in your life in this podcast about a show about Jesus.
01:12:43
Speaker
But I'm really hoping that, like, it's enough to get people kind of, like, shaken out of certain, like, patterns and stuff to try and to at least, like, question certain things in their life or be like, well, I got to think about that.
01:12:59
Speaker
I have to pray about that.
01:13:00
Speaker
Oh, I have to interrogate what I think and feel about that.
01:13:03
Speaker
And hopefully that's a...
01:13:05
Speaker
Just like a small push in whatever God's already doing in their life.
01:13:10
Speaker
That's what I hope.
01:13:12
Speaker
And that's a big hope.
01:13:13
Speaker
I hope people also enjoy it because I think it's very fun.
01:13:15
Speaker
Right, right.
01:13:16
Speaker
But that's mostly Jesus.
01:13:20
Speaker
Yeah, and I think that my follow-up to that would be I would encourage people to come to the show looking for that.
01:13:26
Speaker
Because if you know Godspell, then you're just like, oh, this is going to be funny.
01:13:31
Speaker
Like, I'm just going to sit here and laugh for two and a half hours.
01:13:34
Speaker
But we, and I say we like I've done something.
01:13:37
Speaker
I just...
01:13:38
Speaker
clunked out harmonies on a piano.
01:13:41
Speaker
But I mean, I haven't done character stuff.
01:13:45
Speaker
I mean, the we collectively, as in John and Anna.
01:13:50
Speaker
And Ellie.
01:13:51
Speaker
And Ellie.
01:13:51
Speaker
And the actors.
01:13:53
Speaker
Of...
01:13:56
Speaker
John's vision was to put those pieces in the show.
01:14:00
Speaker
And so I would encourage people coming to look for that because you might miss it.
01:14:06
Speaker
Um, cause it's subtle and cause it's not in the script.
01:14:12
Speaker
Um, so it's all, yeah, it's all subtext.
01:14:16
Speaker
None of that is spoken.
01:14:19
Speaker
But some of them are pretty powerful, so I would encourage you to come observant for that.
01:14:26
Speaker
Don't just look at the surface of, oh, this is funny.
01:14:29
Speaker
Well, and that's my hope, if I can answer my own question.
01:14:34
Speaker
I think I say this in my director's note, but I really hope people will let their walls down and not to me or to us or to the show that we're putting on because there are going to be uncomfortable things in it because it's Jesus meeting our life and that...
01:14:49
Speaker
makes everybody uncomfortable, but to let their walls down enough to ask what this means for their life if the gospel is true, or what this story means to them, or ultimately what I believe, what Jesus is saying to them and what they need to talk to him about.
01:15:08
Speaker
And I don't think people are going to leave with answers because that's not good art usually.
01:15:13
Speaker
Yeah, you leave with questions.
01:15:16
Speaker
Right.
01:15:16
Speaker
And so I'm hoping...
01:15:18
Speaker
that people come to a show that's really confounding and leaves them with a lot of questions about who Jesus is and how he engages with our life and leave, hopefully, with a lot of fodder for more conversations with Jesus where they can get to know him better and where they can let him, like you said, interrogate those things and tease out things in their life.
01:15:45
Speaker
And maybe, you know...
01:15:48
Speaker
It's entirely possible that my perspective on what I'm doing in the show is not what Jesus wants to do in the life of somebody, you know.
01:15:56
Speaker
But I hope that as people walk away from it, it's able to be a little seed in...
01:16:03
Speaker
whatever the next step is in their relationship with God.
01:16:06
Speaker
And also that just artistically, hopefully they leave with a decent picture of who Jesus is and what he's about and what he does mean to them personally as a person who...
01:16:20
Speaker
really does impact and engage our life today.
01:16:24
Speaker
So.
Humor in Godspell as a Tool
01:16:25
Speaker
Well, one thing that I think is cool, because you touched on, I hope that people don't just come to laugh, but that they actually feel impacted by the message behind it all.
01:16:35
Speaker
Mm-hmm.
01:16:37
Speaker
Laughing is actually super disarming.
01:16:39
Speaker
And so not only is that a service to our show and to getting the message across.
01:16:46
Speaker
We got you.
01:16:47
Speaker
Please laugh.
01:16:48
Speaker
That's true.
01:16:50
Speaker
If you don't laugh, I will just be so... I was saying this before we started.
01:16:54
Speaker
I'm so self-conscious about the humor.
01:16:56
Speaker
So please laugh at it and make me feel like we did something fun.
01:17:00
Speaker
And don't be like me who just sits here.
01:17:03
Speaker
Don't laugh silently.
01:17:04
Speaker
Because that's how I laugh.
01:17:05
Speaker
This is us pleading for you to laugh.
01:17:06
Speaker
You don't make noise when you laugh?
01:17:08
Speaker
Not usually.
01:17:08
Speaker
Like, it depends.
01:17:10
Speaker
Fascinating.
01:17:10
Speaker
Does air come out?
01:17:13
Speaker
Like, you exhale?
01:17:14
Speaker
Do you just cease to breathe?
01:17:15
Speaker
Or is it just... No, look at her!
01:17:17
Speaker
She's laughing right now!
01:17:19
Speaker
No, it does come out.
01:17:19
Speaker
Well, I didn't know... Some people...
01:17:23
Speaker
No, no, no.
01:17:24
Speaker
There's a whole song in Mary Poppins about this.
01:17:26
Speaker
Oh, in the laughing song.
01:17:28
Speaker
I was so sad that that wasn't in the show.
01:17:30
Speaker
Because some people do, like, they're laughing, but they stop breathing.
01:17:34
Speaker
Like, there's not air coming out.
01:17:36
Speaker
I know when I'm laughing.
01:17:37
Speaker
I can do that sometimes.
01:17:37
Speaker
Yeah, yeah.
01:17:38
Speaker
But I didn't know if you just kind of, like, things closed up and you started shaking.
01:17:42
Speaker
I don't know.
01:17:44
Speaker
Did you just have a seizure?
01:17:46
Speaker
Yeah.
01:17:47
Speaker
No, you're unconscious when you have a seizure.
01:17:52
Speaker
Well, unless it's a focal seizure.
01:17:53
Speaker
There's different kinds of seizures.
01:17:56
Speaker
We don't need to talk about that.
01:17:57
Speaker
And now our podcast is about seizures.
01:18:00
Speaker
The intersection between Christ and seizures.
01:18:03
Speaker
No.
01:18:04
Speaker
I could make a sermon on that.
01:18:06
Speaker
I feel like we keep interrupting Ellie.
01:18:07
Speaker
She's the most interrupted member of this podcast.
01:18:11
Speaker
Because she's so kind.
01:18:14
Speaker
Ellie, it's your chance to be blunt.
01:18:16
Speaker
Oh, okay.
01:18:16
Speaker
Here we go.
01:18:18
Speaker
This is it.
01:18:18
Speaker
This is your moment.
01:18:20
Speaker
What I'm talking about is not something to be funny.
01:18:22
Speaker
It's being funny.
01:18:24
Speaker
It's the whole point that like Jesus used humor.
01:18:28
Speaker
Yeah.
01:18:29
Speaker
And we don't always get that because it's a different context now.
01:18:33
Speaker
Yeah.
01:18:34
Speaker
We have a different kind of humor.
01:18:36
Speaker
Translation.
01:18:36
Speaker
Yeah.
01:18:37
Speaker
And it's a different culture and a different time.
01:18:39
Speaker
And it's like, I don't even know what we're talking about.
01:18:41
Speaker
And they're like, this is hysterical.
01:18:43
Speaker
And we're like,
01:18:46
Speaker
What's happening here?
01:18:48
Speaker
Like, I think I got the message.
01:18:49
Speaker
No, it's supposed to be funny.
01:18:53
Speaker
But so not only does the show utilize humor to send a message more clearly than without humor, but actually I think it's a little insight into who Jesus is, is that he's a human who uses...
01:19:10
Speaker
human communication tactics, like humor, to communicate something.
01:19:15
Speaker
And he enjoys humor.
01:19:17
Speaker
Yeah.
01:19:17
Speaker
And laughed.
01:19:18
Speaker
Yeah.
01:19:19
Speaker
So I think that that kind of summarizes all of our points of this show's a different side of Jesus.
01:19:25
Speaker
Yeah.
01:19:26
Speaker
And that the humor of the show actually lends itself towards that and enables that, um...
01:19:35
Speaker
deeper level of communication.
01:19:37
Speaker
Yeah, totally.
01:19:39
Speaker
Well, I think it's funny.
01:19:41
Speaker
Good.
01:19:41
Speaker
That's good.
01:19:42
Speaker
So if you guys don't laugh, at least Anna and I are having a rip-roaring time over here.
01:19:48
Speaker
No, because some of the script is hard to translate from the 70s clown kind of aesthetic that it started with.
01:19:57
Speaker
And so I think because it's such a show of like, this is what we did.
01:20:02
Speaker
You can kind of do whatever you
01:20:08
Speaker
That was not funny.
01:20:10
Speaker
Or maybe it was then, but it's very specific references to a very specific time.
01:20:15
Speaker
And now it's like, well, that's not really relevant.
01:20:17
Speaker
And no one's going to find it really funny now.
01:20:21
Speaker
So I think
Resources for Artistic and Faith Growth
01:20:22
Speaker
you've adapted it very nicely.
01:20:23
Speaker
Yeah.
01:20:24
Speaker
It's been great.
01:20:25
Speaker
Yeah.
01:20:25
Speaker
I think it's very funny.
01:20:27
Speaker
Our cast has done a lot of that work, too.
01:20:29
Speaker
They're funny.
01:20:31
Speaker
They're great.
01:20:31
Speaker
Sometimes I just look at Spencer's face and I lose it.
01:20:33
Speaker
Spencer's hilarious.
01:20:35
Speaker
Spencer's so funny.
01:20:35
Speaker
He's so stinking funny.
01:20:36
Speaker
Come twice.
01:20:37
Speaker
Once you can watch Spencer the whole time, because his character's just so funny.
01:20:40
Speaker
And then just any time Emily's in a parable and she does that voice that's like... She hands it up.
01:20:48
Speaker
It's kind of British, but it's not.
01:20:51
Speaker
And it's just, I...
01:20:53
Speaker
I laugh every time.
01:20:55
Speaker
Or at least smile to myself.
01:20:57
Speaker
That's fantastic.
01:20:59
Speaker
Anyway.
01:21:00
Speaker
To wrap us up here, one of the things I like to do is build a resource library because I needed resources as a young artist.
01:21:07
Speaker
I think everybody does.
01:21:09
Speaker
So what are resources you guys would recommend to somebody who wants to grow as an artist or to deepen their Christian faith?
01:21:19
Speaker
I don't know who I'm going to start with this time.
01:21:22
Speaker
I guess it's Abby's turn.
01:21:23
Speaker
I'll go first.
01:21:25
Speaker
I'll go first.
01:21:27
Speaker
Don't make me.
01:21:28
Speaker
No, don't take me.
01:21:29
Speaker
Okay.
01:21:33
Speaker
um just in general as a performer i would say like reading scripts is really great like i have probably seven or eight scripts that i'll literally like sit down and read like i'm reading a book because it's it gets your like create yeah it's very cliche but your creative juices flowing do you usually read musicals or do you read straight plays i'm just curious now because i know you usually i
01:22:03
Speaker
I would say musicals is more what I read.
01:22:06
Speaker
That is interesting, because sometimes the book of musicals is
01:22:11
Speaker
Sometimes they can be very underwritten.
01:22:12
Speaker
Yeah.
01:22:13
Speaker
And I think that's, but, but I, that I think that has trained my brain to like pull moments out of it because it's not, yeah, it's not, I'm used to reading it.
01:22:24
Speaker
It's like another language.
01:22:25
Speaker
Like you got to find what's interesting.
01:22:27
Speaker
Cause they're just like, and then the mom said, and then it's like nothing interesting.
01:22:31
Speaker
Um,
01:22:32
Speaker
So I say that.
01:22:34
Speaker
Right, right.
01:22:34
Speaker
You've got to create all the... The subtext is often... Sometimes scripts have too much stage direction.
01:22:42
Speaker
Where you're like, I don't need a description of what the set piece looks like.
01:22:45
Speaker
If you ever get tired of stage direction, read Shakespeare.
01:22:48
Speaker
There's never a stage direction and you will be lost.
01:22:51
Speaker
Right, and then when there's not, it makes you figure it out yourself.
01:22:54
Speaker
So I think that's really good brain work.
01:22:55
Speaker
And then I'd also say, like, take classes and take lessons.
01:22:59
Speaker
Like, that's my... Like, I still take voice lessons and I...
01:23:03
Speaker
would take other classes if I had more money.
01:23:05
Speaker
But like, because performing is so much, it's like you physically, like you need someone to tell you what it looks like and what it sounds like.
01:23:13
Speaker
Like you can push yourself, but I think it's very, very helpful to have an outside opinion.
01:23:17
Speaker
Those would be my two performing recommendations.
01:23:21
Speaker
It's not really a resource you can post somewhere.
01:23:25
Speaker
That's okay.
01:23:26
Speaker
Take less, just in text on the website, take lessons.
01:23:29
Speaker
Take lessons.
01:23:31
Speaker
Anna or Ellie.
01:23:33
Speaker
Sure, yeah.
01:23:35
Speaker
I don't really have... I thought about this a little bit today.
01:23:40
Speaker
Even though I had these questions earlier.
01:23:45
Speaker
I don't really have a lot of artist recommendations because I don't really think of myself as an artist and I don't have a lot of resources, but I came up with...
01:23:56
Speaker
With a couple of things, if you're, like, trying to grow your faith.
01:24:00
Speaker
Yeah.
01:24:01
Speaker
One, I think, like, you have to do it in community.
01:24:04
Speaker
And ideally, like, also, like, finding a mentor.
01:24:07
Speaker
Or at least having older Christians or more mature Christians in your life.
01:24:11
Speaker
Like, having those people that will, like...
01:24:14
Speaker
who will love you and also speak truth to you of like, hey, like, we got to talk about this.
01:24:21
Speaker
Oh yeah, I've been taken out to coffee before and you're like, oh, great.
01:24:26
Speaker
I thought you just wanted to buy me coffee, apparently.
01:24:28
Speaker
Apparently there's something I need to know.
01:24:31
Speaker
We're going to talk about stuff.
01:24:36
Speaker
Which sometimes can feel like really hard and very daunting, but it's definitely worth it.
01:24:41
Speaker
Doing and worth finding those like solid people and there they are out there And then the other two things I was thinking of one I mentioned already Because like I am such a person that like has a really hard time keeping to like routines and to like
01:24:59
Speaker
just like doing those daily rhythms that you'd like need so like uh like when i talked about street lights which is very helpful because i can like listen to it in the car i can have it on in the background while i'm doing dishes and it's just like
01:25:13
Speaker
Sometimes I zone out and I'm not always listening, but then other times, like, when I am listening, I'm, like, I'm hearing, like, the actual words of God, which is very helpful.
01:25:20
Speaker
And then the other one is, there's an app called the Pause app, which is done by... I think I've heard of that.
01:25:26
Speaker
That one's done by John Eldridge, which I don't love all of his stuff, but some of it's very interesting.
01:25:31
Speaker
Yeah, sure.
01:25:33
Speaker
And that's really good because it's... You can do it in, like, one, three, five, and ten minute increments, where it just, like...
01:25:42
Speaker
the way you set it up on your phone is like you won't get like notifications during that time and it just like walks you through kind of like and you're gonna take a deep breath and like do all this and then like and it's like and you're gonna center yourself and like know that Christ is in the space with you and like be cognizant of like you are about to be like addressing God so just like okay dear Jesus you know but like getting into that mindset of like I'm actually talking to
01:26:10
Speaker
God and who is that person and then like taking and so like a lot of them are very much just like think about what you're stressed about today what are you carrying today or just like what are the things that are in your life today and it's like I and I I
01:26:25
Speaker
give everyone and everything to you, God.
01:26:28
Speaker
And like, just taking like that time.
01:26:30
Speaker
And that's nice to have on my phone because then it's with me.
01:26:33
Speaker
And it's also just like a quick, like, okay, I can take one minute and just pray and just be like, just remember that like, I can only do what I can do.
01:26:45
Speaker
And all of this is in
01:26:47
Speaker
God's hands.
01:26:48
Speaker
Yeah.
01:26:48
Speaker
You know,
Encouragement and Feedback in Art
01:26:49
Speaker
so those are my recommendations.
01:26:51
Speaker
Sweet.
01:26:52
Speaker
Ellie.
01:26:52
Speaker
If you want to be an artist, I don't know, talk to John.
01:26:54
Speaker
Listen to this podcast.
01:26:57
Speaker
You're good?
01:26:58
Speaker
I caught it.
01:26:59
Speaker
No.
01:26:59
Speaker
It's good.
01:27:00
Speaker
I don't know.
01:27:01
Speaker
It was reflexes.
01:27:03
Speaker
Spider-Man.
01:27:06
Speaker
I feel like I'm really bad at trying to pinpoint your resource because...
01:27:11
Speaker
Different things speak to different people.
01:27:14
Speaker
And so it's really hard to be like, this will help you.
01:27:18
Speaker
Because there's a high percentage chance that it won't.
01:27:22
Speaker
Right.
01:27:23
Speaker
That parenting book Anna talked about.
01:27:26
Speaker
It'll work for one third of your children.
01:27:34
Speaker
You'll have to get to know your other children.
01:27:36
Speaker
You should put that on the website.
01:27:38
Speaker
I have no idea what it was.
01:27:39
Speaker
It was probably folks on the family or something.
01:27:41
Speaker
I don't know.
01:27:42
Speaker
I have no idea.
01:27:45
Speaker
But I guess this is not a resource, but just try things.
01:27:54
Speaker
Because as I've started choreographing this, I had a decent amount of self-doubt of like,
01:28:02
Speaker
I don't know what I'm doing.
01:28:04
Speaker
I've never done this before.
01:28:06
Speaker
Does it all look like ballet?
01:28:08
Speaker
One of them certainly does.
01:28:13
Speaker
It doesn't either.
01:28:14
Speaker
It's what John thinks ballet looks like.
01:28:19
Speaker
I just drew pictures and was like, this is what a ballet looks like, right?
01:28:22
Speaker
Can you make this look like this?
01:28:23
Speaker
She's like, wow, this is awful, but it'll be funny.
01:28:26
Speaker
I can make it look like that.
01:28:29
Speaker
It won't be ballet.
01:28:33
Speaker
But yeah, like just try things because if you've been around art and you know your thing, whatever it is, you just need to get out there and try it.
01:28:43
Speaker
Yeah.
01:28:44
Speaker
And your first time at anything is not going to be great.
01:28:48
Speaker
But the more you try, the more you do, the more you find, oh, I have a natural instinct in this way.
01:28:54
Speaker
Yeah.
01:28:55
Speaker
And, oh, here are my weaknesses that I need to watch out for and compensate for.
01:29:00
Speaker
But you're never going to find that out if you don't try.
01:29:03
Speaker
So try whatever setting is available to you.
01:29:07
Speaker
That sounds good.
01:29:08
Speaker
Just do it.
01:29:09
Speaker
First time I try to play...
01:29:11
Speaker
well, after church plays and stuff, a community theater play, I had a very important line where I was like, I really should cry at this line.
01:29:19
Speaker
And I was on stage prior, and we were all narrating these little bits.
01:29:22
Speaker
And I was like, I bet if I look in the light, I'll cry.
01:29:25
Speaker
And then I didn't realize that everybody else would be staring at me just staring at the light really wide-eyed, trying not to blink, trying to make myself cry.
01:29:36
Speaker
And then my mom and brother came out and were like, what was that about?
01:29:42
Speaker
I was like, oh, you saw that?
01:29:45
Speaker
You're like, yeah, because you know you were standing there staring out at the audience.
01:29:49
Speaker
You know how you were on stage?
01:29:51
Speaker
Yeah.
01:29:52
Speaker
We all saw you.
01:29:53
Speaker
Like two people away from center stage in a black box theater where there's like 70 people.
01:30:00
Speaker
You saw me?
01:30:01
Speaker
I was like, what?
01:30:02
Speaker
So, you know, you can't do worse than that.
01:30:05
Speaker
So.
01:30:07
Speaker
Learn from John's mistakes.
01:30:09
Speaker
That's the resource we recommend.
01:30:13
Speaker
Don't do what John does.
01:30:16
Speaker
Or if you
Conclusion and Reflections
01:30:17
Speaker
do, have a brother and mom that will be honest with you.
01:30:20
Speaker
No, that is true.
01:30:22
Speaker
I would highly, highly recommend having someone who can be brutally honest with you come to your stuff.
01:30:29
Speaker
Because again, ideally your director will help you not look stupid.
01:30:33
Speaker
But if you're in a show without one,
01:30:35
Speaker
Don't invite your nice friends to come see you who will also tell you you did great when you didn't.
01:30:41
Speaker
That was when I know that I had succeeded in playing Quasimodo was when you liked my hunchback.
01:30:46
Speaker
So it's like, I know Abby also loves this show and Abby is blunt.
01:30:50
Speaker
So if Abby said I did good, I think I did okay.
01:30:54
Speaker
That is a great show.
01:30:56
Speaker
That was fun.
01:30:57
Speaker
I love that show.
01:30:58
Speaker
You did do good.
01:30:59
Speaker
Thanks.
01:30:59
Speaker
That's a good performance.
01:31:00
Speaker
But that's a, that's a, it's an anecdote to establish what Abby's saying, not for Brace.
01:31:05
Speaker
But yes, blood friends are helpful because then they're like, oh, they'll see my things and tell me if I need to improve.
01:31:09
Speaker
Like I have a list of friends that I'm like, if they tell me I did great, I'd be like, yeah, okay.
01:31:13
Speaker
Sure, whatever.
01:31:15
Speaker
And then I have a list of friends that tell me if I did great, I'm like, oh, it was actually good.
01:31:22
Speaker
Are these mentalists?
01:31:24
Speaker
Or do you want friends?
01:31:27
Speaker
I don't have those ones written down.
01:31:29
Speaker
I have a lot of other lists written down, but that one's not written down.
01:31:33
Speaker
There's so many lists.
01:31:35
Speaker
Well, thank you guys for coming on to the podcast and chatting a little bit about the show and stuff.
01:31:40
Speaker
It's been really great.
01:31:42
Speaker
I've had a great time.
01:31:43
Speaker
Hope it was productive.
01:31:44
Speaker
Yeah.