Shows that are Praiseworthy
There is a double meaning for us at Bread and Wine when we talk about producing shows that are praiseworthy. On the one hand, for us, this is a commitment to pursue an excellence in our plays that will be recognized by theatre audiences and critics alike. There is no substitute for excellent art. Yet it means more than that to us. It also means to produce shows that are worthy of praise not only because they are excellent in their production value but also because they promote an excellent life. A In Philippians 1:10-11, the Apostle Paul writes, "And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ." As a company, our shows are intended in the same spirit of Paul's prayer. As humans, stories grow our loves. They either grow our loves towards what is self-serving and ultimately, evil, or to a life of self-sacrificial love. At Bread and Wine, our goal is that all of our work would be done both with the excellence of artistry and with the excellence of virtue.
The Commendation of A Script We Developed from Someone who Epitomizes Both Excellences
That self-centeredness is an ongoing and serious problem in our cultural environment is the theme of Owen Brown’s new play, The Time of My Life. Well-crafted around a series of peripatetic scenes that reflect the rhythms and pace of our contemporary preoccupation with gaming addiction, the play features the journey of Chris from pre-teens into his forties reflecting the sad results of his ‘me first’ mind set. Quick to blame those around him and to buy into the life choices that nurture an acute case of ethical egoism, in which he sustains the belief that self-interest should be the basis for moral decision making, Chris spends more time rationalizing his failures than learning from them and growing up. Owen Brown covers all the bases in his artful depiction of Chris’ inability to be responsible in his job environment, as well as his failed roles as a father, a husband, and as a productive member of his community. But that only takes us through the desperate brokenness of Act II. In Act III, the spiritual witnesses of his wife, who never quite gives up on him, the honesty of a remembered Grandfather, and of a sensitive minister, combine for the beginnings of a redemptive breakthrough. So, our selfish but also progressively self-aware protagonist discovers that he does indeed possess an awakening empathy for those characters in his life that he has hurt or abandoned.
One of the many positive features offered up by Owen is the simple set, composed of a few easily moved cubes that create a plethora of environments, and of a soundtrack that connects and encourages the fluid movement of the scenes. A grandfather clock serves as a visual metaphor for Chris’ lost and foundness, in a striking scene as he moves to get it working again as the concluding image of the play.
This dramatic offering is important. Its subject matter is alive and well in our present cultural climate and attention must be paid to the way it deals with the issues revealed and dealt with so perceptively in its presentation. Faith based as well as educational audiences will relate to the impactful themes and after show discussions are encouraged.
Gillette Elvgren Jr., Ph.D
Emeritus Professor, Regent University
Author of: Playwriting: a Christian Perspective and Directing Theatre: a Christian Perspective