Community Thoughts

 

Gau: Acts of Faith Festival encourages community dialogue

Posted: Sunday, January 13, 2013 12:00 am | Updated: 7:29 pm, Sat Jan 12, 2013.
BY TERRY MENEFEE GAU

The world isn’t just the way it is. It is how we understand it, no? And in understanding something, we bring something to it, no?
Doesn’t that make life a story?
—Yann Martel, “Life of Pi”

We are a people of story. Faith communities, almost without fail, gather around a communal story, which both supports and challenges their faith. Christianity has Jesus’ parables. Islam has stories from the prophets. Judaism has stories from the Torah. And even people of no faith share common stories of humanity and kinship. Our stories identify us, ground us, give our lives meaning — but, most importantly, they are the way in which we see the world and our place in it.

The Acts of Faith Theatre Festival provides the Richmond area a unique opportunity to come together, in a variety of faiths and cultures, to share a story at one of Richmond’s many theaters, then engage in genuine dialogue around issues of faith, however we interpret it. We are the largest faith-based theater festival in the United States — right here in River City.

The festival is the brainchild of Bruce Miller, member of Bon Air Presbyterian Church, and Jeff Gallagher, elder at Second Presbyterian Church, the convening sponsor for the festival. In 2005, both Gallagher and Miller saw a need to provide opportunities for respectful, civil discourse about faith, doubt and the large questions of life. Both men have a long relationship with theater: Miller is the artistic director of Virginia Repertory Theatre and Gallagher, a prominent Richmond lawyer, was the former managing director of the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts. Using their collective skills, guided by their faith, they went about creating a safe space for open and honest dialogue about faith in all its forms.

The premise is simple: The Acts of Faith festival asks Richmond area theaters to select one show per season dealing with faith in diverse and meaningful ways. It then asks area congregations of varying traditions to attend the shows. After at least one performance, theaters host post-show discussions among the director, the cast and the audience, led by a moderator who is knowledgeable about the show and about faith. Congregations also are encouraged to have conversations and studies in their own venues based on the plays. And while Second Presbyterian Church is the main sponsor of The Acts of Faith, the festival has committed sponsorship in the Jewish, Catholic, Protestant and Islamic traditions.

Richmond is the perfect venue for The Acts of Faith. We boast exceptional colleges and universities in our region that specialize in the arts, gifting Richmond with a rich artistic landscape. Our theater community is burgeoning with talent, and provides us each year with strong theater productions showcasing actors and directors from our city and beyond. Plus, Richmond has a long faith history, with churches, synagogues and temples in every neighborhood. The Acts of Faith festival simply builds upon the strong foundation we already have to provide the opportunities we need to grow in our faith and strengthen our community.

And this year we have such an amazing selection of shows — 19 plays from 16 theaters! There are shows for every audience. Children and families are treated to “The Magic Flute” and “Cotton Patch Gospel” at Virginia Repertory Theatre. On the darker side there is “Faith Healer” at Henley Street and “Riding the Bull” at TheatreLAB. Romantics will like “The 13th of Paris” at Chamberlayne Actors Theatre. Richmond Triangle Players and Sycamore Rouge present more complex faith issues in “The Busy World Is Hushed” and “Before It Hits Home.” And for those who love a laugh, there’s “Sons of the Prophet” at Cadence Theatre and “Confessions of a Mormon Boy” at Richmond Triangle Players. You can preview all of the festival’s shows at The Acts of Faith Kickoff, 7 p.m. Jan. 18 at the November Theatre. It’s free and open to the public.

The Acts of Faith Festival encourages participating theaters to choose stories that challenge us and inspire us. Diversity is key for meaningful dialogue. We invite nonprofessional theaters to enter the festival as associate or fringe theaters, so that all faiths in our community are represented. This year we have exciting, original offerings from The Islamic Center of Richmond, Jewish Family Theatre, St. John’s United Church of Christ and Gayton Kirk Presbyterian Church.

This festival embodies the reason I, as a narrative theologian, entered seminary. Our faith is meant to build up our community, not to tear it down. The Acts of Faith estival challenges us, not just to consider our stories in the comfort of our own faith community but to reach out and engage those with whom we disagree so we can learn from each other. And in doing so, we hope folks who attend carry conscious, respectful dialogue from the theater to their neighborhoods, workplaces, and schools. Our prayer is that Richmond will lead by example in building a community that embraces all the beautiful faces of faith.

The Rev. Terry Menefee Gau is coordinating manager of The Acts of Faith. Contact her at terry@terrygau.com or (804) 304-8379, or find out more at www.theactsoffaith.org.