BY SUSAN STEVENOT SULLIVAN

Staff Writer

ATLANTA--John Stephens, artistic director of Theatre Gael, sees a link among religion, theater, family values and the contribution Celtic culture has made to the world.

His vision is to stage brief, Celtic-inspired, thought-provoking productions in area churches and schools for family audiences.

"We are a theater with a very specific artistic mission," Stephens said of Theatre Gael's commitment to the cultural heritage of Ireland, Scotland and Wales. "The question has been: 'How can we serve as a resource?' The Catholic and Presbyterian churches seem to be the two denominations that Irish people in the United States have stayed with."

"We're about relevance," he said of the production company. "This is something beyond entertainment. It's a time for families to come together and share an experience and their response to it."

Stephens has written a play to realize his vision. In March three Catholic parishes will host "Farewell The Fair Country," an hour-long production commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Irish Potato Famine and the courage of those who survived it, many by emigrating to Georgia and other parts of the United States.

"The play is about the struggles families have," Stephens said. "It is about the love of a family and how they hold things together and get to America. This is our holocaust. It is typical of the Irish to have put this pain behind us."

The play includes two time frames, the present and the mid-19th century. It provides an historical, yet touching, glimpse of the personal horror of the failure of the vital potato crop, the eviction of the starving Irish tenant families and the bittersweet relief of surviving the famine, the mob scene at the port and the ordeal at sea to arrive penniless and indentured in Savannah, Georgia, USA, land of last resort--and opportunity.

"Personally for me it's a tribute to the survivors of the famine," he said. "My mother's family is famine-Irish coming into Canada."

The Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and Central Presbyterian Church, Atlanta, have planned a joint viewing of the production on March 3. St. Thomas More, Decatur, will feature the play on March 10 at 7:30 p.m. Holy Spirit Church, Atlanta, will host the production as part of their St. Patrick's Day celebration on March 17.

Directed by Atlanta actress Teresa DeBerry with original music by Celtic composer David Marcus, the play is the first of what Stephens hopes will be an annual production touring churches and schools in the metro area. It is one of a series of Theatre Gael community outreach projects.

Stephens finds the partnership of Celtic culture with churches to be complementary. He points out that Celtic literature, storytelling, art and music are concerned with many of the same topics addressed by theology.

"The spiritual aspects of family, relationships, love, community and our place on the earth are shared concerns," he said. "I'm convinced there's a lot of material out there we could be sharing with the churches."

The play, and those that will follow in the series, is designed to work without a theatrical setting. The cost is $350 minimum for expenses. Stephens invites churches to use the show as a fund-raiser.

"It's a unique venture," he agreed, "to create theater for the church and tour that out to the churches. We're hoping for lasting benefits for both groups."

"Atlanta's changing very, very quickly," he said. "Artists need to be aware of that. We need to be aware of relevance and accessibility."

The play is being offered to Catholic and Presbyterian churches and schools, evenings and weekends, throughout the state in February and March. For information about dates and cost, contact Theatre Gael at (404) 876-1138.