1 John 4:10 — This is love; not that we loved God, but that he
loved us and sent is Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Based on the Gospel of Matthew, Godspell is a representational interpretation of Jesus’ ministry, focused on his teaching and eventual sacrifice for our sins. It is not a timeline of events, but rather a collection of games, stories, and lessons meant to illuminate Christ’s message. While it casts some familiar biblical characters (Jesus, John the Baptist, Judas), the Disciples bear the actor’s names, representing that they are an ‘everyman.’ Each could be you or me, and they are in fact, themselves.
Scriptwriters, Michael Tebelak and Stephen Schwartz, allow wide accommodation to the artistic vision of the director, provided one thing remains clear -- Jesus forms a community around him that lives on for over 2000 years. Using this concept of ‘Community in Christ,’ I decided to fashion the production heavily based in collaboration. So, what you see on stage is a mix of artistic team direction and student interpretation. Students designed their own costumes, created their own characters, and developed new ways to present each parable. Their input was paramount in producing the show.
As a Christian, this musical is near and dear to my heart. It plays-out the poignant relationship between Jesus and His followers, emphasizing unconditional love, forgiveness, gentle correction, and righteousness. It’s exactly what we can all have with Christ today, because despite His crucifixion, He was resurrected. He is ALIVE! AND He’s borne our sins, so that we can live eternally with Him in Heaven. What a joy it’s been to fellowship around such good news with the students and to now share it with our audience.
The Godspell story is told through the devotion and passion of our fabulous CYT cast: “You ARE the Light of the World!”
We are also blessed to work with an amazing artistic team: choreographer Anna Bragg, and musical director Jenn Loudermilk. THANK YOU for instilling sound doctrine and theatrical excellence into our students. THANK YOU to our fabulous Show Coordinator, Julie Hayman. As always you lead our students and parents with steadfast love! THANK YOU to our Production manager, Kenya Duff, who realizes a beautiful artistic vision onstage. THANK YOU to our PR Coordinator, Brett Cohrs, whose creative efforts bring more students to the CYT family every day. And a HUGE THANK YOU to our CYT parents, who ‘Day by Day’ create amazing sets, sew costumes, create props, sell concessions, promote our show and so much more!
THANK YOU, so much—our patrons—for continuous support of CYT, especially during this pandemic year when we have needed it the most. We hope you love Godspell, too!
Anna Kilbride
Artistic Director
