Local News Archive

Print Issue: April 4, 2002

Curtain Rises On Cathedral's New Theater Ministry

Above, Wardrobe crew member Candy Simmons fits Barry Green for his costume as the pharaoh, who is also an Elvis impersonator. "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" will be performed April 19-21 at the Hyland Center of the Cathedral of Christ the King, Atlanta. Manola and Richard Robison are directing 150 volunteers to launch a theater ministry at the Cathedral. (Photos by Deanna Cruz)

ATLANTA-Experiencing the pain of divorce after 31 years of marriage, Kathy Henderson was praying for direction in her life when she started attending the Cathedral of Christ the King.

First she joined the choir and then the church's new theater ministry. She is now in its first production, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat."

A real estate agent, Henderson taught dance and gymnastics after college but always wanted to try acting. The musical comedy is proving to be an outlet for her talents. She is playing one of the wives of the biblical patriarch Jacob, singing and dancing in the chorus, and she choreographed three scenes.

"It's been a hard year, doing a lot of soul-searching and praying, and somehow hoping I'd get through it," she said. "(The theater ministry's) gotten me into something I really enjoy and I'll definitely keep doing it. It's a whole new outlook for me. It's almost for me been like an answer to what I'm supposed to be doing with my life."

Her positive experience may be a microcosm of the new ministry, which has a 150-person team for its first production, including 48 performers, a 21-member orchestra and people helping with everything from ad sales to spotlights. The musical with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber will be performed April 19-21 in the Cathedral's Hyland Center.

The story is based on the biblical tale of Joseph, his father's favorite son, who is blessed with prophetic dreams. Sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, he is taken to Egypt where he endures a series of challenges. Joseph rises in the pharaoh's favor and his brothers, who have suffered greatly, find themselves eventually at their brother's mercy, which leads to reconciliation.

Its modern musical styles include country-Western, calypso, bubble gum pop and rock 'n roll, and the performers' costumes range from Roaring 20s to gangster attire.

(L-r) Father Vincent Sullivan, new to the Cathedral from Zimbabwe, rehearses for his role as Potiphar alongside Laura D'Angelo, who plays the narrator in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." The musical is a modern retelling of the biblical story of Joseph, sold by his brothers into slavery in Egypt, before eventually rising to power through his ability to interpret dreams.

The size and range of the musical posed a certain challenge for director Manola Robison. The Venezuelan-American emphasized that CTK's theater ministry is not a "pack of prima donnas," but a group of volunteers who, as faithful stewards of time and talent, are committed to ministering to each other, their audiences and the poor. All proceeds will go to Buckhead Christian Ministry.

She reads the cast and crew St. Paul's message in Corinthians on the value of all members of Christ's body. "There's no little part or big part; we're all instruments, we're all needed."

"It really is a big community builder everywhere we go," said Robison, who, with her husband, Richard, founded the theater ministry at Corpus Christi Church, Stone Mountain. "We believe very strongly in this ministry. We see what it does . . . People consider first it's a ministry, then it's fun and theater."

CTK's ministry crosses racial and ethnic boundaries and is also a tool of outreach and evangelization, as non-Catholics are welcome and may be called upon to serve in productions, which are open to the larger community, she said. "We show them how good of a parish we are, how alive we are, how welcoming we are."

Twice weekly rehearsals open with a prayer or Bible reading and performers look to the Bible for story background. At the core of the ministry is "the sanctification of the lives and worship attitudes of Spirit-led participants in the context of relationships and community building."

The Robisons, who have 20 years of theater experience, two years ago founded the ministry at their parish of Corpus Christi, which they still lead. Msgr. Tom Kenny, rector of the Cathedral, saw their production last fall of "Call Me Madam" and was so impressed that he insisted they start one up at CTK by directing the first play. Richard Robison is directing the music for "Joseph." A strategic committee with parish council and other members has been formed to ensure the long-term success of the new ministry.

Reflecting the mystery of theater ministry, Manola Robison recalled the dress rehearsal for "Call Me Madam" where the show "stunk." But with plenty of prayer, props and preparation, participants pulled it together and performed to an opening night standing ovation. Robison, who has a certificate in pastoral ministry formation, has had similar experiences throughout her 11 years of involvement in this ministry, through which she has come to trust in the creative process.

"My faith grows in every play and I tell people, your faith will grow incredibly if you try turning it over to the Holy Spirit. It will happen. People get a whole new level of what it means to be an instrument."

At CTK most have no theater experience, but Robison said participants are enthusiastic and committed, and she's worked to help them apply feelings from personal experiences in daily life to their acting to portray their parts.

While some might imagine a church play to be half-baked, she stressed that "because we are a church ministry there is no excuse for poor quality."

As production members support and care for each other-not laughing at each other's mistakes-Robison sees it as helping them live their faith in everyday life. One 20-year Cathedral member told her that in the 5,200-family parish, "'I'm meeting so many people I've never met here.'"

"It gets people together," Robison said. "It's not a burden. We love doing it . . . This is gonna be awesome. They are so enthusiastic, flying high," she continued. "We have people very new to the parish who have told us, 'Oh my God. I feel at home now. I was feeling uncomfortable.'"

Chosen to play Joseph, choir member Gordon M. Calley's first thought when hearing about the auditions was, "Oh God, didn't Donny Osmond do that?" But he decided to audition anyway, and, as a 41-year-old caught up in a career, is doing something he hasn't done since college days at Georgia Tech. He likes playing the role of his Old Testament hero.

"Joseph is somebody who believed in God and that God believed in him," he said. "Joseph is just a faith-filled, decent person, a little bit arrogant, idealistic, very innocent, very apolitical . . . He is who he is and (knows) what he is gifted with."

He's enjoying watching people "grow into their parts," like a shy cast member who has the perfect voice for the calypso tune he sings. "I wanted a new group of people to sing with. I haven't done a play in years. It's been a great form of stress relief and it's been a lot of fun," Calley said.

Henderson has been a theater-goer all her life and was "pleasantly surprised" with the level of talent and commitment of Calley and all her play partners.

"It would be sort of embarrassing to be in something really pretty bad," she said. "God doesn't choose the qualified, he qualifies the chosen. You get picked for something because he's going to help you do whatever it takes . . . Everybody is very willing to give their time and do what it takes to make this thing what I think it should be-a great production."

Performances are Friday-Saturday, April 19-20, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, April 23, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10, $5 for children 10 and under. Tickets may be purchased at the door, by phone at (404) 233-2145, ext. 648, or by mail, by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope, number of tickets needed and date, and check to Cathedral of Christ the King, Theater Ministry, 2699 Peachtree Road, NE, Atlanta, GA 30305. Mail orders received seven days before the show will be held at the door.