Annual children's play travels 'across the pond' to Wales
Janel Shoun |
Some students travel on mission trips to build homes, construct bridges or work in medical clinics. But the latest group of Lipscomb University students headed overseas for mission work are planning to do less construction and more play. In fact, their mission work is a play.
Six Lipscomb students and their instructor are heading to Wales May 6-18 to hold 10 performances of a children’s play in a church and several schools in the city of Newport. Lipscomb instructor Deb Holloway coordinates the production of two children’s plays each year, and takes them on tour to schools, hospitals and day care centers in Nashville.
But this year Lipscomb’s children’s play is going international. Paul Halliday, the minister at Newport Church of Christ in Newport, Wales, and a Lipscomb alumni, invited the group to come perform at his church and several schools in the city.
The production, The Re-Match of the Tortoise and the Hare (as Witnessed by the Ugly Duckling), is not overtly religious, but these students say the positive message they communicate through their work in theater is every bit as spiritual as work others do with hammers and nails.
“People forget how important entertainment is, especially when it teaches a lesson. It can relay a powerful message, sometimes more powerful than a classroom setting,” said Brittany Willis, a freshman theater major from Ennis, Texas, who plays Mother Duck.
“I went to Scotland on a mission trip, and over there Christianity is not cool,” said Ashley Thompson of Nashville, an elementary education major, who plays the Ugly Duckling. “So anything we can try to do to reach the children, is really important.”
The students will perform two times at the Newport Church of Christ and conduct games and music with children over the course of the week. Lipscomb Bible professor Gary Holloway will hold coffeehouse discussions with adults during the week. Eight shows will be held out in schools in the community.
“The schools are so excited because the production is free and on-site at the school. Usually they have to transport the students to get to see a production like this,” Deb Holloway said.
She has been coordinating these student productions for eight years now. Sometimes she directs; sometimes a student directs. Themes of the plays over the years have included greed, good self-esteem, kindness and good eating habits. After one play last fall on the evils of sugar, volunteers served cookies afterward and the kids refused to eat them, laughs Holloway.
“When I first came to Lipscomb I began talking to Larry Brown, the theater department chair, about how we could use our department as a mission, and we talked about using children’s theater as an outreach. We really do look at this as a mission,” she said.
Each year the free plays are in high demand locally, she said. School officials appreciate that they are free, brief and well-acted, she said.
“Our students have learned that just because it’s a children’s play, it’s not going to be any easier to put on. They have the same attitude with The Tortoise and the Hare that they have with Trojan Women,” she said.
“I volunteer at Youth Encouragement Services and I really love working with kids,” said Kevin Buckley, of Memphis, who plays the Hunter. “”I think it’s my calling to make kids laugh.”
The Tortoise and the Hare will teach children that they should respect everyone, no matter where they come from, said Thompson. A good lesson to hear as the kids watch a bunch of visiting “Colonialists” up on stage.
The entire cast traveling to Wales includes: Erin Randolph, of Katy, Texas, as the Tortoise; Drew Smith, of Bon Aqua, as the Hare; Ashley Thompson, of Nashville, as the Ugly Duckling; Kevin Buckley, of Memphis, as the Hunter; Brittany Willis, of Ennis, Texas, as Mother Duck; and Courtney Jacobs, of Huntsville, Ala., as the Turkey.