Chapter 7: Producing a Passion Play in The 21^st Century

This chapter considers the challenges and rewards of producing a passion play within the context of secular, 21st century culture. In so doing, it addresses themes of creativity and spirituality through the lens of a particular play and considers the spiritual consequences of experiencing this particular creative-spiritual work. The context of passion plays from late medieval to contemporary times is briefly outlined and then a particular passion play, Father and Son: Son and Father, by Neville Boundy, is discussed. Structural challenges of design, space, and the device of reading are noted. A central theological challenge to orthodox Christians is also discussed: the challenge of the play to a view of Jesus Christ as fully divine and thus omniscient throughout his human life. It is argued that the play’s unorthodoxy is both creative and spiritually formative, allowing audiences, actors, and directors to experience change (including spiritual change) through cognitive dissonance and emotional engagement.