Sunday June 22nd, 2003

Illusion Theater's Fresh Ink Series develops new works annually and two of its Artistic Associates, SJA parishioner theater director Peter Rothstein and actor-director-writer Beth Gilleland, were commissioned to curate a work that reflects one's call to react to war and musically respond with peaceful alternatives. At this time last year, Rothstein presented excerpts from MacDermot and Dumaresq's "The Human Comedy," an operetta that examines the ugly ramifications of war; this year he continues a potent message of peace offering excerpts from "Call & Response" a folk musical concert with personal anecdotes by performers and narrator.

Gilleland, who directed and narrated the concert, offered her own droll reflections on what inspired her while directing this project. Recalling a trip to Verona, Italy, she arrived with too much luggage and no where to stay. "I know a little Spanish. I can do it," she jested, eventually lodging in a nearby youth hostel. Or her observations regarding a house on a hill in Michigan complete with a Virgin Mary and Seven Dwarfs. "Is this an art instillation?" she mused. "Are we dwarfed by our own religion or [is this] merely bad taste?"

The Frantzich brothers after mass

Paul and Tim Frantzich,  folk singing/guitar playing brothers, have been frequent visitors at SJA. This time they disclosed a sobering statistic regarding war: "One hundred million people died at the hands of human kind." Their first song "No One In This Family," a telling meditation about a family unable to break their trend with a cycle of unending violence, kept the audience rapt with attention. They followed with the plaintive "Crumbs," a number that was cut at the 11 AM Mass due to time restraints.

Gilleland recited the wonderfully motivating poetry of Mark Norford about taking a stand with the quote: "Stop thinking . . resist temptation to drown in fatalism . . . step up to crank your personal volume when it seems acrimonious, there's your opening."  The Frantzich Brothers closed their set with their reworking of the popular hymn "The Prayer of St. Francis (Make Me a Channel of Your Peace)" with their poignant paraphrase "Musicians and Poets make this art. I'm waiting here for your song to start." Joe Savage provided a lovely blue-grass style accompaniment on dulcimer.

Soulful Jazz singer and Guthrie veteran actor Suzanne Warmanen and accomplished Jazz musician George Maurer on piano accompaniment performed the offertory musical selection, Leonard Cohen's "Anthem," a familiar work previously done by  SJA's Choir with singer Neal Hagberg. The lyrics "there is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in" reminds us that our human imperfection needs able assistance and understanding time and time again. Co-Pastor Jim Cassidy's cunning remark "For the sake of time, I'm gonna skip my solo" probably provided the impetus for Warmanen and Maurer to shortened their lengthy selection for the second mass. Interestingly, they were noticeably tighter with their performance delivery despite the absence of an impressive bluesy-vocal improv provided earlier by Warmanen.

Michael Reinbold, a continuing web reporter, freelances as a writer and banquet caterer. A passionate believer in SJA's mission of social justice and collaborative ministry, Michael is an SJA Choir member, mass reader, Team Oz AIDS rider and Grace House volunteer cook. With an extensive background in theater, photography and fundraising, he relishes all aspects of the arts, staying fit and inspiring and working with people.

Poet/Author David Whyte prophetic poem "Loaves and Fishes" aptly suggests that  "This is not the age of information. Forget the news, and the radio, and the blurred screen. This is the time of loaves and fishes. People are hungry and one good word is bread for a thousand." If we got one good word from this stirring concert, it would be to act in "peace."

This display is called "Hope Ribbons", put together by the SJA GLBT Community as of symbol acceptance, peace and solidarity among straight and gay communities.

Bill Cameron was a pilot at Northwest Airlines for 32 years until his retirement in June of 2001. Also an attorney, Bill now practices law about half-time. The rest of his time is spent taking pictures (... a serious photography habit), playing tennis, and working on volunteer projects. Bill's wife Connie is an educational consultant and they have three adult sons.

Amie Rankin, a resident of the Regina Neighborhood, believes strongly in balancing "community solutions" and "individual responsibility ". She is passionately committed to the exposure and the expansion of Companion Animals in our society. Employed full time with Chicago Title Insurance Company, Amie has many interests; photography is just one of them. "Heart," "Spark," "Spirit," -- whatever word we use for the mysterious force that animated us, its full potential cannot be realized in isolation. (Paul Loeb- SOUL OF A CITIZEN)