By Camille Beeson : Supervised by Tony Vezner

Placed 2nd in the Presidential Academic Showcase Tier 2, 11 March 2024.

Sweating, sobbing, and shocked, King Claudius ran out of the production of The Murder of Gonzago, in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Hamlet produces the play in order to evoke emotion: guilt.  Understanding the power of theatre, Hamlet hatches a scheme to elicit Claudius’s confession. Even in the days of Elizabethan England, people understood the power of theatre, and mass audiences would assemble to witness stories breathed to life. Theatre draws the viewer in, creating space for a tangible, connected experience. Christians have long had a paradoxical relationship with theatre. Whether it be Augustine, claiming theatre to be filled with falsehood, and therefore evil, or church fathers in the Reformation using theatre to promote iconoclasm and moral ideals, Christians have dealt differently with theatre. Regardless of the production’s intent, theatre is a powerful means to increase empathy in the viewer and, therefore, a valuable tool for evangelistic purposes as it creates space for intentional and transformational conversation. 

Jesus’ final words of instruction to his disciples were to continue his mission – to spread the good news to all peoples, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Mark records a similar injunction from Jesus, “He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation.” Evangelism is not a gentle suggestion, it is an earnest command. Christians are called to share the Gospel, according to Mark’s account, and to make disciples, according to Matthew’s account. Peter Kuzmic, a biblical scholar, writes in his commentary, “in the Gospels there are many examples of Jesus taking the initiative to share the good news with individuals. His example should be the basis for our commitment to personal evangelism.” Jesus exemplifies this face-to-face evangelism in his ministry; whether it be with Nicodemus, the woman at the well, Zaccheus, or his disciples, Jesus boldly proclaimed God’s love through his salvation. 

But what is evangelism? What does this command mean for Christians? The word evangelism comes from the Greek word euangelion, which means Gospel, or good news. To further understand, the root eu means “good” (other words that have this root are eureka- a good discovery, euphoria- a good feeling, eulogy- a good word spoken at someone’s funeral). Hidden in the word, is also the English word “angel” meaning “messenger.” So euangelion, or evangelism, is to be the messenger of good news. Dr. Borris Gunjevic, a biblical theologian, remarked that initially, the term euangelion was used in Rome in reference to a military victory. When the Romans conquered an enemy, they would speak the euangelion, or good news, of their victory. Within Jesus’ ministry, the term was no longer used regarding the military victories of Rome, but rather the salvific victory of Jesus’ conquering of death and resurrection. Throughout the New Testament, euangelion appears more than 130 times. 

Recognizing Jesus’ command to evangelize, the church has spent years trying to understand and define this call fully. The Anglican church defines evangelism as “presenting Christ Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit, that men shall come to put their trust in God through Him, to accept Him as their Savior, and serve Him as their Lord in the fellowship of His church.”Alvin Reid in his book on evangelism simply claims that “Evangelism is the communication of the Gospel by saved people to lost people.” An even simpler definition comes from twentieth-century pastor D.T. Niles who says it is “One beggar telling another where to get bread.” Evangelism can take many different shapes: it can be delivered through stories, poetic imagery, visual art, conversation, or a call and response to action. No matter the methods, the church understands Christian’s vital need to evangelize. 

First and foremost, evangelism is about the communication of the Gospel. Rather than placing the pressure of salvation on the person sharing, a Christian’s mission should be to cultivate safe, vulnerable, and honest relationships. In the midst of authentic relationships, we can have honest conversations about Christ. While evangelism hopefully leads to salvation, the work of salvation can only come from the Holy Spirit. Jesus says in Matthew 9:37 “The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few.” As laborers, we share the good news, but only God can bring the harvest. This does not mean that Christians are given an excuse to shirk away from their responsibility to evangelize. On the contrary: Christians can boldly evangelize and proclaim the Gospel, trusting that God will do the work to change unbelieving hearts.

If the effectiveness of evangelism cannot be determined by a person coming to faith, then how does one measure effective evangelism? Effective evangelism is clearly sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a loving, safe environment. As educator Peter Senkbeil put it, “you cannot argue someone into the kingdom of God.” Evangelism is not belligerent convincing, it is compassionate sharing. Evangelism is communicating the greatest love story that has ever been, or will ever be told. Although public proclamation of the Gospel can be powerful (take Peter’s sermon in Acts 2:14-41) it often happens within relationships. Evangelism can be done from the largest stage to the smallest living room. Christians are called to simply be faithful to evangelize in the platform God has given them. For the vast majority of people, their spheres of influence are not through 20,000 followers, but with people in their workplaces, hobbies, and neighbors. By building friendships with non-believing individuals, Christians have the opportunity to create atmospheres of trust, so that when they share the Gospel, the non-believer is more likely to trust them. While a pastor on television, or an Instagram influencer can evangelize to the masses, relational evangelism gives the opportunity for personal care and follow-up.

Furthermore, relational evangelism doesn’t leave the newborn believer alone, but the relationship creates space to then help young believers develop and mature in their faith. Peter Kuzmic reflected on the power of personal evangelism in his biblical commentary, where he shares, “Personal evangelism is increasingly important in the postmodern world. This method is especially relevant because it offers a vital synthesis of evangelism and discipleship. For if evangelism has to do with the journey from the world to the church, discipleship has to do with maturity, life and mission together as the church in the world.” As believers, we are called in the Great Commission, not just to make followers, but to make disciples. To make disciples requires discipleship. Discipleship usually happens in relationship. By evangelizing in safe, loving relationships, Christians plant seeds that will grow in good soil. Pavel Cerny further asserts the importance of relational evangelism in his biblical commentary. He says, “secularist ideology tends to fundamentally misunderstand the Christian faith and must be challenged by faithful and loving attention to people’s needs. For a long time, traditional Protestants have tended to present the Gospel as a system of beliefs to be accepted by reason. Yet human beings hunger for religious experiences too. We need to complement reason with an appeal to the whole person, relationships, and community. Secularism can not meet people’s deepest needs. Most of our fellow citizens long for relationships, human understanding, and fellowship. We have to proclaim the good news of the Gospel in a caring way, meeting our neighbors’ needs.” In relationship, the believer can meet their neighbors’ needs. Through this personalization, evangelism becomes more loving, and the Gospel more compelling.

As Christians, the concept of evangelism can be intimidating. To share personal beliefs, and challenge others with those beliefs requires vulnerability. Fear of rejection, not only in relationship, but in their salvation, creates trepidation. But evangelism is not a suggestion, it is a command. Therefore it ought to be of chief importance that Christians evangelize to a world in desperate need of the love of God. But what method of evangelism is most effective? Are there creative approaches that may have been overlooked that more energy should be poured into?

Theatre is an experience of the senses. In live theatre, audience members are drawn out of their comfort zones to immersively engage and interact with the story being told in front of them. Unlike film, where one can easily be distracted or disengaged, Theatre forces the audience to be present for the entire span of the story. There is no pressing pause, or checking your phone to respond to an email. Live individuals, not mediated by a screen, draw the audience into a micro-community with a shared experience. Theatre is cultivated in such a way to ask audience members to set life aside for the duration of the story. In Performing the Sacred: Theology and Theatre in Dialogue Todd Johnson comments

Theatre audiences aren’t lulled into being passive receptors; they are awakened and stimulated, made aware of their presence among the actors and other members of the audience. They are confronted with story, character, language, and ideas that engage the emotions and intellect together. Not just the content of the performance (the script, story, etc.) but the total experience can have a profound impact on audiences; for this reason theatre has endured for centuries and continues to thrive even with competition from its electronic offspring. Theatre, as interactive experience, connects with a deep human need for community and for interaction with other humans.  

By being placed in a communal environment watching a story together, audience members are engaged not only mentally but emotionally. Interacting with other people from separate backgrounds, who have just walked through the same story, provides space for rich conversation. 

Kyle Whalen noted after leaving a production of The Christians, a show about the communal impact of a pastor’s theological journey, that unusual conversations were provoked: “fellow audience members all around me, turning to each other, expressing what they believed without irony, listening to each other, where there otherwise might have been easy silence.” Conversation is sparked through engaging with stories that are foreign to our own. In television, there is a screen that creates the separation between content and consumer. In theatre, there is no divide or isolation, but confrontation, community, and conversation. Through the physical closeness of audience and actor, audiences are directly confronted with the power of a story. Through the community of the audience, who have now engaged in an evocative experience, conversation is sparked. In response, the community creates the environment to intake and reflect. I have experienced this firsthand. As a theatre major who has spent 13 years as both audience and actor, the conversations that are sparked by theatre are some of the richest, most profitable conversations I have ever had. Whether it be debating the depravity of humanity with unbelievers after engaging with Lucas Hnath’s A Doll’s House Part 2, or weeping at our need for redemption with Londoners after a striking performance of Shakespeare’s Macbeth at the Globe Theatre, I have witnessed theatre’s global impact. 

It is worth noting that, like all stories, some theatre is more formative than others. While a glittering performance of Hello Dolly may be fun, it does not exactly have much to discuss that challenges our worldview. However, productions of To Kill a Mockingbird can lead to rich discussion of our prejudices as people. Les Miserables inspires reflection of gratitude for the grace that has been shown to us, and inspires us to show mercy to others. Some theatre displays more challenging truths than others. However, theatre leads to conversation not only because of the nature of the story but also because of how theatre impacts the viewer. For that reason, theatre has the power to influence audience members to be more empathetic. 

One of the reasons theatre inspires fruitful conversation is because theatre increases empathy within the viewer. Steve Rathje, working with the psychology department at the University of Cambridge, sought to prove this claim. He sought to answer the question, “Can attending live theatre improve empathy by immersing audience members in the stories of others?” His results were compelling. The study was conducted by testing the question across three field studies. These audience members were randomly assigned surveys either before or after seeing the plays. The surveys asked the participants to complete a measure of their attitudes towards racial discrimination, income inequality, welfare, corporate regulations, wealth redistribution, and affirmative action. In addition, there were assessments of empathy and charitable giving. By measuring the response of the audiences before and after seeing a show, Rathje made conclusions about live theatre’s effect on empathy and pro-social behavior.

After, as compared to before, seeing the plays, people reported greater empathy for groups depicted in the shows, held opinions that were more consistent with socio-political issues highlighted in the shows, and donated more money to charities related to the shows. Seeing theatre also led participants to donate more to charities unrelated to the shows, suggesting that theatre’s effects on pro-sociality generalize to different contexts. Altogether, these findings suggest that theatre is more than mere entertainment; it can lead to tangible increases in empathy and pro-social behavior.

The three plays that audiences watched in the study are three plays that deal with challenging social issues. Skeleton Crew revolves around the lower class during a financial crisis, Sweat is about factory workers in the poorest town in the United States, and Wolf Play asks questions about people’s rights. Each of these plays are charged with questions and truthful struggles of different people. Through their truth telling, the viewer was compelled to respond in both compassion and charity. 

It is important to note two caveats in Rathje’s findings. To begin, the empathetic and generous effects directly correlate “with how ‘transported’ people felt by the plays. In other words, people who felt more ‘immersed’ or ‘lost’ in the narrative of the plays reported higher levels of empathy, agreement with attitudes related to the show, and donated more to charity.” Secondly, Rathje reflected that “While this study had less power to detect smaller effect sizes, and participants completed post-show surveys two days after (rather than immediately after) the performance,” the results still trended in increased empathy. Even though the study cannot perfectly represent each theatre-goer’s experience, it is profoundly valuable in understanding theatre’s impact on people. Rathje’s work leads us to believe that people who watch theatre are more likely to be more generous, aware, empathetic, and caring people. 

Another study, conducted by Kamila Lewandowska, yielded similar results. Lewandowska found that while existing literature regarding empirical evidence on the influence of theatre on empathy and self-esteem previously exists, the majority of this research only utilizes qualitative or observational methods (such as interviews, participant recollections, and video-based ethnographies). She sought to present further statistical proof that theatre improves empathy based on randomized controlled trials, to create a meta-analysis of theatre’s effect on empathy. By evaluating previous studies that revolved around active theatre participation, such as applied theatre, drama therapy, therapeutic theatre, Theatre in Education, Playback Theatre, and Theatre of the Oppressed, Lewandowska collected evidence to create a meta-analysis of theatre’s impact on empathy. After sorting through the initial 467 potential studies, she chose 189 that were the best conducted, researched, and randomized. By pooling the results of the trials, Lewandowska determined that the mean random effect size of active theatre on empathy was g = 0.295, p = .01. If p is less than .025 that means that the findings of p are significant, therefore proving a correlation. This indicates that theatre influences empathy. Lewandoska’s findings are consistent with Rathje’s.

It is easy for adults to become stuck in their worldview. Theatre challenges people to see other people and have compassion for their stories. When people intentionally step into another person’s world, they increase in empathy toward others. Empathy is necessary for good conversations. If people cannot see the person next to them as valuable and empathize with who they are, they will be unable to engage in vital conversations that seek truth. 

In short, empathy is fostered in theatre because of its ability to place us in the shoes of another person: it gives us a different vantage point. Recognizing this, Todd Johnson quotes a perceptive line that Emily says in the play Our Town. 

‘The saints and poets maybe- they do some.’ Emily has died; she has been allowed to revisit a day in her life and is now returning to the grave. From her new perspective she recognizes the significance of life, and she longs for the living to see it with her. Art and religion are the activities that give humans that perpective: saints’ and poets’ provide the path. When theatre and Christianity intersect, the potential for spiritual insight coupled with truth is formidable.

Through theatre, the audience is removed from the action within the play, allowing them the unique position of perspective. In Christianity we are called to live with the perspective that this life is not our own, but is only a glimpse of eternity. 

When observing and engaging in theatre, one is witnessing a story come to life. Whether or not it was based on a true story or somebody’s fantasy, there is an element of estrangement to the characters in the story, until an actor brings them to life. Empathy is a bridge to humility. Joshua Leonard Daniel connected this to the ethics of humility in his study “The Human Body and the Humility of Christian Ethics: An Encounter with Avant-Garde Theatre.” Daniel argues that audiences will increase in humility by engaging in theatre. “Theatre is a mirror, a sharp reflection of society.” By utilizing theatre as a space to engage with modern issues, it invites the audience to grow in humility. In speculation regarding how to fix issues, or how to make the world a better place, people can quickly become prideful, assuming they know the correct course of action. The uninvolved spectator tends to grow in hubris at his ability to dispassionately diagnose and judge the other. However, theatre presents the space to actually perform and tell the story of the victims or the villains.

The fruit of this empathy is humility. Audiences are forced to see more fully the nature of the issue, which presents a more nuanced challenge of fixing the issue. Theatre allows audiences to recognize the challenge of providing answers for injustice. Audiences will grow in humility, Daniel argues in his essay, by becoming aware of their own opinions and shortcomings in solving issues. It is easy to see our worldview as the truth when it is cordoned safely off from the world. Through theatre, audiences are forced to challenge their own worldviews and their limitations. As theatre invites empathy, it instigates humility. People are confronted with their limitations in solving, depicting, and understanding the depth of society’s problems. This truthful encounter of our lack of sovereignty leads to humility.

Bruce Long, Director of Christians In Theatre Arts (CITA), shared his perspective of humility and its connection to theatre in a different way. Long divulged that theatre more empathically represents to us the human condition. While film and television can seem distant and far off, theatre connects us with physical people, wrestling with the truth of the stories they share. Long claims that theatre “challenges us to consider how we see the other person, how we understand the other person. Theatre should help us understand a universal truth about the human condition.” Through seeing more fully the human condition, we are humbled as we are removed from our isolated worlds. By engaging in theatre, where we see more people wrestling with the human condition, our heads are lifted from our navel-gazing, to see the hurting needs of others. It takes humility to be able to recognize and empathize with others’ stories. Therefore, theatre increases humility by helping us to engage with, and possibly, offer solutions to others’ issues. The most effective evangelism is done out of humility, a heart that cares more about the listener than oneself, a heart that is willing not merely to offer a cookie-cutter explanation of the Gospel, but a compelling explanation that impacts the hearer.

Empathy not only has the power to increase humility, it can also increase curiosity. Curiosity is a powerful tool in making evangelistic connections and shaping the gospel to connect with the heart of the hearer. 18th-century dramatist Joanna Baillie wrote about “sympathetic curiosity” in theatre. She defines it as “our natural propensity to observe others, to observe human nature, that draws our interest to [theatre]… Passion commands our gaze; it commands an audience.” Humans are naturally self-interested, so what draws our attention is what we see in ourselves. Ultimately, humans long to feel seen and known. Theatre is compelling because of the familiar truths actors portray. Baillie argues that “it is part of our nature to want to study human nature.” Theatre is designed to inspire audiences’ curiosity. Curiosity is piqued as we step into someone else’s story. Through this intimate connection, the viewer is persuaded of the power of curiosity in a way that a thesis can never provide. As we grow in empathy, we grow in curiosity. Developing curiosity leads to more impactful evangelistic connections and conversations. 

Again and again in scripture, we watch as Jesus empathizes with the most unlikely individuals. Jesus speaks to the heart of a hated tax collector, a woman who has been bleeding for years, a woman who has been married five times and is currently living with a man out of wedlock, and even to those who were demon-possessed. If ever we have witnessed empathy, we have witnessed it in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. If we are to be effective evangelists, we must be empathetic. What if theatre was a tool in shaping us in empathy?

Dr. Peter Senkbiel considers that the power of live theatre comes from playing with the boundaries between audience and actor. Actors are given the power to manipulate the fourth wall, they can confront or distance themselves from the audience. Actors present the perspective of the protagonist and antagonist alike, unpacking the characters with depth and complexity. Audiences may begin to empathize with characters they may not have thought possible to identify with previously. Actors also utilize their position to invite the audience to ask questions. “I sympathize with this character, but should I? Who am I rooting for? Who do I feel sorry for? Why do I feel sorry?”  The empathy that is inspired by real people in the story, inspires a plethora of questions in people, not only regarding the story, but regarding oneself. Theatre leads us to dive deeper into our own stories, to become more self-critical, to be more curious.

Theatre changes people. Theatre challenges audiences to be more empathetic, and as a result more humble and curious. Dale Savidge reflects on theatre’s power to change people as connected to theatre’s ability to slow us down. He reflects, “People can live their entire lives on the fast track, never taking time to reflect on what it means to live… Theatre is an art form that, even when performed at a crisp pace, allows for reflection and contemplation. It slows down life” Theatre provides space for self-reflection. By theatre’s ability to hold up a mirror to society, the audience is given space to reflect. 

Theatre creates the initial space to cultivate the ground for deep conversation. Every story tells a message that invites critical thinking. Whatever the story may be, it is the responsibility of Christians to engage these questions and thoughts. By utilizing the empathy inspired by theatre, people will be more open to listen to another person, and more willing to consider themselves possibly wrong in their previous stance. Through deep conversations, authentic relationships are formed, relationships that are the ground for evangelism. 

Peter urges us to “always [be] prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” Similarly, Jesus calms his followers, assuring that even in times of persecution, God will use the opportunity for them to bear witness, “for I will give you a mouth and wisdom.” It is an endless mission. Ultimately, theatre can till the soil of the heart for any purpose. Empathy is recognized as a positive trait by nearly everyone, not just Christians. Therefore, it is crucial that Christians capitalize on the impact theatre has on people by having conversations inspired by the show. Unless Christians step up to the plate and intentionally engage in theatre, the qualities inspired by theatre will be useless and without fruit. Theatre presents the opportunity for deep and critical conversation that Christians can and should utilize for evangelism. 

However, theatre and Christianity are not only connected by the conversations that occur after a show. Rather, theatre and Christianity are connected in incarnation, community, and parable. These connections can help build bridges from unbelief to belief. 

To begin, theatre and Christianity both revolve around the incarnation of the word made flesh. In theatre, text is breathed to life through actors; in the Bible, John describes God the Son (Jesus) as the Word. Both theatre and Christianity rest upon incarnation.  

Likewise, theatre and Christianity both involve community. God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: God is Triune in essence. At his core God is not merely one, but also is in community. For theatre to exist, there must be both audience and actor. Community develops within the ensemble of actors, within the audience itself, and between the audience and actors. There are even times in scripture in which the fourth wall is broken as the author pulls us into his storytelling. See, for instance, Mark’s aside, “let the reader understand.” 

Finally, both theatre and Christianity utilize parables to connect with their audiences. Dr. Peter Senkbeil reflected that in theatre the audience agrees to suspend their disbelief for the sake of the story. This is because the power of fable is different from the power of fact. Jesus recognizes the unique power of storytelling and so uses it in his ministry through his parables. Fictional stories subvert audiences’ expectations, evoke feelings, and invite them to think in a way they haven’t before. Both Jesus and playwrights utilize this power of storytelling in order to teach and connect to their audiences.

Theatre and Christianity are deeply connected. Kayley Branstetter in her study on theatre and theology beautifully reflected that audiences may “view the show as mere entertainment, laughing off the storyline and walking away without a second thought. They may observe the story with disinterest, distaste, or may even storm out of the theatre halfway through the performance. Or they may see the play as something with deep significance and with a life-changing message. Sometimes plays must be watched multiple times before the deeper meaning surfaces, and this is surely true for the story of the life and death of Jesus Christ.” Theatre and Christianity are both compelling and worthy of wrestling with. By engaging in theatre we begin to understand more of human nature, and consequently, more of our need for the redemption of Jesus Christ. 

As Christians, we are called to make disciples. To tell the world about the good news of Jesus Christ. However, we cannot make disciples without first engaging in tough conversations, and building authentic relationships. Through relationships and conversations, the Christian is able to evangelize more effectively to those who are lost. Bruce Long, Director of CITA, argues that theatre is the most similar representation to how Jesus taught during his earthly ministry. He utilized the parables, wherein he told fictional stories to help reveal the truth about the human condition. While he told the story, the responsibility fell to the listener to uncover the true meaning. This is similar to theatre, where it is up to the audience to interpret the message and uncover the meaning. It is through these conversations of uncovering that audiences and Christians will more richly understand who they are. This form of ministry is less about the pulpit and more about relationships. Through theatre, Christians can step into deep conversations with non-Christians about human nature. Theatre should tell stories that instigate conversations. Through these conversations, we form relationships, and through relationships, people come to belief. Because of theatre’s ability to increase empathy, deep conversations are inspired, making theatre an effective tool for evangelism. 

 Historically, theatre has been a tool to inspire challenging conversation. Some examples of theatre being used to promote empathetic dialogue include Bernard Huss, Augusto Boal, the HEAT Collective, Willow Creek Community Church, and Concordia University Irvine. 

In 1895, 19-year-old Bernard Huss moved to South Africa to join the Marianhill monastery. The mission of these monasteries was to “reform” and “educate” the “primitive” and “pagan” Africans. In 1915, Huss was appointed principal at one of these colonial mission schools. At St. Francis, Huss was compelled to rethink the nature of mission work and education   as he came face to face with the profound dislocation, impoverishment, and alienation of Africans in the aftermath of colonialism and industrialization. He saw theatre as the solution. Huss believed that, “Children who have learned to play their parts of roles in dramas will also be well fitted to take their part in the world, for what else is the world if not a huge stage where drama after drama takes place? If children learned to put their whole soul into the role they played in school, they will have learned to do the same thing in the role they are going to play in the bigger stage of real life.” By incorporating theatre into the education at St. Francis, Huss encouraged students to use their talents to produce plays and leveraged his platform in his many speaking engagements to speak about racism by utilizing theatre and audience interaction. Huss sought to create spaces for people of all classes to engage in theatre, and discussion afterwards. He found the need, firstly to dramatize conversion, and respond to the ambiguities of redemption in a racist society. One specific play he created was Job. Job was “a rebuttal of the kholwas’ [Christian Africans] despondency about their continuing suffering in a society that was being increasingly structured in racial dominance and  exploitation.” While celebrating the patience of Job, it also cautioned against religious and political opportunism. By writing a play to specifically confront the racial tensions present in society, Huss used his platform to spark conversation, and engage audiences to become more empathetic towards each other. These plays were also opportunities to bring both white and black people together to enjoy the theatre without separation. 

Another person who saw the importance of audience engagement in theatre was Augusto Boal. With his model of “Theatre for the Oppressed,” he took the idea of post-show audience interaction, to in-show audience interaction. Boal referred to the audience as “spect-actors.” Rather than people just spectating, they were called to engage and participate in solving problems presented within the story. The process begins by first creating a play around a pressing issue in the community, where the protagonists are always represented as encountering oppressive situations in which they lose. The performance is facilitated by a “Joker” who is the conduit between the audience and those onstage. Now the performance is no longer a place to simply show the correct path, but to offer the means by which all possible paths may be examined. The performance is once again repeated, but now the audience may shout “Stop!” to pause the performance, and offer solutions to the conflict taking place. After the new scenario is played out, the audience may then discuss and debate the different options. Creating the space to not just witness conflict, but offer solutions to conflict, allows the audience to wrestle with and engage in deeper conversation. Boal strove to transform art into action, and ultimately liberation for oppressed people. 

From 1975 to the early 2000s, Willow Creek Church Chicago made drama ministry a cornerstone of their evangelism. Their drama ministry was designed to seek out those who are unchurched, inviting them to personally relate and better understand the message preached in church. In 1992, Willow Creek attracted upwards of 1500 people to their weekly “seeker services.” After a time of worship through song, the drama team would come on stage and perform a short 6-8 minute sketch, rooted in real-life experiences. The purpose of this sketch would be to present issues that congregants face every day. The sketch itself may be considered “secular” in the sense that it carries no explicitly Christian themes, but the purpose of the sketch is to raise questions that the pastor will seek to answer in the message. When performed in connection to a biblically-based message that addresses the same problems, the sketch takes on spiritual significance. Willow Creek did not distort drama as an art form by manipulating it to preach a message, rather the sketches clarify the “bad news” so that the pastor can bring the “good news.” Willow Creek sought to utilize theatre as a space to incite curiosity, and to ask questions. Willow Creek then capitalizes on these questions to have conversations about the Gospel. By using theatre as a platform for evangelism, Willow Creek was able to witness to thousands of congregants every single week.

Engaging audiences in theatre continues today. One example is the HEAT Collective Theatre founded by Jessica Litwik. She seeks to build community within audiences by having them engage in her pieces. She believes that “when a good theatre production is generous and brave and offers itself to the audience, there is a probability for emotional and intellectual engagement.” Her show, My Heart is in the East, is a play about Muslim-Jewish relations taking place in modern-day Iraq and 11th-century Cordoba. However, for Litwik the important part of the experience is not only the play but the post-show experience. As participants enter the theatre the audience is randomly given one of four different colored index cards with different prompts, such as homonym, contradiction, rhyme, or two languages. After the play, Ushers come on stage and instruct the audience to get into groups according to the color of their card. They are given fifteen minutes to write a line of poetry about the play, utilizing the prompt on their card. Then, they are asked to share their poetry with the other audience members. Through this exercise, audience members become more engaged and are able to have deeper discussions about play themes by creating their own art. One audience member shared, “I couldn’t believe how closed off I had been only two hours earlier and how connected I felt now.” Litwak has written other plays based on audience engagement and interaction, striving to connect audiences to each other, and to the problems they are facing within their communities. 

While theatre has been impacting people everywhere, you do not need to travel far to see the impact of theatre on audiences. This past January, Concordia University Irvine put on a production of Girls Like That, a show that deals with themes of suicide, sexism, and bullying. At first glance, an audience member might have asked themselves “Why is this Christian school putting on a production with nine crass, cursing, mean-spirited British girls?” However, anyone who chose to stay at one of the talkback sessions hosted after every show would quickly realize the profound truth that Girls Like That demonstrated. Daughters, moms, and grandmothers alike utilized the talkback session to share how female competition, pettiness, and division had impacted their own lives. Audiences and cast alike shared experiences of their own struggles with their mothers, boys, and each other. Girls Like That is an intense but important social piece that Concordia utilized to inspire deep thought and conversation. The theatre department recognized that their efforts would be in vain if there was not an atmosphere to process and discuss the events of the play. By hosting talkback sessions, audience members had the opportunity to be further challenged by the reality and struggles of the play. 

Because of theatre’s unique ability to increase empathy, it is an effective tool for relational evangelism.  Christians have a profound opportunity to take advantage of this valuable resource to further the mission of drawing people into who God is and who we are as his image bearers. Serving the Great Artist propels us to engage non-believers in challenging conversation, inspired, and cultivated through theatre. God is writing a great story and he has invited us to take part in his grand narrative so that we, as his agents, will step onto the stage he calls us to, with humility and diligence.  Becoming better warriors for the kingdom, means stepping on the battlefield. But this war will not be won through belligerent shouting, and stubborn attacking. Rather it will be won through the daily sacrifice of seeking the lost, pursuing relationships, and loving others with humility. As Christians, may we never stop searching to exhaust all opportunities to invite our neighbors into the family of God. 

Bibliography

 Aileen Forbes (2003) “Sympathetic Curiosity In Joanna Baillie’S Theater Of The Passions” European Romantic Review, 14:1, 31-48, DOI: 10.1080/10509580303673https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10509580303673

Branstetter, Kaley. “When He Comes in Glory: Theatre and its Resources For Theology”. Waco Texas: Honors Program Baylor University, May 2016.  Accessed November 11, 2023. https://baylor-ir.tdl.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/2fe0489c-a192-4730-925d-7076f788229f/content . 

Cerny, Pavel, and Constantineanu, Corneliu. “Evangelism in a Secular Context” Central and Eastern European Bible Commentary. Carlisle, Cumbria UK: Langham Global Library, 2022.  

D’Ambrosi, Joseph R. “The Good News on Stage: Evangelicalism and Theatre Practice in Antebellum America.” Indiana University, Doctoral Thesis, 2020. ProQuest Publishers. https://ezp.lib.cam.ac.uk/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/good-news-on-stage-evangelicalism-theatre/docview/2414039816/se-2. Accessed 10, December 2023. 

Daniel, Joshua Leonard. “The Human Body and the Humility of Christian Ethics: An Encounter with Avant- Garde Theatre.” Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics, vol. 34, no. 1, 2014. EBSCOhost. https://web.p.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=3c9cdf81-13bc-457d-b83c-cbf79056d17d%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=ATLA0001984874&db=rfh. Accessed 10 December 2023. 

Dolan, Eric. “Live Theatre Can Boost Empathy and ProSocial Behavior According to New Research.” PsyPost. July 25, 2021. https://www.psypost.org/2021/07/live-theatre-can-boost-empathy-and-pro-social-behavior-according-to-new-research-61582

Drain, Richard. “Augusto Boal.” Twentieth Century Theatre: A Sourcebook. Routledge, 1995.

Goldstein, Thalia R. “Enhancing Empathy and Theory of Mind” Journal of Cognition and Development Volume 13, Issue 1. February 2012. 19-37, DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2011.573514 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15248372.2011.573514

Green, Michael. “What is Evangelism” Asbury Theological Seminary. https://place.asburyseminary.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1554&context=asburyjournal Accessed 10/21/23 

Gunjevic, Borris (Dr. of Theology) in discussion with the author, 17 October, 2023. 

Johnson, Todd E. Savidge, Dale. Performing the Sacred: Theology and Theatre in Dialogue. Grand Rapids Missouri: Baker Academic, Baker Publishing Group, 2009. 

Kuzmic, Peter, and Constantineanu, “Evangelism,” Corneliu. Central and Eastern European Bible Commentary. Carlisle, Cumbria UK: Langham Global Library, 2022. 

Lewandowska, Kamila. Węziak-Białowolska, Dorota. “The impact of theatre on empathy and self-esteem: a meta-analysis”. Creativity Research Journal. 2020. Volume 32, Issue 3. 237-245, DOI: 10.1080/10400419.2020.1821553 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10400419.2020.1821553

Leininger, Jeffrey. “The Theatre of Iconoclasm; English Reformation Drama and Traditional Religon”. Cambridge: Fitzwilliam College, Thesis for the University of Cambridge, May 1998. 

Long, Bruce (Director of CITA) in conversation with the author. 30 October 2023.

Litwak, Jessica.“Audience Engagement in Theatre for Social Change”. Engaged Scholar Journal: Community-Engaged Research, Teaching, and Learning 5 (2):275-95. 2019. https://doi.org/10.15402/esj.v5i2.68351. 

Makepeace, Effie. “Theatre is Knowledge: Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed and Participatory Research.” The Sage Handbook of Participatory Research and Inquiry. Sage Publishing. Edited by Sonia Offman. 2021. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=5dIZEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT119&dq=boal+theatre+of+the+oppressed+overview&ots=x5P2T0JeQY&sig=IGkiSM8VZqSqIbcfLWgy7_SnqAQ#v=onepage&q=boal%20theatre%20of%20the%20oppressed%20overview&f=false. 

Rathje, Steve. Hackel, Leor. Zaki, Jamil.  “Attending Live Theatre Improves Empathy, Changes Attitude, and Leads to Prosocial Behavior.” Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Volume 95, July 2021, 104138, ISSN 0022-1031, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2021.104138. 

Rathje, Steve. “ The Psychology of Live Theatre: Can Seeing Theatre Increase Empathy?” Society for Personality and Social Psychology. November 2021. https://spsp.org/news-center/character-context-blog/psychology-live-theatre-can-seeing-theatre-increase-empathy#:~:text=After%E2%80%94as%20opposed%20to%20before,felt%20more%20compassion%20for%20them

Reza, Yasmina. “Interview with Elizabeth Day.” The Guardian, January 21, 2012. Accessed 2/17/24. https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2012/jan/22/yasmina-reza-interview-carnage-polanski

Ried, Alvin. Introduction to Evangelism. Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 1998. 

Wells, Samuel. “Improvisation: The Drama of Christian Ethics” Brazos Press. Grand Rapids, MI. 2004. 

Whalen, Kyle. “The Christians Invite Political and Intellectual Humility.” Howlround Theatre Commons, Emerson College, 3 Mar. 2017. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023. https://howlround.com/christians-invites-political-and-intellectual-humility. 

 Pederson, Steve. Sunday Morning Live: Volume 2, A Collection of Drama Sketches from Willow Creek Community Church. Barrington Illinois: Willow Creek Resources, Zondervan Publishing House, 1992

Peterson, Bhekizizwe. “All Work and No Play Makes Civilisation Unattractive to the Masses: Theatre and Mission at Marianhill, 1900-1925.”  African Studies, Volume 54, Issue 2. Taylor and Francis Group. 1995. Accessed 10 December 2023. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/00020189508707828?needAccess=true. 

Peterson, Bhekizizwe. “I Will  Open My Mouth in Parables: Theatre and Evangelism  in South  Africa Between  1900-1925.” Theatre Journal, 46(3), 1994. The John Hopkins University Press. Accessed 10 December 2023. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3208611?origin=crossref. 

Rathje, Steve. Hackel, Leor. Zaki, Jamil.  “Attending Live Theatre Improves Empathy, Changes Attitude, and Leads to Prosocial Behavior.” Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Volume 95, July 2021, 104138, ISSN 0022-1031, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2021.104138.  

Senkbeil, Peter (Dr of Theatre) in conversation with the author. 11 November, 2023.

Senkbeil, Peter. “Faith in Theatre:Professional Theatres Run by Christians in the United States and Canada and Their Strategies for Faith-Art Integration.” Evanston, Illinois: A Dissertation for Northwestern University, June 1995. 

Zukauskas, Henrikas, and Constantineanu, Corneliu. “The Arts, The Bible and Witness” Central and Eastern European Bible Commentary: . Langham Global Library. 2022. Carlisle, Cumbria UK.