Highly theatrical and yet intimate at the same time, Lucas Hnath’s The Christians blurs the line between church and theatre (and in some ways, turns one into the other). In an unspecified American locale, Pastor Paul basks in the glory of having built a megachurch with thousands of loyal congregants and a newly-paid-for building. But a singular sermon that will radically shift the church’s teachings starts a ripple effect that could have devastating consequences both personally and professionally. Hnath’s masterful use of language illuminates the showmanship and the faltering of a pastor caught between preserving what he believes to be true or the church that he’s dedicated his life to building. With richly layered and authentic characters, The Christians is an immersive look at the cost of internal politics.
The Christians guide sections
