The Christians

by Lucas Hnath

Sometimes it’s really hard to really know which voice is God, and which one is your wishful self.

Twenty years ago, Pastor Paul’s church was nothing more than a modest storefront. Now he presides over a congregation of thousands, with classrooms for Sunday School, a coffee shop in the lobby, and a baptismal font as big as a swimming pool. Today should be a day of celebration. But Paul is about to preach a sermon that will shake the foundations of his church’s belief. A big-little play about faith in America—and the trouble with changing your mind.

- See more at: http://actorstheatre.org/shows/the-ch...

Genres: Plays, Drama, Theatre, Fiction, Religion, Contemporary, Read For School

Paperback

First published September 1, 2015

Reviews

[Brittany Petruzzi · Rating 2 out of 5]

The classic stoner question "What if what you call blue isn't the same as what I call blue?" but dressed up in near perfect evangelical-wear. It could've been so many things--an exploration of schisms, why people choose the sides they choose, the dangers of irresponsible hermeneutic practice, and an indictment of some YRR tendencies. But, no. It's about one guy who declares God is a universalist for no other reason than he's not sure reason and the senses are trustworthy anymore. While the consequences of his declaration are both believable and heartbreaking, I found myself siding with everyone else against Pastor Paul's destructive wielding of just enough philosophy to be dangerous and not enough to be coherent.

For a play that more deftly explores faith and doubt, read John Patrick Shanley's DOUBT. Skip the movie.

[elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This play does something really interesting with the use of non-naturalistic blocking (all the characters have microphones and stand at podiums, speaking to a congregation) to emphasize the performative nature of the megachurch, which sells religion first and foremost as a good to be consumed. Anyways then I did a scene from this play for my acting final and got points taken off for the staging being too "impersonal" so

[Rendi Hahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This short play is an incisive and unsettling look at the beliefs that hold churches together, and what happens when one person upsets the apple cart. Thanks, Randy Harris, for the recommendation. Very thought-provoking.

[Mark Oppenlander · Rating 4 out of 5]

I skipped an opportunity to watch a production of this play last year, but when I read a summary of it, I knew I had made a mistake. I really should have made the time for it. So I requested the script through inter-library loan, and read it instead. In one sitting.

Lucas Hnath's play takes place in a large evangelical church (what some would call a mega-church) somewhere in the United States. On a Sunday morning, the lead pastor, Paul, gets up and preaches a sermon that defies a central point of theology that has long been a cornerstone of his congregation's faith. He tells them that he no longer believes in Hell. Naturally, this declarative statement, from the pulpit no less, causes quite a stir. Some people in the church, including an Associate Pastor named Joshua, push back on this new theological idea, claiming the orthodoxy of their heritage instead. Others find Paul's new tack refreshing. Eventually, the church splinters into factions, with some leaving to start a new church under Joshua, and others staying at the original church with Paul. Paul's wife Elizabeth expresses doubt about his new beliefs, although she does so more privately than Joshua.

The stage directions and notes in this script suggest that most of it be played as if the characters are in the middle of a worship service. Both Paul and Joshua use microphones when they speak, and a choir sings hymns between some of the longer monologues (aka sermons). There is a studied theatricality to this approach, but Hnath also seems to be making a point about communication - about our desire to be heard, and to have a voice. Nonetheless, characters frequently miscommunicate, or speak past each other. The search for truth is ubiquitous here, but most of the time, the characters argue their way into dead-ends, landing in intellectual or philosophical cul-de-sacs. The play doesn't take sides in the central theological debate, instead focusing on the politics of the situation and the desperate desire people have to know or to be right.

Hnath's use of language reminded me of David Mamet, minus the expletives. There are significant pauses throughout the script, gaps in the dialogue that I could absolutely feel. Other sentences or ideas simply get cut off mid-thought. The stream of consciousness here runs over any number of rocks, splashing and crashing around on its way to its final destination. I can only imagine what this would sound and feel like on stage, in the hands of a talented cast, who would imbue each of those pauses with layers of meaning.

As someone who grew up in the church, but has also had significant changes in my theology over the past 40 years, this script felt like a deep ache in my bones. I mourned for Paul and Joshua as they wrestled over heartfelt differences, and found themselves isolated and mired in the loneliness of leadership. As someone who has lived through schisms and church splits, I empathized deeply with all of these fictional congregants. If you're the child, it's never fun to watch Mom and Dad fight. And as a former theatre artist, I was impressed with Hnath's craftsmanship. This is a fine script that opens up questions about belief, community, religion, and politics without being snarky or pedantic. It's a remarkable effort, and a piece that I hope I get to see performed live one day.

[Chris McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucas Hnath has a talent of tackling big issues with surprisingly minimal and colloquial dialogue. This play contains controversies fundamental to Christianity in a reflexively performative style. I'm certain his work is going to be read and performed into the future as a major theatrical voice of our time.

[Ray LaManna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This play offers some deep theological discussion of a fundamental issue: Is there a hell? It also shows the tension between a congregation and its pastor and, since the pastor is a Protestant, that tension also extends to his wife and daughter (this might be a good argument in favor of celibacy!).

A very challenging work.

[Beverley Sylvester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely incredible.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

really enjoyed it. loved the wife the most, maybe because i’d probably say and do the same things she did if i were in her position. i enjoyed the opposing arguments. very thought provoking. the ending leaves room for more debate. i also enjoyed what lucas hnath wrote in his prologue.

interesting to note the pastor’s secret distaste for associate pastor josh as one of his cracks in the foundation.

i’d say this play harps on the emotionalism found in mega churches, which is a super important conversation to have. weighing out feeling vs truth. a reminder to pray for discernment.

i wouldn’t recommend this to a lot of people. i think having a strong sense of doctrine is important if reading this play.

i also wish it were longer and had more artistic
themes…but i’m sure that it’s more minimal for a reason. i do appreciate the unnatural blocking and musical breaks.

[Hannah Spangler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent play. I really enjoy Lucas Hnath’s writing. He is able to be effectively and beautifully communicate complex ideas into (relatively) short amount of time. There were many familiar ideas and scenarios in this play that I felt like I could relate to as a Christian and existing in Christian spaces. The play addresses issues that the contemporary American church faces (disunity!) among other themes. I think it could have been interesting to make a more explicit connection to the long history of disunity in the church. Naming the Pastor “Paul” I think hints at that. With all that said this play isn’t written with the passionate believer in mind, which I didn’t expect it to be (although I always think it is good to be challenged and think deeply).
I really enjoyed this, read it in one sitting. I would love to see this staged.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

"But sometimes, sometimes it's really hard to really know which voice is God and which one is your own wishful self."

What happens when the pastor of a Mega Church surprises everyone with a sermon that denounces hell and the subsequent lack of needing to come to church to repeatedly and actively seek forgiveness through Jesus. What if, by the act of his sacrifice, everyone on earth is saved regardless of if they've heard the gospel or not? Will the congregation accept this radical shift? Will his board of directors? And what of his wife?

An excellent play and I am so excited that it will be playing in chicago with the next season at Steppenwolf

[Colin Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is so much to enjoy about this play. More often than not, characters deliever dialogue as a series of monologues (less dramatic than one might expect), filtered through the narrative voice of the play's protagonist, Pastor Paul. In addition, The Christians deftly dramatizes the schisms that emerge through differing doctrinal interpretations of foundational Biblical principles and the inevitable chaos that ensues.

However, I wonder if an audience not familiar with Evangelical variations of Christianity would enjoy this play. That is not to say The Christians is exclusively inside baseball, but I certainly have questions.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This feels like a very prudent portrayal of modern America. It's easy for forget the megachurches upstate when you are living in Brooklyn and teaching diverse students, but The Christians take Walmart churches out of stereotypes and makes beautiful points about how much religion really does matter.

I was left thinking: Can I marry someone who does not believe the same thing as me? If I truly believe I am right, then can I respect people with whom I disagree? Are we ever held accountable for our actions?

[Sam Guzik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful play diving into the depths of belief and doubt. Gives great questions that the viewer/reader needs to digest for themselves.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Completely captivating descent into hell.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just outstanding. Crystal-clear, and a successful dramatization of complex theology. I would love to see this staged, but until then I'll just keep reading Hnath.

[Arden Wolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

One long sermon and I wasn’t mad?! I’m not even religious like that but this play HIT me.

[Nick Olwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very long monologues, especially at the start, that I don't know how the audience will respond to. However, the conflict between Heaven and Hell is a very intriguing concept for a show.

[maddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

this rocks

[Jessica López-Barkl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another play on my summer reading list to catch up on the last 10 years of playwrighting, and one of the playwrights that showed up several times when I researched "Best plays of the past 10 years", along with Annie Baker, Simon Stephens, and Jez Butterworth. I can see why Hnath is included. The play is structured on the page in a way that gives it a poetic feel, the style is presentational (with some representational moments), it touches on a part of society that most theater people (largely liberal-leaning) don't understand, and, yet manages to make us understand that part of society. I worry that this play would be a hard sell to a lot of theaters (especially on the East Coast) because of the title (which...also...by the way...is really brave to just title the play what he did). I also really enjoyed his subtle and thoughtful background information on the play before I read it. There are great scenes for men and women and some really good monologues for both men and women. I also want to note that this is the third play I've read in this series where the cast is 5 people. I guess that's what I've missed in the past 10 years. The one-act has become the norm (an hour and a half play) and the cast list should be 5 people. The unimaginable is what will resonate with me after this play. You shouldn't be able to imagine Heaven and you shouldn't be able to imagine God; they are the unimaginable...

[Tim Callicutt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Discussions around faith tend to be circular. When God speaks - it sticks, regardless of what others may say. Now whether he’s speaking, or your own wayward mind, is beyond the point. This sort of revelatory logic undergirds the central conflict in The Christians. From the pulpit, Pastor Paul proclaims that hell is only a metaphorical description of man’s present suffering - key members of his congregation, including an associate pastor and his own wife, respond.

Hnath is an insider to this world. According to the forward, he almost became a pastor. As a result, he creates a fully believable setting. During the opening sermon, he hits the unique cadence of a certain type of pastor spot-on. The arguments over the textual issues of hell are not academic, but common in churches across the country. The consequences of Paul’s sermon are also realistic (perhaps depressingly so). However, I get the sense that Hnath does not strongly identify as part of this community anymore. As a result, he sets a dispassionate tone that allows the narrative to avoid pat solutions and provides a play of anthropological interest to all passers-by, not just the initiated.

With all that being said, I failed to have much sympathy for Pastor Paul. I think it was the tone I chose to read him in. As happens with plays, I believe this would be better seen than read. As a result, while the play was consistently engaging, it failed to be the revelation (get it!?) it could be on stage.

[Tim McIntosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful play about a rift in a mega-church. Beneath the conflict between pastor, youth-pastor, parishioner, and wife is that troubling dilemma among Christians: What about the good person who does not know/believe in the centerpiece of the Christian faith, Jesus Christ? The stakes of the question are raised by characters whose lives are pinned to the answer.

A lesser playwright would have written caricatures. Not Lucas Hnath. He treats the question — and the characters — with a deft, compassionate touch. Hnath's touch is especially appreciated by thoughtful believers tired of being lampooned by writers without any acquaintance with an actual Christian.

The staging includes a clever staging conceit. All of the characters remain miked — even during private conversations. The effect: A magnified emotional intensity and a nod to the private/public lives of megachurch leaders. —A superb play.

[niko · Rating 3 out of 5]

this play was very interesting and distinct from the other plays i have recently read in certain regards. for one, it dealt with a much more sensitive topic (religion) and the challenges in beliefs that come from views on religion as a whole. the structure of the play was also very unique, given how there were no clear scenes, a small batch of characters rarely interacting with each other at large, and the use of a "choir" to sing selected songs normally after each discussion break.

there is also the similarity with "mr. burns", in that the pastor at the end questions how the beliefs of religion will hold as the years go on.

solid play all-in-all.

[heather smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

finally got a physical copy of the play that gave me an existential crisis one (two?) years ago

very good play— the first read experience & the second read experience are so different and it’s scary, almost, how certain characters take on different lights so quickly when you read it at a different time. would wholeheartedly recommend this play to any religious person (of any religion, not just christian), or nonreligious person.

the worst thing about this play is simply that i so desperately want to know where all the characters end up that i’m mad whenever it ends. but that’s the point, so i can’t truly be mad.

[Madison Boboltz · Rating 5 out of 5]

My university did this play and it was phenomenal. I️ actually cried pretty much the entire time and for an hour after. I️ found it extremely relatable and relevant. The different theologies expressed did not move or challenge me as much as the way the characters handled their disagreements... which was not well. It forces you to think about the distance between you and other people, both literal and metaphorical, and what you will do about that distance. “In order to have tolerance, must we have no tolerance for the intolerable?”

[Grace Whitten · Rating 4 out of 5]

a great play about how our own personal context makes any objectivity impossible. We make things mean what we need them to mean. Everyone in this play was walking around as normal people trying to be little gods. I grew up ultra religious with my dad as a pastor and he still is (a great one!) but the reason he’s great is because he’s not normal. He’s actually monk like. Very verrry few people should want or can subject themselves to the scrutiny or power of shepherding. But really i felt this play was about not being able to surpass your own context in life. Wherever you go there YOU are.

[Lauren Merrifield · Rating 3 out of 5]

This play was very interesting to read. I really enjoyed the format of it. The placement of the words on the page was unique and it added to the atmosphere of the story. There are a lot of discussions that can happen because of this play. It was so fascinating and a unique angle to look at these topics. I am very interested to see how this show would be put onstage. Reading it, the characters did not seem very expressive, but I think that could be a good thing. They were just very calculating and I liked that. They felt real. There's a lot to think about with this play.

[Daniel Cluskey · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You're saying that absolute tolerance requires intolerance of the intolerant?"

A thought provoking play striking at the themes of honesty, justice, and truth. I enjoyed reading through Pastor Paul's transition as his congregation starts to react to his sermon. In a few short scenes we see a man with all the confidence in the world to someone who is clearly diminished all because of the situation surrounding him. Definitely a good read.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucas Hnath's The Christians is such an important work right now. This piece reminded me of the price we pay for our beliefs, as well as the price paid by those whose beliefs conflict with ours. This play offers no simple answers, and does not take the easy way out in using broad strokes to portray its well-crafted characters. I hope to see this staged, and am excited to read more of Hnath's work.

[Alex]

Unspools so fluidly on the page. It reads almost like a philosophical dialogue. I had seen it in its original production at Playwrights Horizons, where it made a big impression on me at the time -- revisiting it now, I'm struck by the way Pastor Paul runs out of answers over the course of the play, in the face of questions both theological and practical. Leaves me wondering how we as people can make room for uncertainty in our lives, and whether our institutions can change as we change.

[Lonnie Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting play.
I’d like to see it performed because I think the real thought-provoking aspect arise from the staging directions.
Everyone has their handheld mic. Everyone is performing one form of sermon or another.
They all have belief and wrestle with it (in some fairly predictable ways/arguments), but all the whole it is a show.
Is that all we are ever doing.
Some version of fake it til you make it.
Anywho.
Good way to spend a couple hours.