Dramaturg’s Notes: Godspell
The following piece was written for a 2016 production of Godspell independently produced by students at Kennesaw State University. The production was directed by Tad Cameron. Godspell has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, additional music by Peggy Gordon and Jay Hamburger, and a book by John-Michael Tebelak.
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” — Helen Keller
When John-Michael Tebelak initially conceived and wrote Godspell, he hoped it would be used as a tool to bring an invigorating spiritual experience to the masses. In 1970, when he attended an Easter Vigil at a cathedral in Pittsburgh, he left with a feeling that “rather than rolling the rock away from the Tomb, they were piling more on.” In a frenzy, he finished the first draft of the show, using it as his master’s thesis project at Carnegie Mellon University, and produced it in 1971 for a two-week run off-off-Broadway. Tebelak was 21 at the time.
Forty-five years later, Godspell has had three off-Broadway productions, two Broadway productions, a film adaptation, a radio hit, and countless amateur, educational, and regional productions around the world. From its conception, it’s been a show that seems to work best on a shoestring budget — or to borrow an adage that director Tad Cameron is fond of, “two boards and a passion.”
It’s not difficult to see why this particular musical is so beloved. There’s Stephen Schwartz’s infectious and eclectic score, as well as the unique way the show bridges the worlds of ritual and theatre in its gospel teachings. Perhaps the most compelling aspect of the show, however, is how universal it is. Yes, the two named characters are unambiguously referred to as Jesus and Judas, and yes, much of the text is lifted from the Gospel of Matthew, but the messages in Godspell extend beyond the borders of any one religious belief. It’s not a show about religion — it’s a show about community.
Like Jesus of Nazareth did in history, the Jesus of Godspell arrives and unites a community of wayward souls in a time of uneasiness. It’s 2016, and every audience member has undoubtedly felt the tremors of our seemingly unsturdy world. We find ourselves like Judas, yearning for answers and for change, and for many, change doesn’t come quickly enough. We can all relate to the need to find a Jesus of our own, whether literally or figuratively, someone to unite our communities, to inspire in us a sense of peace, to demand that we become the best versions of ourselves. The American people can relate to this now more than ever — it’s an election year.
In his work on the show, director Tad Cameron has described Jesus as the greatest storyteller that has ever lived, and at its core, Godspell is a testament to the communal powers of the art of storytelling. It’s in these stories that we see the wrongs of the past and the hopes for the future. Inside the words of the story, we build the foundations of our own paradise.
Forty-five years ago, a 21-year-old with a story to tell made the Gospel of Matthew come alive in a new way. Tonight, you’ll see another 21-year-old take that story and make something wholly new out of it. The stories of old are kept alive by the young. Sit back and be a part of the oldest ritual in humanity. Take the words into the world with you. Build that “beautiful city…not a city of angels, but finally, a city of man.”
