'Godspell' moves from Broadway to Real Life

Real Life Ministries Post Falls will present "Godspell" onstage March 10-12 and 17-19.

"Godspell" had humble beginnings as an off-off-Broadway musical from the 1970s, and later rose to notoriety as an off-Broadway success, until it eventually rose into the spotlight on Broadway in 2011, and now it’s coming to Post Falls.

“There are multiple ways of doing 'Godspell,'” said Justin Kreissig, director of the creative arts department at Real Life Post Falls. “One way is, it’s a fun story, and the other is, it’s biblical truth — and we’re going biblical truth. We’re showing the Gospel, and telling the truth as we see it.”

The play will be an adaptation of the Gospel of Matthew as shown through improv, dance and song.

“I hope to bring some spirit to the truth for people,” said James Bailey, who plays Jesus. “I’m being stretched in a lot of ways, purely by the stress of the task. It’s giving me introspection into the Gospel. I’m not sure if it’s refreshing things that I knew, or if it’s teaching me to see things in a new light.”

Bailey was initially afraid to fill the robe of Jesus, but he respects the challenge, and accepts Kreissig’s faith in him.

“I could always see it in you,” Kreissig said. “Emulating Jesus is what you do. And Jesus is love, humility and joy.”

Bailey invites cast members to his home to rehearse in their free time, to try to get the whole production right.

“I’m not going to get it completely right, probably.” Bailey said. “It gets ‘red spotlight’ heavy.”

On stage the characters come together through struggles, but backstage the team of over 90 production members come together through collaboration.

“I’m making friends,” Bailey said.

And building relationships is Kreissig’s No. 1 one goal for the project. So he also shows up to unscheduled home rehearsals to support his cast.

He pulls out a picture he cherishes he took through Bailey’s window of the cast together. “These guys are working so hard together because they love each other and they want to do something great,” he said.

Producing is a tool Kreissig uses to foster relationships and fellowship through the church. He knows it works because 19 years ago he met his wife through drama, and now he continues to connect his congregation with productions like "Godspell," and hopefully many more if he’s led that way.

He invites people to reconnect with their creativity and spirit of joy.

“How do you imagine as an adult?” Kreissig said.

The invitation to create is for anyone. Membership with the church isn’t required to participate in the show, or to see it.

Tickets are $10 to cover the cost of production, Kreissig said, and available online at https://www.reallifeministries.com/godspell or at the door.

Some productions of 'Godspell' have been comedic and sometimes blasphemous, so Kreissig invites anyone concerned to email him at jkreissig@reallifeministries.com for conversations about his vision.

This version has been edited to include Kreissig's title.