GFU Theatre presents "Whatever Kindles"
By Sara Kelm, Guest Reporter
October 24, 2007
The director of George Fox University's fall play, Whatever Kindles, said Monday that his goal is that the audience leaves wondering what they might do for peace in the world.
Rhett Luedtke is directing the world premiere production, which is the story of seven members of Christian Peacemaking Teams (CPT) who promote nonviolence in violent places around the world and how they struggle with the controversial and dangerous work that they do.
Luedtke has been working with Tricia Gates Brown, the writer of Whatever Kindles and a 1996 graduate of George Fox, and it has been a collaborative effort to make the play ready for performance.
Brown has been involved with CPT for several years, and the organization itself has been around since 1987. According to Luedtke, the play is more about the individual CPT volunteers than about the organization. "The goal is not to promote an ideology, but to show specific human responses to a huge social dilemma," said Luedtke.
While some have voiced opposition to the play, saying it is unsupportive of the troops, Luedtke sees it differently. He said that play is about how these seven people deal with war. They choose to enter war-torn countries and do violence-reduction work by helping those under oppression. And in Luedtke's opinion, "Protecting the victim is always good."
Luedtke said that the play's nuances are in the struggles of the characters with what it means to be a peacekeeper. "Their story needs to be told," he said.
Luedtke is aware of the controversy surrounding the topic of war, but he wants to "stimulate thought" among the audience. He said that Americans tend to abdicate responsibility for their (often) second-hand involvement in oppression. Luedtke feels this play is a realistic representation of the world, and it can help the audience step outside of the American and Christian "bubble" they may live in.
Whatever Kindles has gone through a refining process that included both Luedtke and Brown. The script has gone through numerous re-writes, and there will likely be slight changes before opening night.
Luedtke said that Brown comes to rehearsal every Tuesday night, and Luedtke shares comments from both himself and the actors with her. While he says it is not "playwriting by committee," the process is collaborative, as Luedtke can go to Brown and ask what her intent was with a portion of the script. Luedtke said it is an advantage to have the playwright as a resource and to hear the ideas behind the words firsthand.
The world premiere of Whatever Kindles is on Thursday, October 25 at 7:30 p.m. The play runs Friday and Saturday, as well as the next weekend at the same time. There is a matinee on Sunday, November 4, at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors or alumni, and $6 for students and children under the age of 12. Tickets can be purchased at the University Bookstore, online at www.theatre.georgefox.edu, or by calling 503-554-3844. There will be a talk-back session following each performance.
George Fox University students get a free ticket for either of the Thursday night performances if they go to the bookstore with their ID card.