In the month of October, I drove over 2000 kilometers across Ontario highways in a big black SUV. It wasn’t exactly my dream vehicle, and the 401 is no picnic to drive, but it was all worth it. It was great to be on the road because I got to share My Little Plastic Jesus with dozens of people in living rooms, a couple churches, and even one comedy club, all across southern Ontario. It was so nice to be touring the show again and to see that it still connects so well with audiences; it still seems important.
Part of me wishes My Little Plastic Jesus wasn’t still so relevant. Society is ever more polarized, books and podcasts on Deconstructing Christianity have become their own distinct genre, and Evangelical churches across North America continue to fracture and spiral into increasing states of crisis. If, like me, you remain committed to a faith tradition while also being critical of many of its modern manifestations, well… there are days one is tempted to despair.
My hope is that My Little Plastic Jesus is but one small light in the midst of this present darkness; bringing to mind a quote by the artist Scott Erickson:
“Grant me the wisdom
to know when to light the way forward
or to burn the whole thing down.
May my Light be a gift to others either way.”
My Little Plastic Jesus will hit the road again in March as I tour it out to British Columbia. Tell all your friends - burnt-thicket-theatre.square.site
In the meantime, I am pleased to say that for most of November and December I have the joy of taking on the role of Mr. Bingley in Persephone Theatre’s Christmas show Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley. It’s a fun script with a wonderful team of theatre artists and a reliable pay check for the next couple months. It’s a warm and safe space to be as the dark and cold of winter begins to descend. Come join in the fun starting December 1st - persephonetheatre.org/shows/pla…
