Title: Lutheran, Ecumenical High School Youth Tour With Original Musical ELCA NEWS SERVICE
June 25, 2007
Lutheran, Ecumenical High School Youth Tour With Original Musical 07-112--LL*
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Todd M. Mattson, First Lutheran Church, Morris, Minn., has been turning high school students into performers since 1981. Mattson is the founder of "New Wine," an ecumenical drama and music group that produces original contemporary Christian musicals. First Lutheran Church is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
"New Wine" has been associated with First Lutheran Church, Morris, Minn., since 2001. Each summer the group of ecumenical high school students tour throughout the country. The 2006-2007 production features 48 teenagers who star in "The Family."
The Family is a fast-paced musical comedy that addresses the question, "What does it mean to be a family?" As generational differences are played out, greater similarities are discovered. Both single- and two-parent families explore the same issues. Using a series of documentary-style asides and a storyline focusing on growing conflict between a boy, his mother and his stepfather, the cast redefines what it means to be a family. In the end, all realize it is the family of God that matters most, according to Mattson, author of the production.
Performers audition annually in November and rehearse most Sunday evenings through May to prepare for their public performances. "We work really hard. It's a fun experience to see how we touch peoples' lives when we perform in other towns," said Charles "Chuckie" Michealson, who plays "Robert" in The Family.
Although New Wine is a financially self-sufficient group, each cast member must pay between $250 and $350 for the summer tour. The group raises funds to offset travel costs, including selling pizzas and hosting a dinner theater. A portion of leftover funds is donated to a congregation or charity chosen by the youth. Last year, New Wine donated $3,000 to help build a retreat center in New Orleans.
Not everyone would be able to travel with 48 teenagers in vans for two weeks, but Mattson believes in the value of seeing the world. "When I was a kid my parents took me camping, so travel is in my blood. I always try to organize tours in towns that are very different from Morris so that the kids gain an understanding of those around them," said Mattson. Congregations will host the New Wine performers throughout the tour.
The journey from the first read-through to the last performance does not come without its own set of bumps along the way, but Mattson helps the cast through whatever comes their way.
"He's patient. No matter how many times you mess up or how much he gets frustrated, Pastor Mattson is always there for us," said Kelsey Raasch, who plays "Patti" in The Family.
Each tour also serves as a retreat for the cast and their counselors. Throughout the day the teenagers are expected to read materials and answer questions from their tour books focusing on the theme of family. Each day concludes with a devotional period.
New Wine will begin its latest tour on June 24. Destinations include congregations in: Omaha, Neb., Lakewood, Colo., Los Alamos, N.M., Roswell, N.M., Las Cruces N.M., El Paso, Texas, Durango, Colo., Dillon, Colo., and Pine Ridge, S.D.
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Information about New Wine can be found at:
http://www.firstlutheranmorris.org/newwine.htm
*Lauren A. Lamb is a senior public relations and speech communication major at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. This summer she is an intern with the ELCA News Service.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org http://www.elca.org/news ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog