“Godspell,” directed by Dewey Scott-Wiley and coming to Trustus Theater this Friday, is a peppy, disorienting musical about Jesus Christ. Most of the show consists of Jesus teaching his enthusiastic disciples through acted-out parables, games like Pictionary , charades and songs of every genre.
The actors pull this off without irony or cynicism, choosing instead to have fun and present an earnest, eccentric message of love.
Trustus opted to put on the 2011 revival version of the musical, which updated the show from the 1970s to relate the themes more to the 21st century.
“There’s something about the way the show opens with that idea of the Tower of Babel being all about the Internet, and technology taking away the humanity, that really resonated with me,” Scott-Wiley said. “It’s a message that people could use.”
Despite being at least partially responsible for the polarizing phenomenon of Christian rock music, there’s something heartfelt about “Godspell” that all audiences should be able to appreciate. The end of the show takes a rather dark turn with the crucifixion of Jesus, and Stephen Schwartz, who wrote the music and lyrics for the play, chose not to include any kind of resurrection. This could be interpreted as the show’s way of taking a neutral position on the question of Jesus’ divinity. Instead, it focuses on his teachings of forgiveness and selflessness.
“I’m not really religious, but this show does something to me,” Courtney Selwyn, who plays a follower of Jesus, said. “I don’t know what it is. It’s not just a show about Jesus and the Bible. It’s also a show about love.”
The show is not afraid to pose difficult questions. “When it comes to God, I can’t believe that he designed a human being with a mind he’s not supposed to use,” one character sings in the prologue. Many moral philosophers from history, both religious and secular, make appearances in the beginning of the show.
The character of Jesus himself is perhaps the most charming part of the show. Rather than acting solemn or disapproving, this Jesus is just an overwhelming, friendly guy. Other than some occasional Wonka-esque prancing, he functions largely as a supportive teacher to his friends. Ironically, there’s something revelatory about this simple approach.
“[Playing Jesus] was very intimidating at first, I have to admit, but I think Dewey did a really good job at easing us into the characters, focusing on the story rather than the characters,” said Scott Vaughan, who plays Jesus in the show.