As reported last week, Calvary University helped launch a balloon last Thursday. This video is a report on the success of that launch.
Dr. Tommy Ice
The Ryrie Lectures, an annual lecture series at Calvary University, will take place next Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 11:00 a.m. each day in CU’s Liberty Chapel. Each lecture will be followed by a question-answer time.
Dr. Tommy Ice, Program Director for the Bachelor in Bible and Theology and Professor of Bible and Theology here at CU, Director of the Pre-Trib Research Center, celebrate author and speaker will be bringing the lectures this year.
Dr. Ice is planning to address the following general subject: “The Biblical View of the Future.”
Dr. Christopher Cone
Who was Charles Ryrie, and why name a lecture series in honor of him?
Charles Ryrie is one of the most influential dispensational thinkers of our time, and his impact is broadly felt. He is an excellent theologian and educator. He is a writer who addressed a remarkable diversity of topics – showing that dispensational thought was not restricted to eschatology. But most of all, I was impressed at the kindness and clarity with which he taught. He is a gracious teacher who could take difficult topics and present them in a simple and understandable way. He
Dr. Charles Ryrie
poured into people and modeled what we are trying to do here at CU.
How long has CU been doing this series?
This is the third annual event. The first keynote was by Dr. Mike Stallard (Friends of Israel), who emphasized basic principles of dispensational thought and why they are important. Last year, Grant Hawley (Bold Grace Publishing) challenged our students with the importance of rightly understanding and applying the grace of God. We are looking forward to this year’s discussions with Dr. Tommy Ice!
What do you hope is accomplished through the lecture series?
The Charles Ryrie Lecture Series is intended to serve two major purposes:
(1) To celebrate and honor his legacy, as an irenic and engaging educator and discipler, and
(2) To continue his legacy of showing the breadth of impact that dispensational thought should have in every area of our lives, as a natural result of interpreting the Bible consistently in a literal grammatical historical way.
Normally the Ryrie Lectures are delivered by a guest speaker. Why did you invite Dr. Ice to speak this time?
Dr. Ice is a world class theologian and teacher, and because Dr. Ice was new to CU, I thought it would be great for all our students to have access to his teaching – especially those who might not be in classes he taught this year. Plus, we have viewers all over the world through the online presentation of the lectures. I think students will enjoy what he brings. But they definitely will have to be ready for some meat, because he will challenge them to think!
Mrs. Rose Henness, Mr. Norm Baker, Dr. Luther Smith, and Ms Ana Sharp during the talkback
It is always an honor for Calvary’s Theatre Department to host interdisciplinary collaboration with our faculty around the themes of our productions. This year’s fall production, All My Sons, by 20th century American playwright Arthur Miller, is incredibly rich in content and even wealthier in its themes. Chapel on Wednesday, October 3, provided students and faculty with the opportunity of diving in! Following a scene from the play performed during theChapel, Calvary faculty, including Mrs. Rose Henness (Director of Institutional Effectiveness), Mr. Norm Baker (Bible and Theology), and Dr. Luther Smith (Biblical Counseling), joined senior Ana Sharp (dramaturg), director Bobbie Jeffrey, and the cast of CU Theatre’s All My Sons for a talk back.
Vincent Matteson as Chris Keller, Jon Van Pelt as Jim Bayliss, and Mallory Pihl as Ann Deever in a scene from “All My Sons”
Discussion was filled with the following highlights:
Levi Bennett as Frank Lubey and Mallory Pihl as Ann Deever
Students tweeted in questions which were moderated by John Oglesby, our chapel spokesperson. One of the favorite interactions of the talkback had to do with a section of dialogue from the play referring to drunkenness. A question was asked about the Christian stance on this subject. Dr. Smith immediately raised his hand for the mic: “Alcohol good; drunkenness bad,” to which Mr. Baker added, “Ditto.”
Vincent Matteson and Corey Ruehling as Joe Keller
The discussion was animated and lively, and was an example of what academic theatre does best. Join us this weekend to get even more! Optional talkbacks with select faculty, director, cast, and crew will be held after every performance, and it would be our honor to have you join us. Tickets are now on sale: https://www.calvary.edu/theatre-box-office/
Callie Weeks, Student Set Designer
Callie Weeks, student set designer for All My Sons, couldn’t have been happier as she watched the disparate pieces of her set come together last Saturday during what is known in the theatrical world as “load-in.”
Everything that had been painstakingly built and painted at our set construction site in the Special Events Building was loaded up and driven over to the loading dock outside the back of the Chapel on Friday afternoon. Friday night the lighting instruments were hung, and Saturday, staggered crews came in to assemble the set. The backyard of the Keller home slowly began to take shape over the course of the day. You can see pictures of the metamorphosis below.
We have a week of rehearsals left, followed by technical rehearsals on Saturday. Then we have three dress rehearsals to implement all our technical cues plus costuming, hair, and makeup. Once that’s done, it’s curtain up October 11-14.
We hope to see you there! Tickets are available online here: https://www.calvary.edu/theatre-box-office/
Rebekkah McIntosh contemplating the universe on the Keller’s back porch.
Zeb Johnson attacks Christy Stone with a Shop Vac, but Christy is armed with a router, and she knows how to use it!
Sedayn Bennett, Rebekkah McIntosh, Esther McRae, John Harms, and Mallory Pihl take a break while Callie’s still slaving away at the window…
Levi Bennett, Jon Van Pelt, and Adam Weeks as Charlie’s Angels.
Ana Sharp, Dramaturg for “All My Sons”
It’s a crazy idea, right? Exegesis and hermeneutics in theatre? Well, yes! The same principles apply and are almost as rich in the study of theatre and production of plays as they are in the study of the Bible and the story of our lives! Our fall production, All My Sons, by Arthur Miller, has been rich in something known as dramaturgy. What better way to share with you the principles of dramaturgy than to introduce you to Ana Sharp, our own exegetical and hermeneutical dramaturg.
Here are Ana’s responses to my interview questions:
Arthur Miller, playwright
First and foremost, this play deals with a war that really happened, and pain that millions felt. Arthur Miller wrote with compassion and sensitivity to the humans wounded physically or emotionally by World War II. They were his first audience. We have the honor of telling this story in the 21st century, and the least we can do to honor the sacrifices of that generation is to put the world they lived in on stage as accurately and respectfully as possible.
The P-40 Warhawk, a WWII plane at the nexus of the conflict of “All My Sons”
All My Sons is a story that was very pointedly written for its time. Its message is timeless and forever relevant, but its setting requires some translation. The show was set in the “present day” when it first opened in 1947. Its first audiences would have needed no introduction to the social and political climate of the time—they were living it! 71 years later, however, the events and sentiments surrounding the story of the play are more obscure to us. Themes of integrity and honesty will always resonate, but what are Post Toasties? Who are the Gumps? Dramaturgy for this show is heavily focused on helping the cast and crew understand the world of 1946, so they can deliver every nuance of the story to the audience.
Aside from absolutely geeking out over the classical tragedy parallels mentioned above, I’ve immensely enjoyed reading the old comic strip “The Gumps” which is mentioned in the show. The style of humor is fun to compare to modern meme culture. The more things change, the more they stay the same!
