Fairy tales at the Fringe
Hansel and Gretel—I mean Peter and Tina—enter the woods and end up at a house made entirely of waffles and white sauce, where they are led by their evil stepmother to pick rhubarb. And when they need to find their way home, they follow Peter’s trail of knaczot (sunflower seeds). This is The Mennonite Fairytale,…
Calgary church offers space for community events
“Light up the church.” That’s what members of Calgary Inter-Mennonite decided they wanted to do when asked about ways to engage with their local community. What that meant for the congregation of about 40 households was making their building, located in the northeast part of the city, available for use by others during the week—not…
‘How can I help?’
Driving to the cottage while listening to a recording of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Justin Martin had an idea. Could Breslau Mennonite Church stage it? More than a year-and-a-half later, that dream came true. Enthusiastic visioning from a group in their 30s and 40s was matched by wholehearted support from others in the…
‘This is a holy and good thing’
What does “turn the other cheek” mean when you’re abused by your pastor? What does “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” mean when you’re dealing with gendered power imbalances within your group of friends? What does “made in the image of God” mean when you’re an LGBTQ member of a church experiencing…
Play confronts Doctrine of Discovery
The Doctrine of Discovery is based on the Roman Catholic papal bull “Inter caetera.” Issued by Pope Alexander VI on May 4, 1493, it gave all the lands along a meridian west of the Cape Verde Islands, off the west coast of Africa, to the Spanish crown. The document stated that any lands discovered and…
Argentine Mennonites celebrate one hundred years
Performing before hundreds of Mennonites and passersby at a park in downtown Buenos Aires, a drama troupe from the Mennonite church in Villa Adelina, Argentina, mimed challenges and struggles facing youth: violence, drugs, promiscuity, greed, and death itself. Representing Argentinian youth, actor Laura Burgos sometimes seemed mesmerized as actors impersonated threats, but she also sought…
Audience finds CO play deeply moving
Glenn Martin’s voice was deep with emotion as he expressed appreciation for Yellow Bellies, a drama that describes the experiences of Mennonite conscientious objectors (COs) during the Second World War. During the talk-back time after the evening performance, Martin explained that his father had been a CO, serving at Montreal River Alternative Service Camp in…
Contradicting the status quo
After exploring lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender/queer inclusion in the Mennonite church in This Will Lead to Dancing, the Stouffville, Ont.-based theatre company Theatre of the Beat is setting its sights on the experience of conscientious objectors (COs) for its new production. Entitled Yellow Bellies, the play is a historical drama that highlights the experiences and public response to…
Theatre of the Beat writes play for MCC Manitoba’s 50th anniversary
A 50th wedding anniversary traditionally calls for a gift of gold, but Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Manitoba is getting something a little different for their 50th anniversary. Theatre of the Beat is preparing a play in honour of the relief and development organization. The play is called The Forks and the Road. It’s a play…
The Spirit at Work in the Performing Arts
Ted Schwartz gave a workshop about the spirit in the performing arts. Despite the sleepy time-slot, immediately after lunch, soon everyone in the audience had forgotten their digestive drowsiness and was thoroughly engaged. He talked about the Spirit at work in the relationship between the audience and the performers. Is the Spirit always at work…
