Corpus Christi a powerful interpretation of the Bible

What if you took the best selling story of all time and tweaked it just a little?

Terrence McNally's "Corpus Christi," which was presented by Pen, Paint, and Pretzels (3Ps) this past weekend in the Balch Arena Theater, does just that. The play displaces the context of Christ's life and death, and the result is a poignantly timely story that seems to fit almost too perfectly today's politically contentious climate.

The play's modern retelling of the New Testament resituates Jesus' life. By presenting Jesus, or Joshua as he is referred to throughout the play, and all twelve of his apostles as homosexuals living in the conservative Texas town of Corpus Christi, McNally strips the story of many of its previous associations, distilling it down to its most fundamental message -- love.

Directed by senior Jenn Jarecki, this incredibly courageous production took some of today's most controversial subjects -- religion and homosexuality -- and confronted them head on, all the while retaining the message of love and hope.

The cast's individual talent, however, was not to be upstaged by contentious displays of affection. Jarecki managed to avoid relying simply on shock value as she exposed many taboo subjects and turned several traditional assumptions upside-down.

The all male cast directly challenged the belief that homosexuality and scripture are mutually exclusive as Jesus and his apostles openly flirted, passionately kissed, erotically danced, and even got married (Jesus himself performed the ceremony). The in-your-face production also made no apologies in its stereotypical representation of religious conservatives.

Supported by an exceptionally talented cast, the play successfully broke down the conventions of theater. As the actors casually served as ushers and chatted with audience members, it was clear from the beginning that there would be no barrier separating the audience and the actors. By beginning the play conversationally, the audience was gently eased into a performance that would undoubtedly make many very uncomfortable.

The audience even got to see each actor adopt his character as he was lovingly baptized by, appropriately, John the Baptist, played by senior Marc Aronson. "I bless you," Aronson said as he addressed each actor by name and embraced him. "I recognize your divinity as a human being. I adore you."

The actors, now baptized and christened with the name of an apostle, personally introduced their character, directly addressing the audience. Sophomore Luke Brown, who played Thaddeus, strutted to center stage and set the tone with McNally's unapologetic dialogue. "Thaddeus was a hairdresser," he announced. "Anyone have a problem with that?"

In addition to immediately engaging the audience by eliminating the barrier imposed by the theoretical fourth wall, the production made no attempt to cushion the story's impact with over dramatization and the regular theater extras. The set was simple -- using only black blocks -- as were the costumes, which consisted of white t-shirts and jeans.

This minimalist method was effective in the play's unabashed presentation. From beginning to end, the cast made no excuses and did not pretend to illustrate an objective, or even accurate, depiction of Christ's life. Nor did it assume to apply or appeal to everyone.

Because the play's context was so far removed from any semblance of biblical times, the play's inherent irony became all the clearer. As the theatrical representation of Christ's Passion left Joshua, played by sophomore Sam Stiegler, nailed to a cross with the word "Fag" scrawled in red across his chest, the timely poignancy of "Corpus Christi" hardly seems a coincidence.