Parable takes dinner theater audience to Hell

By Art Lawler Cedar Creek Pilot

Gun Barrel City —  EUSTACE — A group of young people who comprise Parable, the youth creative arts team at First Baptist Church in Eustace, took a dinner-theater audience straight to Hell Thursday evening.

  It wasn’t the first time, either. Director David Mercer’s cast did it first on Wednesday, and was scheduled for more performances at 7 p.m., both Saturday and Sunday.

  The set was appropriately gloomy, and the smoke which filled the room to establish just the right mood was so effective, it set off the church’s fire-alarm system.

  High school students, middle school and just-graduated students from Eustace High School, mostly members of the church, put on a stellar performance in a morality play called “The Harrowing of Hell.”

  According to the program, harrowing is a farm term, referring to an instrument that breaks up top soil with its iron teeth. For this occasion, the term meant hurtful, or dreaded experience. After all, there’s a reason you don’t see Hell brochures at your local travel agency.

  The cast, with its creative costumes and well-rehearsed actors and actresses, referred the audience to Ephesians 4:18-8-10, concerning The Written Christ descending into Hell after his crucifixion

  There, the audience was introduced to the foibles of man, each actor representing human weakness and failure, including cast members like Lynde Frazier (Hell) and Michael Yates (Death).

  But the embodiment of all these weaknesses was the loud, boisterous and evil Satanas (Lucifer) brilliantly played by Hubert Lowry, whose battles with the Risen Christ prove futile, sometimes even comical, as The Risen Christ, played by Eustace freshman Tyler Stokes, continually thwarts Satanas aggression and frustration.

  At times, Satanas sits on a very high throne in the lowest and darkest regions of inner-earth, looking down on his eternally-suffering subjects.

  The story is carried by the chorus, Allison Bradbury, Elizabeth Foster and Nicole Ballenger.

  There’s even a gate to hell, which is locked up for the Risen Christ’s visit, a fact that irritates the easily-irritated and high-maintenance to the max, Avaritia. She represents greed, and is convincingly-portrayed by Maria Bailey, 18.

  The human condition, with all its frailties, is on display, there, including Lillian Foster as Luxuria. She represents lust, and will do her best to seduce the Risen Christ when he arrives.

  There’s Invidia, the perfect depiction of envy; Gula, who is gluttony and played aptly by food-stuffing, 16-year-old Reba Bailey.

  Kallan Camble, who is Acedia, representing sloth, is comically apathetic, and just thinks everything will be fine if we all just do nothing.

  The angry Ira is played by first-time performer Zachary Bennett, complete with pants stuffed in high-top boots, and a uniform with a swastika on the side, as he struts his power to no avail.

  If ever there was a look to represent death, Michael Yates’ dark pasty one fit the part. .

  Then too, you couldn’t have a good story about Hell without a character to represent pride. That would be Taylor Snow as Superbia, who used his goatee and strange hairdo to pull off the part with ease.

  And finally, there are the Minions of Hell, played aptly by Holly Bradbury, Hannah Foster and Tanner Sparks. 

  Jessica McConathy handled stage management, and Jordan Smith assisted Mercer as Assistant Director.

  Christ’s arrival was no small matter, and sound technician Timothy Gassman made sure the crowd was treated to an overwhelming display of thunder.

  Bradley Sawicki was the lighting technician on the set that called for selective lighting and shadows throughout. The contrast took the crowd from one mood to the next, and he was assisted aptly by Nathan Taft, Josh James and Zach Merrell.

  The hair and makeup stylist for this production was 15-year-old Kara Zimmerer, whose styles and detail helped sell the characters from beginning to end.

  The crowd showed its appreciation with a standing ovation, and then swarmed around the stage to greet the young stars at the conclusion of the event.

  All of this had been preceded by a bowl of stew for the crowd at the dinner theater in the church.

  This morality play was written by William R. Hendricks.