They may be detached and self-serving; resentful, treacherous and conniving; carried away by the praise of others; or bound down in false beliefs. They may be so far gone that there’s no way to redeem them in the story. But they are people. And creators who give them the dignity of well-rounded treatment help us to see and respect the humanity of those we see as antagonists in our own lives. Such villains also enrich the show. 

Simon of Cyrene: The Musical was to reach Black people and help them see themselves in the story of Jesus’ suffering, crucifixion and resurrection. Its writer wanted “to demonstrate to other Black boys and men how God works miracles to turn circumstances and situations into God-honoring destinies.” But just the trailer choked me up and helped me connect with the story in a way that deepens my understanding and grief about racial relations

Paul Schwart (L) and family members on the set of Savior of the World. For Paul Schwartz, putting on a professional-quality production is...

Photo by Javardh on Unsplash I have a lot of things on my heart and spinning through my mind today. On Saturday, our 10-day run of...

Photo by Michael van Gorkum on Unsplash One of the things I find most challenging about building beloved community through musical...