The Christians (play)
| The Christians | |
|---|---|
| File:The Christians 2015 Off Broadway poster Lucas Hnath Playwrights Horizons.jpg 2015 Off-Broadway production poster | |
| Written by | Lucas Hnath |
| Characters | Paul Joshua Elizabeth Jay Jenny |
| Genre | Drama |
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The Christians is a dramatic stage play by American playwright Lucas Hnath that follows a megachurch pastor who surprises his congregation by announcing he no longer believes in Hell. The production premiered in 2014 at the Humana Festival of New American Plays in Louisville, Kentucky,[1] and subsequently transferred Off-Broadway to Playwrights Horizons in 2015.[2]
Plot
The play follows Pastor Paul, the leader of a megachurch as he makes a shocking sermon amid celebration of the church paying off its debts. He preaches to the congregation that he no longer believes in Hell, upending the church and causing associate pastor, Joshua, to stand against him. As the church splits into two sides, Paul must navigate a failing congregation he built up and a marriage to his wife, Elizabeth, that is falling apart. Structured as a Sunday church service, the play is backed by a live church choir.[3][4]
Production history
2014 Louisville premiere
After seeing Lucas Hnath's play Death Tax in the 2012 Humana Festival of New American Plays, Les Waters, then artistic director of the Actors Theatre of Louisville, approached him about a commissioned play. This would later become The Christians, which would make its world premiere at the 2014 Humana Festival.[5] Directed by Waters and starring Andrew Garman as Pastor Paul, Larry Powell as Joshua, Linda Powell as Elizabeth, Richard Henzel as Jay and Emily Donahoe as Jenny.[6] The play received mixed to positive reviews, with Louisville Public Media praising the performances, though lamenting that the script "struggles with big questions of salvation and grace without ever definitively delivering a writer's verdict."[7]
2015 Off-Broadway production
The play then transferred Off-Broadway where it premiered at Playwrights Horizons in 2015, running from August 28 to October 25, 2015. Directed again by Waters, all the cast reprised their role except for Henzel, who was replaced by Philip Kerr as Jay.[8] The production received critical acclaim, with The New York Times naming it a Critic's Pick, calling it "ingeniously staged" and lauding Hnath as "one of the freshest playwriting voices to emerge in the past five years."[9] The New York Post echoed these praised, calling it "deeply affecting" and "emotionally devastating."[10]
The production won the 2016 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play and two Obie Awards for Hnath and Donahoe,[11][12] along with nominations for two Drama Desk Awards[13][14] and two Lucille Lortel Awards.[15]
Cast and characters
| Character | Humana Festival 2014[16] | Off-Broadway 2015[17] |
|---|---|---|
| Pastor Paul | Andrew Garman | |
| Joshua | Larry Powell | |
| Elizabeth | Linda Powell | |
| Jay | Richard Henzel | Philip Kerr |
| Jenny | Emily Donahoe | |
Awards and nominations
2014 Louisville production
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | American Theatre Critics Association | Harold and Mimi Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award | Lucas Hnath | Nominated | [18][19] |
2015 Off-Broadway production
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Play | Nominated | [20][21] | |
| Outstanding Actor in a Play | Andrew Garman | Nominated | |||
| Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play | Won | [22][23][24] | ||
| Lucille Lortel Award | Outstanding Play | Nominated | [25] | ||
| Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play | Andrew Garman | Nominated | |||
| Obie Award | Distinguished Playwriting | Lucas Hnath | Won | [26] | |
| Distinguished Performance | Emily Donahoe | Won | |||
| Whiting Award | Lucas Hnath | Won | [27] | ||
References
- ↑ "Actors Theatre of Louisville Announces 38th Humana Festival of New American Plays". BroadwayWorld. November 12, 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
- ↑ "The Christians". Playwrights Horizons. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
- ↑ "The Play That Stops Too Soon". Christian Scholar's Review. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
- ↑ "The Christians - Synopsis" (PDF). B Street Theatre. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
- ↑ "An Interview With 'The Christians' Playwright Lucas Hnath". American Theatre. August 13, 2014. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
- ↑ "Review: Theological Bombshells Land In Lucas Hnath's Humana Festival Play 'The Christians'". LPM. March 8, 2014. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
- ↑ "Review: Theological Bombshells Land In Lucas Hnath's Humana Festival Play 'The Christians'". LPM. March 8, 2014. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
- ↑ "The Christians". Playwrights Horizons. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
- ↑ "Review: In 'The Christians,' a Schism Over Fire and Brimstone". The New York Times. September 17, 2015. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
- ↑ "'The Christians' turns theological debate into suspenseful play". New York Post. September 17, 2015. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
- ↑ Viagas, Robert (May 9, 2016). "Bright Star and The Humans Win Top 2016 NY Outer Critics Circle Awards". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ↑ "2015–2016 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
- ↑ "2016 Awards – Nominees and Recipients". Drama Desk. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
- ↑ Gordon Cox (June 5, 2016). "2016 Drama Desk Awards (FULL LIST): 'Shuffle Along,' 'The Humans'". Variety. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
- ↑ Moreau, Jordan (1 May 2016). "Lucille Lortel Awards 2016 (FULL LIST): 'Guards at the Taj,' 'The Robber Bridegroom' Score Big". Variety. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
- ↑ "Review: Theological Bombshells Land In Lucas Hnath's Humana Festival Play 'The Christians'". LPM. March 8, 2014. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
- ↑ "The Christians". Playwrights Horizons. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
- ↑ "Rebecca Gilman's Luna Gale Wins Steinberg/ATCA Award". Playbill. April 6, 2015. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
- ↑ "Playwright Rebecca Gilman wins $25,000 Steinberg prize". The Seattle Times. April 6, 2015. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
- ↑ "2016 Awards – Nominees and Recipients". Drama Desk. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
- ↑ Gordon Cox (June 5, 2016). "2016 Drama Desk Awards (FULL LIST): 'Shuffle Along,' 'The Humans'". Variety. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
- ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Honors 'She Loves Me' and 'Long Day's Journey Into Night'". The New York Times. May 9, 2016. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ↑ Viagas, Robert (May 9, 2016). "Bright Star and The Humans Win Top 2016 NY Outer Critics Circle Awards". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ↑ "2015–2016 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
- ↑ Moreau, Jordan (1 May 2016). "Lucille Lortel Awards 2016 (FULL LIST): 'Guards at the Taj,' 'The Robber Bridegroom' Score Big". Variety. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
- ↑ "2016 Obie Award Winners Announced". Obie Awards. May 20, 2016. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
- ↑ "Anne Washburn and Lucas Hnath Nab Prestigious Whiting Awards". American Theatre. March 6, 2015. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
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