A Play on St Paul; Discovering the Man

By CATHY LECHOWICZ

How do you seek meaning in life? What actions do you take to find meaning? Ever try a night out at the theatre for guidance? Come to St. Pius X on May 30 for a one-night engagement of In Charge of the Fire. All are welcome to an evening of theatre, a night of entertainment, and a journey of realizations.

Father Peter John Cameron, O.P. is the artist director for the Blackfriar Repertory Theater who also serves as the editor of the monthly spiritual and worship guide, Magnificat. He believes that theatre is a medium that allows us to connect with characters and find meaning in our own lives. Father Cameron writes “the human heart craves the theatre because the human heart lives waiting for something that will reveal the meaning of human beings…To do this, theatre must penetrate to the precise core of what people care about.” In Charge of the Fire aims to accomplish just that by addressing issues of what it means to be human. In a time of economic uncertainty and health scares, I know that I am open to the idea of being enlightened by way of attending a play.

In Charge of the Fire, written by award-winning playwright Harry Cornelius Cronin, deals with the life of the Apostle Paul of Tarsus at the time of his imprisonment in Rome. Many of us will be able to relate to Paul, as he is full of conflict and trying to discover his authentic views. The play is in commemoration of the Jubilee Year to the Apostle Paul, which is being observed by the Roman Catholic Church from June 2008 – June 2009.

The play is a production of The Blackfriar Repertory Theater. This repertory is a continuation of the former Blackfriars Guild: a national association of Catholic theatre companies comprised of twenty-two chapters throughout the country founded in 1940 by Dominican Fathers Urban Nagle and Thomas Carey. The mission of the theatre, which is run by a company of priests and lay people, is “to produce plays of artistic merit which reflect the spiritual nature of man and his destiny.”

Blackfriars Repertory Theatre will stage a sole engagement of In Charge of the Fire on Saturday May 30, 2009 at 7pm at the parish hall of St. Pius X Church, 310 Westfield Street, Middletown, CT. Tickets are $10.00 each and may be purchased at the St. Pius X Friary from 8:30 am – 7 pm, Monday thru Saturday, or by calling the office at 860.347.4441. Depending on availability, tickets may be sold at the door. There will be a light reception from 6-6:40 pm.