WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
Written by Marcia Cebulska, in response to the hate ministry of Topeka’s Westboro Baptist Church, Visions of Right not only has timely social and political implications relating to themes of homophobia and anti-Semitism, but also has a strong local interest. The playwright, Marcia Cebulska lived and wrote in Bloomington for about 20 years, and is well known in theatre circles there and in Indianapolis. She will be working closely with this production throughout the run and will be a talk back participant.
When Cebulska moved to Topeka, Kansas, she learned of the hate-mongering activities of the Westboro Baptist Church. She went undercover, attempting to discover the basis for the bigoted activities of the church. Visions of Right, fueled by her research, evolved into a fictionalized portrait of a fanatic preacher. Gay Bashing and anti-Semitism are brought to light in the play, which tells the story of photographer, Christina Romanek’s head-to-head encounter with the preacher’s twisted view of what is right.
The cast includes IU theatre graduate students, Abby Lee and Chris Handley, both members of Actors’ Equity, Adam Decker, IU undergraduate theatre major, and well-known Bloomington actor, Gerard Pauwels.
Now more than ever, Visions of Right, delivers an important message. As Marcia Cebulska wrote:“Today, our headlines are filled with more and more incidents of hate speech and hate acts perpetrated by numerous sources in our private and public arenas. We can respond by running and hiding. We can respond by answering violence with more violence. Or, we can respond, with a little help from our friends, with acts of creativity and humor, unity and light.”
Visions of Right premiered in Topeka by the Ad Astra Theatre Ensemble. The performance was praised by audience members:
“This play is: intelligent, biting, funny, humanizing; excellent story and characters…timeless, seamless writing.”
“Very moving, as if through a lens to the soul,”
“Wonderful! A play that speaks to humanity.”
Doors will open 30 minutes prior to show; metered parking and parking garage space is available downtown and across the street. For more information on the Jewish Theatre or on Visions of Right, please visit jewishtheatrebloomington.com or on Facebook: Jewish Theatre of Bloomington.
