by Ryan Breegle
A&E Writer
One common trait of people all over the world is the search and desire for love. Some pray for love continuously, but they often do not see it even if it is right before their eyes. This is the theme of a play entitled God and You, written and directed by Nashvillian Eddie Stahl.
Stahl did not have much background in drama before taking on the feat of writing, casting, directing and acting in his play. While taking a theater appreciation class at MTSU, he discovered his passion for playwriting and began forming the ideas that are presented in God and You.
The basic story of the play is a love square: four main characters, each attracted to a different person. How God answers our prayers for love is one of the central messages, and Stahl says he wanted to incorporate this message into the title of the play. Thus, the first letters of each word in the title spell GAY, suggesting that God is always with you, no matter your sexual orientation.
"The concept of the play was not so much real events of my life, but a culmination of experiences from friends, family members and others around me. Writing the play itself only took one weekend, but it has taken me a lifetime to put those experiences into words," Stahl says.
One might wonder if an audience would be perplexed by the possible contradiction that some might see in a play that contains both a strain of spirituality and homosexual themes. Stahl believes that such an audience will benefit most from seeing this play.
"I do not expect a play with homosexual characters to be popular with modern day, closed-minded ‘Christians.’ I would hope, however, that those same people would see beyond the characters and see the love that God has for each of us—gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and yes, even straight."
Stahl continues: "After seeing God and You, I hope the audience takes two messages with them. First, God answers prayers. Those prayers may not be what you expect, but God answers in our best interests. Secondly, there are times in our lives when we feel alone and afraid. We feel the loneliest during a break-up, the loss of a loved one and life-altering events. Being gay, I know what it is like to be alone. When I thought that no one else knew what I was going through, God was always with me. So, no matter how alone you may feel, God is always with you—it will always be God and you."
God and You will premiere on Feb. 12 at 6 p.m. at Covenant of the Cross. The cast includes Jeremy Ryan, Martha Barron, Jennifer Rinehart, Amy Reid, Willie Middleton, Steve Compton, Linda Brendlinger and Stahl himself. Admission is free.
For more information on Covenant of the Cross, click here.
