It’s a party quite unlike any other, when Ankeny Community Theatre presents their production of Godspell beginning Friday, August 5. Director Michael Hollister has brought together a diverse and excited group of performers new to the Ankeny stage to give life to a wild new vision of this collection of parables and tales of joy, love, and found family.
PREPARE YE
Hollister has been ready to direct his vision of Godspell for quite a while. All it took was for Ankeny to put it on their schedule for him to jump at the opportunity.
“I actually had the idea before I knew the theatre was planning to do Godspell,” says Hollister. “I loved the community-building theme of the show. Depictions of the mask mandate wars and January 6th on the internet and in the media during the pandemic reminded me of the Tower of Babble scene. I decided if one of the local theatres were to put Godspell in their season, I would apply to direct the show just to address how we divide the world into two camps “people like me” and “the enemy,” whether it’s by economics, politics, age, race, gender or orientation. Don’t get me wrong, the discussions are important, but we don’t need to shout each other down, engage in violence or vandalism, overthrow the US capitol, or even “cancel” people. We need to build relationships to create empathy so people care about each other, before we try to inspire change. That is what Jesus does in this show. He serves as an example of how to love and serve others, then keeps his legacy alive through the people who loved him. Something we all can do.”
Hollister continues, clearly warming to the topic. “The flexibility of approaches in productions comes from [original book writer] John Michael Tebelak’s love of experimental theatre styles of the sixties. He wanted to direct a medieval morality play as his thesis at Carnegie Mellon, but the plays weren’t colorful enough for him. So, he arranged hymns and parables from the Bible that the original cast could improvise on stage. The cast didn’t know what to do with the play; the original script didn’t have dialogue. There wasn’t a formal script for the producers to even copywrite, until the show was ready to open off-Broadway. Although the theme and Jesus’s message must never change, the methods to share the parables with the audience can be modified for each show. That’s why the show always seems relatable and universal, because each production is unique to its time or situation.”
BEAUTIFUL CITY
The story (such as it is) with Godspell is based very much on the Parables originally presented in the Bible, but this is hardly a specifically religious production. Jennifer Throckmorton is one of the ensemble players, and delights in bringing these timeless tales to any audience, no matter what faith experiences they may have.
“Although Godspell is based on stories from the Bible, I think anyone of any religion can take something away from this show,” she says. “It’s really about treating others how you want to be treated and coming together to make the world a better place. Yes, that sounds cheesy, but with all the issues going on right now, it’s even more important to be reminded of this. And what better way to be reminded than through a musical that’s interspersed with amazing songs and a few (or a lot) of laughs!”
Another cast member, Marcus Brewer, lauds that idea of various people coming together. His previous experiences were far different, and this production of Godspell is a breath of fresh air for his creativity.
“I did this show in order to challenge myself and as a break from classical music and jazz,” comments Brewer. “It’s been great and has refreshed my love for music overall and the artistic process period. My expectations are blown out the water. I haven’t experienced much theater and I have to say I’m having a nice little time being a part of this show and I’m honored to have met these people when I did. I’m incredibly lucky to be working with a cast and directors that are deeply passionate about theater. It is absolutely amazing to me to have directors who will allow castmates to showcase their strengths and boost the show. I’m not in the musical industry but sadly in my own industry it isn’t uncommon to have tyrant directors…there’s a time for that, but if you limit your team to your skillset and vision lose the reach you could’ve achieved. I won’t spoil how we’ve spiced up the numbers in our show, but you’re in for a treat. Collaboration at its finest.”
LEARN YOUR LESSONS WELL
Godspell as a show is rather unique, in that it’s almost more like a revue, full of song and dance. What actual “plot” there is in the show is more overshadowed by the various songs illustrating the Parables, which don’t really have a structure where one follows from another. River Wise plays the dual roles of John the Baptist and Judas, two characters that have distinctive linear parts in the narrative, and yet for the rest of the show there are issues for the actor to be well aware of.
“The most challenging part of putting this show together,” Wise explains, “has been the act of sequencing. Since there are no real “scenes” in the show, the lessons and parables are told in what seems like no particular order, and it becomes difficult to remember which one comes after which. The thing I’ve enjoyed most about this process so far has been getting the scripts out of our hands and doing off-book runs! There’s something so astronomically different about acting while being glued to a script versus having your hands/eyes free.”
ALL FOR THE BEST
One of the best known numbers in the show is a duet between Jesus (Marquis Bundy) and Judas (River Wise). The song All for the Best has traditionally been done as kind of a soft-shoe dance off number, but since the choreography for Ankeny’s production is actually being done by Bundy and Wise (along with their friend Caitlyn Porter), they have a few tricks up their sleeves, so to speak….
“Choreographing All for the Best was definitely a lot of fun,” says Bundy happily, “and there were a few elements that I definitely wanted to incorporate into my work. I knew that I wanted to add some of that soft shoe that you mentioned, but I also decided to add elements of stepping into the song as well. I have a rather large background in stepping, even going on to becoming the Step Captain of my school’s male dance team in high school. It’s a skill that I don’t really get to show off a whole lot, and I like to think that the audience will not be expecting it, especially once the whole ensemble joins in for a few moves. I think that having the lead as one of the choreographers is pretty helpful, especially because I have a good idea of all of the choreography in my head, so in the event that someone in the ensemble forgets what exactly is supposed to happen, it wouldn’t be out of character for them to look to Jesus for guidance, and to get back on track!”
LIGHT OF THE WORLD
Director Hollister has had a wonderful time keeping his ten performers on track, and hopefully creating an experience that Ankeny audiences will love when they come to the show beginning August 5th. He is looking forward to sharing this story, and its portrayal of how people can be changed simply by connecting with each other.
“This play is called Godspell, which literally means good news” reminds Hollister. “The play is not the biography of Jesus, but absolutely about his method of leading social change – through love, laughter, and song. Many people confuse Godspell with Jesus Christ Superstar, which is more about his life. The themes in Godspell are universal. We all wonder how we are going to survive. We all suffer and envy others. We all hold resentment and grudges. Every now and then someone comes along in our lives and reminds us – we don’t have to. We only need to live one day at a time and consider whether we built bridges that day. Life is not about you; it is about your relationship with everyone you touch.”
Come together and come alive with the joy of Godspell at the Ankeny Community Theatre. Performances run for two weekends starting August 5, and tickets are available at the Ankeny Community Theatre website and Midwestix.com.
–All Photos by Lynn Arterburn, courtesy of Ankeny Community Theatre