“Among all great amusements, there is none more to be feared than the theater.”

–Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)

Sir Ralph Richardson once electrified an opening night audience and other members of his cast when he suddenly stepped out of character in mid-scene.  He turned toward the auditorium and shouted, “Is there a doctor in the house?”  When one stood, the acclaimed actor asked, “Doctor, isn’t this play awful?”

Like Richardson, we would be wise to bring our judgment along with us when we attend the theater.

The great French mathematician and philosopher Pascal knew of what he spoke when he observed that theater is something to be feared.  The power of the pen working from the page to the stage is indisputable.  Shakespeare echoes the idea with his rhetorical question: “Know you how much the people may be moved—by that which is uttered on the stage?”

We cannot fear that which has no influence.  And if something has influence, it likely contains meaning—a message.  Francis Schaeffer’s observation that “all art has a message” rings true and the ability of the theater to convey a message makes it a powerful medium.  Thus we may discern that stage entertainment such as “Mary Poppins” contains, among many messages, the ideas that childhood innocence is worth protecting and that parents too busy to raise children ought to pay closer attention to them or suffer the consequences.

So if and when we attend “Wicked,”  or  “A Chorus Line” or “Sweeney Todd,” or “Rent,” are we accepting their “entertainment” at face value or are we asking ourselves, “what are the various messages these stage works contain?”  We can be sure that the respective writers and composers want us to contemplate both the messages and the worldviews they have, without question, inserted into their works.  It is then up to us to discern how our viewpoints square with theirs.  Are the messages redemptive? Are they worthy of application to our own lives?  Why or why not?

Time magazine reported many years ago that six like-minded businessmen pooled their considerable financial resources to invest in the development of a new stage musical.  That musical went on to become a box office bonanza, a national tour and a movie.  This particular musical contains a number of messages and world views I find abhorrent. If I shared the title with you, I suspect you would find the content and views expressed as reprehensible as I do. (Like the Apostle Paul’s “thorn in the flesh,” however, I will not reveal the specifics in the hope you will think critically about what you yourself have seen presented on stage and in film).  The six businessmen, however, supported these messages and wanted them in the marketplace of ideas that theater provides.  They were so intent on using the shiny bait of “entertainment” to convey their misguided “message” and hook audience members, they were perfectly willing to risk—and lose—hundreds of thousands of dollars in the effort.  And, by the world’s  standards, they were successful.

While I disagree wholeheartedly with the aim of these businessmen, I have to grudgingly admire their willingness to risk so much to convey so little that is redemptive.  I would love to open Time magazine one day to read about six businessmen of faith who are joining together to bankroll a substantive,  inspirational production that conveyed values most societies have traditionally upheld.

In the meantime, when we consider watching a play or film, may we remember that we are paying to have someone’s point of view pumped into our heads.  We are paying to give someone the keys to our hearts and minds. We are paying to give someone considerable power.

If we agree with Schaeffer that “all art has a message,” are we choosing what to absorb wisely?

Live theater is both exciting…and terrifying.

One can never know for certain what will occur once the curtain rises and the production begins.  So many variables lurk on stage—and beyond.

Surprises on Stage:  When Things Go Wrong

Veteran actor Barry Sullivan, star of stage, film and television, was once playing the lead in Shakespeare’s “Richard III.”  During one evening’s performance, Sullivan came to the famous lines, “A horse! A horse!  My kingdom for a horse!”  A heckler shouted: “Wouldn’t a jackass do for you?!” “Sure!” roared Sullivan, “come on up!”

While Sullivan’s predicament is not typical, strange and sudden developments do occur during live productions.  Only last weekend, our LifeHouse Theater Outreach had just begun a touring performance of “A Song in My Heart” at Harvest Fellowship in Riverside when the acting company and several hundred audience members were plunged into darkness without warning.  The blackout was temporary, the performance was able to resume within minutes, and all ended happily—but the first moments of darkness were unnerving.

The best stage actors and actresses are wise to have a mental Plan B and Plan C when Plan A is suddenly nowhere in sight.  Expecting the unexpected is part of what makes acting on stage such a challenge.

And isn’t it “the unexpected” that makes Life such a difficult challenge?

Surprises in Life: A Dog’s Lesson

I love dogs.  They have been an important part of my entire life.

My dog Jake was a big, hairy, drooling, brainless-but-lovable Shepherd-Collie mix.  He was a cross between a bear and a buffalo.  As with most dogs, his life was a predictable cycle of eating and sleeping—a simple world for a simple mind.  But that world was disrupted one memorable day when I needed to take Jake for his first visit to the vet’s office.  It was time to get his vaccinations and I’m convinced he suspected as much.

Getting a leash on him was part mud wrestling and part rodeo.  Once the deed was done, Jake managed to get his leash tangled in a wheel of my lawnmower.  He dragged the mower across the yard to a gate, where it jammed, leaving him panicked and bug eyed.  In Jake’s mind, the mower had sprung to life and was now in hot pursuit of gobbling him up.  His mad attempt to escape the clutches of the Evil Mower only served to tighten the leash around his neck.  Although I rescued him from choking to death, the worst was yet to come.

Driving to the vet’s office was a breathless whirlwind of flying fur, dripping drool, pant-pant-panting, tail-in-the-face chaos.  Jake wanted none of it, but we arrived at last.  Though I was a lonely band of one, I bravely began the five-person job of getting Jake inside the office.  All four of his feet morphed into superglue mode, each paw digging into the pavement as I summoned all my strength to drag him in. The Great Tug-of-War was on.  Heave-ho! Heave-ho!…

Finally…I could just reach the door handle.  The people in the waiting room burst into applause.  And just as victory seemed within my reach, a girl holding a box of kittens unwisely approached us.  She was followed by an unsuspecting elderly woman carrying a box of Chihuahuas…Poor, innocent bystanders…I don’t have it in me to reveal what happened next, but I have survived to tell the tale.

Jake joined me in this ritual for the next fourteen years.  Among the reasons he will always hold a special place in my heart is that Jake helped me to see myself in him.

I dislike the unexpected. I prefer to have life run smoothly and predictably—on my terms and within my boundaries.  When the unexpected occurs, as it inevitably does and inevitably will, I catch myself going into “Jake mode.”  I dig in and sometimes have to be dragged along.

When I was at a crossroads years ago, praying about whether to launch a company that eventually became known as LifeHouse Productions, I feared all the unknown, unexpected challenges that I imagined were looming ahead.  Leaving a secure job to follow a calling is never easy.  I didn’t like the prospect of change and dreaded the specter of the unexpected. Deep down, I hoped to stay in a predictable, secure routine. I wanted to “dig in,” stand pat and stay put. But was that what God wanted?  It was 1991—time for Jake’s first visit to the vet—and time for the lesson that God used Jake to teach me.  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart…”

A Lesson from Nehemiah

Relying upon God instead of my own strength in the face of the unexpected is a lesson I still find myself flunking and having to repeat. Ironically, life at LifeHouse is full of ongoing change and unexpected events, so I have many opportunities to get it right.  (You’d think I would have by now, wouldn’t you?)  In an effort to be a better student of what God wants me to learn, I’ve been rereading the book of Nehemiah.

Nehemiah despaired over the Jews losing their identity. There was no wall designating a unified territory for them in Jerusalem, so Nehemiah set out to change the status quo.  In chapter two of his book, we read that Nehemiah dared to place his career—and most likely his life—in God’s hands when he spoke to the king about rebuilding the wall and making Jerusalem a truly Jewish city.  This was a tremendous, unexpected change!

By God’s grace, the king granted Nehemiah’s request.  The king’s permission, however, brought unexpected opposition.  Two officials, Sanballat and Tobiah, preferred the political convenience of keeping everything the same.  Their “don’t rock the boat” attitude is evident in 2:19 when they ridicule Nehemiah and ask, “What is this you are doing?”  In characteristic faith, Nehemiah models what our response to the challenges of change and the unexpected should be when he answers: “The God of heaven will give us success.”

Humanly speaking, “the unexpected” and accompanying change can be a weighty burden. We sometimes wring our hands and allow our vain imaginations to take over—causing us to worry about the future and fret over the potential of change.  But doubt in the midst of the unexpected is best left to the Sanballats and Tobiahs and Jakes of the world.

God calls us to a higher, more confident response.  He calls us to seek His will, to do His will, and to trust Him in the process.  It isn’t quick, it isn’t easy, but…the God of my life, of your life, and of LifeHouse Theater is one and the same—sovereign, all powerful, and absolutely in control.  Unexpected events are not our favorite first choice of options, but they do appear to be part of God’s design—tools He uses to grow us into maturity.

When unexpected events and changes suddenly crop up—whether on stage or in life—it’s important to remember that none of it surprises God nor catches Him “off guard.” May we join Nehemiah in facing the unexpected with the confident certainty that “The God of heaven will give us success.”

© Copyright MMX Wayne R. Scott

What do auditions have to do with liars, you ask?

Pablo Picasso once noted, “Art is a lie that makes us realize the truth.”  The same may be said of musical theater.

Audiences instinctively know that what they see on stage isn’t real.  And yet, if we skillfully execute “the lie” through believable deceptions of acting and artifices of scenery and staging, the audience may suspend disbelief long enough to appreciate the entertainment and universal truths conveyed through the theatrical arts.

It is up to all of us on the production team to support the storytellers on stage.  Working together, we must succeed in deceiving our audiences into thinking they have magically sunk to the ocean depths into the world of “The Little Mermaid.”  Or we have to convince them they have stepped into the nineteenth century milieu of “Little Women,” “Scrooge” or the settings of so many grand stories from that era and countless others.

So in effect, when we conduct auditions, we’re looking for a pack of credible liars!

With so many auditions conducted throughout the year at LifeHouse, a look “behind the scenes” at the process may be in order to demystify what can seem like an ordeal.

The Necessity of Auditions

Academy award-winning character actor Martin Landeau recently stated, “Ninety percent of directing is casting.”  While one could quibble over the percent ratio, I generally subscribe to Landeau’s view. While the audition process is imperfect, it is still vital.  Casting storytellers into roles requires the best possible fit and auditions do help.  Meeting potential performers and casting from their ranks is the final frontier before the nitty gritty of rehearsal begins.

The audition process is also what many have come to regard as a necessary evil.  I agree the process is both necessary and evil.

The audition process is necessary because it has stood the test of time as probably the most efficient way to discern “talent.”  No one seems to be able to definitively describe “talent,” but most of us know it when we see it.  Auditions are efficient because they make it possible to match talented actors to roles in as reasonable a time as possible.  Seeing a “micro performance” from each auditioner who individually sings, reads and dances, helps the audition panel of judges envision what the performer can do.  Can the actor be pictured in a leading role?  Perhaps a supporting role?

The panel—usually comprised of the producer, director, music director, choreographer and perhaps an acting coach—may also assess an auditioner’s vocal range and acting acumen.   Further considerations are mundane but necessary variables such as age, height and build.  No one wants to see munchkins tower over Dorothy. The panel must also ask if the performer can move.  Can the performer dance and sing at the same time?  It’s harder than it looks.  And consideration must be given to elusive intangibles such as charisma and confidence.  And, oh yes.  If you want to play Anne of Green Gables, will you dye your hair red if it isn’t already?  Meeting performers during auditions helps determine these matters.

The “Evil” of Auditions

So how is the necessary evil of auditions necessarily evil?  Let us count the ways.  Judgments about those auditioning are undeniably subjective. Yes, the audition panel could be wrong about its final casting choices. (But don’t tell this dirty secret to the performers chosen for the cast—they think the panel is beyond brilliant).  There is also something evil about having to make snap decisions based on an audition that is typically over in a matter of seconds.  Can one truly discern in mere seconds the sum total of a performer’s talent, experience, strengths and potential?  It’s routinely done this way on Broadway and has been for years. But still…

And then there’s the fright factor.  Even polished pros can find auditions nerve wracking and gut wrenching.  In the 26 years I have presided over auditions, I have seen rattled performers burst into song, burst into tears, burst into laughter, and just plain burst—bolting in a sudden scramble for the nearest restroom.  Blessedly, the latter situation is extremely rare.  In truth, LifeHouse auditions are generally of high caliber and offer ample evidence of the richness and diversity of the Inland Empire talent pool.

As one who was pleased to master tying my shoe laces by the fifth grade, I am especially in awe of the talented young people who audition at fairly tender ages.  It takes courage to perform before a panel of stoic strangers at any age, let alone at age ten. (I could not have done it at that age and I didn’t).  On the positive side, the poise and professionalism of so many youngsters we see throughout the year gives us hope for the future of our society.

The Work of the Audition Panel

Commentator Andy Rooney has observed, “I’d have more respect for actors if there weren’t so many people who do it well.”  The competition is truly keen.  The “talent pool” is larger and deeper than many may realize.

It is therefore with a sense of deep humility and sober responsibility that I deliberate with the audition panel.  We pray.  Resumes, photos, notes and ratings are examined and re-examined.  Discussion ensues.  There is a mental mixing and matching of performers and roles.  Hours pass.  Some choices seem obvious and easy.  Other selections prove difficult and require more discussion. And, since the ancient Egyptians, more women audition than men—and no one really knows why.  That disparity must also be addressed more often than not. Sometimes recruitment becomes necessary.

Finally, a consensus emerges.  There is a palpable peace about the final cast list.  We’re excited.

We’re also relieved.  Sometimes I cannot bear the thought of hearing one more refrain of “raindrops on roses” or one more reminder that “the sun will come out tomorrow.”  By two in the morning after a night of hearing “the sun will come out tomorrow,” I no longer care if it does.  And that’s not like me. But hearing it over and over would bring out the worst in anyone, wouldn’t it?  After a dozen renditions, I sadistically root for something else to come out tomorrow.  Perhaps a rising volleyball.  Maybe a banana.  Anything but the sun.

At last the casting results are posted on our website.  Many who have hovered over their computers in rapt anticipation of the cast list will find a thrill.  Others will be understandably disappointed.  I well remember such disappointments in my own youth—and beyond.  If we’re open to them, there are often good life lessons to be learned in these times of disappointment.

Helpful Audition Hints

Some thoughts to keep in mind when you prepare to audition—

• Have a clear, concise and neatly presented theatrical resume—a summary of your experience—ready to submit along with a flattering photo.
• Come to the audition prepared to sing 16 bars of the song of your choice, making sure you bring sheet music in the correct key.
• Be familiar and comfortable with what you decide to sing.  “Simple done well” is better than “ambitious done poorly.”
• It’s wise to sing something the panel is likely to know.  If they are wondering about what you are singing, they’re not focused on your talent.  It is also more difficult for them to assess whether you sang accurately.
• Practice in front of others who are likely to give you honest and helpful feedback.  See how you look in a mirror as you practice and check your inventory of facial expressions.

If you don’t make the cast after an audition, don’t give up.  My hope for all who are not included is that the initial discouragement will bloom into a resolve and determination to try again.  And again.

Sometimes it takes a bit of seasoning to become a successful stage “liar”—the kind who can convince audiences that illusion is reality.

And, of course—no matter what the outcome—we can all be encouraged by remembering the sun will come out tomorrow.  Bet your bottom dollar.

I recently discovered some surprising information.

It’s true we live in a media-saturated culture—but I’m not sure I realized just how saturated until I read some startling statistics.  Would you believe that 447 new movie theaters have opened in the last two years?  And, according to Neilsen Media, 167 of these theaters have at least 16 screens.

Many movies, of course, are released as DVDs.  Video Business Magazine observes that over 77 million DVDs and videos are rented every week.

And, while 80 million people attend church every weekend, 120 million people will go to the movie theater.  With regard to cultural priorities, the figures seem to speak for themselves.  And movie attendance has further spiked with the recent record-breaking opening of the latest film in the “Twilight” vampire series.

What about the content of what people are watching?  Sobering research by the Kaiser Family Foundation reveals that 89% of all movies contain sexual activity.  Not surprisingly, this is also true of 80% of daytime television soap operas.  But it is also true of 84% of television sitcoms. And Focus on the Family has discovered that 65% of all U.S. children have a television in their bedroom.

I enjoy watching movies and television.  But I won’t watch just anything and I hope you won’t either.  It’s easy to forget that our media mania is not just the intake of mere entertainment.  When we watch what’s on the screen, we’re absorbing specific points of view.  And, let’s face it, some of these worldviews are pretty toxic.

Francis Schaeffer reminds us, “all art has a message.”

In effect, when we attend movies, we’re paying ten dollars or more to have someone’s point of view pumped through our eyes and ears and into our minds.  We’re also voting approval of these points of view with our wallets.  Likewise, when we pay our bill for TV service, we’re helping to subsidize our own personal bombardment of media messages—whether it’s the latest ad campaigns or the themes depicted in “Desperate Doctors” or some such program.

I would never presume to tell anyone what they should or should not watch.  I’m not a fan of heavy handed censorship.  I cherish personal freedom.  But I’m also an advocate of personal responsibility.  And if I agree with Schaeffer that all art has a message—and I do—there’s a silver lining in what C.S.  Lewis adds: “Art in service to nobility is sublime.”

Charles Colson’s engaging book “Against the Night” makes the point that we live in a new Dark Age.  In Colson’s view, spheres of influence—especially media—have been taken over by secular barbarians. This has largely been made possible by the many people of faith who have essentially “rolled over” and “played dead” while the barbarians have taken over spheres of influence in government, education, journalism, film, television, the arts and other cultural categories.

Colson makes the case that people of faith with a commitment to God’s eternal kingdom need to spend less time complaining and more time competing in the marketplace of ideas with the goal of recapturing important spheres of influence.   Jesus literally walked in the marketplace interacting with people from all segments of society.  As R. C. Sproul has observed, we too need to “get in the game, get engaged and make a difference.”

Obviously, Colson’s clarion call for action has profoundly influenced me.  The founding, mission and ongoing work of LifeHouse Theater is an act of answering the call to make an eternal difference in lives on both sides of the theatrical stage—actors and audiences alike.  We seek to tell inspirational stories with redemptive themes that offer uplifting life perspectives.

I am so grateful to all who have joined us in outreach.  And I deeply appreciate the many others helping us behind the scenes and through financial support. We have seen countless lives changed for the better.  Working together with God’s help, we can continue to be salt and light in our corner of the world as we seek to redeem the arts for the Author of all creativity.

Utilizing the theatrical arts in service to nobility is a terrific antidote to our culture’s media mania.  If you haven’t already, will you consider joining with us?

©Copyright MMX Wayne Scott-LifeHouse Productions, Inc.

17TH ANNUAL SEASON CELEBRATION THANK YOU AND RECAP

I want to thank all who came to our 17th Season Celebration! It was truly a blessing to share this evening with so many in our LifeHouse Family.

Among the highlights were the live music performances by Jonathan Bushey and Samantha Stephenson, the LifeHouse scholarship award presented to Rebecca Riley and several multimedia presentations detailing all God has been doing in our midst.

We announced the broadcast of our “LifeHouse Theater On-The-Air” series of stage musicals will premiere on or about July 1. DVD versions of these performances are now on pre-sale, beginning with special editions of “Pilgrim’s Progress,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “Peter Pan.” These will be available in late June.

LifeHouse Theater On-The-Air CDs are also on sale now. These are truly exciting audio dramas that offer you amazing “theater of the imagination” experiences. “The Count of Monte Cristo” will transport you to a thrilling adventure in 18th century France. “The Princess and the Pigs” takes you to a kooky fairy tale kingdom “once upon a time” with the hilarious story of a pauper prince, a pampered princess and a platoon of pigs! And “Job – A Modern Man” imagines what the life of Job might be like if he lived among us today — a powerful story based on the biblical book that offers keen insights regarding our own lives. Soon, “Trapped in Aesop’s Fables,” “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi,” “Tom Sawyer” and many other titles will be available to stimulate both our imaginations and our spiritual lives. Once you listen, you’ll get hooked — ask anyone who has heard an episode!

Of course, we announced what I believe to be the best year ever at LifeHouse for our 17th 2010-11 season:

LITTLE WOMEN (October 2 – October 24, 2010)
REVELATION (November 6 – November 21, 2010)
SCROOGE! (December, 2010)
A SONG IN MY HEART (January 14 – January 23, 2011)
THE PRINCESS AND THE PIGS (February 5 – March 13, 2011)
RUTH (March 26 – May 8, 2011)
THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO (May 21 – June 26, 2011)
THE JUNGLE BOOK (July 9 – August 14, 2011)
LES MISERABLES – A NEW DRAMA (August 27 – September 25, 2011)

We are also launching our most ambitious outreach ever with the multi-performances of “Scrooge!” at Clock Auditorium in Redlands. Season subscribers will be admitted free to this CLO-style presentation directed by Dustin Ceithamer and featuring a live orchestra, glorious scenery, special surprises and the true Spirit of the Season. I’m counting on you to spread the word to all your family and friends between now and December. We are praying over 5,000 people will join us this Christmas season for a spectacular and unforgettable experience!

I especially want to thank all who responded to our financial needs. These are always ongoing in a theater company and especially in our operations as I refuse for our company to retreat despite the dismal economy. On the contrary, I believe this is the time for us to be aggressive in sharing spiritually enriching and uplifting theater with the community at large — people in desperate need of good news and encouragement. Your financial partnership helps us bridge the budget gaps that tickets alone do not cover — unglamorous expenses such as $50,000 in insurance, utility and storage costs before we even open our doors.

The response to our appeal for help at the Season Celebration led to $11,000 raised in gifts and pledges. A record $10,600 in season subscriptions was also sold. This is a wonderful beginning. Follow-up letters to all unable to attend are going out now. Please join me in praying for positive responses so LifeHouse can remain strong.

I’ll look forward to keeping you updated here on our website. And I also hope to see you soon at our deliriously funny “Esther” performances!

God Bless,