Method v. Message

A few weeks ago, I checked-off one of the items on my “bucket list,” that list of things we want to do before we die.  I don’t think I have a particularly long list, and it’s probably not all that adventurous (though landing on and taking off from an aircraft carrier is on there).  One item that had been there for several years, though, was to see the Broadway production of THE LION KING.  When the touring version stopped in OKC, I finally had my chance!

I’d wondered for a long time just how a stage production could reproduce an animated movie.  It seemed to me that some things that could be animated just simply couldn’t be reproduced “live and in-person.”  As the show began, it quickly became clear that the secret to the stage production’s world-wide success was precisely that those in charge DIDN’T try to reproduce the film.  Instead, they created an incredible stage version based on the same story that inspired the film.  By utilizing techniques suited specifically to the stage (rather than to film), creators put together a world-class production. 

Now, to be sure, there were some common characters, musical elements, and so on.  Even those, though, were reformatted to fit the context of the stage.  New music was added, sets/scenes were reimagined, even some characters were reinvented or created.  What didn’t change, though, was the basic underlying story that inspired the wildly successful film – a story told by animals that was, ultimately, a very human story of life, death, commitment, and community.

Well, that got me to wondering.  Are there times in my life when I try to replicate a method, rather than retelling the story, times when I am more intent on reproducing an experience rather than re-sharing a message?  I quickly came to the conclusion that, in fact, I have done that very thing on many occasions.

When I stubbornly try to recreate a family holiday experience or tradition, rather than being open to new and fresh ways to celebrate the season (ways, perhaps, better suited to current circumstances), do I not miss the real blessings of the holiday?  If I insist that the only “genuine” or “real” worship is that worship rendered in the style I know and prefer, am I not confusing the method with the message?

Now, some people prefer a movie over a stage production, and that’s fine.  But if my circumstances in life have changed, if the world has changed, and I find myself onstage rather than in a movie theater (metaphorically speaking), what do I accomplish – for myself, or for those around me – by insisting that we try to recreate the movie?  While I may miss the “golden age” of movies, to insist that the new production forego its own innate strengths in an attempt make it something it is not will frustrate both me and those who enjoy live theater.  And the story, the message, will be lost in the process.

The Broadway version of THE LION KING is a beautiful work of art, not because it reproduces the movie that preceded it, but because it is an exceptional stage production that conveys a powerful story.  So, too, the movie is exceptional because it so effectively uses cinematic tools and techniques to effectively share the same powerful story.  May I be sure to use every tool, every method, every technique at my disposal – here and now – not to replicate an experience, but to convey a powerful message.

#message #holidays #worship #movies #stage