Huntington University presents Godspell Summer Tour 2006!

This is my prayer

2006-08-08T06:32:00.000-04:00

Well, after several months of long days for those on the road, it is finally over. The company struck the set, lighting, sound, costumes, and props for a final time yesterday. Lunch at a Chinese buffet and dinner with President Dowden closed it out. I don't have anything profound to say like those who posted below. Mabye in a few days. I do have a lot of thanks to send out. This is from an email I sent to the HU campus:

I’d like to take a brief moment of your summer time to talk a bit about this summer’s tour of Godspell. I promise, no nuggets or tidbits, or whatever. As you are probably aware, 14 current students, alumni and 1 staff member (Jeremy Rufener) were on the road, traveling all over the US and parts of Ontario, spreading the message of the Gospel. With over 50 performances, 8000+ audience members, and countless miles traveled, this team did us proud. I hope many of you were able to see the production at some point this summer and enjoy some fine work by our University.

I’d also like to take just a moment to also thank many of you for your assistance on this tour. From the beginning, I’ve been saying that this isn’t a HU Theatre production, but a Huntington University Production, because it took the work of the entire campus to pull it together. From the many of you praying daily for the groups travels and their presentation of the Gospel, to those of you who assisted in some way, many many thanks. Specifically, I’d like to thanks the following folks for extra effort on their parts:

- The Business Office team – countless PO’s, invoices and such passed through your hands…Julie Hendryx, the truck was a life saver…thanks for finding it and arranging all the details on it
- Admissions and Advancement Offices – Spreading the word about the tour and HU…your friendly faces were very welcome to many of the company members on the road when they needed a familiar face to chat with
- PR – John, Julie, and Heather – your advance work on the press/posters/web helped build the audiences. The web/blog connected the audiences to the group in ways I can’t even begin to describe. Awesome work
- Maintenance – As always, providing help when we need it, and the Bus was a huge leap forward from the old tour days
- Steve Pozezanac and Justin Spitler – a new sound system and one of the best facilities to rehearse and train in…thanks for the expertise and the assistance
- Those of you who made special phone calls, emails, letters to assist with the booking – we were able to perform in some places we never thought we’d get in, and had some excellent shows
- Administration – without your support, this wouldn’t have been possible…thanks
- The rest of the Godspell creative staff – Ella, David, and Kristi – it takes a team effort to get results like this. Thanks for the extra effort and using your talents on such a wonderful piece. To those reading this, if you haven’t yet, head over to www.huntington.edu/godspell/devos/default.htm to see some of the devotions that were created to go with the production.
- Jeremy Rufener – A long, hard road traveled my friend. I am glad you were there to lead the group as they hit the pavement. You did great.

As always on this list, there are people who inadvertently get left out. So, hopefully I didn’t forget anyone. But, if I did, I apologize and will send a follow-up thanks.

Lastly, if you see any of the Godspell Company around, whether on or off campus, be sure to get them to tell you some of the tales of the road. Some stories will make you laugh, some cry, and others still will make you awestruck at God’s loving grace for us all. Thanks to the company for allowing God to work through them – performers - Abi Allwein, Blair Bullick, Jeremy Burkett, Cara Bussis, Eric Church, Josh Dawes, Dana Frick, Kristen Kohaut, Keeley Lewis, Jenn Miller, Dan Olson, Bekah Posegate and Noah Varness, technician - Brad DeYoung, and company manager – Jeremy Rufener

-----------------------------------------------

In closing, I'd like to share a song. I'm not one to post lyrics on a site, and usually when I read other sites that have songs on them, I skip through the songs. So, I find it a little odd that I want to post this song. But, the words are true. I've sung this song in churches before, and always think of it when I'm away from my family. So, indulge me this once:

Prayer by Petra

First I want to thank You Lord
for being who You are
For coming to the rescue of a man who's drifted far
For calling me to be Your son
and calling me to serve
Lord the way You've blessed my life is more than I deserve

Keep the ones I love so dearly
Fill their emptiness while I am gone
And fill the loneliness in me

(Chorus)
This is my prayer
Lifted to You
Knowing You care even more than I do
This is my prayer
Lifted in Your name
Your will be done
I humbly pray

Let me be the evidence of what Your grace can do
To a generations struggling to find themselves in You
May they come to know the love of God
May their eyes be made to see
Give me the opportunity to share the truth that sets them free
And may unity in all things
Be the banner of Your church
And let revival's fire begin to burn

(Chorus)
This is my prayer
Lifted to You
Knowing You care even more than I do
This is my prayer
Lifted in Your name
Your will be done
I humbly pray

As we face the last and final hours
Turn a wayward country back to You
And keep us from the evil that devours
Keep us on the path and lead us through
Keep us in Your light until Your kingdom comes
And our work is done

This is my prayer Lifted to You
Knowing You care so much more than I do
This is my prayer
In Jesus' name
Your will be done I humbly pray

This is my prayer

Alpha and Omega

2006-08-06T15:55:00.000-04:00

This is Ruf, posting through Mike's computer....some eblogger issues:

First, I must say that I was surrounded by 14 extremely talented people this summer. It was amazing from my point of view as the company manager to sit back and watch daily how well the message was presented and how God used these 14 quality individuals to bring His message to so many different places. I have learned that He is in control of it all and I merely think I am. I am wrong! My belief is that He looks down upon Jeremy Rufener and says, "Check this guy out. He thinks he can take care of it all and I am going to teach him that trust and honor should be given to his Lord and Savior." Well, He surely did this and the fun part for me was that He did it daily.I want to take just a few lines to give a one word description of each cast member.
Dan: Captivating (Not the ladies book)
Noah: Creative
Jenn: Energetic
Cara: Sweet
Blair: Stoic
Eric: Pensive
Jeremy B: Dependable
Rebekah: Kind
Abi: Fun
Keeley: Talented
Josh: Relational
Dana: Compassionate
Kristen: Diligent
Brad: Respectful

All of the students have many different talents that are well beyond my reach and I enjoyed getting to know them and watch their amazing efforts to glorify the Lord this summer.Generosity is something that we may take for granted or we just expect it of people around us, but I witnessed some of the greatest generosity of my life as we traveled through many different states on this tour. The people that we encountered at the churches and the many home stays have refreshed my faith and encouraged me to pour out God's love on others as we are called to do.

Jesus is Lord!
Jeremy J. Rufener

Jesus Loves Me This I Know

2006-08-06T11:48:00.000-04:00

As a young child I grew up sitting in Sunday School and almost every Sunday from my tiny chair I heard that God loved me. That was good enough for my young brain. God loved me and that was really all I needed to know about that.
Now that I am a twentish young adult maybe I am just a little weak in the faith department but after going through times when I am missing someone terribly or dreading something painful or stressing out over some situation, I have started to have some tiny doubts about Gods love. Just for that moment. Not anything faith shattering, only a little fear that maybe His love is just another part of life that will let me down or just another relationship I’m a little too dependent upon. It would flash through my mind and then be gone.
I think it just goes to show that God can use hearts that aren’t even His. Godspell took my doubting heart EVERY night and caused me to drink up the uncomplicated love for the Father who made me. The childlike joy of the Gospel couldn’t be stopped from streaming into my life in and out of the show. The simple pleasure of sharing God’s love with others made me appreciate that love anew in my life. There really is no need for my analytical head to complicate Him and His love!
This summer I was fortunate to take a jaunt back to a simple and overwhelming love of my Savior that I hadn’t seen in years though the beauty of the Godspell. I hope that every person who saw Godspell was able to feel the joy that I felt flowing out of every word and I pray His joy would be the perfect remedy to any little faith hiccups that have crept up into any mature lives!
My heart is about to burst with love for my cast mates, with gratitude to everyone who made me feel so at home and with thankfulness for other lessons learned so I'll just sign off with:
Jesus loves me this I know
For the Bible tells me so
Littleones to Him belong
They are weak but He is strong

Not your everyday Jenn post

2006-08-06T11:01:00.000-04:00

So, after sitting down to read my castmates' posts, I feel as if a daunting task is set before me. Their witty and well thought out responses seem to be above and beyond what my rather hateful morning-brain (as it has been established from day one...Cara's post is true. The next day is not a happy one) can create. But I will attempt to wipe the sleep out of my eyes, covet the cheerios Daniel Neil is eating on my couch, and crank out some quality thoughts.

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED!!!! (haha. caps make me feel better.)

-Church and devotionals are only tools...but it takes a long time to build a boat without a hammer
-Dental hygiene and water consumption are addictions in the theatre world
-I love hard and empathize harder. Other people's pains and afflictions are enough to put me out of commission for a day.
-Every person is wonderful in their own way, and every person deserves my love and the effort it takes for me to build that love.
-No one is perfect, including leaders. But that is where "unconditional" comes in.
-I don't like being touched/spoken to when I'm flaming mad, when it is morning, and when it is over 100 degrees out.
-There are ways to get Abigail Allwein out of the bathroom, but it is not fun for anyone.
-Funk pockets will develop on stage, and you will just have to smile through them.
-Beware 5B
-Timing is everything, in comedy and in relationships
-My life is a better place because it now includes my castmates
-Everybody smells, and sometimes you will stick to the person you are sitting next to. Such is life.
-Whistling while you work is productive, speaking in the voices of different parts of the stage while you work makes you forget you are working
-Black yoga pants are NOT meant to be worn more than.....4 days in a row?
-Dan is a size 10...in women's capris
-Bussis looks like a toe in our Godspell shirts
-Tea makes everything better
-Chain link is evil and will destroy your body. Fear it.
-Holding pinkies is like hugging a soul
-My relationships with others are the purest when my relationship with Jesus is the strongest.
-You need to let go, you need to open up, you need to love people until it hurts
-Mocha freeze malts are a life necessity, and should be a write off on tax forms
-Learning can be done in so many ways when you are open to the idea
-Spending a summer with Noah Varnes and Daniel Neil is the same as taking a theatre class, "What No One Tells You About Theatre"
-Have I mentioned I freaking LOVE my castmates????
-The last show is going to be harder than transferring to a new college last semester

"I am going over there to pray, my heart is about to break with grief. No, stop here. Stay awake with me."

I learned to be thankful for...

2006-08-06T10:52:00.000-04:00

I learned to be thankful for…

Air conditioning
Bekah Posegate
Breezes
Courtesy tabs
Nice people
Hot showers
God’s faithfulness
Camel crickets
Church keys
My Bible
Dan and Noah
The Pink Ribbon
The bus floor
Scary
Stage Left
Oreos
4am with Cara, Dana, and Jenn
Laughter
God’s unconditional love
Water
Febreeze
Patience
Sleep
Southern sweet tea
Florida beaches
Diaper rash cream
Millennium Force
Freezing cold hotel rooms
My home church
Canadian food
Huntington, IN
Peanut butter and jelly
Internet access
Big stages
Foam soap
All the girls on the tour
Jeremy B’s dancing
Excessive amounts of fruit
No mas bombas
Hospitable people
Washers and dryers
Little kids
Clouds
Kentucky mountains
Cast prayers
Abi’s sleep talk
Hugs
Massages
Day by Day (just kidding)
Receptive people
Sound check stories
Interpretive ribbon dancing
Cathartic tears
Praise and worship
Quiet time with God
All the good things about people (good things yah!)
All the connections we’ve made
All the fun
All the pain
All the love
All the jokes
All the sweat
All the memories
Godspell Summer Tour 2006

Yu like yu buy yah?

2006-08-06T10:48:00.000-04:00

**ATTENTION EVERYONE THIS IS NOT JENN THIS IS KEELEY, MY BLOG NAME IS NOT WORKING**
I spent a good deal of time last night reflecting on what God has taught me through this tour and I feel like at this point in time the things that I have learned are far too personal to share on this blog. However, our home stay mom asked us a question about what were the mostly deeply spiritual moment for us on the tour and I would like to share a couple of them with all of you. A small personal moment that I had occurred when we were in Big Laurel, KY. Our show was outdoors and we were deep in the mountains at a mission post in a mining community there. We were a long ways from familiar landmarks such as Wal-Marts, gas stations, or stoplights. Big Laurel is situated in a valley surrounded on all sides by mountains. It was hot and we were working with uneven ground and grass stains but there was a moment when I was singing "Prepare Ye", and I just looked up at the tree covered mountains towering around us and the clear blue sky above us, our voices echoing back us from miles away as it hit the steep wall of the valley we were in, and I was so grateful. I was grateful for the gifts that God gave us not only in music and dance and theatre, but also in the grass and the tree and the sunshine.
Another truly moving part of the tour for me came when we were in Florida performing at the Salvation Army. That particular show kind of came last minute and after we arrived we found out that we would be performing for the homeless shelter and members of the drug rehab program. We were all pretty nervous about how the show would be received by such an audience. Before going onstage I had a mixture of excitement (because we would be performing for a group that really needed the message) and fear (because its killer hard to do a show when no one laughs or claps). Oh the life of a Christian theatre artist :). So we get going with the show and THEY LOVED IT! They were one of our most vocal audiences yet. They laughed out loud, they cheered, they clapped along with the songs, some of them even danced. And afterwards they all came out to greet us and they were so grateful. Then a group of about fifteen of them sent us letters thanking us for the show. I got the chance to read them yesterday and it was so touching. A lot of them could not speak English very well but many of them stated that they really appreciated the show because it helped them understand the gospel in a way that they had never been able to before. We even found out that a man devoted himself to Christ a week after we left. It's that kind of thing that we all live for and I hope we can get more shows like that as more tours go out in the years to come.

Loves,
Keels

from russia with love, yah?

2006-08-06T09:48:00.000-04:00

yeah abs...

"and so what we have learned applies to our lives today
and God has a lot to say in His book"
"you see we know that God's word is for everyone
and now that our song is done, we'll take a look"

and i would love to tell you that i looked up those lyrics on line, but that would be a lie. all out of the old noggin'.

ok list time:

Things I've learned

-how to drink water (i'm a bonifide camel....but not the cricket kind)

-i'm a hypocondriac when it comes to my health

-there are people in this world who will literally give you the shirt of their back; be one of those people

-some people need to be "mothered" some days

-some times you get the clean laundry mat, some times you don't. some times people will be smoking, some times they won't. some times it won't have AC, some times it will. some times you can't even find the peckin' laundy mat. that's the adventure.

-always ride the rollercoaster, you will never be sorry, but you will regret it if you don't.

-there are people in this life who will prey on the innocent, the less bold, and the easy targets. don't be one of them. stick up for those they pick on.

-always jump at the offer of fruit

-sleeping with jenn = not sleeping...but that's ok

-eating at 3 AM, not a good idea

-leggings will cover your bruises and are a good idea to prevent the pity stares and the calls to the police

-you have to stick together. these people in your life are the only people you have for the time given. take what you can from your experiences and move on.

-crying is not a crime and sometimes is the only thing you can do to keep from yelling.

-apologies are nice, but are empty when there is no action taken to right the wrong.

-mistakes happen. the best way to handle them are not to sit and talk about blame, but instead to act. and to deal.

-i love my family. i love family in general. i love everyone else's family. you all are wonderful.

-when in doubt, smile and look pretty.

-i have no logic; sudoku and i are NOT friends...but i will conquer them. i will learn... there can only be ONE highlander...

-money, money, money, must be funny. in a rich man's world...

-i do theatre because is makes me happy. simple and plain. i can get on stage with my mic and be in THE WORST mood ever. but after mic check, i'm the happiest girl. why? because i'm back on stage.

-i need to simplify my life. i have too much crap. i don't need it. i can survive on next to nothing. i think it's good that i realize this bc i'm taking a vow of poverty with my career choice. but i wouldn't have it any other way.

-being angry at some one takes too much energy.

-i love voicemails

-somethings i will never understand. ever. just add it to the list of things to ask God about.

-gold ballet flats go with EVERY THING.

-stage left plays the sax.

i remember a prayer my brother prayed in our sunday school class right before i left to come back for boot camp. he said " prepare the way for them as they prepare the way for you". this from my brother, the economics major who doesn't know the show at all. his choice of words were perfect, considering the first known song of the show. that's what He was doing all summer and that's what we were doing. i can't remember who posted this before me, but God's not done with this tour. He's still working in the hearts and communities of the places we have been. and in us.

despite frustrations, hurt feelings, lack of sleep, lack of food, lack of energy, lack of free time, lack of independance; you can chalk this one up to one of my favorite summers.

i'm sure there will be more later, but if there isn't, thanks for tuning in! lovelove.

Veggie Tales anyone????

2006-08-06T08:56:00.000-04:00

All this posting about what we've learned reminds me so much of the song that appeared at the end of every veggie tales episode, "What We Have Learned." It's a fun little ditty that prefaces the recap of the moral, or lesson the show presented.

So insert >song< here and then proceed with reading this post. :)

The past two months have been so full of new experiences that I can hardly sum what I've learned up into one thing. So I will give you a handful of the things that impacted me most this summer.

The first one is simple, in theory, but a lot harder to act out. Treat others as you would have them treat you. I can't even count the amount of churches we went into this summer that had it posted on the walls. It was staring us in the face the whole time, but like the ignorant people we are sometimes, we waltzed on by continuing to treat others differently from how we would like to be treated.

Secondly forgiveness is not forgiveness if you hold someone's wrong action against them. Forgiveness forgets and treats the person as if it never happen. We get so stuck on other people's mistakes sometimes, that we elevate ourselves above them, when in reality, we are the one making the mistake by making them seem inferior to ourselves, and not staying true to the forgiveness we gave.

Along with that, people are not perfect. Anyone who thinks that we are or can be is kidding themselves. Now this should not be used as a cop out for making mistakes, but presenting the expectation that we should be perfect in all we do, or thinking that we are perfect is very dangerous. It gives us the impression that we don't need help. Pride always comes before the fall. We are a sinful people, and recognizing that it is only by God's grace that we have any hope at all is a realization we all need to come to.

Another thing I have sort of "discovered" this summer is friendship. True friendship. I have never before experienced the sort of relationships that I've developed with people on the tour. I love them all dearly, and can't believe I missed out on this sort of thing for so long. It has become invaluable to me. They are my "family" of sorts, who will tell me when I"m being rediculous in a loving manner, let me cry my eyes out if I need to, and who I will have rediculous amounts of fun with. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

As I was contemplating what I was going to write in this entry yesterday, a question popped into my head. "Why do I do this every day?" "Why do I get up early, work long hours through intense heat, and hard labor, and still love it?" It makes no sense to other people. I hear people say all the time that they can't believe what we do every day. Sometimes I can't believe it myself. I get countless bruises and am tired and sore often. So what is it that makes it worth it?

For me the answer is simple. I have hope and joy in life. Hope and joy that is found in Jesus Christ my Savior. Other people don't have it, and if I can use theatre, which I love madly, to tell the story, of my Savior, who I also love madly. Why wouldn't I? I get to to do what I love every day, and see seeds get planted at every show. It's an incredible thing to watch. I just pray that some of the seeds which we have planted will fall on good soil, and produce much fruit.

Now this is not to say that discouragement doesn't come. It does. Discouragement and frustrations come constantly, but the fact that our work goes beyond the here and now always makes it worth it. I have purpose in life, and that makes it worth everything. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

In closing I would like to share with you all the words to a hymn that encouraged me a lot over the summer. It is called, "His Eye Is On The Sparrrow," and is sung by Selah: Accapela.

Why do I feel discourged
Why do the shadows come
And why does my heart feel lonely
And long for heaven and home
When Jesus is my portion
A constant friend is He
His eye is on the sparrow
And i know He watches me

So I sing because I'm happy
And I sing because I'm free
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me
So I sing because I'm happy
And I sing because I'm free
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches
And I know He watches
And I know He watches me

That sums it all up for me. I sing because I'm happy. I sing because I'm free. His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me.

-Abi

Stuff Learned

2006-08-05T15:43:00.000-04:00

For clarification this is Brad DeYoung blogging under Dana's name.

When asked to blog about what I learned on the tour I could say that there really was a lot of personal things that I learned on this tour as well as spiritually. There have been many good and bad times that we went through and have had to work through together. With all of these times I really had to learn patience. I never thought that being on tour would test my patience so much but it did. I had to learn how to take things and not react the way that I wanted to as well as remember that everyone acts differently.

Although my patience was tested, I also took this tour to heart and became a lot closer to the Lord through this. Since we were disciples for the Lord this whole summer, I really took it to heart and grew in my faith. Throughout the tour I have learned to hand more things over to the Lord. I used to just hold a lot of my problems in and try to fix them myself, but when you are on tour and have only my skills and the Lord, I have learned to just hand everything over to Him.

All in all this tour has been a lot of fun and an enjoyable experience. Almost all of the people that we have performed for have taken it with a joyful heart and it really made this tour enjoyable for me. As we said when the tour began, "If one person comes to know the Lord because of the tour, the whole 2 months was well worth it." Thanks.

From Wardrobes to Padlocks and Everything in between...

2006-08-05T15:24:00.000-04:00

For clarification, this is Jeremy Burkett posting under Church's name.

For those of us who are not as blog literate as others I add my long-absent thoughts to this page. When asked to post some things that I learned on this tour I sat down and thought. (Thinking....a good place to obtain some thoughts...;-) ) What did I see God doing throughout the summer? What did I see God doing in my own life? What did I feel God revealed to me as his truth? I hope to address these questions in the remainder of this post.
What was God doing over the course of the summer? I truly believe he was changing lives. I saw first-hand and heard stories of lives that were touched, invigorated, renewed, and given over for the first time to our Lord. The message of this production is inherently powerful because it is true. It is God-breathed. The script of this show is taken almost verbatim from the gospel of Matthew. The word of God is so powerful that even if it was presented poorly (which I DO NOT think we did.) it would still have the power to change lives.
What was God doing in my own life? God was most definitely teaching me endurance and patience. These two things often appear together but must never be confused as meaning the same thing. Endurance can only be defined here as the strength to continue day in and day out with a production that demands so much energy and so much focus. It is no secret that one could certainly find themselves totally exhausted on a tour of this intensity. The constant packing and unpacking, performing and traveling demand an amazing amount of physical endurance. God showed me that there was a reason in being perpetually tired, a purpose for the seemingly never ending toil.
Patience, on the other hand, is quite different. In the midst of the work, there needs to be a focus, a dedication to the task at hand. When things are running smoothly, patience gets placed in the background because it is not needed. Once there happens to be a hiccup in the general running of things, our patience is tested, stretched. Patience allows us to deal with changes to our plans. It is a fruit of the spirit because we tend to forget that our plans are not always God's plans and a follower of Christ must possess this attribute in order to more easily recapture what God wants to do with us.
What did God reveal to me as truth? I have thought quite a bit about how God was going to use my work this summer. What if I messed up or did not do something I was supposed to? What would happen if something was done that was totally contrary to God's plan for this trip? I feel the answer can be explained through some of what C. S. Lewis wrote in The Last Battle. As Aslan speaks to the young Calormene prince after Aslan's followers have at last reached Aslan's country, he finds the prince confused. The price seems unable to understand how he was able to enter this wonderful land when his entire life was spent doing his work for Tash (the evil "god" of the series, possessing the likeness and character of Satan). The prince tells Aslan that he had never done any good work in the name of Aslan but dedicated everything to Tash. Alsan explains that all of his life's good deeds were, in fact, not done for Tash. Being, in his very essence, evil, Tash can not comprehend or accept a good deed because it is totally foreign to him. All of the prince's deeds were done unto Aslan. On the other hand, followers of Aslan who did evil under his name were doing it unto Tash for Aslan, being good and pure, cannot except it. It is encouraging to realize that evil, done in the name of Christian fellowship, cannot defile God because it is foreign to him. God can only be glorified by the good that we do. We must not be worried that somehow our failures can diminish the name of God, we can only ask forgiveness for our sin and continue to work with endurance and patience on the tasks that God sets out for us.

-Jeremy Burkett

an education... an adventure...a legacy.

2006-08-05T14:55:00.000-04:00

have you ever seen that inspirational photograph of a delicate flower growing in the midst of dry, uncultivated land? i think its tag line says something about perseverance...
there have been so many this summer who have exemplified this picture. it has been seen incalculable times in each cast member. and it has been seen in many of our audiences. and i have been so flooded with thankfulness to see the perseverance of these beauties' faithfulness. there have been some really difficult times of reflection and consequently growth, and i always find myself falling before God, so completely broken and feeling Him pick me up into His arms. He loves me so much. and to KNOW that He loves each person with the same intensity as He loves me makes me bow humbly in such gratefulness.
i have learned so much from every place we have been. everywhere from the hospitality of canada to the overwhelming enthusiasm of jacksonville to the comfort of our very own huntington.
and two things that really impacted me last night as i looked around, thinking about how we're almost done with all of this: GOD is not done with this tour. He will continue to use this faith-filled cast to do His work...and..i want to leave a legacy that is edifying and pleasing to God. each day i have a choice: to live how i want...or to live how God wants.
there are so many other things that i could say about what i have learned. but let's be honest: there are others waiting in line...
so, a couple closing remarks: never underestimate the power of prayer, the power of a hug...or the power of a simple smile. there is a great force of evil against every great force of good. and sometimes it's very hard to find the good. but it is ALWAYS there. just keep searching...
such is life.

Everything I Need to Know I Learned on Tour

2006-08-05T00:51:00.000-04:00

This is actually Dan, by the by...

~ Rhubarb is too poisonous to eat straight from the garden, but add a little heat to make it soften and sweeten.
~ We can never attain perfection, so there's no reason to set it as the destination.
~ Always treat others as you would have them treat you.
~ Memory is a faulty, misguiding tool.
~ With great power comes great responsibility.
~ I can sleep anywhere.
~ We should capitalize on second chances and make amends for the initial failures.
~ Judgment is something with which God doesn't need my help.
~ People are always worth it.
~ Attitude is everything.
~ No one stays on a honeymoon forever.
~ Growing old is a choice and not a good one, but it is never based on chronology.
~ Nice is different than good.
~ No one should ever win a Miss Communication pageant.
~ Leadership is nothing more than Servanthood wrapped in the concerns of many people.
~ You can never accurately look at both sides of the coin at the same time.
~ "We'll tell you when you're older" doesn't work when you're already older.
~ We should always protect those with sweet spirits.
~ There truly is nothing new under the sun.
~ Secrets, secrets are not fun; secrets, secrets hurt someone.
~ Ruffled feathers never make a comfortable coat.
~ Friends are family you choose.
~ Book smarts are common and attainable by all.
~ Soup made of one ingredient isn't soup, and it doesn't taste good.
~ We all turn into our parents.
~ If you're only dating, your real self may never emerge. If you're committed, you can't help it.
~ Never think lowly of someone or you'll miss everything.
~ Maturity is best exhibited by those who don't act as if it's a destination.
~ If you think you're in control, you're surely mistaken.
~ Always treat others as you would have them treat you.
~ No one deserves anything but the best I have to offer.
~ An ant may be able to lift 100 times his weight, but he'll be crushed under a rock.
~ Nothing has afflicted me that isn't common to Man.
~ He who lives by the sword dies by the sword.
~ A quiet tongue doesn't lack for an opinion.
~ If birds of a feather can't flock together, what hope is there for the ostrich and the raven?
~ Live grace like you've received it.
~ Always treat others as you would have them treat you.
~ What you don't know can hurt you.
~ Conditional love and respect are neither love nor respect.
~ Forgiveness simply is not if you rescind it in court.
~ Righteousness trumps rightness.
~ A fine line exists between respect and fear.
~ Bridges burned require builders on both sides of the river.
~ Always treat others as you would have them treat you.
~ Love wins.

Let me close with much thanks and praise to those who have put us up and put up with us, housing and feeding, praying and entertaining, watching and encouraging. You're an essential reason for any success we may have had. Shalom!

education from the Tour

2006-08-05T00:10:00.000-04:00

so yeah, I've learned several things on this tour. I think the biggest physical one is how to do set up a show, I never realized how musch stuff went into a tour until I was one one. most of my real learning was spiritual though, It is difficult to live with people 24/7 but we managed quite well I think. The grace and patience I learned on tour I hope will stay with me through the next year. there was conflict that came up and learning how to deal with it in a christian manner was something I learned how to do better.
I have been challenged on this trip by other cast members to deepen my walk with God, I have started daily devotionswith the help of Our Daily Bread that was introduced to me by our very own Dan Olson. Overall I've been challenged and I think stepped up to the task of living in community. Also in edification of my brothers and sisters I have been challenged and raised the bar.
Loving people is much harder than Jesus makes it sound but that is what he commanded us to do and when you really love the people around you, problems are a lot smaller.
Thanks for having me on this tour. God has blessed me with some new friends and more knowledge about him.
Blair Bullick aka Blairskallujah

Thank you to all the people who hosted me and who feed me. You allow us to keep sharing the gospel in this unique way. You are the hands of Christ while taking care of us God bless you.

What has Eric learned?

2006-08-05T00:08:00.000-04:00

Well... after two months on the road, this tour is finally to a close. I've learned and thought about many things in life during this tour, especially about how God is currently working in me and through me.

So what has God taught me on this tour? The number one thing would be tolerance. As a musician and non-theatre person, I had to deal with a lot of loud, noisy, enthusiastic, and generally crazy theatre people. I'm used to being around people that don't talk all of the time, so being stuck with about 10 other people who don't do that left me kind of left out and in an awkward position. I did, however, come to the realization that that's how these people are. And I can handle that, but to a point. There were many times that I was very stressed with noise, but with the invention of MP3 players and other ways to find peace, I made it through OK.

Another thing I learned was patience. I thought I had enough patience already, but this tour stressed that and increased it. It's a very hard thing to learn, but I think I've gained some more.

Overall, the tour's been fun, but very tiring and sometimes very stressful, too. I think I've learned a lot about God and about myself, so I'm thankful for that. Also, thanks to all of you who've been reading this and going to our shows. We appreciate your audience and we're happy to do it for the glory of God. Good night, and good luck.

Reflections of a summer on the road

2006-08-05T00:02:00.000-04:00

Well, folks, tonight was our 51st show of the summer and we only have two left at this point. Kinda crazy. 51 shows...some days it's hard to believe that we're almost done. Other days I roll out of bed and my back feels every one of those days spent on a mini-bus. I love it though. I really do. I've loved spending time again with Noah and Dan and getting to know each of these great guys again. And I will greatly miss my fellow cast members this fall when they return to HU and I don't.

This is now my second summer touring with the Huntington theatre department and I think this changes my perspective a bit. Some different lessons can be learned from touring a second time with a different show and different group of people. As Mike mentioned in a previous post, every night on the road is full of surprises. Problems have arisen that have been unpredictable and sometimes unavoidable...so the ability to improvise is quite vital.

One of the most extreme cases of improvisation occured the night that both Dana and I got ill right before the show and were unable to perform. I know that this was challenging for the cast...but in a way, it was challenging for me as well. I have never missed a performance before for any reason...and in a show like Godspell where each person is on stage for the full two hours of the production, I felt guilty that I was unable to do my part. The cast did a wonderful job of picking up the missing parts of the show on the fly and the audience that night was one of the most enthusiastic and supportive crowds that we have had all summer.

While I hated missing the time with the cast and being able to do the show (which, incidentally, I love to perform), I was grateful to the cast for stepping up and covering the slack...but even more I was reminded that as an individual...I am not absolutely necessary for Christ's message to be shared. Once I got past the initial blow to the ego, I recognized the wonderful blessing that this is. Heaven forbid that the Christ's ability to reach hearts be based on my level of perfection because I am reminded daily of how far from perfect I am. But God is faithful and while there have been many challenges (both on and off the stage), people have continued to be touched and lives changed because of the love and joy of Christ. I may be a very flawed person, but in telling the story of Christ's perfect love, God has touched many hearts.

That's just one of the things I have learned this summer...and I'd love to talk to anyone that's interested, but that's the thought that's on my mind tonight. Thank you to all of you who have been in prayer for the tour this summer. We have relied on it at every step. God bless you all...and good night.

This is actually Noah using Dan's blog since Blogger has been giving me trouble all summer. Enjoy!

2006-08-04T23:43:00.000-04:00

This summer has been great for just learning about how different personalities relate to each other. When you spend as much time together as the Godspell crew has over the past few months, you see everyone at their best and worst. You also get to see what you need to work on in your own life when it comes to working as a team or just life in general.

I think one of the biggest faults that plague Christians today is pride. You constantly hear growing up that "Pride commeth before fall." Before this tour I never really thought much of it. "I guess that's true," I would say. But after this tour I've come to find that 99% of problems that arrive with any sort of group striving for the same goal, whether it be a big business, a church, or in this case a touring production of Godspell, come from pride. We are all growing and changing every day. We are not perfect and it is ok to admit when we need to rethink our behavior. The old golden rule also plays a big part in this as well. Treat others as you would want to be treated, not as you think they deserve to be treated.

Something else I was reminded of during this tour is that God can use anything He wants to impact others and bring them closer to Him. There were certainly days that we were not in the best mindset to perform a show. There might have been some bickering among the group, people could be frustrated with something that went wrong, or maybe just didn't feel like performing another show. Despite all this, there was not one show that went by where someone didn't come up to me and say how much the show touched them that night. I just find that amazing. Once again this has been a Noah blog using Dan's user name.

What have you learned??

2006-08-03T23:09:00.000-04:00

Over the next few days, the Godspell company will each be posting something that being on this tour has taught them, or something about a way God has spoken to them over the course of the summer. Stay tuned....should be some great reading about God moving in their midst.

Mike

Godspell Photo Gallery Now Up!

2006-07-24T15:51:00.000-04:00

For your viewing pleasure, we now have posted show photos on our website. More to be added later! Check out the Gallery on the Godspell site.

WOW

2006-07-21T13:39:00.000-04:00

One of the hardest things about live theatre is that you never know when something may need an "adjustment." What I mean by this is that an actor may forget a line, and another actor may have to cover...because that line feeds the audience that important bit of information regarding who the real killer is. Or, a lighting cue may not be executed at the right time, causing the stage to not blackout correctly, and leaving the actors to fill time. Or, my favorite, the smoke alarm may go off during a performance, causing the audience to leave.

Why, you ask, am I talking about things like this? Well, over the course of the summer, the Godspell crew, has repeatedly had to make "adjustments." Every performance, every venue, they have to decide how much of the lighting rig is getting set up, how large the acting space it, how many steps there are and how all that plays into what kind of boxes they use on the set; how does all this affect the choreography and blocking of the show. When you tour, this is all part of the planning and prep work. You have to get your mind open to what may or may not be at a venue, how that affects every aspect of the show, and how you, as either a performer or a technician, can handle the inevitable curve balls that come.

The best plan is to do it with the whole company. The past few weeks, that hasn't been possible. This past week alone, the company has had to adjust the show for illnesses. In the best case scenarios, the actors would still attempt to do their part, and minimal changes are made. But, at times, people need to sit out. So, on top of all that adjusting to the new space, changing up who sings what, who plays what instrument, who says what lines or moves a piece of scenery has to be decided. Because at 7pm, the show will go on, and the audience can't know the difference.

And the best part of it all, is, because our company of Godspell is carrying some of the finest people out there, the audience doesn't know. They still are moved by the message of the play, told by talented performers and technical people, covering for their friends and colleagues who are unable to tell their part of the story. And of course, God has a big part in it as well...watching over the moves and actions of those in the space...on and off stage...performing and witnessing the production. God is shaping the message and people are hearing the wonderous story of His love for us.

I am very proud of my students. Not because they can pull off great shows, night after night...with injuries and illnesses. But because in light of difficult situations, they choose God over self. They sacrifice for the good of the message...for the one audience member who needs to hear of the joy that comes from loving a loving God. They push through pain and misery until they cannot be onstage...and when they can't they still want to be there, because they don't want to let their friends or the message down. That is why I am proud of this company.

On a side note....I was talking with my 7yr old son Conner, who is turning out to be quite the thespian these days. He has been in more theatre related events than lots of other theatre people. Anyways, he is in our current summer camp production of Music Man Jr, and he and I were discussing what show to do next summer for camp. As we looked on the list of possible shows, he noticed that there was a Jr. version of Godspell. He said that he wanted to do that show, so he could sing "God Save the People" like Dan and tell some of the same stories that he, as Jesus, tells. Folks, if you haven't already, scroll down and find the stories of where the tour folks talk about Dan and the little kids crying for Jesus and coming up after the show. If you have to pick someone to be Jesus and let the little kids come to Him, Dan is a good guy for the part. I've told our students a lot of times that I am honored to have my children growing up around some quality Christian individuals...but when a 7yr old kid acknowledges it in the person, then you know its got to be true. Dan, buddy...thanks. Thanks for being Dan and modeling Christ to my son.

OK, I think that's enough for now. Only 2 weeks left of the show. Go see it. Again if you have to. You will not be sorry.

God Bless.
Mike

bring on the fast acting inhalors

2006-07-19T11:29:00.000-04:00

so last night in the dressing room, jenn and i figured out this whole blog division of ground stuff. jenn will cover the traveling (considering she takes all the pictures and can up load them) and i will update you on the problems of our group (i.e-jenn's belly button WHICH!!! she ended up having to take out because the weight of the ring wasn't letting the rip heal...ouch...rip is a gross word)

this split was established in lieu of recent developements: our beloved posie-rosie-pudding-and-pie had contracted the plague.

Plague: (Noun from the Scandanavian :plagesgjaskjgjue; meaning to fall deathly ill) starts out unsuspectingly small and harmless, a common cold. soon enough it evolves into uncontrollable coughing, followed by shallowness of breath, phlegm covering throat, which travels them into the lungs. shallowness of breath breeds light headed-ness. usually results in the overall sick feeling.
(exerpt from Merckmedicus.com)
(that is a lie)

while we were at her home church she started to get a little sickie, but this only intesified as she found herself at redi-med in huntington yesterday morning. the doctors said that its a virial infection and it will go away in 7-10 days and she is on day 6 today. so please be praying for her and also that no one else contracts this.

the crazy exciting things (which may be code for wicked stressful...we'll see) is that we all have solos in the show and all have bits that we do. there's a lot of dancing and energy required for just being in the show. soooooooo...we had some shuffling to do and we coped beautifully. we rock my world. and she still was in the show, we just babied her a little.

um...............yeah, so she's got some wicked cough syrup that knocks her out at night and she's sounding even better this morning....yay for day 6...

but my favorite thing was when durning sound check she comes up to me and says "ok...this is gonna sound dramatic, but my fast acting inhalor is in a bag back stage. just shake it and spray it in my mouth". oh love...

tut tut...

Sleep.

2006-07-18T02:50:00.000-04:00

I have taken over 600 pictures since the beginning of Boot Camp.

I'm going to bed now.

DAY 15-18

2006-07-18T01:54:00.000-04:00

EDIT: Day 14 in Churchville, VA was NOT the day of our downpour, it was actually a fun day where Keeley's family came and gave us to die for chocolate covered strawberries for her upcoming birthday.

So, diving right back in.........

DAY 15: Winchester, VA would be the correct location for this section of post:

"The show went well, with a great audience response and requests for photos and autographs afterwards. Some people even helped us load out...during a torrential downpour. We got the truck about halfway packed before the buckets of rain came. I felt like I was trying to save the Titanic as Brad was shouting, "More quilts!!", "Get the lights covered!", and "It's too much, get them inside!!". Now, Noah has an intimidating appearance in general, but I don't think I've felt more fear in my heart than when a soaking wet Noah with a back brace and gloves came thundering after me to help move a box truss. You don't mess with that! Nevertheless, everything got moved back inside and we designated a crew to come load up in the morning. Ahhhhhhh, 6:30AM never felt so good."

DAY 16, JUNE 23, 2006: After the night of torrential rain, a few of us woke up bright and early to load the rest of the truck so we could head off to Florida! We had some fun bus shenanigans...

Kristen on the ceiling?? Our bus slowly accumulated fun signs with everyone's names, coloring book pictures, and name tags from our travels.

And it was all fun and games. Until our air conditioning broke. The bus became immediately stifling, creating the crabbiest crew anyone has ever seen! I began praying fervently for a miraculous fixing of the air conditioning, however, God decided to send rain instead. Which not only saved us from ourselves, but eased our boredom as well.

DAY 17, JUNE 24: We arrived at the Salvation Army Church in Jacksonville, FL and had a relatively uneventful load in. A very near and dear friend of mine, Luke, was our contact and I was able to catch up with him a little bit while we coordinated our set up for the night. The troupe happily watched Beauty and the Beast in the dressing rooms after set up, and we prepared for the Salvation Army to bus over members of the homeless shelter and rehabilitation programs. Although probably the least "churched" group we have encountered so far, they were certainly the most alive audience, and they sent our energy sky high. After our performance the girls headed over to the Stasi's house to catch some z's, and the boys bunked up in a house that the Stasi's are renovating. We made tea and ate what seemed like all the doughnuts in the world before bed. As a sidenote, Luke sent me this message in one of the days to follow:

"6/27/2006 11:19 AM

Hey I just wanted to let you know that a former drug addict/alcoholic/30 year prison convict got saved after seeing Godspell, so thats amazing. Let the cast know that they are changing lives for eternity and to keep it up!"

It doesn't get much better than that!

DAY 18, JUNE 25: Beach time on the day off for some...the rest toured Jacksonville on the bus and hit up an amazing barbecue restaurant.

We left feeling pretty wave-ravaged, and the sunburn slowly started to kick in... After quick showers and a filling meal, our group hit up "Night Church" with the Stasi family.

We finished up our night watching a movie on a projector screen at the boys' house with Luke and his sisters. And the sunburns raged.

If we weren't in Godspell...

2006-07-17T15:16:00.000-04:00

I asked each member of the Godspell cast to tell me what part they would most want to play and here is what I came back with:

Keeley Lewis as Millie Dillmount in Thoroughly Modern Millie
Abigail Allwein as Clara in Light in the Piazza
Dana Frick as Aida in Aida
Jeremy Burkett as Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolored Dreamcoat
Cara Joy Bussis as Eponine in Les Miserables
Daniel Neal Olson as Belle in Beauty and the Beast
Rebekah Posegate as Emma Goldman in Ragtime
Jennifer Miller as Velma Kelly in Chicago
Joshua Ryan Dawes as Jekyll/Hyde in Jekyll and Hyde
Kristen Lynn Kohault as Glinda in Wicked
Noah Varness as Lee or Austin in True West
Eric Chruch said some drummer I had never heard of (help eric?)
Brad DeYoung said he would want to design lights for something
Blair Bullick and Jeremey Rufener didn't have give me an answer...

i don't like having to pick a title...

2006-07-13T09:53:00.000-04:00

weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell...let's see. i'm up at this awful hour of the morning because our bodies have been conditioned to wake up at the crack of dawn and mine can't shake that. so, its time for an update.

leg 2 of the trip is going well. we are on a longer stretch of the home churches of people on the tour. we started out at Jeremy's, then proceeded to Church's, Noah's, tonight we are at Dan's, then Brad's and Pose's. good times. i like meeting people's families and seeing where they come from, so this is a cool part of the tour for me. sitting around dan's kitchen table yesterday with some of the wonderful women of his family made me miss home a little, though. i think this is really the first time that's happened.

so this is the section of the blog where i talk about jenn: a- because it's her 21st birthday today, and b-because she earned herself a battle wound two days ago while setting up. i guess we'll update later about what we do for her birthday (yes, we are still under the lifestyle agreement and no, we are not intending to break it...). about her injury though: she was setting down a chain link fence that we use on the fences and her belly button ring got snagged on it through her shirt and ripped it pretty well. its still hanging in there, it's just a little bigger of a hole now. she can gage it a little (ew...no jenn. don't do it).

speaking of family, i got some exciting news from back home: my brother is engaged! i guess they are thinking about may 4th of next year. its crazy because that doesn't seem too far off, and yet, i have so much before then; classes and shows.

after this we are off to chi-town for a day off. the possibilities are endless, but will ultimatly end in pizza and theatre (sorry dad, no cubs. i checked and they are in town playing the mets, but...)

ok...i should do something with my life so i can tell you about it later.

Posting Pics before the Road

2006-07-10T00:01:00.000-04:00

So, this would be called the second half of my other post I think. It's mostly a bunch of (in my opinion) the best pictures taken during the tour from my camera. There are better pictures taken by other people, I don't deny, but these are the ones I have to post so there.

This was a rocking studio I got to stay at with Dan, Noah and Josh. Carriage House Studios, good stuff they produce by the way.

This fun endevor was a loading into a host family's car. We fit in there like sardines but it was fun and we had a great time. We seem to be fitting lots of things into small spaces on this tour. Equipment into the truck, ourselves onto the bus, groups into host family cars. Small stages too, it's fun.

Now this place, I loved! Earl I just have to say that you are the man. Yes, this guy pulls into the cabin we'll be staying and sees an armadillo there. Because they are pests, he shoots it, without any qualms what-so-ever. I was surpised and amazed at the same time. After shooting the first one there is another one across the yard which Earl goes and executes as well.

That wasn't all though. Earl showed us out back of the lodge where there was a nice Georgia lake, and turned on the back porch light. Not too deep and nothing special, until he throws out some fish food and these massive catfish come and attack it. I'm talking like 2-3 ft. long catfish!

I am a crazy mountain man. Because it was so nice outside I slept on the porch that night on top of a bunch of floor mats, no sleeping bag needed.

This was driving to our last show in the first half. Titus the pastor gave a ride to 6 people in the back of his truck. I was riding in the truck with our equipment and took the picture. Our last show was outdoors and a blast. Ella posted on that earlier actually.

No wait I lie, I have to put this on here too. I thought I did in the other post but I was wrong. This was the Houge family we stayed at in New Hampshire at His Mansion. We stayed up late having a great talk about the emerging church culture and true discipleship. Jim and Linda I have to give a shout-out to you guys for being a a rocking camp that does amazing things for God.

And that ends this session of pictures with Blair. Ok, its late, i'm tired and I haven't showered yet. So good night and God Bless.

A little taste of the best...

2006-07-09T02:07:00.000-04:00

This is sad, the fact that we seem to live in this rut of commenting on great happenings several days/weeks after they transpire. This follows in kind.

Where: Cochran, Georgia
When: The day we did the show in Cochran, Georgia

Throughout the evening, I feel like I'd developed some sort of stage relationship with this pretty little girl in the front row. I pointed her out during the first act because she seemed to relish everything happening onstage. At the intermission, we chatted a bit, and right before we were to resume, she walked up to the stage and loaded me up with a handful of change. Of course, the second act took off before I could even unload the booty, so I skibbled to the piano and dropped the jingly paydirt on the amp. Act 2 proceeds.

This little girl, no more than 9, stays with us for the whole of the show...until the crucifixion. I think the combo platter of loud rock paired with the writhing body of the recently acquainted guy playing Jesus, seasoned with dark lighting and the floor full of the wailers, just may have set her over the edge. All I saw was this little lady run from her seat in the absolute frontmost location to the end of the row to the protection only a mother can offer. Trying to keep composure, I had to fight for airtime because this little lady punched out a volume I almost couldn't match.

After the show, we stayed around the stage a little longer than usual. She had cried through the last five minutes of the show, the cast introductions, our closing prayer and song, and, lastly, our formal meeting on the stage. She and her brother came over, faces red and wet, and squeezed me as if that would dry their eyes. In her most perfect Georgian accent, she bubbled out, "You skeered me!"

It didn't feel like it was a moment I should enjoy, but it just seemed too great not to revel. The fear of God is supposed to prompt a conscious return to His grace and love. She may not know it, but that little miss did my heart good.

Down time to Post

2006-07-05T19:31:00.000-04:00

So, it's Blair here. I haven't stayed on top of the posting thing since this all started but here goes. This is mainly to share some of the crzy pictures I have taken along the way. The first half of the tour is encompassed in these photos so there will be days where nothing is mentioned, partly because my camera wasn't out each day.

This is from way back when we were learning the play a month ago. Seems like a lifetime ago.

This is from a cast party we had. "Judas" decided to wear his colors on his face. The cast divided into teams Jesus vs. Judas. Hilarity ensued at the rock when Dan and Noah faced off climbing!

I think we should all be slightly fearful.

Onwards to the actual tour now. This is one of the casts favorite sports called Keiling. Short for Keleey on the ceiling. In nearly every church we go to at one point or another Keleey is seized and put on the ceiling by Dan. It is random and usually semi-violent. It is best not to interfer in such matters as we have learned.

This little pink paradise gem is where I got to stay one night. Needless to say I made the girls jealous relating stories of the pink princess bed and room where I resided for a night. This was a first for me as I have not slept in a princess bed before.

So this is what the bus kind of looks like most of the time. Full on stinky but happy cast members, that's me in the back left with the tartan hat. Jeremy is next to me, and Dan in the back. Cara Bussis right in the front. Josh and Abi behind her, Posgate and Eric Church in front of Dan on the right. Dana on the front right.

I know I'm skipping over a lot but I'm hungry and it's diner time. I will post the rest of the 1st half of the tour later.

Go Tell it on the Mountain....literally

2006-07-02T22:48:00.000-04:00

We drove down to Big Laurel, KY to see Godspell yesterday. The Laurel Mission (where they performed) is about an hour and 45 minutes off the interstate in the mountains of Southeastern KY on Greasy Creek – lots of windy narrow roads needless to say. But, the setting was absolutely gorgeous. Beautiful little creek, lots of trees, and of course, several good-sized mountains surrounding it all.

The group set up outside on a flat grassy spot at the bottom of a rather large “hill.” After sound check and dinner, Pastor Titus told the cast that though their visible audience at the mission’s camp grounds may not be very large, not to be discouraged, because with our sound system their voices would carry clearly for at least a mile and a 1/2 down either side of the valley if not farther, and that they’d never know how many lives they might actually touch with their music. And the sound down in that valley was incredible! For those of you who may not have seen the show yet, it opens with a quote from Jesus – you only hear the words spoken, the actor isn’t seen until later – and last night when we were sitting there at our picnic table and Dan (the actor portraying Jesus) spoke those lines, his voice just bounced off those mountains and sent chills down my spine – it was so cool! The music and the voices were so “live” – it was if we were listening to the show in surround sound. Though there weren't as many people in the audience as the group is used to, it was interesting to watch people trickle in throughout the show. Many came as far as the church parking lot, but were not "brave" (for lack of a better word) enough to cross the bridge over the creek to actually become an official audience member on the camp side yet they stayed and truly listened, because they couldn't see much from where they were.

I’ve seen the show now, more times than I can count, and in more locations than I’d actually care to remember. But, I’m continuously impressed by how adaptable this show and the group have become to the settings in which they are placed without losing the meaning and intent behind Godspell. No matter where they are or what happens, the gospel is clearly presented and hearts are touched.

Day 11-14

2006-07-01T00:59:00.000-04:00

DAY 11: Making our way south, Shippensburg, PA was the next stop on our tour. As the temperatures grew higher our tempers grew shorter, and this church being without air conditioning, we were in for our most difficult set-up so far. Luckily, the basement provided a cool retreat, and we had time to relax and regroup before the show. By the end of the performance, we all rivaled Noah with our soaking sweaty clothes...however, Noah was still winner, for during the Prodigal Son Parable I could have sworn it was raining while I lay beneath him as the dead fatted calf. All in all, it was a privlege to perform in such a beautiful sanctuary, with tall stained glass windows on every wall and fantastic homestay families. Our family had just had a picnic, and we ate ourselves silly with leftovers. Probably the best hamburger I've ever had. and cara is the coolest and hottest dutchie ever ---> Cara sneakily added in this last bit while my laptop was being passed around....silly girl. Of course I proof read!

Kristin was....angry at the cantelope???

3/4 of the late house, stuffing our faces.

DAY 12: Another day in Pennsylvania, we had a speedy setup in Chambersburg and were able to have some cuddle time during lunch.

DAY 13: We had the opportunity of performing on a real stage at Johnson-Williams Middle School Auditorium in Berryville, Virginia. Cara, one of our costumers, had a day of wonderful laundry adventures when every single drier in the laundrymat was broken. As the set and sound crews trickled out of the auditorium to eat lunch, Cara could be seen out in the grass tenderly caring for our G-wear and mic belts. This fiasco was the last straw...and drove Cara clean out of her mind.

We had real dressing rooms with lighted make-up mirrors for the first time since Huntington, however, the hallway leading to them included a web forest complete with enough Daddy Long Legs to send Keeley whimpering in the corner up until curtain. Post show, we found the 1, 546th reason why Dan should have been born a woman. What a waste of lashes.

Then the guys packed into a mini van for their homestay...

and Kristin and I headed to the Potter house for a night of relaxation and pampering! We paddled around the pool with changing neon lights, and we lounged in the hot tub where Mrs. Potter brought us tea, turkey wraps, and fruit. After a rough week, that night was just what we needed!!

DAY 14: The next morning Caleb Nei, a Huntington alumn and our Berryville contact, took us to coffee at an awesome little shop. I had a Toffee Freeze which rocked my socks, and we were able to catch up on some current events while we relaxed...and waited for Mrs. Potter to bring the glasses I forgot on the nightstand. Oops.

When in Rome...

2006-06-30T19:04:00.000-04:00

Finally, enjoying a day OFF from all things has proven a worthwhile endeavor. Don't misunderstand me...I'm exceedingly appreciative of Jeremy's schedule, allowing for some time in the cities. But, I've noticed that our days off wear me out more than show days. This may also serve as the reasoning behind why I sound like a bullfrog for the first half hour of each day. I need to let my voice rest for a while.

Goodness gracious, as a group, we just finished watching a horrible wretch of a film...First Daughter. This is absolute rubbish, and only as a group, when one can throw insults endlessly with full support of your peers, should such garbage ever air on your screen. End comment. If only it had been Dawson's Creek.

Last night, dear friend, Noah, and I had a relaxing night in a roadhouse-styled ranch home by ourselves. Or, so we thought. We hadn't even put our pajamas on when we found our quarters somewhat crawling with man-sized cockroaches. Noah succeeded in slaying one of the filthy warriors, but we slept with our heads under the covers for fear of leaving something exposed to their treachery. Pair that with finding out about Jeremy and Eric's armadilloes, and I've come to the conclusion that, maybe, everything is bigger in Georgia. Food for thought.

I think, tonight, we'll play a little Curses and call it a night. I have enjoyed the evening ritual of showering the day's journey from my back and hitting clean sheets. Today, there's a good deal of day to wash off, namely, the 230 miles I drove the bus through Georgia, then the 3 hours of riding everyone's luggage into Tennessee, during which, thanks to the Big Dog, I read Stephen Adly Guirgis's The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. It is amazing. You may need to maintain an open mind through this, as it is pretty gritty, but I stand by its intense ability to stir some intense thought.

Oh, heavens, I've forgotten...the sty that is our Magic Bus needs a stern cleaning, and we're nearing that time of necessary action. I bid adieu.

Fun in Georgia

2006-06-30T18:58:00.000-04:00

Wow... last night was awesome. After the show, we put our stuff in the back of a truck and drove about 10 minutes with no clouds and no lights to keep us from seeing the stars. It was amazing. Then, when we got there, the wife of our host couple said to her husband, "Is that a possum?" After a few seconds, he goes, "No, that's an armadillo... Guess I'll shoot it." So, the next thing I hear is a gun being cocked. I was in the back taking bags off and I jump off to see Earl with a Glock pistol walking slowly towards an armadillo over by a picnic table. He fires and, lemmie tell ya, that thing is LOUD. The armadillo flies two feet in the air and then runs, or tries to because it just got shot. Then, Earl walks a little closer and BAM, shoots it again. It twitches for about three minutes, then dies. THEN, he looks around and stares at something about 80 feet away. "Is that another one?" We walk over and it's another armadillo. What does he do? BAM... BAM! The thing jumps and starts writhing and bleeding all over everything. "Oh, man, he's bleedin' all over the steps over here." Haha, man... it was crazy.

After that, we walk through this wooden meeting hall outside to a deck, which is next to a 40 acre lake. Earl turns the lights on and tells us to look over the edge of the deck. We look over and see some big fish, like 2-3 feet in length. Then, he sprinkles in some catfish food and these HUGE catfish show up. When I say huge, I mean four feet long 8-inch diameter catfish. They are monsters. Man... so awesome.

The next morning, we wake up to find another armadillo eating the DEAD ARMADILLOS. I never knew how crazy armadillos were.

Anyway... We're at a hotel just outside Knoxville, TN. We've got around a 3 hour drive tomorrow to Big Laurel, which should be fun. And theeennnnn, we're off back to Huntington for our week off! It'll be really nice to have a break for a while. Well, back to watching Seinfeld and chillin' some more on our day off. Peace out.

miles and miles...

2006-06-30T16:26:00.000-04:00

lots of driving lately, folks. but there have been some really great moments along the way.
for instance, i think the most note-worthy of all conversations has been all the stories of how our ministry has impacted people. from canada to florida, there are people who have a greater understanding of Christ...and that is so moving, so exciting, to see the seeds begin to grow.
tomorrow is our last performance before break, and it will definitely offer its own challenges...outdoor singing? hmm? i'm up for it!
welp, time to relaxxx now...thanks for the constant prayers and encouragement. i've been feeling them alllll the time. thank you!

Day 10: Connecticut Craziness!

2006-06-27T23:35:00.000-04:00

DAY 10: After a great night in New Jersey, we headed off to Old Greenwich, Connecticut. When we rolled in, we were greeted with an interesting surprise...our acting space included a 13' 3 1/2" wooden cross cemented into downstage center. Also, we were faced with being surrounded by audience on 3 sides, which we were not used to. The church said that they were expecting a large crowd, so we did not want to remove large amounts of seating for our lighting and sound equipment. However, we did our best in the space given, and I believe we received the best response from an audience at that show. The people were so wonderful, showering us with an amazing Italian meal, homemade ice cream cookie sandwiches, and abundant praise.

During set up, Dan and Dana enjoyed some Motown tunes

Jeremy, rocking out before sound check

Dana taking care of her babies...

Interrupted by Blair hiding in a box and making turkey call noises.

Uncle Brad, hard at work!

Blair, Dan, Josh, and Noah stayed at an amazing recording studio, a huge highlight of their tour!

i decided to make a user name finally

2006-06-23T20:44:00.000-04:00

well i don't know if this will work.. because i never got my user name thing confirmed but we're in a hotel in south carolina and we're tired because the a/c broke.. that's not a reason to be tired.. but it is the reason also because we drove for a long time.. like a million hours.. we ate a million bread sticks..

Day 6-9

2006-06-21T01:00:00.000-04:00

It is time for another rediculously long update. It seems that most of my castmates are unable to blog, because there are only a few of us with laptops and we almost never have internet, so I will try to update as much as I can. I heard that some families were getting a good grasp of our progress through my lengthy posts, so I will continue on as usual.

DAY 6: Our group stayed at His Mansion Ministries in Deering, New Hampshire. The facility was absolutely GORGEOUS, as I described in my last blog. The audience was one of our best so far, despite the low ceiling in our performance space. Maybe they were just laughing at Dan performing his box choreography bent over or on his knees, but I think they actually enjoyed the show. The girls stayed with students in a cabin, with Pose, Dana, Abi and I in one room and Cara, Keeley, and Kristen in the other room. Abi and I talked with (distracted) two girls who were up doing their homework for the ministries class they were taking that week at the facility, and we had some good laughs.

DAY 7: On our day off we went into Boston, which was a mini-adventure. We drove the bus to a random suburb (I think?) and then took the train into the city. Kristen, Cara, and I decided to search out a coffee place while waiting for the train, and dragged Uncle Brad, Burkett, and Church with us. We stumbed upon a Wild Oats grocery and were happy to find they served coffee and had smoothies. As we females ordered our drinks, the boys stood watching us while continuing their conversation about guns, or something equally male-ish. We had to laugh, because it felt as if they were our bored husbands....the urge to go hang a handbag on their shoulders and ask for money was strong, let me tell you. When we said that to them, Brad said he would have opened his wallet without even flinching (Katie, you have him trained well. Props to you!). We finally got to the city, with Dan's "Boston" accent plaguing us the entire way (I swear, if I heard him call one more person, place, or thing "Bubsy", I was going to end his life). Abi got to see her sister who is going to school in Boston (whom we all greatly enjoyed!), Keeley and I got to eat clam chowder, Burkett got to see the church where Paul Revere shined his latern, Dana got to soak in the beautiful townscape, Pose got to sit on the "Make Way For Ducklings" statues, and Blair got to show off his kilt. So all in all, we had a good day.

DAY 8: This was a bittersweet day for many of us. On our way to New York City, we became helplessly lost. The drive from New Hampshire to New York took us 10 hours. About 8 1/2 hours in, we stopped at a gas station and Pose, Noah, Keeley, and Cara hopped a taxi into the city. Noah was meeting his wife in their new apartment, and the girls went to TKTS to get us all tickets for shows that night. The also made it to the British tea room, which made Keeley a happy girl. The rest of us finished a miserable drive to our hotel in New Jersey. Dan, Josh, Abi, and I called to have a cab waiting to pick us up at 7:10, but when it didn't show up by 7:30 we gave up and hopped a miracle bus that randomly stopped our place at the Wyndam. We walked the 1 mile to Studio 54, giving us a glimpse of the big city (it was my first time, but I felt rather at home...it's like Chicago, but flashier). We missed the first three numbers of Three Penny Opera, and Pose (who was meeting us at the theater) was scared half to death that we were in a taxi accident (when they sat us, the just put us in a corner rather than walking us to our correct seats, which is where Pose was waiting). However, it was still a fantastic show, as you can see from our photographs. Keeley and Cara saw Chicago, and they enjoyed it very much. We went to go eat, and everything was REDICULOUSLY expensive!!! I spent $13 on the worst hot dog and fries of my life. Also, we realized the last bus left at 1 and we didn't get our food until 12:45...luckily we got it to go, and booked it to the station. We victoriously ate our meal on the bus, with minor difficulty. Once we got back to the hotel, we realized that everyone was asleep and the bus with our luggage was locked. That made for an interesting sleeping situation.

DAY 9: We performed at Kristen's church in New Jersey. After meeting her family at our Subway lunch and seeing how close she and her mom were, I immediately missed my family. However, by the end of the night that feeling was subdued by the Kohaut family showering us with presents, strawberry pie, and love! Not to mention how amazing her church was in taking care of us. Here are pictures of the dressing room they decorated for us, the sanctuary with our set up, and the amazing dinner they gave us!

We had an awesome set-up, and Abi and I had fun in Kristen's brother's room that night!

These are a few of my favortite things

2006-06-19T14:26:00.000-04:00

I love everything about this tour. I adore putting colored gels in the lights and eating helping after helping of delicious homemade lasagna. I have fun meeting a new family every night and lifting heavy objects out of our truck. I love Dawesgate (a gang created by Josh Dawes and myself) and every single person that I have been blessed enough to spend my summer with. I enjoy living out of a suitcase and transforming a beautiful sanctuary into a rockin' stage and then putting it back again. There is very little about this show that doesn't give me a thrill!
All that said, I am sitting outside on the steps of Mt. Pleasant United Brethren Church in Cambersburg, PA and getting ready for another awesome show with some incredible people. Thank you Lord!

oh, life...

2006-06-18T00:05:00.000-04:00

so, it's day...NINE? and quickly approaching day ten...actually, it IS day ten. things have been more than words can say. and i can still safely say that i appreciate every single person on this tour. and that's a great feeling.

speaking of appreciating good company, while much of the cast spent a grand night in NYC, a bunch of the guys decided to chill in jersey...and i decided to be one of the guys. and i do not regret it one bit. hahaha, these guys on the road are quite the characters, and they definitely know how to unwind with style. i'll take their company over the big apple any day...

and by far, my favorite place yet has been in New Hampshire up on a mountain surrounded by the grounds of "His Mansion", this little community whose purpose is to help those who are hurting due to addictions and abuse and guide them into turning their lives around. i was so moved by some of the stories i got to hear. you never really think about people with addictions as people, but more of a problem. however, these people were remarkable, and their renewed lives was more than refreshing for me to experience. mmmmm....absolutely beautiful. not to mention how picturesque the setting was. absolutely indescribable.

right now cara and i are staying with bill & maria, who graciously have allowed us to use their internet. *sigh* it's been quite a day.

i am reminded of a quote from anne of green gables: "tomorrow's always fresh, with no mistakes in it." it's a new day, folks. time to do some laundry. goodnight, world.

A Night Out in New York City

2006-06-17T02:54:00.000-04:00

After a last-minute decision to ditch our cab and catch the miraculously placed $2.50 bus, we dashed across the pond to catch the 8 o'clock shows of Three Penny Opera and Chicago. Autographs and pictures with Cyndi Lauper, Alan Cumming, and Ana Gasteyer followed after, which led to an onslaught of estatic jumping, heinous accents, and peeing-our-pants excitement.

We're in Boston, Bubsy!

2006-06-17T02:20:00.000-04:00

Riding into the city on the train

Make way for Godspell!

Canadian Shenanigans

2006-06-17T02:16:00.000-04:00

A very happy Godspell cast, eternally grateful to the Magnus family!

Females basking in the beauty of the Flake house!

My first visit to Niagara Falls

Tim Hornton's hot chocolate = crazy cast members!! Abi's hair on Dan's head = the ugliest "woman" in Canada

Boot Camp Bonding

2006-06-17T01:23:00.000-04:00

Our first truck pack...in the rain. Mike used Abi's hair as a towel...and we all threw up a little bit in our mouths.

Eric is dubbed "The Grease Man"

Burkett takes control and Connor lends a hand

Mike surprises us with brand new Godspell T's!

It's all fun and games...until someone gets hit in the face with a plank!

Forester Fun!

Sign our Guestbook

2006-06-15T11:26:00.000-04:00

Friends and fans of our cast and crew are cordially invited to leave a comment here. Just click the "comment" link below.

You can also leave a personal message for any member of the team by posting a comment to their individual profile. Click their image above, or view all the profile pages published in early May.

Feedback on Ella's devotions

2006-06-14T16:28:00.000-04:00

Ed Souers, chairman of HU's Board of Trustees, sent Mike Burnett the following email on June 7. It is re-posted here by permission.

Mike,

I have visited the web site for the Godspell production. I know a great deal of work has gone into this and I congratulate you and all who have been involved on the production. I think it is going to be a fantastic ministry opportunity.

I was especially impressed with the devotions that Ella put together. I just had to sit back and say wow! That was a great commitment of time on her part. I trust it was rewarding to all those who participated. In fact it is her devotion effort that motivated me to write.

Kaylene and I plan to attend the first show at Hopewell this week. We can't wait.

Thanks for all you do for the University.

Ed Souers

To read the Godspell devotions prepared by Ella Burnett, please visit www.huntington.edu/godspell/devos.

Life On the Road

2006-06-12T23:41:00.000-04:00

Hello all!! So I wrote a big long post awhile ago, but somehow it didn't go through. Now you're going to get a giant dose of Jenn-life, right off the bat. Hooray!! So we hit the road 5 days ago. These have been the most memorable days of my life, and we just started. There are over 30 shows left. WOW. How do I begin to explain?

DAY 1: Traveled a few hours to Auburn, IN, and performed our first show to a full house. Received standing ovation. Stayed the night with an older couple who had only been married 6 years. Stayed in a room with Cara Bussis, who broke the bedroom doorknob off upon entering. Played with the couple's ridiculously adorable grandson. Was asked to autograph my bio in the Godspell program (which is full color and glossy, btw. They went all out!). We slept in twin beds that were across the room from each other (it felt like an early episode of I Love Lucy). They drove us through the town's covered bridge on the way back to the church in the morning and wanted my and Cara's picture next to it. So we posed.

DAY 2: Trekked up to Brooklyn, MI. Was friended on myspace by a girl who saw me in the IN show. Performed in a huge gymnasium space. Tension ran pretty high between cast members while we were setting up, and I felt like people were mad at me and that made me sad. This was the first time running the show that we had a lot of time to burn before go time, and I think people just wanted to hang out and were anxious to get off stage. But the show ran fine, and everyone was happy afterwards! Directly before this performance, as in w/in 5 seconds of going onstage, I absolutely slammed my head into a hanging rack in this gym closet we were waiting in, and then tried not to laugh at my throbbing pain while taking my position. I stayed the night with Bekah Posegate at a house in the middle of nowhere w/ a woman and her 2 college age daughters. We talked about boys and Christian schools (they go to Spring Arbor) and ate random food: Cheerios, chocolate chip cookies, and pretzels. We fell asleep on an air matress in their living room while watching a movie; I woke up in the morning and we were both laying in our exact movie-watching positions. The cast of Godspell decided to do pushup club, which entails do doing 3000 push ups by the end of 10 days. I have adopted the girl version: 100 push ups and 200 crunches per day. By the end of Day 2 I could not move my arms enough to hold up the bag of chips I was eating.

DAY 3: A 4 hour drive up to Guelph, Ontario in Canada. I got to know Noah better on the bus ride, because he was driver and I felt he needed someone to talk to. I love him. I can't wait to meet his wife, Bailey. When we got to Guelph, we went to the 150th Celebration of Canadian United Brethren at The Hartman Farm. There were about 600 Canadians there, and all ridiculously nice and fun. However, about 5 minutes after I stepped off the bus, I was rushed by half of my cast saying there was a pie eating contest, and I had to go do it. Noah, Dan, and Blair were doing it, and they wanted some girls (there were only 8 contestants, so we decided the Canadians were like, "Stupid greedy Americans, let's get them sick off of pie". And they were right). So being the ridiculously competitive feminist I am, I stepped up to the challenge. AND I WON. Yes, readers. I, Jenn Miller, fit an entire 8 inch apple pie into my stomach, faster than a group of huge men. I am a beast. And I felt deathly ill for about 5 hours after. I tried to throw it up, but it didn't happen. So I passed on the square dancing, and opted instead to sit with my fellow competitor Dan and wallow in my fullness. We played tug-a-war, Jesus team vs. Judas team (see facebook for team pictures from our bonding day), and of course Judas team won. Betray at all costs!!!! Brad had me test mics in the festival tent while people were eating, which went like this: Jenn standing in front of over 100 people saying "test test test". Brad: "Jenn, I need you to sing." Jenn singing "O Happy Day" under her breath, as people start to notice a girl is randomly singing at the front of the tent. Brad: "Jenn, I need you to sing like Jenn. REALLY sing". Jenn belts "I Get on My Knees". Godspell cast walks by the tent, laughing and wondering why the heck Jenn is giving a mini-show to hundreds of people. Jenn realizes that she needs to rehearse some songs that make her actually sound like she can sing in case she is ever in this sort of situation ever again. We then performed a 15 minute snippet of our show in the festival tent, after head banging to a band that had 2 teenage girls as the guitarist/singers. I felt we needed to support. And I paid dearly for my actions today. Anyways, it got ridiculously cold in the festival tent during the guest speaker's speech, and we were happy to head off to a Canadian household, complete with color-coded trash bags, milk in a bag, awesome accents, hockey paraphanalia, and a boy I beat in the pie-eating contest. This couple had 2 high-school age girls as well, and the older one was a lot like me. I liked her, and she made me laugh. Kristen and I stayed up talking to the family for awhile, and they tried to stuff me full of junk food (because I "didn't have dinner", but I ate an ENTIRE FREAKING APPLE PIE!!!!!). I think Kristen is hillarious. We got to sleep in a queen bed that was the most comfortable thing my body has ever laid on. The family had given us the boy's room, and laid towels out for us and given us a bowl of awesome food on the dresser. It was amazing.

DAY 4: We performed a 1 hour version of our show for both services at Parkwood Gardens Church, the one that Dave Magnus' dad is a preacher at. My voice was shot from performing outside w/ only floor mics the night before (we had to project like WHOA). When we got to the church they had a power point going on 5 different monitors with our head shots. It was weird to see my huge face and name all over the place. We received standing Os both services, and everyone was ridiculously nice. THEN, we were able to eat the best food I've ever had. Honestly. I think Mrs. Magnus made the best meal I've ever had in my life. She specially made for our cast ham, baked potatos, spinach dip and rye bread, green bean casserole (the way I like it, w/ beans still light green), veggie platter, jello w/ raspberries and blueberries in it, delicious rolls, cherry chocolate cake, and a chocolate pudding that had brownies and raspberries in it. And I'm sure I forgot some stuff. But man, it was GOOD. I ate myself silly. Then, we re-packed the truck and traveled about 2 more hours to Ft. Erie, Ontario where we performed the full show. It went really well, and they had refreshments afterwards so we could mingle w/ the audience. We loaded up and got in our "Cuddle" (the new way we pray. We went from holding pinkies to holding hands to arms around waist to basically getting as close to each other as we can, including our host families. It makes my soul smile), and then the girls headed off to a BEAUTIFULLY decorated house, and the boys are at another house. We talked to the couple for a little over an hour (kind, gorgeous young couple), and then we all piled onto mattresses in another amazingly decorated room.

DAY 5: We finished off our time in Canada with a visit to Niagara Falls, many of us for the first time. God's creation is so amazing and beautiful!!! We hung around that area and went to Tim Horton's for lunch. That hot chocolate was the best I've ever had, no doubt. We spent the second half of our day driving, and we crashed for the night in a hotel in Albany, New York.

TODAY: We just finished setting up for a show in New Hampshire. The landscape here is absolutely gorgeous...we are in a town on a mountain, and you can see hillsides all around us. The sky is filled with puffy clouds set in the smoothest shade of blue, and the trees and grass are blazing green. There are leafy trees mixed in with evergreens, creating the freshest mountain air I've ever breathed. My voice is very sore right now, so any kind of prayers for a speedy recovery would be very much appreciated!!!!

I love my life, and I miss you all.

Rollout!

2006-06-11T01:09:00.000-04:00

So we are officially on the road. Well we have been for three days now. So far everything has been wonderful. Today we partied right on into Canada, and by the grace of God experienced absolutely no problems whatsoever at the border. We did a little Godspell teaser at the 150th anniversary celebration of the Canadian UB church. Happy 150th birthday UB of Canada. It was an awesome time. Complete with free tea which I will just say was nothing short of a total blessing since I have been dying without my morning tea on the tour thus far. Tomorrow promises to be an insane day with three shows packed into one day. Plus a two hour drive and load-in and load-out. However, I am told we have a full ham dinner for lunch so I'm sure it will all be worth it :) For any of you late night readers, prayer over our day tomorrow would be wonderful. Peace out from Canada.

Day 2

2006-06-09T13:48:00.000-04:00

Hey kids! I was sitting in the laundry mat in Brooklyn MI, updating our checklists for the costumes and watching some Walker Texas Ranger (....oh the mullet...) when TADAH!!!! i got internet service!!! YAY!! soooo....update! Last night was amazing! it was our first audience and time really being on the road....words can't describe it. i love that i still get the giddiness of it all. pose and i were standing backstage waiting to go on (her parents surprised her last nite) and we were just grinning. she leaned over to me and said "this is our debut as professional actors." and the giddiness just grew. Great show, fantastical audience. Homestays were amazing as well. the only downside of the good home stays is that there are few good stories to tell. but that's really ok. Thanks to all of the people at Hopewell Church in Auburn, IN for everything.

things learned:
laundry neeeeeeeeds to be done at a laundry mat (and on that note, time to move the loads). it takes much too long to do at a personal residence and we don't have the time (usually) to do it in the set up time. (ok, the red headed mullet wonder just strapped on a backpack rocket and shot himeself to the top of a building where a dinner party was being held hostage....of course)

don't have the cast put the mic belts in the laundry, because then you have to sift through the smelly-wetness in order to find them all and make sure they are all present and accounted for.

last, don't slam the door of a dryer while the knob in in your hand. i think i just bruised a bone in my hand (people on this show don't know how to hold and fire guns, and the lighting in this show is horrible...) which is making typing really obnoxious and piano will be fun tonight.

side note: MY MOM AND GRANDPARENTS ARE COMING TONITE!!!

tomorrow: the great white north

oh no!! internet access...where did you go?

Officially on the Road

2006-06-08T14:20:00.000-04:00

Well, we sent the troupe off with a prayer circle about 2 hours ago and they should already be at their 1st "official" tour date location! Hard to believe.

I "officially" finished costumes Sunday afternoon - at least I assume I did, I haven't heard of any problems since. A couple of shopping trips Friday, Saturday, and Sunday fixed the few problems I was having. Already had a pair of shoes blow out - not a good sign, but gives you a good idea of how much dancing they do and how much wear and tear their clothes are getting. Even with 2 separate outfits, in 2 1/2 months their clothes will be experiencing about the same amount of wear and tear normal "street" clothes experience in about 2 1/2 years. The wear and tear on the shoes is worse, since they are wearing them everyday (and most people don't dance a lot in their normal "street" shoes).

We had a "bon voyage" party for the cast & crew at our house last night. A good night of fun and relaxation - a lot of food, a lot of ping-pong, a little baseball, a medium-sized water fight, a broken window, and a collapsed ping-pong table - couldn't ask for more! It ended a little earlier than we thought it would, as everyone on the tour was trying to get back to their aparments so they could get their laundry done before they left this morning.

Not much else to report, the home-base will be quiet for a few weeks. Mike and I do plan on catching up with them out on the tour as our vacation plans just happen to line up with some of their tour locations. It will be neat to see them in different locations and at various points throughout the tour, and then finally back at home on the MCA stage.

Is it really over?

2006-06-07T08:27:00.000-04:00

I realized yesterday morning as Conner and I worked at home that "boot camp" was nearly over. At this point, a small rehearsal on Wednesday, a few more devotionals, making sure everything is packed, and a cookout and I would be basically done with my part of preparing the team for the road. To tell you the truth, I was a bit saddened.

As I watched the show last night at Good Shepherd, I was hit with these feelings again. My good friend Dan, playing Jesus, brings things to the part last night that I was finally getting to enjoy, rather than stress over tech elements. Working with Noah again has been as fun, and his leadership, work ethic and joy has been a blessing. The rest of the company has become very close and enjoyable to watch and learn from. And the energy they have to tell the message of the Gospel is awesome. Its a God thing. That's about the only way to explain it. How else can 13 actors and 1 technician have energy to put on a great show after a gruelling load in? I don't know if I could do it. Conner wants to. Maybe in a few years, eh? But I am in awe of this company and their abilities. Beyond that, I am in complete awe of their attitudes during this. Pushed beyond their breaking point, with bruises and hurting bodies and minds, they still maintain a level of friendship and fun with each other that I don't know if I am capable of. I learn from them. The student has become the teacher.

I'll miss these guys. Its hard to push when there isn't much more room for them to go. But, through pushing them to do their best, you eventually get their best. I think we're there team. Sure, things will go wrong, but I believe we are at the point where its not because of a lack of trying. Sometimes it just happens. Even with the mistakes last night, it was still a good performance. Even with my mistakes last night...especially the one that plunged the stage into darkness, it still was a good performance.

You guys rock. Enjoy the moment. Enjoy each other. But most importantly, enjoy God's message, being told as only you can tell it. I love you all.

Mike

God is good...

2006-06-07T01:19:00.000-04:00

i've been noticing the little things lately....seeing the things that i sometimes take for granted. tonight, while being swamped with crazy bugs and loading in the truck, i took a breath for a moment and looked up into the sky...to see a breath-taking image of the moon and clouds. it calmed my nerves and helped me gather my patience to finish the task at hand.

God is good...

also, last night, during one of the numbers, i got my right hand/wrist jammed up pretty badly. while this isn't TOO big of a deal for some people, it made tonight's piano playing slightly more taxing...but in that trial, there was a joy in the completion of the show. it could have been worse.

God is good...

i marvel at the many gifts that God has bestowed upon each of us. not just gifts like dancing, singing, acting, or playing instruments...but communing together. having patience with one another. and just loving each other. it's a wonderful thing to see smiles on my friends' faces. even though we may have had a hard day here and there. i remember thinking when i was first cast in this show that i would be missing out on family time. but i'm not. i have another family, consisting of some of the most amazing people i've ever met. "i'm so glad i'm a part of the family of God."

well, i'm becoming slightly delusional, and since most of the cast is getting up early to go to fort wayne tomorrow, i can't waste any more time. goooooooooodnight!!

a semi-audience

2006-06-07T01:02:00.000-04:00

We had more than ten people show up tonight! It was in that sense like a real show. Anyways, we keep hitting our mics and it sounds bad, we should probably stop doing that. And don't breathe; it sounds bad over the system... No, we have to breathe, but mabye not so hard into the mics.
While everyone else is having a midnight (literally) snack I am here being lame and writing this thinking I should shower. Yeah, I need to get to that, smelling bad is not productive of anything other than stink.
So, we leave in two days for the open road. I'm not sure how I feel about that. There seems to be some tech stuff we still need to work out. Whatever, we're in theatre; the show must go on. We'll make it work somehow.
Ok, I'm out to shower and crash, and not join the cast party because I'm lame. Goodnight.

Fun Times

2006-06-04T18:05:00.000-04:00

We had a great run today! Even though it was in one of the smallest spaces we will ever have (Recital Hall) there was just this sense of play through out the entire show. We were having fun together which seems to be happening more and more as this production gets rolling. So much so that after spending literally entire weeks together in complete exhuastion, we still chose to hang out with each other after a long rehearsal. By day, we hear about prodigal sons, secret gaurding cyborgs, hypocritial pharisees and the breaking of His body and by night we watch X-Men 3 or eat spagetti or laugh it up at A&W. We have formed a community in this show and out of it and we did it in record time. Now lets get on the road!
I wish I could express how proud I am to be a part of Godspell Summer Tour 2006!

Finally... a semi-day off...

2006-06-04T11:20:00.000-04:00

Ahhh... After a restful night's sleep, it is finally a Sunday... and that means an easy day for us all.

Yesterday was both a very good day and very bad day. Here's the bad first:

1) We had to load up 1.5 flights of stairs
2) The air conditioning in the gym that we were performing in was not on
3) The front truss was set up too far forward, therefore limiting our stage to relatively small/medium size

And now... the good:

1) We had a better show than yesterday, even with the heat and cramped quarters
2) We loaded out in record time, even with 1.5 flights of stairs
3) We can fit everything into the truck (but we still have even more to fit in. No worries, though, we'll get it)
4) It was an extremely long day and even though we are and were very, very tired, we pushed through it and got done earlier than yesterday even with a 45 minute drive to/from Huntington

So now that it's Sunday, it's officially our day of rest before Monday and Tuesdays trips to churches in the area. Then Wednesday, we have another day of rest before we head for Auburn, IN on Thursday.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers concerning us and also thank you very much for all of your support. This is going to be an amazing trip.

-Eric

The W.S.C.

2006-06-04T01:05:00.000-04:00

So, here I lie in the waning hours of the day, feeling like nothing short of a rock concert ran me right over. This may have been the longest day of my life.

Are you familiar with the recent revival of King Kong? There's a scene where the fearless seafarers come under the assault of hordes of elephantitis-stricken bugs, wherein one sad sack becomes the dinner of several creatures looking like prepubescent aliens from the hit movie, Aliens. Each appendage gripped in a toothy beartrap, he eventually disappears.

That's what today felt like. We had, by far, our most difficult load in of the show, one I hope not to repeat. The performance, though credited as a good one, took place in pure hot. Finally, the strike, though quick, required the exact opposite traffic pattern as the load in. However, as we have faced what one could consider our greatest challenge, it feels good. We've survived the toothy beartraps, and we are stronger for it. My body writhes in soreness, and I'm sure I won't maintain my bipedal status in the morning, but I will attend Good Shepherd for church, and I will be glad I did.

I'm going to bed. This is just ridiculous.
"Dan, if you're so sore and tired, why don't you just go to bed?"
That's an excellent question, but I'm still hurt by your tone. I sleep now.

Preview Review

2006-06-02T14:35:00.000-04:00

Rev. Patrick Jones, who serves as the Healthy Church Ministries Director of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, was invited to sit in on a pre-tour performance of Godspell. He posted notes about the show on his ClusterCoach blog.

Once again I was struck with the remarkable way this story presents the psychological, social and relational trends that represent us as sinful human beings through the centuries and then gives voice to Jesus speaking the truths of the Sermon on the Mount and familiar parables into those trends...This is a great opportunity to reach into the lives of our pre-Christian, unbelieving friends with a high quality, Scripturally sound presentation of the Gospel. It gives a foundation for further dialog with your friends about the Gospel, and just may serve as the bridge to see them coming to faith in Christ.

Read Pat's entire review here: http://www.ubonline.org/clusters

Production Notes

2006-06-02T09:41:00.000-04:00

After seeing a run-through of the show on Wednesday, John Paff wrote the following introduction for the performance program. The links below point to "little known facts about Godspell" on the show's official website at Huntington University.

Welcome! The purpose of Godspell is to present the joyful message of the hope of Christ through a musical celebration of the Gospel.

Jesus came to Earth in an era very much like our own – an age of conflicting philosophies and religious perspectives. The opening scene of Godspell captures this Babel of competing worldviews. If you are left a bit confused by all this, then we have done a good job of setting the stage for what is to come.

Onto the scene steps our Jesus. Unlike earlier productions of Godspell , which cast Jesus and his disciples as a traveling band of troubadours, we interpret Christ as the master carpenter of the ultimate world makeover show. Jesus comes to help his followers remodel their lives.

You will immediately recognize Jesus’ stories. The script of Godspell is drawn nearly verbatim from the Gospel according to Matthew. The parables are punctuated with memorable songs by Stephen Schwartz that combine 18th century hymnbook lyrics with 20th Century rock'n'roll.

There is a fair amount of reverent silliness in Godspell , particularly in the first act. Playwright John-Michael Tebelak reminds us that the teachings of Jesus were thought ridiculous and absurd in His own day. Godspell reacts against the dour, ivory-tower intellectualism that robs our faith of joy.

The second act focuses on Jesus’ betrayal and crucifixion. In one particularly poignant scene, Jesus helps his disciples pack up the construction tools they have used in vain attempts to rebuild their own lives. Through His death and resurrection, the Master Builder completes construction of the new life. The finale is a joyful celebration of the risen Christ.

Costume II, ii

2006-05-31T16:21:00.000-04:00

To the list in my earlier post, add...

5 ladies tops
4 ladies tank tops
3 shopping trips
2 men's t-shirts
1 belt

And a very tired costume designer....

Hmmm this sounds familiar...

Why, hello...

2006-05-31T08:09:00.000-04:00

Hey, everybody... This is my first post on this Godspell blogsite or whatever, so... yeah...

Things are going well. I was in around 1-2 feet of space on the top part of the trailer putting trusses, lights, and ladders up there. It was pretty cool. I'm officially named "Grease Monkey" for my ability to squeeze into small places and move stuff around. Today, we head off for the Nazerene Church here in town. Should be pretty cool, I think. My personal goal is to destroy our load out/setup/strike/load in time from yesterday, which I think is definitely feasible.

K, I guess that's all I have for now, gotta head to rehearsal. Have a great day :D.

Costumes II

2006-05-30T10:56:00.000-04:00

Well, I spent most of the weekend costume shopping and watching dress rehearsals and, of course, more shopping. Things are going fairly well and things are working for the most part, just a couple of shirts/tops that keep giving me trouble. And shoes...

I calculated (approximately) last night that for 13 actors/performers (7 ladies + 6 men) I have bought a total of:

27 pairs of shoes (11 for the men/16 for the ladies)
16 pairs of men's shorts
19 pairs of ladies' capris
2 skirts
15 ladies' tank tops
22 miscellaneous ladies' tops
15 men's t-shirts
15 miscellaneous men's shirts (i.e. button-downs, polos, etc)
10 belts
15 plastic shoeboxes
13 make-up boxes
40 regular hangers
28 hangers w/pant clips
6 cans of odor-eater spray for shoes
6 hanging odor "destroyers" for the wardrobe
1 iron
1 portable steamer
1 ironing board
2 collapsable laundry hampers
the makings of 2 emergency sewing kits
and I don't know how many pairs of socks, miscellaneous laundry supplies, and other costume "accessories"

...all purchased in one of 8 major shopping trips (not counting quick runs to Wal-Mart or K-Mart) covering over 400 miles and a little over 40 hours

Schwartz's First Impressions of Godspell

2006-05-30T10:20:00.000-04:00

From an Interview with Stephen Schwartz on www.stephenschwartz.com

Stephen Schwartz had his first encounter with Godspell on March 7, 1971 at the Café LaMama off-off-Broadway:

“It was a pretty shaky time in my life. I had been musical director of a show that had just flopped and I had just lost my job at RCA Records. I got a call from Charlie Haid, whom I had known at college; he was working with two producers, Edgar Lansbury and Joe Beruh, who had heard me audition the score for PIPPIN. He told me they were thinking of moving a show called Godspell from LaMama to Off-Broadway and asked if I would be interested in writing a score for it. I went to see it that night. I remember the energy and freshness and being astonished that John-Michael Tebelak, the conceiver/director, had discovered so much humor in material which I had always seen treated with ponderous solemnity. Above all, I remember feeling the joy I shared with the other members of the tiny audience.

Five weeks later, we went back into rehearsal with my score (and one song we retained from the LaMama production, the lovely “By My Side.”) The rehearsal period was intense and strenuous, though full of laughter, and there was a kind of focus that I didn’t know then was unusual. We did not think at all past opening night, about things like hit or flop, reviews and ticket sales. There was no second-guessing. I remember late in previews, one of the cast members saying with wonder, “Do you realize critics are going to write about us?” and all of us looking at him with astonishment. It had never really entered our minds.

I know there was a sort of innocence and purity about that experience which I spent too long trying to find again. But Godspell will always be a special show for me, and that spring of 1971 a special time.”

Another quote from Schwartz:

"I come not from a Christian upbringing and therefore I really didn't know the New Testament. I was reading some of these parables for the first time and the hymns that I set with new music for the show are all from the Episcopal Hymnal. I basically was responding to the material fresh,
for the first time."

whoa...technology...

2006-05-28T03:09:00.000-04:00

part of the cast went to see x3 tonite...mixed feelings about it. it was good to have some more fun with these kids. its been a long and productive week and i really feel like the cast is beginning to gel (not that there wasn't a chance we wouldn't) and have ridiculous amounts of fun, even outside of rehearsal. i'm getting antsy about being on the road (clairify: excited-antsy...an-c.bus, if you will), but we have a ways to go and plenty of time in which to do it. tomorrow we start load in practice-ness, so lets pray nobody gets too injured. my legs (along with several other's) look like a small school boy's after a game of soccer...knees too. its worth it though. i'm a sucker for the stories...ok...3 am and my bed calls. God bless

haha...

2006-05-27T12:50:00.000-04:00

so apparently, i was really REALLY excited about my last post and decided that since my computer was frozen, i could simply keep pressing the button and it would show up...well, it did...and three times. heheh...like mr. burkett, this blogging thing takes a while to get used to...
today is being devoted greatly to working out musical/band kinks and adding the lights and tech to the show...it's very encouraging to see things developing so quickly and watching everyone keep up. yay!
the summer is quickly approaching, and even though there's a lot of apprehension (getting things memorized, learning how to set the whole production up), i have so much excitement for all the experiences that await this fantastic group!

wow..

2006-05-26T18:01:00.000-04:00

so much has been going on these past...week? yeah, i think it's only been a week and some change. crazy how it feels we've been doing this show for a month or two, getting all the kinks worked out.
i have never been more impressed with a cast. they're all so hard-working, yet they still know how to have tons of fun at the same time. and the same goes for the band. everyone is really working at pulling their own weight.
a lot of the cast members have been afflicted with sickness...things from laryngitis to kristen's "esophagitis" (hehehe), to just being really worn out and tired...and yet the cast finds ways to pull together and make the time completely profitable.
and "the powers that be" (professor shamburger, professor burnett, kristi shamburger) are working right alongside us...and it's just really encouraging.
yes, there have been hard times. BUT...there have been great times that seem to let the bad times vanish. the group is bonded, we all laugh together, cry together...it's a beautiful community that i am SO blessed to be a part of. and this feature of the group, more than anything else, will be the message that people walk away with. they will see a group of people who love to be together.
*sigh*
GOD is good.

How Godspell was conceived….

2006-05-25T10:41:00.000-04:00

The following is an excerpt from an interview with John-Michael Tebelak that appeared in the Janaury 1975 issue of Dramatics. He remembers the events leading up to selecting his thesis project for graduation from Carnegie Mellon:

“...Finally, I turned toward the Gospels and sat one afternoon and read the whole thing through. Afterwards, I became terribly excited because I found what I wanted to portray on stage—Joy! I found a great joy, a simplicity—some rather comforting words in the Gospel itself—in these four books. I began immediately to adapt it.

I decided to go to Easter sunrise service to experience, again, the story that I had gotten from the Gospel. As I went, it began to snow which is rather strange for Easter. When I went into the cathedral, everyone there was sitting, grumbling about the snow, and the fact that they had already changed their tires. They weren't going to be able to take pictures that afternoon. Snow was upsetting their plans. As the service began, I thought it might be a little different. Instead, an old priest came out and mumbled into a microphone, and people mumbled things back, and then everyone got up and left. Instead of "healing" the burden, or resurrecting the Christ, it seems those people had pushed Him back into the tomb. They had refused to let Him come out that day.

As I was leaving the church, a policeman who had been sitting two pews ahead of me during the service, stopped me and wanted to know if he could search me. Apparently he had thought I was ducking into the church to escape the snowstorm. At that moment—I think because of the absurd situation—it angered me so much that I went home and realized what I wanted to do with the Gospels: I wanted to make it the simple, joyful message that I felt the first time I read them and recreate the sense of community, which I did not share when I went to that service. I went to my teachers at Carnegie and asked if I could work at my own special project for my masters' degree, and they agreed. That following fall, in October, we began rehearsals at Carnegie.”

As we prepare to begin our Summer 2006 tour, we say that the purpose/message of Godspell is to present the joyful message of the hope of Christ through a musical celebration of the gospel according to Matthew.

Meet the other, other Jeremy

2006-05-24T17:58:00.000-04:00

I've never really blogged before so I have no idea of the format of these posts so if I'm doing this in a weird way, go ahead and laugh it up, then get over yourself.

My name is Jeremy Burkett and my main role in this whole thing is to play the bass. I've never really acted in the recent history of my illustrious career (except for the show-stopping White Knight I played for my 8th grade production of "Alice in Wonderland". And yes, I did all my own stunts!) So a lot of this is new for me. I really enjoy the music of this show and I hope the people who will see and hear it can get as much out of it as I already have.

More to come later......

Costumes, by Ella Burnett

2006-05-23T08:13:00.000-04:00

Well, we spent 2 hours doing costume fittings last night, based on that it appears I still have another shopping trip or 2 to take in before dress rehearsals start on Saturday - of course, this is after 3 major all-day shopping trips thus far.

Basically, I'm trying to make sure everyone has 2 separate outfits that they can choose between while on the road. I like the idea that, costume-look-wise, the show may never look the same twice - randomness. Of course, each of the actor's 2 costumes fall in the same color range, so I'm not upsetting things asthetically. Also, having 2 costumes helps to have more time between laundry runs and therefore less wear and tear on the clothes by the end of the summer. Hope it works, I guess we'll see starting Saturday.

Shall I talk about concept? Sure, why not - I'll warn you, when it comes to design, I'm an intellectual, philosophizing nerd - always a reason behind color choices, silhouette lines, etc.

To begin with, for this particular production of Godspell, we wanted to get away from the old-fashioned, hippy clowns that most people think of when they hear Godspell. We wanted it to be hip and up-to-date for a modern audience; or at least as hip as a bunch of middle-age theatre profs with kids can be hip. Honestly, I had to research fashion magazines for about a month before I semi-understood recent fashion trends - and I'm still not sure I have a great grasp on them.

After studying the fashion scene, I began to look at characters, which for this show is a little hard, since the actors usually are more an exagerrated version of themselves rather than a fictional character. But, Jesus and John the Baptist/Judas are more traditional characters, so I began with them. Looking at Jesus, I was trying to find a modern connection. What would he look like as a modern day carpenter turned teacher? Norm Abrams? No, too stuffy. Hmmm...Ty Pennington?!? And I'm off, looking at photos, researching Extreme Makeover: Home Addition (do they even make the other addition anymore?) This leads David and Mike into a "construction site" concept for the rest of the show that goes well with the "rennovation" message Jesus presents in the Gospel of Matthew. With these ideas beginning to firm, I move on to color - what palette should I use?

Going back to my recent fashion research and my pictures of Ty Pennington, I looked for a trend in this season's colors. What I found was that shades of browns, greens, blues, and oranges are quite popular, which I connected with earth colors - dirt, grass & leaves, sky & water, sun & fire - God's creation. Ty Pennington, if you haven't noticed, wears quite a bit of brown (probably cause it hides dirt and dust well). I saw this as a perfect color choice for Jesus - God in earthly flesh. John the Baptist could be no other color but blue (all that water stuff he does, ya know). After that, the colors become random on the characters, based more on what colors in the palette I could find for the different styles I chose for the other actors. And, I tried to keep a range of styles - dressy, sporty, casual, relaxed, etc. so that different audience members could hopefully personally connect to a least one actor on stage.

Okay, there it is - the thoughts and ideas behind the Godspell costumes. Not quite as deep as I usually go, but probably more than most people will ever expect when they actually see the show. Enjoy!

Meet Noah

2006-05-18T17:38:00.000-04:00

NOAH VARNESS (John the Baptist/Judas) No stranger to the HU stage, Noah has been seen in Side Show (Ensemble), Little Women (Laurie), Shadowlands (C.S. Lewis), Into the Woods (Rapunzel’s Prince), Mr. Roberts (A Sailor), The Miser (Commissioner), Life of Galileo (Galileo), Oklahoma! (Ali Hakim), and Pirates of Penzance (Samuel). Noah was also seen playing Ben Campbell in Trumpet in the Land. For the past two years, Noah has been acting in the Cleveland area where his favorite shows include All in the Timing, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Wind in the Willows, The Imaginary Invalid, Waiting for Lefty and Philadelphia, Here I Come. A native of Morris, Illinois, Noah graduated with a degree in Theatre Performance in 2004. He plans to move to New York City after this tour.

Meet Kristi

2006-05-18T17:35:00.000-04:00

KRISTI SHAMBURGER (Choreographer) holds an MFA from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a BM from Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio. Kristi has traveled and performed across the country working for such companies as Lyric Opera Cleveland, Skylight Opera Theatre, Cumberland County Playhouse, Carousel Dinner Theatre, The Barn Dinner Theatre, McLeod Summer Playhouse, Saint Michaels Playhouse, and Opryland U.S.A. Some of her favorite roles include: Cleo in Most Happy Fella, Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes, and Constance in King John. She has also performed in the Bellhop Review at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino. Here at HU she has been choreographer for Pippin, 1940’s Radio Hour, I, Faustus and Shakesperience!.

Meet David

2006-05-18T17:34:00.000-04:00

DAVID SHAMBURGER (Director) has worked professionally as both actor and director and has taught theatre at Middle Georgia College and University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Professor Shamburger has been a resident member of the Grandbury Opera House in Texas, the Horse Cave Repertory Theatre in Kentucky, Clinton Area Showboat Theatre (CAST) in Iowa, McLeod Summer Playhouse in Illinois, and Saint Michael’s Playhouse in Vermont. Professor Shamburger holds an MFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where he gained extensive training in classical acting, building on an already great interest in performing and teaching Shakespeare. At HU he has directed Pippin, Curious Savage, 1940’s Radio Hour and Shakesperience!.

Meet the other Jeremy

2006-05-18T17:33:00.000-04:00

JEREMY RUFENER (Company Manager) is in his second year with the Huntington University Advancement Office. As a field representative, Jeremy works to keep younger alumni connected to the University by using the Online Community, face-to-face appointments, and many other ways. A graduate of Huntington, Jeremy worked as a wholesaler for a financial services firm in Indianapolis before returning to work at his alma mater. He says he enjoys working with the people of Huntington University and loves the opportunity to be a good steward of the gifts that God has entrusted to His people.

Meet Rebekah

2006-05-18T17:32:00.000-04:00

REBEKAH POSEGATE (Piano/Keyboards/Ensemble) is a freshman Theatre Education major from Lake Villa, Illinois. She recently made her HU stage debut in The House of Bernarda Alba (Bernarda). Rebekah has also served offstage as Media Assitant (Sure Thing), Assistant Stage Manager (1940’s Radio Hour) and Assistant Director (Shakesperience!). She spent time last summer at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City.

Meet Dan

2006-05-18T17:25:00.001-04:00

DANIEL NEIL OLSON (Jesus) rejoices in his return to the stage for Huntington University. This 2005 graduate has since taken up residence in Orlando, where he fills his days at the Holy Land Experience as an actor and vocalist. He's also managed to coerce some theatres into allowing him stage time. He terrified tourists rather well as part of Universal Studios' HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS XV, developed split personalities in Theatre Downtown's A CHRISTMAS CAROL, and, quite literally, slayed the audiences in Madcow Theatre's ANTIGONE as Private Jonas. Some of his favorite roles whilst at Huntington include the Leading Player of PIPPIN, the Mad Hatter of ALICE IN WONDERLAND, the Baker of INTO THE WOODS, Harpagon of THE MISER, Daniel of THE COMPLEAT WORKS OF WLLM SHKSPR (abridged), and all the roles found in his one-man show OF NOT IN. God has ridiculously blessed him, but, fortunately, he's very grateful. He loves his family, friends, enemies, and everyone in between. "Dear heavenly father, please bless and soften the hearts of everyone with ears to hear. Shalom!"

Meet Jenn

2006-05-18T17:25:00.000-04:00

JENNIFER MILLER (Ensemble) is a junior Theatre Performance major and double minor in psychology and music from Berkeley, Illinois. Jennifer has been seen onstage at Huntington in One Voice (Reumah) and The House of Bernarda Alba (Ensemble). Previous experiences include Fiddler on the Roof (Sprintze), The Pirates of Penzance (Isabel), Brigadoon (Jane Ashton, Ensemble), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Cobweb), Honk (Maureen) and Great Expectations (Mrs. Joe).

Meet Keeley

2006-05-18T17:23:00.000-04:00

KEELEY LEWIS (Assistant Choreographer/Dance Captain/Ensemble) is a junior Theatre Performance Major from Manchester, Iowa. She has been seen on the HU stage in such productions as I, Faustus (Mephistopheles), Pippin (Ensemble), Asleep on the Wind (Rooty), Shakesperience! (Ensemble) and The House of Bernarda Alba (Magdalena). She has served offstage as Assistant Stage Manager (The Curious Savage) and Vocal and Movement Coach (Sure Thing).

Meet Kristen

2006-05-18T17:21:00.000-04:00

KRISTEN LYNNE KOHAUT (Ensemble) is a junior Theatre Performance major and Educational Ministries minor from Mount Olive, New Jersey. She has graced the HU stage in 1940’s Radio Hour (Ginger), Pippin (Ensemble), I, Faustus (Envy), Curious Savage (Florence), Graceland (Rooty), Sure Thing (Female Understudy), Shakesperience! (Ensemble) and The House of Bernarda Alba (Ensemble). Kristen was nominated for the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival Irene Ryan Acting competition as a result of her performance in 1940’s Radio Hour. She has also served as Stage Manager for A New York Minute.

Meet Dana

2006-05-18T17:19:00.000-04:00

DANA FRICK (Music Director/Piano/Keyboards/Ensemble) is a senior Music Performance major from Kendallville, Indiana. She has been seen in The Pirates of Penzance (Ruth), The Old Maid and the Thief (Miss Todd), Hansel and Gretel (Hansel), Graceland (Bev), Shakesperience! (Ensemble), One Voice (Martha) and The House of Bernard Alba (Ensmeble). Dana was the featured alto soloist in the Huntington (Indiana) community production of Handel’s Messiah. She has also been involved in many ensembles at the University including the concert choir, the women’s chorale, and Preeminence. Dana recently served as Stage Manager for Do Over.

Meet Brad

2006-05-18T17:18:00.000-04:00

BRADLEY DEYOUNG (Technician) is a junior Theatre Design and Technology major from Lansing, Illinois. He has held positions including Master Electrician (The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr Abridged, Curious Savage), Assistant Scenic Designer (Pippin), Student Technical Director (I, Faustus), Lighting Designer (Sure Thing, The House of Bernarda Alba) and Scenic Designer (Shakesperience!). He currently holds the position of Lighting Foreman for the Theatre Company.

Meet Josh

2006-05-18T17:16:00.000-04:00

JOSHUA DAWES (Ensemble) graduated from HU in May 2006 with a degree in English Education with a minor in Theater Arts. He is originally from Leesburg, Indiana. On the HU stage, he has been seen in Cotton Patch Gospel (John the Baptist), Anna Karenina (Count Vronsky), Oklahoma! (Dream Curly), Bald Soprano (Mr. Martin), Mister Roberts (Stefanowski), and Sure Thing (Ensemble). Off stage, Josh has served as Director (The Zoo Story) and Co-Playwright (I, Faustus).

Meet Eric

2006-05-18T17:15:00.000-04:00

ERIC CHURCH (Drums) is a sophomore Digital Media Arts and DV Cinema (L.A. track) major. He has participated in Choir for 10 years and drummed for the Jazz Band at HU. Eric has plans to become a screenwriter and/or director for his own movies.

Meet Cara

2006-05-18T17:13:00.000-04:00

CARA BUSSIS (Piano/Keyboards/Guitar/Ensemble) is a sophomore Theatre Performance major from Hamilton, Michigan. She was most recently seen on the HU stage in The House of Bernarda Alba (Maid) and in One Voice (Mary). Cara has also served HUTC as Sound Board Operator (Sure Thing), Assistant Sound Design (1940’s Radio Hour) and Assistant Stage Manager (Shakesperience!).

Meet Mike

2006-05-18T17:12:00.000-04:00

MIKE BURNETT (Scenic and Lighting Design) Assistant Professor of Theatre and Theatre Department Chair, Mike has worked as a designer and technician for over 250 professional and educational theatre productions from all over the United States, Canada, Croatia, Yugoslavia, and the Netherlands. His design for the world premiere of Jo Caron’s Whispering to Horses was selected as one of Atlanta’s top designs in 1997. During the summer months, Professor Burnett has served as the Production Manager for the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival. Not only a technician, Mike has directed The Lion in Winter, Not I, Endgame, The Bald Soprano, A Shayna Maidel, Life of Galileo, The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkapr Abridged, I, Faustus, Sure Thing and The House of Bernarda Alba. Professor Burnett was the 2005 Faculty Forester Series Lecturer and recently received the Huntington University Research Fellowship.

Meet Ella

2006-05-18T17:10:00.000-04:00

ELLA BURNETT (Costume Design/Dramaturge) received her BA in English from the University of Kentucky and her Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Design from the University of Mississippi. While previously living in Atlanta, Ella worked on the world premieres of When the World was Green by Sam Shepard and Joe Chaikin for the 1996 Cultural Olympiad, and Whispering to Horses by Jo Carson. She was also a freelance designer and scenic artist for Dad's Garage Theatre, Theatrical Outfit, and the Georgia State Opera as well as being the resident Equity Stage Manager for 7 Stages Theatre, and continues to freelance in Indiana. Here at Huntington University, she has served as Scenic Artist for Side Show, Costume Designer for Oklahoma!, Pippin, Curious Savage, 1940’s Radio Hour and The House of Bernarda Alba. Ella also teaches several courses for the Theatre Department.

Meet Jeremy

2006-05-18T17:09:00.000-04:00

JEREMY RUSSELL BURKETT (Bass/Guitar) graduated from HU in May 2006 with a Chemistry major and a Physics minor. He has been involved in various Jazz Ensembles and Worship Bands. This fall Jeremy plans to attend Purdue University for Graduate work in Organic Chemistry.

Meet Blair

2006-05-18T17:07:00.000-04:00

BLAIR K. BULLICK (Guitar) is a junior Youth Ministries major with a minor in Bible and Religion. He has been involved with Jazz Ensemble and has hopes to become a camp worker in Colorado with ski patrol certification and EMT training.

Meet Abi

2006-05-18T17:05:00.000-04:00

ABIGAIL ALLWEIN (Ensemble) is a sophomore Theatre Performance major from Fort Wayne, Indiana. Abigail was seen on the HU stage in The Gift of the Magi (Della), One Voice (Tamar) and The House of Bernarda Alba (Ensemble). She has also designed the costumes for The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe and assistant designed the costumes for One Voice, the HU Concert Choir Tour.