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Dallas Theater Center Presents “The Christians” At The Kalita Humphreys Theater Jan. 26 – Feb. 19

Dallas Theater Center announced today complete details for “The Christians” at the Kalita Humphreys Theater. Directed by Joel Ferrell, “The Christians” begins on Thursday, January 26th with a Pay-What-You-Can performance and runs through Sunday, February 19th. Press Night will be Friday, February 3rd at 8 p.m. Tickets to “The Christians” are on sale now at www.DallasTheaterCenter.org and by phone at (214) 880-0202.

“’The Christians’ looks with great compassion at a community of faith and asks a question that intrigues and troubles me: Can we and should we allow our beliefs to evolve? This unique new play by Lucas Hnath is an even-handed, unbiased take on faith in modern America and will intrigue and engage you no matter what you believe,” said Director and DTC Associate Artistic Director Joel Ferrell. “’The Christians’ has become one of the most produced plays in the country because it dares to investigate deeply held beliefs without prejudice. It is rare to find a play about religion or faith that can speak to such a wide, diverse audience. I am thrilled to be directing ‘The Christians’ at Dallas Theater Center and it is my hope that patrons will leave entertained and ignited in conversation.”

Written by Lucas Hnath, “The Christians” is staged as a church service and follows Pastor Paul, who spent 20 years successfully growing his church from a small, mom-and-pop operation into a full-blown mega-church with thousands of members, a coffee shop and a parking lot so big you could get lost in it. But now, Pastor Paul has a new message for his devoted flock—one that will turn the entire congregation on its head. You’ll recognize the hymnals, the live choir made up of volunteers from across Dallas-Fort Worth and the preacher at the pulpit, but there’s never been a sermon quite like this.

Starring in the leading roles are Diane and Hal Brierley Resident Acting Company members Chamblee Ferguson (“A Christmas Carol,” “Deferred Action,” “All the Way”) as Pastor Paul and Steven Michael Walters (“Deferred Action,” “All the Way,” “The Book Club Play”) as Associate Pastor Joshua. Other cast members include Tyrees Allen as an elder church leader named Jay; Christiana Clark (“The Trinity River Plays”) as the Pastor’s wife, Elizabeth and Southern Methodist University student Lindsay Ryan as a congregant named Jenny.

The scenic design by Bob Lavallee (“Dreamgirls,” “The Mountaintop,” “The Rocky Horror Show”) will convert the Kalita Humphrey’s Theater into a full church interior. Volunteers from choirs across Dallas-Fort Worth will bring hymns to life under music director Vonda K. Bowling. Costume designer Beth Goldenberg; sound supervisor Brian McDonald (“Bella: An American Tall Tale,” “The School for Wives,” “Medea”) and lighting designer Yi Zhao (“Romeo and Juliet”) complete the creative team.

DTC’s Come Early sponsored by Wells Fargo, a pre-show lecture about the play, will take place one hour before every performance and DTC’s Stay Late, a post-show discussion led by a member of the cast, will take place after each performance.

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James McDonald

Originally from Dublin, Ireland, James is a Movie Critic with 40 years of experience in the film industry as an Award-Winning Filmmaker. He is also a member of the Critics Choice Association and the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association.