Canaan Unremembered: A Play That Captivated Audiences

"After losing a difficult pregnancy, a young evangelical faces another tragedy when she suffers a stroke that not only removes all memory of the relationship with her husband but also removes all memory of the faith she has spent her life depending upon."

In February, I'd seen that my friend Judson Jones had finally completed his first full-length play, after having developed and workshopped it for years - including at Vassar College's renowned Powerhouse Theater (where John Patrick Shanley's Tony- and Oscar-award winning Doubt was developed).

When I auditioned for it, the script pulled my emotions and my past to the forefront in a way I haven't experienced in years. It was so full of heart, passion, anger, discovery, and beauty.

I grew up in the Catholic Church, and went to 13 years of private Catholic school. While it wasn't evangelicalism, I grew up in a world of fairly intense Christianity. I had a deep connection to the struggles of faith my character Matt was challenged with by his wife, Jenn. The doubts, the questions, and inconsistencies in the belief systems.

I was prepared for people to enjoy the play - what I wasn't prepared for is how connective it was for so many people and how many people said, "this was my experience, too".

And honestly, that's the most I could ask for. That a play I'm in has an impact. That it creates questions for the audience, not answers. That it stokes conversation around a subject. That it drives people to connect with others.

Here are some of the reviews from our audiences:

"The beautifully written script is skillfully executed by a truly remarkable cast."

"Asks us to consider whether the most profound spiritual act might just be to have faith in one another."

"Like all great art, Canaan Unremembered challenges the status quo in search of truth."

In a time when fundamentalism is becoming more pronounced in all areas of life, this is the type of questioning art that I'm proud to be a part of.

Thanks for joining me on this reflection of an amazing play. If you were able to see it, I'm thrilled. If not, I hope that this little blog post gets your thinking about your own long-held beliefs, and question if they still serve you and your fellow human.

Cathryn Shelton Jones as Jenn and Joseph Dean Anderson as Matt in Judson Jones' Canaan Unremembered at Theatre East, NYC.