Stake Play - A Tale of Two Brothers

While growing up, it seems our Stake often put on a play. It wasn't a yearly event. But probably at least every three years. I was in one at about the age of 10 or 11. I played the Stuart in “All in Favor.” Stuart dies in the play.

There were others as well. While I was on my mission they did Oliver and later Fiddler on the Roof. My dad was directly involved with both.

Our Stake here in Murray hasn't done anything since time immemorial in this field. I had grown to think it was just as well. Having been involved in ward leadership for a looooong time. I was more geared toward spiritual rather than social activities. Well, you can have a social activity that serves a spiritual purpose.

Early in the year I learned that the Stake was planning on doing a play, and it would be original. I figured I would just try to avoid it. To tell the truth, I figured it would probably be amateurish and provincial. When I was called as the Stake Music person the Stake Presidency implied that I might be involved in some way with this production because of my calling. Then, at the funeral of June Pope early in September, we ran into one of the writers/organizers of the play at the Stake Center. She informed me that I was being conscripted into the production. I figured I could go along with benign reluctance.

We had about 6 weeks of rehearsals and it got pretty busy and intense near the end. I didn't have a huge part. But, after awhile I realized is was kinda important for two reasons. I played the Bishop and early on at the Sacrament meeting he explains the schedule for he rest of the week which lets the audience know what is going to be happening and gives them a framework. Then in my next scene, I have a line that is meant to prick the spiritual conscience of one of the main protagonists and also the audience.

It was a story patterned after Shakespeare, where a family get split apart by tragedy and then comes to find one another again. Yes, there are intentional spiritual analogies and some very contrived devices to split them apart and keep them apart until the punch line. But, Shakespeare did that a lot too.

We had two performances, on a Friday and then Saturday. President Daw wasn't able to be there the first night, He was out of town. But, after the Saturday performance, he was so impressed that he scheduled another performance two weeks later. The script and story were very well done. The people who played the main parts were very talented, especially Mark Brousseau who played the father. Teal Buchi was coerced into playing one of the identical twin brothers, and he came through wonderfully, really responded to the challenge. The Hillcrest ward contributed a lot of talented people as well: Kevin Westenskow (a real movie star, who did a wonderful job as Mayor Snore,) Brooklyn Brewer, who was born for the stage, Jenny Simmons ditto, Jackie Westenskow on par with her husband. There were others as well.

I played the Bishop and I had some funny bits. But, I felt I had to be real careful about turning it into the “Bishop in the dunking booth.” The Sacrament meeting scene could have gone overboard. We wanted to poke a little bit of fun at ourselves and our leaders. We had to reign in some ideas. I was a little bit afraid of a solo dance scene I had to do, that it might border on detracting from the office of a Bishop. But, I think it turned out okay.

In the end it was a lot of work. But, I was really re-converted to the idea that these types of activities do have their role in the Church. It really serves to unify the Stake, not just the players. The youth responded wonderfully and will draw upon the strength of the friendship bonds they formed for years to come.