The Church Play Cinematic Universe
Fun fact: I was raised in the Christian church and for a brief time I thought I was going to be a pastor. I gave sermons at my Congregationalist church and participated in Vacation Bible School (VBS). Then…I didn’t think that anymore. But as someone who has participated in many, many Christian skits, I can say it’s always a chore. You’re either trying to make awkward old tales (that the audience already knows far too well) interesting, or you’re juxtaposing those stories into a modern or more pop culturally relevant setting. Usually that doesn’t pan out so great. It’s reminiscent of what Hank Hill says to a hip youth pastor in an episode of King Of The Hill:
So kudos to the Church Of The Rock for sticking with this ambitious attempt at retelling the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ through…loose interpretations of well known movies (kinda). The Winnipeg Evangelical church gained more than a bit of notoriety earlier this year when clips of its Passion Play version of THE AVENGERS went viral. To be fair, they managed to create a very unique and captivating slice of edutainment with Iron Man being crucified while seeing “Tubthumping” in a mash-up duet of Loki also singing “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine).” Religious iconography and context aside, that musical number is a legitimately cool arrangement and I hope others run with it.
But they’re more than just reanimating budget RDJ as Jenny Nicholson proves in her latest video. The video essayist and professional gamer dives into the history of Church Of The Rock’s Easter plays that interpret various Hollywood spectacles into a bit of awkward shoehorning of the highest of Christian holy days. Church Of The Rock has been doing this for years with different properties, usually more of a pastiche of the idea of the films along with some other odd jokes lifted from pop culture, and almost none of it really that recent. Thanks to some livestreaming events and other means, Nicholson is able to sort through the long line of these productions to note trends and evolutions as the years go by. Filtering titles like STAR WARS, MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL, THE DARK KNIGHT, and others through the Church’s faith-based lens alongside a very specific provincial type of humor produces some fascinating results, and often not in the best of ways.
The true hero of these Passion plays (I mean the events, not the actual narratives) are the stage managers and a/v tech nerds who figure out really impressive solutions to recreating the DeLorean or a back alley setting on stage for what must be a very tight budget and constrained space. It’s a fascinating walk through this incredibly unique phenomenon that reveals real dedication as well as some truly bad calls. It’s a long video, but it’s worth it and you’ll be hard pressed to look away from what is happening.
Be sure to subscribe to Jenny Nicholson’s YouTube channel, check out her website, and also follow Nicholson’s Twitter account.