Good Shepherd Theater

Our Mission

2011-11-10T10:10:00.000-08:00

The Mission of Good Shepherd Theater:

is to allow the Holy Spirit to work through us to communicate the never changing Truth of God’s Word to His people in new and fresh ways through both live theater and video. To, like the parables that Jesus told, make God’s Word come alive in contemporary and ancient characters and stories. First and foremost, our mission is to worship and glorify God with our craft. Therefore, a secondary part of our mission is to first help people discover their talents and passions and then to train and equip people to use their skills, talents and passions to worship and glorify God.

Please browse our site for more information on our theater or upcoming plays or to learn how you can get involved in Good Shepherd Theater.

Our next OPEN AUDITIONS: September 18, 2011 @ 3:00 pm. click here for more details.

Camp Exodus

2011-10-22T07:57:00.000-07:00

Currently in Production

2011-04-26T08:12:00.000-07:00

January 27-29, 2012
location: TBD

Developed by: Mike Slade, Mark Katibah, Todd Rose & Kathy Larson
Written by: Kathy Larson

Directed by: Todd Rose

Starring: Lynda Shuler, Rich Campe, Susan Slade, Rebecca Perry and Joanie Fedor
with: Dana Esposito, Paulette Austin, Olivia Austin, Sierra Dopson, MacKenzie Moseley, Maggie Slade, Levi Slade

About Coffee Talk: Life is tough. Sometimes you're up, sometimes you're down, but through it all, God is there. And we have each other. Through their conversations and interactions at a local coffee shop, we get glimpses into a myriad of characters' lives and situations through all four seasons of a year.

Stranded at Thanksgiving: Thanksgiving 2009

2011-01-19T10:10:00.000-08:00

Stranded at Thanksgiving

Dan and Michelle Price are spending their last holidays together before announcing to the kids that they're getting divorced. When their family is trapped in the airport on Thanksgiving with an older single man, a happy young couple, a high-strung flight attendant and a college-aged girl their son has his eyes on, things come to a head.

November 20, 4:00 & 7:00 pm
November 21, 4:00 pm

Lost in Space: Spring 2010

2011-01-19T10:03:00.001-08:00

Lost in Space, by Kathy Larson, Abby Austell (age 10) & Maggie Slade (age 8)

ALL KIDS PLAY

On the Planet Pineapple, peace has reigned for a thousand years, until the evil dictator, Black Hole, escapes from the Pit of Doom and challenges the Pineapplean leader, Solar, to a duel. When Black Hole doesn't show for the duel, only the youngest Pineapplean, Sunny, is worried about her. When Sunny journeys alone through space to search for their lost enemy, all of Planet Pineapple learns a powerful lesson of forgiveness and grace.

May 8 & 9, 2010 @ 4:00 pm

"The Journey" Christmas 2010

2011-01-19T09:55:00.000-08:00

"The Journey" by Shawn King and Tony Guerrero

A Christmas Musical for the whole family. Laura, who has turned away from her faith, is coerced into reading the Christmas story to her son Max on Christmas Eve. Through the power of the story and a strong connection to the character of Mary in particular, Laura starts to ask God why.

December 11 @ 7:00 pm, December 12 @ 4:00 pm
Olde Providence Elementary School Auditorium

Good Shepherd Theater

2009-09-19T15:00:00.001-07:00

The Mission of Good Shepherd Theater:

is to allow the Holy Spirit to work through us to communicate the never changing Truth of God’s Word to His people in new and fresh ways through both live theater and video. To, like the parables that Jesus told, make God’s Word come alive in contemporary and ancient characters and stories. First and foremost, our mission is to worship and glorify God with our craft. Therefore, a secondary part of our mission is to first help people discover their talents and passions and then to train and equip people to use their skills, talents and passions to worship and glorify God.

Please browse our site for more information on our theater or upcoming plays or to learn how you can get involved in Good Shepherd Theater.

"Coffee Talk" Cast & Crew

2009-09-19T14:52:00.000-07:00

Story by: Mark Katibah, Mike Slade, Todd Rose, and Kathy Larson
Written by: Kathy Larson

DIRECTED BY: Todd Rose
Produced by: Cameron Cary

Sylvia: Lynda Shuler
Judy: Susan Slade
Ray: Rich Campe
Linda: Rebecca Perry
Melissa: Joanie Fedor
Star: Dana Esposito
Kristin: Olivia Austin
Edie: Sierra Dopson
Jean: Paulette Austin
Steve: Jim Terrell
Mystery Man: ???
the crazy kids: Maggie Slade, MacKenzie Moseley, Levi Slade

"Coffee Talk" Rehearsal Schedule

2009-09-19T14:49:00.000-07:00

Rehearsal Schedule subject to change as the need arises:

DAY	DATE	TIME	CAST	PAGE #s

Sunday	10/23	2-3pm	Judy, Sylvia	6-11, 13-14, 39-40, 32-35, 60-62, 67-68, 72
		3-4 pm	Judy, Sylvia, Ray	5, 17-18, 21-25, 74-75
		4-5 pm	BARISTAS	69, 73, 55-56, 19-20, 35-36, 48-50 (ask Judy/Sylvia to stay for just a few minutes - p. 65, 38)

Sunday	10/30	noon-1pm	Melissa, Linda	44, 47-48, 50-52, 53-54, 57, 66, 69-70
		1-2pm	Melissa, kids, Kristin, Linda, Star	71, 20-21, 77-78, 26-31, 11-13, 42-44, 58-59
		2-2:45pm	Linda, Star, Kristin, Edie	26, 15-16, 5-6

Sunday	11/6	2-3 pm	Sylvia, Ray	53, 54-55, 63
		3-4pm	Steve, Ray	44-47, 52
		4-5pm	Steve, Ray, Edie, Kristin, Star	3-5, 41-42

Sunday	11/13	2-3pm	Melissa, Linda	44, 47-48, 50-52, 53-54, 57, 66, 69-70
		3-4pm	Melissa, kids, Kristin, Linda, Star	71, 20-21, 77-78, 26-31, 11-13, 42-44, 58-59
		4-5pm	Linda, Star, Kristin, Edie	26, 15-16, 5-6


Sunday	11/20	2-3 pm	Sylvia, Ray	53, 54-55, 63
		3-4pm	Steve, Ray	44-47, 52
		4-5pm	Steve, Ray, Edie, Kristin, Star	3-5, 41-42

Sunday	11/27	2-3pm	Judy, Sylvia	6-11, 13-14, 39-40, 32-35, 60-62, 67-68, 72
		3-4pm	Judy, Sylvia	6-11, 13-14, 39-40, 32-35, 60-62, 67-68, 72
		4-5pm	Judy, Sylvia, Ray	5, 17-18, 21-25, 74-75

Sunday	12/4	2-3pm	Melissa, Linda	44, 47-48, 50-52, 53-54, 57, 66, 69-70
		3-4pm	Melissa, kids, Kristin, Linda, Star	71, 20-21, 77-78, 26-31, 11-13, 42-44, 58-59
		4-5pm	Linda, Star, Kristin, Edie	26, 15-16, 5-6

Sunday	12/11	2-3pm	Judy, Sylvia	6-11, 13-14, 39-40, 32-35, 60-62, 67-68, 72
		3-4 pm	Judy, Sylvia, Ray	5, 17-18, 21-25, 74-75
		4-5 pm	BARISTAS	69, 73, 55-56, 19-20, 35-36, 48-50 (ask Judy/Sylvia to stay for just a few minutes - p. 65, 38)

Sunday	12/18	2-3pm	Steve, Ray, Edie, Kristin, Star, Mystery Man	3-5, 41-42, 5-77, 71, 64-65
		3-4 pm	Steve, Ray	44-47, 52
		4-5pm	Sylvia, Ray	53, 54-55, 63

Sunday	12/25		CHRISTMAS - NO REHEARSAL!!!	MEMORIZE LINES!!!!!!!!

Sunday	1/1		NEW YEAR'S DAY - NO REHEARSAL!!!	MEMORIZE LINES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sunday	1/8	2-3pm	Melissa, Linda	44, 47-48, 50-52, 53-54, 57, 66, 69-70
		3-4pm	Melissa, kids, Kristin, Linda, Star	71, 20-21, 77-78, 26-31, 11-13, 42-44, 58-59
		4-5pm	Linda, Star, Kristin, Edie	26, 15-16, 5-6
		5-6pm	Judy, Sylvia	6-11, 13-14, 39-40, 32-35, 60-62, 67-68, 72

Sunday	1/15	2-3pm	Steve, Ray, Edie, Kristin, Star, Mystery Man	3-5, 41-42, 5-77, 71, 64-65
		3-4 pm	Steve, Ray	44-47, 52
		4-5pm	Sylvia, Ray	53, 54-55, 63
		5-6pm	Ray, Sylvia, Judy	5, 17-18, 21-25, 74-75

Sunday	1/22	3:00-5:00 pm	ALL CAST	ALL (run-through)

2009-08-26T09:46:00.001-07:00

AUDITIONS FOR OUR NEW THANKSGIVING PLAY!!!

Sunday, August 30, 3-5 pm at Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church

Performances: Saturday & Sunday, November 21 & 22
Rehearsals: Sunday afternoons: September 13 - November 15 & evenings Nov 15-20

Characters Needed:
1 male, 1 female in their 40s
2 males, 2 females older teen/college aged
1 male, 1 female in their 20s-30s
1 male or female in his/her 50s-60s
2 male or female elementary aged children

Premise: Stuck in an airport on Thanksgiving, a couple who are getting divorced (but haven't told their kids yet) learn about what makes a real family from the unlikeliest of characters.

"Playwright Puts Faith at Center Stage" - Charlotte Observer, May 2009

2009-08-26T09:19:00.000-07:00

Playwright puts faith at center stage
Kathy Larson and her church are creating theatrical works aimed at bringing religious ideas to real life

by Lawrence Toppman
Theater Critic
posted online: Friday, May 1, 2009

"Christ the Lord is risen today" says a wall hanging that shows a butterfly emerging optimistically into the light. But onstage, the caterpillars are still weaving the chrysalis that will let them take flight.

"LOUDER!" says director Kathy Larson. "It's 10 times better than Sunday, but still --"

A casual observer sees theater done on a shoestring at Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church. But hang around a while, and you get the flavor of the drama program - a down-home flavor cooked up by shy newbies and experienced actors who use theater to get us thinking about God.

Two numbers tell the story of "Becoming Dad," which runs this weekend in the sanctuary along Rea Road. The first is 60. That's how many people volunteered ideas, labor, even property for the set - and Larson says that's roughly a third of the church's active congregation. The second is 200. That's the number of dollars she estimates this entire production cost: "We did spend $400 (beyond that) for a couch from IKEA, but we got a church member to agree to buy it from us afterward for $400."

The 31 year-old Larson has been with Good Shepherd for a decade, first as youth pastor and now Director of Christian Education and Creative Arts. The administration here understands those arts: Pastor Robert Austell has written songs for previous shows and was touching up the sound at Tuesday night's rehearsal. So after Larson completed Act One, a Christian screenwriting program in Los Angeles, she began to craft original work for her church. Six years later, she does one play each Christmas and one in spring.

God doesn't always have a principal role. "Becoming Dad" for instance, is about an executive in his 30s (played by Todd Rose) who discovers at a crucial time in his career that he has a 12 year-old daughter (Olivia Austin). He enrolls her in a Christian school, and she encounters serious religious ideas for the first time. Meanwhile, he wrestles with paternal responsibilities but has no encounters with the Lord.

"These plays are meant to open up dialogues," says Larson, who frequently directs the adults in them and lets collaborator Paulette Austin direct the younger folks. "I'm trying to get people to think. It's not like those Christian movies where somebody prays and then God gives all the good people presents."

The process is collaborative. Larson blitzes out a play in a few weeks, but she takes input from casts and crews. "Kathy's very open," says Rose, a financial planner who spent three years with a professional theater in California. "And you don't have to be a member of the church. I came years ago to do a show and joined the church later. What connects this group is a love of theater, love of communicating (with the audience), love of people here."

Love's a good motivator when you bring clothes and props from home and work in a small rehearsal room. (The set doesn't move onstage into the sanctuary until six days before opening, and the Sunday service prior to the matinee takes place in front of it.)

Olivia Austin, a sixth-grader at Carmel Middle School, likes the challenges here. "You connect things in your everyday life to the characters," she says. "I lost my brother this year, and when I talk onstage about losing my mother, it brings back the tenderness we had. A lot of these plays have some kind of loss in them. They're realistic."

That's Larson's aim: To get people contemplating religion in real-life contexts. "You can be an artist and a Christian at the same time, using your talents to glorify God," she says. "We just have to figure out how to do that."

The Mission of Good Shepherd Theater

2009-08-26T09:16:00.001-07:00

is to allow the Holy Spirit to work through us to communicate the never changing Truth of God’s Word to His people in new and fresh ways through both live theater and video. To, like the parables that Jesus told, make God’s Word come alive in contemporary and ancient characters and stories. First and foremost, our mission is to worship and glorify God with our craft. Therefore, a secondary part of our mission is to first help people discover their talents and passions and then to train and equip people to use their skills, talents and passions to worship and glorify God.

Please browse our site for more information on our theater or upcoming plays or to learn how you can get involved in Good Shepherd Theater.

AUDITIONS FOR OUR NEXT PLAY

2009-08-24T13:26:00.000-07:00

OPEN AUDITIONS!!!

September 18, 2011 @ 3:00 pm
at Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church

main characters:

40s male: successful businessman with a strong faith
40s female: his wife, a has-it-all together kind of woman with a strong faith
40s female: her best friend, struggling with her marriage
20s-30s female: stressed out stay-at-home mom with out of control kids
50-60s female: single woman struggling with caring for an aging parent

other characters: there are many roles for side characters of all ages (teens and up) and both genders. There are only a FEW minor parts for smaller children.

Good Shepherd Theater

2009-02-21T12:35:00.001-08:00

The Mission of Good Shepherd Theater is to allow the Holy Spirit to work through us to communicate the never changing Truth of God’s Word to His people in new and fresh ways through both live theater and video. To, like the parables that Jesus told, make God’s Word come alive in contemporary and ancient characters and stories. First and foremost, our mission is to worship and glorify God with our craft. Therefore, a secondary part of our mission is to first help people discover their talents and passions and then to train and equip people to use their skills, talents and passions to worship and glorify God.

Please browse our site for more information on our theater company or upcoming plays or to learn how you can get involved in Good Shepherd Theater.

"Becoming Dad" Cast & Crew

2009-02-21T12:25:00.000-08:00

Drew: Todd Rose
Jane: Olivia Austin

Drew's assistant, Edie: Rebecca Perry
Drew's buddies, Will & Mike: Billy Howell & Bryan Hall
The lawyer: Suzanne Harrington
Drew's boss: John Shuler
The therapist:

Jane's art teacher, Grace Hynes: Joanie Fedor
Jane's crush, Jeff: Tyler Harrington
Jane's "friend", Lizzie: Walker Austell
Art Class Kids: Karla Katibah, Molly Kelly, Zach Goudy
The older "bad girls": Morgan Shuler, Kathleen Katibah, Sierra Dobson

Director: Kathy Larson
Assistant Director: Paulette Austin
Set Designer: Shannon Klar
Costumer: Denise Trufan

Our Director

2009-02-21T12:23:00.001-08:00

Kathy Larson got the bug for theater again after a loooong hiatus when she got roped into directing a short play at church. She hadn't been involved in theater since high school, and even then, only as an actor. Everyone who participated in that play had so much fun and was really interested in doing more theater at our church. But we couldn't find any plays we liked, so she thought, "why not just write one?" And so it began. She has written/directed fourteen full-length plays over the last seven years and has been blessed to be part of God bringing Good Shepherd Theater from a ministry within the church to more of a community theater company sponsored by the church.

Kathy has a B.A. in Youth Ministry with minors in Biblical Studies and Business and an M.A. in Old Testament - not completely unrelated to theater: the play she wrote the semester she was finishing her thesis on Leviticus was a romantic comedy based on the four offerings of the ancient Israelite sacrificial system. As far as theater education, most of Kathy's has been of the on-the-job, learn-as-you-go kind. However, she has taken one directing class with Christians in Theatre Arts and during her Sabbatical in 2006, studied writing in Hollywood in the month-long screenwriting "bootcamp" Act One: Writing for Hollywood.

Kathy's vision is to produce authentic stories about authentic people who are struggling with faith, life, love, hope, truth - the things that matter. She wants Good Shepherd to be a place where people from all walks of life wrestle with these big questions together through a great story.

"Becoming Dad" Rehearsal Schedule

2009-02-21T12:13:00.001-08:00

Please note that dates with an * are NOT Sunday afternoons!!

Date: Time: Cast Needed
Feb 22: 3-4 pm: Drew, Edie, Joanne, Jim
Feb 22: 4-5 pm: Drew, Edie, Jane
Feb 22: 5-6 pm: Drew, Edie, Mike, Will

March 1: 3-4 pm Jane, art kids, Grace
March 1: 4-5 pm Jane, art kids, older girls

March 8: 3-4 pm: Drew, Jane, Grace, Edie, Therapist
March 8: 4-5 pm: Drew, Jane

March 15: 3-4 pm: Drew, Edie, Joanne, Jim & Jane, art kids, Grace
March 15: 4-5 pm: Drew, Edie, Jane

March 22: 3-4 pm: Jane, art kids, Grace & Drew, Edie, Mike, Will
March 22: 4-5 pm: Jane, art kids, older girls

March 29: 3-4 pm: Drew, Jane, Grace, Edie, Therapist
March 29: 4-5 pm: Drew, Jane

April 5: 3-4 pm: Jane, older girls Drew, Edie, Joanne, Jim
April 5: 4-5 pm: Drew, Edie, Mike, Will, Jane

April 12: Easter Week: No Rehearsals: FINISH MEMORIZING LINES!!!!!!!

April 19: 3-4 pm: Drew, Edie, Joanne, Jim & Jane, older girls, art kids
April 19 4-5 pm: Drew, Edie, Mike, Will & Jane, art class, Grace

April 25*: TBD: ALL CAST

April 26: TBD: ALL CAST

April 29*: TBD: ALL CAST & CREW

May 1*: TBD: ALL CAST & CREW

All actors must be off book by April 19!!!

Currently In Production

2009-02-21T10:36:00.001-08:00

OPEN AUDITIONS!!!

Sunday, January 30 @ 3:00 pm
Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church, 3307 Rea Road, Charlotte, NC 28226
(follow signs to find the right room)

Working Title: Camp Exodus
Play Dates: April 30-May 1, 2011

Actors Needed:

Camp Directors: 40s-60s, 1 male & 1 female *lead roles
Campers: boys & girls: 1st - 8th grade
Counselors: males & females: 9th grade - college/young adult
Handyman: 20s-30s, 1 male
Overprotective Parents: 40s, 1 male & 1 female

You do not need to prepare anything, the audition will be a cold reading from the script. Actors will be given at least 15 minutes with the script to prepare when they arrive.

Good Shepherd Theater 3307 Rea Road Charlotte, NC 28226 704-364-1234

Want to Produce One of Our Plays?

2009-02-21T10:05:00.000-08:00

Good Shepherd Theater has a selection of original scripts available for purchase. Our director can assist you in choosing the right play for your group. In order to produce one of our plays, you must first obtain permission. Royalties must be paid to the writer(s) for all performances. To apply, contact Kathy Larson at kathy@gspc.net.

List of scripts available with short description, cast size and running time:
A variety of short sketches are also available. Contact Kathy Larson (kathy@gspc.net) for more information.

It's All About Jesus - Comedy
2 women, 2 men, 2 female teens & 7 kids; running time: 45 minutes
Through a Sunday School homework assignment to visit a homeless shelter, a nominally Christian family learns that it is truly better to give than to receive at Christmas.

Here Comes My King - Comedy
5 women, 4 men, 1 female teen; running time: 30 minutes
The expereinces of the disciples and the Pharisees on Palm Sunday are parallel with a tradition vs. religion conflict between two young Christian t-shirt designers and two ladies from their church.

All I Want for Christmas - Dramedy
3 women, 3 men, 2 female teens & 6 kids; running time: 60 minutes
An estranged brother and sister are finally forced to confront their differences when their mother has a heart attack on Christmas Eve.

Husband and Wife - Drama
1 woman, 3 men & 2 kids; running time: 45 minutes
In jail after accidentally shooting her lover, the "ideal wife" reflects on how things got this far and experiences the shocking forgiveness of her husband.

The Hope of Christmas - Dramedy
4 women, 2 men & 3 kids; running time: 90 minutes
A young woman's complete loss of hope in a journey with infertility treatment at Christmas leads her to discover hope in Christ as the only baby she really needs.

Greater Love - Romantic Comedy
6 women, 4 men; running time: 90 minutes
Four lives collide as a young man goes to church to impress a girl while a recovering alcoholic searches for his first love to check off AA's step eight-to make amends.

The Will of Harrison Wheeler - Comedy
4 women, 4 men, 2 teens & 2 kids; running time: 90 minutes
A wealthy, ruthless old businessman uses the only bargaining chip he has to get all four of his dysfunctional, spoiled children and their families home for their first real family Christmas.

"Sinners" & "Saints" - Comedy
7 women, 3 men, 4 teens & 6 kids; running time: 90 minutes
Caught in between a group of traditional church people and a drug-dealer-turned-Jesus-freak and his friends, a young pastor struggles to discover just who are the sinners and who are the saints?

I'm Dreaming of a Sunny Christmas - Comedy
6 women, 3 men, 5 teens & 7 kids; running time: 110 minutes
Stuck on a cruise ship for Christmas, far away from everything that makes Christmas Christmas, a family man learns from a soap star, a serial killer, some wild kids and a workaholic lawyer that Christmas isn't really about snow or trees or eggnog.

Emilia's Gift - Children's "Quasi-Musical" (only 4 musical numbers)
2 women, 2 men, 6 children & 9 imaginary friends; running time: 80 minutes
Emilia is a dreamy fifth grader with no "real" friends, but a whole host of imaginary ones. She is pressured by everyone in her life to just be "normal," until one day her Sunday School teacher talks about God's gifts. Now, with the help of all of her imaginary friends, Emilia has to decide: is her "different-ness" a gift from God or a curse?

Christmas with the Groovy Girls Sisterhood - Dramedy
3 women, 1 man, 4 teen girls, 4 teen boys, 6 tween girls, 4 kinder girls; running time: 100 minutes
Dawn, Corey, Ellie and Sandra were best friends from kindergarten to high school, but haven't spoken since. Now, twenty-three years later, tragedy brings Corey, Ellie, and Sandra back together. Can they work through their past and learn to forgive?

Becoming Dad - Comedy
3 women, 3 men, 3 teen girls, 4 tween girls, 2 tween boys; running time: 100 minutes
Drew Shepherd is an ambitious young professional who suddenly finds out an ex-girlfriend died and left him everything...including a twelve year old daughter he never knew he had.

Stranded at Thanksgiving - Comedy
4 adult men; 2 adult women; 1 teen girl; 1 teen boy; 2 younger girls; running time: 80 minutes
Dan and Michelle Price are waiting until after the holidays to tell their kids about the divorce. When they get stranded at the airport on Thanksgiving, they are forced to decide - is their family worth fighting for?

Lost in Space - Fantasy
A slew of kids, can be adjusted to fit your group; run time: 75 minutes
On the Planet Pineapple, peace has reigned for a thousand years, until the evil dictator, Black Hole, escapes from the Pit of Doom and challenges the Pineapplean leader, Solar, to a duel. When Black Hole doesn't show for the duel, only the youngest Pineapplean, Sunny, is worried about her. When Sunny journeys alone through space to search for their lost enemy, all of Planet Pineapple learns a powerful lesson of forgiveness and grace.

Camp Exodus - Comedy
7 adults; 4 older teens; a slew of younger teens and children
Lifelong camp owner Sam is selling the camp she inherited from her grandfather to pursue her own dreams. The staff, led by the borderline-OCD Camp Director Brad, is committed to making their last summer the best summer ever, but when Sam's free-spirited hippie niece takes over as Co-Camp Director, things spin out of control. The play has quirky characters, a lot of laughs, spiritual depth, and a ton of CAMP STUFF - even pranks - all rolled into one.

We Want You!

2008-11-25T09:57:00.000-08:00

Literally ANYONE can join Good Shepherd Theater! We need people who love the Lord and love the theater (or at least are curious about it!) to help in a variety of ways!

Actors:
We can use actors of all ages, races, sizes, shapes and acting abilities! Even if you have never been involved in theater before, we would love to be the channel through which you learn! One of the goals of the Good Shepherd Theater is to teach people to act, to build those actor’s self-confidence on stage and to give people an outlet for creative expression that glorifies God!

Scriptwriting:
So far, we’ve only had one person take Kathy up on her offer to co-write a play (Ryan Klar), but we KNOW there are more of you out there who have skills in this area. And part of our vision is to develop new writers, too! If you want to try it, we are TOTALLY open whatever level of writing you’re comfortable with - even if you would just like to learn how to write or experiment with writing, Kathy would be happy to work with you on scriptwriting.

Music & Choreography:
We have finally started to write our own musicals!! We have a few very talented songwriters involved already, but we can always use more!! And as far as choreography goes, we have basically made do with just kind of making it up as we go along. If you have ANY experience in dance at all and want to help us choreograph, we would love that! If you would like to help with songwriting, playing music (with any instrument!), singing or choreography, please let us know!

Set Design & Construction:
The Set Construction Crew has a blast headed up by Shannon Klar! The time commitment is fairly low, but really intense. For full length plays, the whole set crew works one or two really loooong intense days the week before the play. For shorter skits, we only use one or two people for a couple of hours, depending on the set involved.

Lighting & Sound:
For many of our plays, we need specific help with lighting and sound. If you would like to help with either one of these, please let us know!

Video Taping:
We are always in desperate need of people who know (or can learn!) how to work the digital video camera and would be willing to tape all of our plays. If you know how to edit and want to edit or even want to learn how, we would LOVE that too!!

Costumes & Props:
Most of our plays are contemporary, but there are times when we do period pieces. And there are always some costumes or props which need to be homemade - like the ugliest Christmas sweater known to man! – or hunted down – like finding a spaceman helmet or a dog costume! If you can sew or use a hot glue gun or like to shop and hunt for strange things, this is the category for you!

To sign up...
To offer your help in any of these categories, simply email (kathy@gspc.net) or call (704-364-1234) our Director, Kathy Larson, with the category with which you would like to help and your phone number and email address and she will put you on the list for your category and call on you when needed!

Christmas 2008

2008-11-24T15:13:00.000-08:00

Dawn, Corey, Ellie and Sandra were best friends from kindergarten to high school, but haven’t spoken to each other since. Now, 23 years later, tragedy brings Corey, Ellie, and Sandra back together. Can they work through their past and learn to forgive?

December 13 & 14
4:00 pm

Free Admission
Free Childcare

written & directed by: Kathy Larson

starring: Cassy Dameron, Suzanne Harrington, Lynda Shuler, Karen Katibah, Morgan Shuler, Kathleen Katibah, and Maddie Shuler

with: Todd Rose, Harris Wilson, Zach Goudy, Will Dolinger, Tyler Harrington, Karla Katibah, Walker Austell, Abby Austell, Olivia Austin, Juliette Tillery, Natalie Moormann, Rebecca Moormann, Elizabeth Austell, Alina Harrington, and Maggie Slade

More About The Theme:
This year’s Christmas Play is all about forgiveness and grace – the forgiveness that Christ brings, which should lead us to happily forgive one another.

Read Matthew 18:21-35: The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents* was brought to him. But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii**; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. Then summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ‘Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.

This story reminds us that WE ALL are like the slave whose HUGE DEBT has been forgiven by the King. Why should we not forgive the small debts of our fellow slaves and have mercy on them, the same way our King has had mercy on us? We should be delighted to forgive others and love others because God has forgiven and first loved us (1 John 4:19).

*A talent was a monetary unit of varying amount, but very, very large
**A denarius was one day's wage for the lowest paid laborer

Our Mission

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First and foremost, our mission is to worship and glorify God with our craft. Therefore, a secondary part of our mission is to first help people discover their talents and passions and then to train and equip people to use their skills, talents and passions to worship and glorify God.

Good Shepherd Theater writes and produces original skits, videos and full length plays for various functions at our church and our community.

The Impact on the Actors:

Those who have been able to participate in Good Shepherd Theater have experienced the unique, exciting and fulfilling opportunity to use a talent, a passion, a skill and an art form for the glory of God. Many times, through working on a play, the actors themselves learn even more than the audience does about the Truth from God’s Word which that particular play is teaching. All of our auditions are open to anyone in the community. We welcome actors of all shapes, sizes, colors, ages, and levels of acting ability. Even if you've never acted before, we'd love to be the place where you learn!

The Impact on the Audience:

Through our performances, our audiences have experienced the unique power of drama to communicate God’s Word beyond the cognitive level to reach straight to the heart. All of our performaces are FREE and are open to our entire community.

We Use Stories Because Jesus Used Stories:

There is a reason that Jesus used parables to communicate much of His message to the crowds. The purpose of the parables was to call forth a spontaneous emotional response from the hearer. As Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart so astutely recognized in How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, the reason Jesus used parables was not simply because stories made it easier for the people to understand His deep theological points. On a far deeper level, it is because stories make people feel, they make people react, they get at the part of someone which is underneath who they say they are and what they say they believe. A good movie can make a pacifist root for the good guys to go to war. It can make a policeman pull for a grieving father to take the law into his own hands. It can even make a staunch atheist hope for a miracle.
Drama, music, movies, visual arts, or any other form of art have that ability to make you laugh and cry—to feel—without even really noticing that you are. God’s Word can be even more effective than the arts in calling forth a response in us, but sometimes we close our hearts and ourselves off to it. Or sometimes, through difference in language and culture from the time period of the Scriptures, we simply do not understand right away what God’s Word is saying. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, contemporary drama and video can really pierce through the hardened heart and help open our eyes to the unchanging Truth of God’s Word in new and surprising ways.

Please browse our site for more information on our theater or upcoming plays or to learn how you can get involved in Good Shepherd Theater.