‘The Women Of Strong Hope’

ORIGINAL PLAY TACKLES ISSUES OF CHURCH RELATIONS, DISPUTES

By Bettina Lehovec

Posted: November 14, 2009 at 4:22 a.m.

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FAYETTEVILLE — In many ways, a church community is like a family, with all the love, forbearance and dissension that suggests. People of diff erent generations struggle to accept one another while staying true to their beliefs.

What happens when one of those family members steps outside the norm and values clash?

An original play performed at the Dwelling Place church in Fayetteville on Sunday evening explored that theme.

“The Women of Strong Hope” revolves around four central characters: gentle Rose, outspoken Bea, diffident Grace and questing Camille. As the youngest of the four, college student Camille represents “the future of the community and the church,”as the pastor blithely says in the play’s opening.

When her experimentation with a lesbian relationship comes to light, church members must re-examine what kind of future they want to create.

Although Camille’s relationship creates the greatest drama, all members of the sevenperson cast have their own issues. Pastor Tim has just been elected to public oftce, and his new responsibilities threaten to overshadow his marriage. His pregnant wife, Grace, struggles with maintaining her sense of identity in her new role as wife and mother. Rose worries about her ex-convict son, who believes that the stain of his guilt can never be removed. Bea adjusts to menopause and her new role as leader of the “seasoned Christian” ministry.

The characters work theirway through the thorny issues, achieving some sense of resolution at the end.

“Love and allowance. That’s what Christianity is all about,”Pastor Tim says, directing his squabbling flock to “take your lemons and make lemonade.”

The play does not “take sides” on any of the issues, said playwright and director Clinnesha Dillon-Sibley, a visiting drama professor at the University of Arkansas and founder of the African American Theater Group of Northwest Arkansas. She wrote the play as a graduate student at UA last spring.

“The play simply holds a mirror up so people can empathize with all human beings,” Dillon-Sibley said. Her aim was to present church leaders as real people with real struggles, she said. “It’s going to stimulate thought and bring about awareness.”Play First Performed In August

Marcus Carruthers, pastor of the Dwelling Place, said the play’s greatest strength is its reminder to love all people unconditionally.

“You might not always appreciate their actions and what they do, but we’re called to imitate Christ and love them unconditionally,” he said. “That means meeting people where they are, loving them enough to speak truth to them and giving an opportunity for God to work in their lives.”

Theater is a good avenue for addressing issues not otherwise talked about, Carruthers said.

“It’s a great way to reach out and touch the lives of people.” Dillon-Sibley is writing a Scrooge-type play to be performed at the church Dec. 11-12.

“The Women of Strong Hope” was part of the church’s fifth anniversarycelebration last weekend. Dillon-Sibley added a few lines to reflect the theme, Day of Praise, based on Psalm 150: “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”

The play had its debut inAugust with a performance at the Jones Center for Families in Springdale. Four performances followed in Dillon-Sibley’s home state of Mississippi.

Cast members include UA drama students and community members with a love for theater. Natasha Renae Brown, for example, who played Rose, is music director at St. James Baptist Church in Fayetteville and secretary for the UA track and fi eld department.

Dillon-Sibley started the African American Theater Group in May. Feedback from the arts community and other black groups has beenpositive so far, she said.

“There’s something very rich in African American culture that can be added to this local community,” she said.

Church members said they enjoyed the play and the topics it addressed.

“Most of the time, this is the way folks are in the church,” said a woman who asked to be identifi ed only as Doris. “We try to hide our secrets and bring everybody else’s faults out and not look at our own.

“We want to be Christians, but we act like the world. We act like they do out there.”

Religion, Pages 10 on 11/14/2009

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