Berlin Christian Fellowship to present Easter play
Torrence currently teaches playwriting courses at Lake Forest College. He is a founding member of The Ruffians theater company, who toured to Holmes County last spring to perform the play “Burning Bluebeard.” The New York Times called “Burning Bluebeard” Chicago's new holiday tradition, and American Theatre Magazine named Torrence's work “the favorite thing of the year in American theatre.”
Torrence will present his brand new work, “The Parable of the Birds,” as an Easter play on April 16 at 10 a.m. at Berlin Christian Fellowship. He is working closely with the cast of local performers and the show's director Diane Shew. Torrence has written the show specifically with his home town in mind and also will perform in the show on Easter morning during Berlin Christian Fellowship's morning service.
“The Parable of the Birds” is an hour-long Easter play for all ages. The play is the story of a very special town of birds in a terrible dilemma the birds cannot fix, no matter how hard they try. So everyone gathers in a town hall meeting as they await the arrival of a character they call The Special Guest. An upbeat comedy with a heart-warming message, the play is meant to inspire the heart while celebrating the Easter story during this special season of spring.
Torrence explained, “I was studying how important teaching using parables and stories is throughout the New Testament, and I wanted to create a story that touched on an inspiring message that translated through comedy and creativity. So ‘The Parable of the Birds' is an allegorical story about a town of birds that is waiting for the arrival of a special guest who they are sure has promised to come to their town and help them solve their biggest problems.
I like down-home, clean, family-friendly comedy. I love the characters and sense of humor that I know and have experienced here among friends and local residents. So I tried to translate some of that as a strength in this script that I hope the audience will enjoy and hopefully will also be inspired by the message of the story as well.”
Torrence earned his MFA degree in playwriting and creative nonfiction from the University of British Columbia. He is a current playwright in residence at Chicago Dramatists and was listed in New City's Top 50 Theater Artists of Chicago. He is the recipient of the Annie Dillard Award for Creative Nonfiction and currently teaches clown, playwriting and performance studies in Chicago.
Berlin Christian Fellowship is located at 5382 County Road 201, Berlin. Call 330-893-3115 for more information.