San Fernando Valley State College

CHRIST IN THE CONCRETE CITY I(

A thesis production of a religious drama dramatized by P.W. Turner

An Abstract submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Master of Art.s in

Drama

by

James Joseph Mapes

April, 1969

r�-,

The abstract of James Joseph Mapes 1s a

San Fernando Valley State Co�lege

Apr11, 1969

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I. Text

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

1. Abstract •• • •• •• • •• • • •• • ••• • •• ••• • •• ••• l-4

II. Appendix

1. Program scenerio •• • • • • • •••• • • • • •••• ••• s

2. Cast List • • •• ••••••• •• • • •••• • • • • • • • • •• 6

3. Performance Dates • •• • •• • • •••• • •• •• • •• • ?

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by

James Joseph Mapes

Master of Arts in Drama

April, 1969

P. W. Turner, the author of Christ in the Concrete

City, has attempted to portray the Passion Story of Jesus -Christ on three levels of action and has offered the

following suggestions:

The play is the story of events in Biblical history.

I The playwright has taken many liberties with the Gospel I J text. In order to include the essential facts into the I I play, Turner found himself forced to compress the Biblical

! narrative, and even in some cases, �to put phrases on lips I . !Where they do not belong, d in order to get the facts into I i the play. He states in the preface to the play: ;

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The actors step into and out of the his­torical characters. Thus, when the third man represents Pilate, he acts the part as long as the text demands, and then forgets about it. There is no necessary continuity between the various characters played by an actor.

Secondly, the story of the Passion is one of universal significance, speaking time­lessly to all mankind. Here the cast act as a chorus, as a unit with a number of voices rather than as a group of individuals.

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These passages require a formal presenta­tion both in speech and movement.

Thirdly, the Crucifixion and Resurrec­tion are events of personal significance speaking intimately to the individual in the secret places of his own soul, and urging him to action here and now. So in the play there is a third level of action which tries to show the modern equivalant of the events or ideas brought out in the other themes. For the most part these sequences are caricatures.

The ideas and philosophy expressed in this play are

I very conventional. There is the basic fundamental tra-

gedy of the Passion of Christ expressed symbolically in

I modern language.

1 but by employing

In this respect the play is traditional;

common everyday elements of humanity,

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the Biblical narrative is reduced to a basic humanistic

are lacking in a formal religious service. These elements

in the play should establish a particular awareness on the

part of the viewer concerning the contemporary relevance

I of the Biblical narrative.

I The playwright has expressed his philosophy of the '

I play, to which the director has tried to remain faithful

l in his production. This philosophy was not necessarily I l demonstrated with the use of visual images. but was found !

· in the concept of the manner in which the play was pre-

sen ted.

i The style of the production was "presentational•• in . I

l L--------·�·---· ---- ···-·-·· . ---·--· ·-- -------------- -------··--·---------··· ·-- ----- -- - - -- - . - ------

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rkeeping �;th both the. f���alistic s�;i� --�-f--th� - ;�·;i�t -- ��<i-····· 1

I j the physical formalism of the church setting. No stage I isets were used to portray locale as the sense of place was 11, !created through the use of dialogue and pantomime. To set

!the stage and to begin the story, scripture was read as a I ! prologue. The scriptural passages described the story of I I I 1Passion Week beginning with Christ's entrance into Jeru- ! I !salem and ending with the Passover supper. By eliminating ! I , ' !traditional stage sets, the physical elements of the church I I I /were used to enhance the production and to maintain the j !respect and reverence inherent in the subject matter. I ! A few theatrical elements, however, were added to the

!church setting. These included special lighting equip­

lment (three spotlights on each of two tree stands, two I Jdimmers, cable) and stylized costumes consisting of color-j Jed capes worn over contemporary dress.

:1, To compliment the visual elements of the church sane-! Jtuary setting and to create atmosphere, various religious

!musical pieces were added. The performance began with_a .I

. I !Gregorian chant which created a mood of reverence and end-

led with "The Glory of the Lord'' From Handel's Messiah to ! jemphasize the theme of the play-hope for mankind.

In conclusion, a formalistic style of presentation, l 'interpolated music, and scripture were employed to portray

:the timeless universal and individual significance of the

iPassion of Jesus Christ as contained in the play, Christ ! :in the Concrete City.

TOURING PROCEDURE

1 The director utilized a flexible production scheme in

I order to adapt to various church situations with a minimum

I of change. To accomplish this adaptability, a prior know-

ledge of each church sanctuary was necessary.: The advance

preparation made possible the arrival of the company two

I hours before a performance to prepare both the technical

and performing aspects of the production.

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A minimum of lighting equipment was used to make the

handling and mounting of the technical elements as simple

I as possible thus eliminating many of the technical prob-

/ lems that would usually be encountered in a touring pro-

duction. The same basic light plot (consisting of four

basic areas) was followed in every production so that the

lights would be adaptable to any situation.

AUDIENCE REACTION

The audiences were somewhat inhibited in their overt

response to the play probably due to the fact that congre-

I gations are conditioned to respectful silence while in a I church. I

However, this inhibition was not found to be

i present at one of the productions. This particular per-i 1 formance was not totally comprised of adults, but included

j many children who openly showed thei; feelings through !

j verbal response of laughter and applause during the more t ! humorous moments of the play. The adults, however, ex-

1 i pressed verbal appreciation after the performances indicat-'

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[---··-···--···--·-·····--·--····--·-·-···-·-- ···-··········-··"·· ·-······· · . .. .. ... .... - ... . 1 PROGRAM SCENERIO

I MUSIC: Chant-Victimae Paschal from the Easter Mass

I SCRIPTURE ; The Gospel according to St. Matthew 21: 1-27; 241 1-5; 26: 14-29 I

I MUSIC: Agnus Dei by Giovanni de Palistrina

Tristis est anima mea by Orlandus Lassus

0 Vos Omnes (All ye that pass by • • • )

1 DRAMA: Christ in the Concrete City

MUSIC: ••And the Glory of the Lord• from The Messiah by Handel

Note: The entire program lasted approximately one and a half hours.

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CAST LIST

Man l••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••Michael Tabib

Man 2 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Robert Gelff

)•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••Lionel Hansard

4•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••Bart Johnson

Woman l •••••••••••••••••• � •••••••••••••••• Leonie Goldstone

Woman 2••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••Stella Martin

Bass -

Jules T. Leventhal Harvey W. Durrett Arthur Cole John Redmon

Tenor

Bart Johnson Edward Cansino John Coombs

Soprano

Edith M. Hill Gloria Kulch1n Theresa La Vo1e Nancy Cofer

� Melody K •. Bunting Gerri Rickard

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PERFORMANCE DATES

March 2) •••••••••••••• st. Paul's United Methodist Church Tarzana

March 25•••••••••••Thousand Oaks United Methodist Church Thousand Oaks

March 26 ••••••••••••••••.••• st. James Presbyterian Church Tarzana

1 March

March

JO••••••••••••••••••••••••••First Methodist Church Van Nuys

)l •••••••••••••••••••••••••• Bethel Lutheran Church Encino

' April 2••••••••••••••••••••••••Wilshire Methodist Church Los Angeles

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April J••••••••••••••••••••st. Nicholas Episcopal Church Encino

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.·P(..AY

CHR I ST lH .II:Jf. CONCBEJE .Q.l!X, i n. comb i nat ion with mus ic and scripture, is being presented as a thesis production as parti<:lt fulfillment for a Master of Arts Degree. The production Wi U -tour under the sponsorship of San Fernando Valley State Col lege, Northridge, Catifornia� ··

SCRIPTURE: The (3ospel according to St. Matthew. 21: 1�27; 24: l� ?i 26: )4-29�

MUSIC:

DRAMA!

MUSIC:

Read by Jqmes J. Mapes and Lionel Hansard

Agn!Js Del f:>y Giovann i de.Pafistrina ' Jr i st is. e:?t ani an1 mea· by 6r J and us lassus Q YQs Qmnes (A( t ye that pass . by • •• r by Luis de Victoria

"And the Gfory of the Lord" from I.!:ua Messiah by Han de I

Chris+ in· thedConcrete City Produced by special arf-angement with

Samuel French, Inc.

C11rtain "time for aH perfQrmanc'es ... S:QO p.m.

CHRIST IN THE CONCRETE CITY

by

P. W". · . TURNER

A Thesi s Producti on for San Fernando Valley .state .College

PRODUCED AND DIRECTED

- -- -

MAN. I .. • • • • • • • . • • Michael Tabib MAN 2 • . • • • • • • • • • •

. • . • ·• Robert GeJ ff

MAN 3 • • • • .. . Li()neJ Hansard MAN 4 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Bart Johr�son WOMAN I • • Le6rri e Go I dstone WOMAN 2 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Stella Mari"in

Melody K. Bunting Gerri Rickard

Edith M. Hi II Glor i a KuJchin Theresa La Vo i e

Nancy Cofer

Ju J es T. Loventl)aJ Harvey W. .Durrett

Arthur Cole. John.Redrn()n

. f.3art .Johnson · Edwaf� t�n.si.ro

Jqhr:r Coombs

ERODUCTION STAEF ANDCREWS

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR • • • • • • Donna Jean Steines MUSICAL DIRECTOR • • • • • • • • • • Vince Cole TECHNICAL D I RECTOR • • • • • • • • • • Kim Reed L I GHT I NG • • • • • • • • • • • • • Kim Reed

Linda Coli ins • • • • • • • John Furman

Ray Crenna • • • • • • • Owen W. Smith

COSTUME CONSULTANT • • • •

PROGRAM DESIGN • • • • •

FACULTY ·ADVISOR • •

. . . .

March 23 • . . • - St. Pau I 's United Methodisf Church Tarzana

March 25 • Thousand Oaks Un lted Methodist Church ·

Thousand Oaks March :2.6 •

March 30 •

March 31

Apri I 2

April 3

-. . . . -.• .

• St. James Presbyter i an Church Tarzana

First Mefhod i.st Church ·

. . .�.Van Nuys Bethel Lutheran .Church

Encino • Wll shire Methodist Church · ·

i..os.Angeles • • • St.o Nicholqs Episcopal Cht,�r¢h

Encino

Rev. EverettTaylor andSt. Paul's United Methodist Church, Tarzc:ma

Rc;l'/ HuH Studio, 8648 Sunset. Bol1 levard, [..os Angeles

Faculty and s-taff of San Fernando VaHey Sta"te Col­lege for their cooperation and encouragement

LiliOO: Co I man .. Fran(< Rice Luc H I e Mo11son

CHAI\IT

hristians, to the Paschal Victim offer your thank­ful praises. ·

he Lamb the sheep hath ransomed: Christ, by sin undefiled, reconcileth sinners to the father.

eath and life in a c onflict sore and wondrous contended: life's Cdptain, he that died, death­less reigneth.

peak, Mary, declaring, what thou sawest wayfaring? is tomb, who passed through its portal, His glory,

who rose from death immortal. e know that Christ is risen henceforth ever

living: have mercy, Victor King, pardon giving. Amen. Alleluia.

Agnus Oai

lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the war ld, have mercy upon Lis.

Ein Blumlein Wenn's die Somne Spuret

Rose, touched by sun's warm rays, all its petals gently does unfold.

J you, when touched by God•s great mercy, let joy and gladness win your soul.

0 Vas Omnes

all ye that pass by, is it nothing unto you? !hold, and see, yea consider, If there be any trrow like unto my sorrow, Behold, and see, all ! people, ev'rywhere, yea, consider my reproach; �old my sorrow: if there be any sorrow, like unto · sorrow.