Soul-searching questions of faith shake up Lean Ensemble Theater’s ‘The Christians’

Step in. Let your spirit be lifted by the glorious gospel music. You’ve just taken a seat in the pews of a megachurch. Now, as the last notes of the choir drift away, a young black pastor steps forward, looks out over his sea of parishioners and raises a mic to his lips.

“Good News,” he announces. And you’re primed, ready to lift your arms in joy at his message.

You’ve entered the world of Lucas Hnath’s “The Christians” brought to you by Lean Ensemble Theater. But that “good news” may not be quite what you’re expecting.

The pastor, played by marcus d. harvey — his name is all lowercase — has had an epiphany. God has spoken to him. “There is no Hell.” No one, he intones, will spend an eternity burning in flames. Hell is not a real place. It’s something we create on earth. God loves sinners as well as saved souls alike. And the reverend’s got the scripture to prove it.

Even though this play takes place in a church, it’s about more than a particular faith. Indeed this audacious play is tackling an especially relevant theme for today’s world. It’s about how we find ourselves at odds with loved ones, friends and others we thought shared our belief systems — whether religious, social, or political — and how we cope with this disruption.

Religious leaders from First Presbyterian Church, Congregation Beth Yam, Unitarian Universalist of the Lowcountry, St. Andrews by the Sea, and other faith-based groups will be at talkbacks, ensuring that spirited conversations will continue well after the curtain drops.

Behind the scenes

I met up with marcus d. harvey at an island café right after he traveled down from the New York area to play Pastor Paul. Over breakfast he shared his thoughts about acting and stepping into this intriguing role.

First I have to ask: What’s behind why you spell your name in all lowercase?

[He laughed.] When I turned professional at age 19, I joined the actors’ union and discovered there were two other Marcus Harveys. One had the same middle initial and similar middle name although he spelled his “Dante” and I spell mine “Donte.” So I asked if I could spell my name in all small letters. They said “yes.”

Why acting?

It offers me the chance to ignite something in someone, to change someone’s point of view or awareness. And people get to come in for 90 minutes or two hours and forget that the outside world is not so nice.

What attracted you to “The Christians?”

At one point I applied to Divinity School. I was interested in the performance of preaching. I’ve also always been intrigued by and often question the authenticity of ministers who drive Mercedes and live in luxurious houses like they’re the CEO of a Fortune 500 company while congregants are walking and tithing according to the Word.

Also, there was the true life story of Carlton Pearson, a minister in a Tulsa megachurch who underwent a similar experience to that of Pastor Paul. He was a televangelist, an award-winning recording artist who lost his church, followers, and millions of dollars and whose marriage was threatened when he announced his support of being inclusive of all regions. Now he’s a spiritual leader in the Unitarian church.

How do you create a character like Pastor Paul?

I grew up in the Baptist church and now attend a diverse congregation church in Harlem. Once I decided to audition for the part, I had to ask myself, “How am I going to do it? The first 20 pages of script are a sermon. And there are two ways of doing a sermon: preaching or teaching.

Preaching is like being on an express train. For a black Baptist minister, preaching is prayer, scripture, followed by preaching, amen, hallelujah, call-and-response, another prayer, followed by an altar call. When you’re hesitant to go up to the altar, the preacher encourages you with a “you know you want to walk today.”

But when my pastor in Harlem wants to teach a sermon, he’s not in performance mode, he’s very direct.

And the take-away?

For me, it’s a play about reaffirming things. I think Pastor Paul has always believed what he said about Hell and God’s love of all humanity. He just needed to reaffirm it for himself. But it comes at a cost. He doesn’t see the consequences. He thinks he can say it and it will work out.

If You Go

What: Lean Ensemble Theater’s production of “The Christians”

When: Jan. 23-25 and Jan. 30-Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 26 and Feb. 2 matinees at 2 p.m.

Where: HHPS Main Street Theatre, 3000 Main St., Hilton Head

Tickets: $25 preview night (Jan. 23); $40 all other performances; $15 students/active military. Group rates available.

Details: www.leanensemble.org or 843-715-6676