'It Just Stopped'
Thursday night, conveniently in celebration of my last day of uni, I headed to the theatre, and was reminded yet again just how much I love it! A good way to finish off a degree with a major in theatre too!I saw 'It Just Stopped' at Belvoir St Theatre. The play was written by Australian playwright Stephen Sewell, directed by Neil Armfield, and had a cast of 4 brilliant actors, including John Wood - who, by the way, has amazing stage presence!
While I had very little idea of what to expect from the performance, except what i knew of Sewell and Armfield from uni this semester, I was incredibly impressed with the whole production. The set was pretty simple, but cool - an apartment with a feature wall made out of jelly beans (I want one!). As I said, the actors were all brilliant.
And the play itself was very funny, and raised some interesting issues and concepts relating to art, politics, and the end of the world. The director likened it to a Charlie Kaufman film, and I could definately see that likeness - if you know what that means then you will realise that it was slighty odd, confusing, had some interesting ways of playing with your mind, but also simply very clever and entertaining.
While I wont bore you with all the details, the play started off with everything that the characters (and us) rely on stopping - electricity (and therefore computer, aircon, elevators), phone, water, mobile phone reception. What I thought was an interesting inclusion in this performance was the way it considered how we would react if the world stopped - not just in terms of these things, but what if Jesus returned and we had been so completely consumed with ourselves and relying on what we have available to us now, in our good jobs and comfortable apartments with jelly bean feature walls, that we just wouldnt be prepared. These characters were frightened at that thought. That they would have to face judgement. This play was in no way a Christian play, nor were any of the characters. It showed a common way of thinking that "we are good people, or at least we havent done anything bad, so we should be ok right?"
Yet, they were still obviosuly afraid of God's judgement.
Interesting, I thought. What does that say about the world and its views?! Perhaps more people think this way than they are prepared to admit - and perhaps they will continue that way until it all just stops and they are forced to think about it...
Perhaps.
But its something we all need to think about isnt it? What distracts us from these important truths? What are we doing with our time here?
2 Peter has these words to say:
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.
Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. [2 Peter 3:8-13]
He will come like a theif in the night. Just like the characters in the play, we cannot know when it will be. But doesnt this just make you more convicted as to how you should be living your life? Or at least i think it should. Not only becuase we will all face judgement, but also becuase God has given us this time to help bring more people to him.
Limited time? Well, time has not yet stopped, so what do we do with it? - "You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God".
2 Comments:
One of the things I want to do more of is see some good theatre. I work up the road from Belvoir, I really should make more use of it.
same here!
every time i go to the theatre i am reminded that i want to go to much more!
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