Guild Hall Players show ‘Witnesses’ brings Bible stories to modern-day life

No matter how long it’s been since we’ve stepped into a church, we all are familiar with at least a few stories from the Bible.

For playwright and director Phil Speary, that’s both an advantage and a disadvantage.

“Oftentimes people are either not familiar with the stories or too familiar with them, so they don’t really listen that carefully to what’s going on in the story,” the Wichita theater veteran said.

Speary’s Guild Hall Players are taking a modern approach to those familiar stories with “Witnesses,” where people in a modern-day setting relate the happenings as if they’d seen them for themselves.

He adapted the script from seven different biblical translations, all of which were released in about the past 50 years.

“The emphasis of this is storytelling,” said Speary, whose doctoral emphasis was on religious drama, with a dissertation on the differences between American and British plays’ tellings of the life of Jesus.

“What I learned from that research and study, I applied to the script,” Speary said. “It takes a long time because basically every passage I studied, I needed to be able to hear a story and understand it.”

Speary and Guild Hall Players, whose home is St. James Episcopal Church, first put on “Witnesses” in 2007 with a three-hour production time and 30 cast members. This condensed version, which concentrates on Holy Week from Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem to his crucifixion and resurrection, has eight in the cast.

That cast includes John Dalton-White, who plays Matthew.

“I pulled out my Bible and went back to read some of the stories,” he said. “It’s been very interesting and very rewarding at the same time. This is really well done, and it feels like it’s (Speary’s) best.”

Diane Tinker Hurst, who plays Mary Cleopas, agrees.

“The storytelling is so clear and effective,” she said. “With everything that is happening in our world today, in the States and around the world, I think this is something people should be open to receiving and not just listening but considering . . . how it makes the audience think and feel.”

Speary said “Witnesses” can bring the audience new appreciation for the events depicted in the Bible.

“These stories are not children’s stories; they’re not fairy tales. They’re things human beings really experienced, and it matters in terms of our current lives,” he said.

‘WITNESSES’ BY GUILD HALL PLAYERS

When: 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 16-18; 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19

Where: St. James Episcopal Church, 3750 E. Douglas

Tickets: Donations accepted; call 316-683-5686 for reservations