Photo provided by Arise Collective Theatre
The word “discipleship” can conjure up images of accountability meetings, conversations over coffee and living life together by enjoying different activities. Perhaps one lesser-known avenue of discipleship is live theater.
Arise Collective Theatre does discipleship under the spotlight, on and offstage. Joshua Regan, an actor and staff member for Arise, has been with the company for three years and wants to share the opportunity of storytelling, something Jesus employed in His ministry, and what it presents for discipleship.
Redeeming the arts
Disenchanted, one family started the ministry and theater company. Regan, who has a people-focused heart, explained that the Garnaat family felt disenchantment with the entertainment opportunities they had–so they founded Arise.
The Garnaats wanted something better. “They just had this longing in their heart for the redemption of the arts,” Regan said in an interview.
Regan went on to state that a close friend of the family spoke a prophetic word from Isaiah 60:1-2 over their lives; those verses stood as the theme of Arise Collective.
Regan called the arts, “the tool that leads us to the place of discipleship.” Moments of discipleship sprout and grow wherever the show goes.
Joshua Regan - Photo courtesy of Regan
Some of those moments are one-on-one, while others are transformations within the cast and crew. Regan talked about a moment when the arts were used to disciple others internationally.
Regan had the opportunity to represent Arise and “sing the Gospel to over 200 members of the Taliban in northern Pakistan.” Storytelling was the entry point of what was accomplished through that performance. He was part of a cohort that traveled there "for the express purpose of sharing the gospel through a simple performance."
“The truth enters through the backdoor of the imagination, through the sight and the sound,” Regan said.
Pilgrim, The Musical
Casey Adams, too, attested to the power of theater as discipleship. She currently performs in Arise Collective Theatre’s Pilgrim, The Musical, along with Josh Regan and a cast of about 25. Adams said she was in Arise’s first performance in 2019 and has since performed on every tour, totaling over 120 shows.
In Pilgrim, the Musical, Casey Adams plays the role of Shining One, a character that represents the angels in the spiritual realm. Adams also plays a Vanity Fair dancer. Photo by Grace Garnaat for Arise Collective Theatre
According to Arise Collective Theatre’s website, Pilgrim is the musical retelling of the classic book “The Pilgrim’s Progress” by John Bunyan.
“Follow Christian on his journey from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City, encountering life’s trials along the way with the King always by his side,” invites the website of Arise Collective Theatre.
“Each one of us can identify with some part of Christian’s life along the path, whether that is the swamp of doubt or the dungeon of despair. We can all place ourselves somewhere on the path,” Adams said in an email interview. “That is such a unique part of the show, and it truly allows the Lord to highlight those moments to the guests and bring gentle conviction or renewed encouragement to their souls.”
Performing for His glory
Adams said that in a very practical way, the Lord prepared her for the role by instilling the love of dancing in her at a young age.
“I have loved ballet and dancing since I was 11, and the Lord has shown me the beauty of using movement to bring Him praise and glory,” Adams said.
“It may sound simple,” Adams said, “but I love dancing every night! I love watching the story come alive and knowing that the Lord is moving in the hearts of the audience members.”
“Theater is a beautiful way to share the Gospel,” said Casey Adams. Photo by Troy Schaffer for Arise Collective Theatre
“Being able to enter into a compelling story and get captivated by the characters can truly be a powerful avenue for the Lord to work in your heart and bring about lasting change,” Adams said.
“Just as the verse in Proverbs says, ‘Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another,’ Adams said, “I believe that’s what our team does for each other.”
Adams explained that the show is always adapting and growing as the team strives for excellence.
“We have recently replaced three of the original songs with three updated pieces to better serve the story,” she said.
Creative outreach
Before the curtain can even rise, show attendees notice something unique about the production – tickets to Pilgrim are free. Adams said that the team trusts that the Lord will provide for all the needs of the production and that He will prompt the right people to give.
“And the Lord comes through, every time!” Adams said.
The desired impact of Pilgrim, according to Adams, is to bring salvation for the unbeliever and transformation for the believer.
“The show is so impactful and so often has changed people’s lives,” Adams shared. “It sparks a renewed desire to follow after the Lord with an undivided heart.”
“I believe the time after the show is over is almost more impactful for the guests than the actual performance,” said Adams.
She continued, “Each night, we ask the Lord to show us who we should talk to afterwards, and we rely on Him to guide our steps to the right people and to guide our conversation.”
Adams said that at most tour locations, the cast members have a church body to connect guests with for continued encouragement from believers and continued growth in their faith journey.
Adams also works as a dance instructor. After one of the Pilgrim performances, Adams connected with a fellow dance teacher.
“It was encouraging to chat with someone who was also in the industry and understands what it is like to train up young dancers in, what could be, a toxic environment. The Lord really spoke to her during the show, and we were able to talk about how the gift of dance and movement can be shifted from an inward focused thing to an outward expression of praise,” said Adams.
True freedom
The performers performed in prisons in March and witnessed prisoners be spiritually set free. One prisoner told Regan that after watching the company’s production, “Pilgrim,” he forgot about his captive status and felt God’s love.
Reflecting on the prison outreach that Adams, Regan and the other cast members embarked on earlier this year, Adams said, “It really was an incredible act of God—a real life miracle that we were even allowed into the system, especially with all the equipment that we brought in.”
“The cast and crew were able to talk with the inmates after the shows for about 20 minutes,” she said, “but those 20 minutes were extremely powerful.”
Adams said that the men who attended the shows were some of the most engaged audiences the performers had ever seen.
“The men were so impacted that we had come all the way from Michigan to perform for them in Florida,” Adams said. “They felt seen—not forgotten.”
“As much as the show impacted the inmates, they impacted me just as much,” Adams said.
She continued, “The Lord broke my heart for the men behind those walls, and I am forever changed. I met so many strong believers that encouraged me and bolstered me up in my walk with the Lord.”
Influence for eternity
One reason arts belong in discipleship is that God made the arts. Regan said God created the arts and that the fall perverted them.
Knowing that, he explained the importance of recognizing this: People are discipled by what is seen and heard every day, which is critical in a world with wide access to entertainment.
Because of that, the actor said, “Good is the enemy of best.” It’s one thing to perform a fairly clean and fun show, it’s another thing to do the best work for God.
Regan has done both kinds of shows, and the question that arises causes self-examination. “Is it possible that I can spend years of my life performing a fine production that has no eternal value?” That question is implicit in what Arise does.
The physical world and the spiritual world collide on the stage through music and dance as this captivating show draws audiences to think about the deeper questions of life. Photo by Troy Schaffer for Arise Collective Theatre
Even though Arise is a theater company, it is first Gospel-oriented. “It was born out of a desire to see the Gospel go forward. We always say salvation for the unbeliever and transformation for the believer,” Regan said.
If companies of people like Arise don’t rise to the occasion, other forces in the industry will disciple people, and Regan said that the arts disciple everybody. “The arts are discipling, whether it’s the world’s version, whether it’s Hollywood, whether it’s Broadway,” he said.
For that reason, Regan prays for Christians to “catch a vision for excellence in theater” and share the Gospel via the arts.
Tour dates for Pilgrim, the Musical have been released. Visit the website of Arise Collective Theatre for details.
