N.C. Central University's theater department will soon open its new season with "Slappin' God in the Face," a gospel musical. It's written by theater professor Stephanie Howard, who wrote it earlier this year in hopes of examining Jesus Christ from a different perspective.
She spoke with us recently. Here are excerpts.
So, a catchy title.
I take it from the view of the people who conspired against him and even the people who supported him, turned against him. I try to illustrate that in the play, the people who he healed and preached to and showed kindness to, and they turned on him. So, those kinds of things I'm trying to hype up.
Is this an angle you've thought a lot about, personally?
It is. I try to keep some of the usual thoughts intact, but at the same time I want to approach some things people don't think about. I call them the 'what if's'. Like, what if Judas didn't really know he was betraying Jesus or didn't know the betrayal would lead to the crucifixion?
I try to intrude on the thoughts of characters like Judas and Mary Magdalene. I wanted to show other views of Jesus. Almost the angry jesus when he's attacking the pharisees and attacking their political system, basically. They're all about the jewish law and making sure everything is done through the law, but not living it. Jesus becomes a threat to their whole political system by taking away their popularity and people aren't respecting their authority. So I want us to see that Jesus is this kind Jesus that we often see, but I want to show that he can get very angry.
Do you consider it controversial?
We look at controversial things. Were there under-girdings that led to his being arrested? Was there any political thought behind it? If we looked at it in today's terms - would he be a threat to the government? So in that view, there is controversy that surrounds his life.
Is there a particular point you're making in this play?
It would kind of provoke thought about the eminence of Jesus Christ and his story and the impact he has made on the world, religiously, philosophically and politically. I think it would appeal to anyone of any religious thought. I want the audience to leave pondering the significance of Christ and what the story means - in a very kind of entertaining way. I want people to leave elated. Beyond the story, I want people to leave saying I had a hand-clapping, foot-stomping time.
There's a modern twist to the play, right?
Yes. Exactly. There are a lot anachronisms in the play.
Like what?
They give high-fives to each other. You have some slang language. And we have some rap. The pharisees come out and rap about how they're going to get Jesus.
Performances will be held Oct 3, 9, and 10 at 8 p.m. and Oct. 4 and 11 at 2 p.m. All performances will be held at the University Theatre in the Farrison-Newton Communications Building on the corner of Lawson and Fayetteville streets. Tickets are $15 or $10 forr students, senior citizens or children under 17 years of age. Children under 4 are not admitted.
For ticket information, call 530-5170.
