Pokemon cards, “Make Love Not War,” the Survivor Tribal Council.
No, these aren’t remnants of quickly fading Spring Break memories — they’re pieces of the eclectic charm of “Godspell,” On Broadway’s latest musical opening tonight at 8 p.m. in the Small Ballroom of the George Sherman Union.
Due to the improvisational style of the show, “the actors get to use their characters and lines to show how they feel about the world right now,” said Mike Ruby, the show’s director and a junior in the College of Communication. “Because of this freedom, each night will be something different and fun.”
Through its often-improvised dialogue and funky 1970s mix of rock and soul music, the show tells the story of Jesus’ teachings and his eventual persecution according to the Gospel of St. Matthew.
“I’m not here to preach religion. It’s about the message; to hope for something better, whether it be God, Jesus, happiness — whatever people see as an optimistic end,” said Ruby, who describes himself as a “very refined Jew.”
In the first act, the cast of “disciples” comes together and embraces Jesus’ ideas and each other as a community. Later, they deal with his persecution and crucifixion by accepting what they have learned and by showing hope and inspiration for the future.
The show is “about hope for something better and why we as people should care about each other. It’s not so much about Christ in the eyes of religion, but about the message he taught,” Ruby said.
“The first time I saw it, I cried. When I heard about this production, I had to audition,” said cast member Katy Kassler, a junior in the College of Communication. “The point of it is that we’re building a community. It’s so emotional because it’s real — it feels like it’s really happening to us on stage.”
While the cast, a mixture of Catholics, Protestants and Jews, was rehearsing the show over the past six weeks, they themselves began “building a community.” In fact, Kassler said, “[I have] never felt closer to a cast than I do with them.”
This cast has put an immense amount of time and effort in to this production and Ruby said one of the things he has enjoyed most is “seeing these 10 people giving all of themselves to the audience at every rehearsal.”
The show will be performed tonight and Saturday night at 8 p.m. and on Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets will be available in the GSU this afternoon or at the door.
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