Drama, Music, Mime - "God's Work at Play"
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CrossWise
Players Drama, Music, Mime - "God's Work at Play" |
History
The CrossWise Players were organized by Leon McWhorter originally as a ministry of the Fine Arts department of the Tyler Street United Methodist Church in North Oak Cliff, Dallas, Texas. Today, CrossWise Players are actively in bringing drama, music, and mime to North Oak Cliff, Dallas, America, and (perhaps soon) the world!
| 1997-1998 Season |
Catacombs by Paul
McClusker- Presented January, 1997
"Catacombs is a 3-act play that takes a somewhat disturbing look at
the persecution of the church,” says CrossWise director, Leon McWhorter. “A
band of renegade Christians find themselves held up in an old deserted church in
the dead of winter longing for escape while praying for strength." This
play was presented at the Tyler Street United Methodist Church.
| Snapshots and Portraits by Paul McClusker- Presented July, 1997 | |
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Snapshots and Portraits is one of Paul McClusker's
most popular. It deals with such family concerns as the unmarried
daughter, the rebellious teenage son, single parenthood, and a rest
home-bound father. The person who tries to hold this group together is Jim
Thorpe, recently widowed and carrying all the family problems. Baglady scene (requires RealPlayer - best for modem use) Baglady scene, better quality (requires RealPlayer - for higher speed connection) Maude scene (requires RealPlayer - best for modem use) Maude scene, better quality (requires RealPlayer - for higher speed connection) Note:If you don't have the current version of RealPlayer go to www.real.com/realone — then click on the link called Free Realone Player near the bottom of the page. |
| Stained: The Ministry of Christ in Stained Glass - Presented March, 1998 | |
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The original production of Stained was presented at the Tyler Street UMC in March, 1998. "Stained follows three generations of a family as they discover God’s presence in the triumphs and tragedies of life," says director and co-author McWhorter. "Each episode in the family’s life relates to one of eight historic stained glass windows that were designed by artist Roger Macintosh in 1925. People and places in Dallas history from 1900 to the present are weaved into this story of life, romance, and faith." In addition to the play, an historical display titled "100 years in Oak Cliff" was presented each night before the performance in Yeats Hall at the Tyler Street Church. This display contained numerous historic pictures and artifacts from Dallas and Oak Cliff history. |
| The Vision by William
Grandgeorge - Presented Nov-Dec, 1998 The CrossWise Players' production of The Vision by William Grandgeorge was presented in a four-day North Texas Christmas mini-tour in November and December, 1998. This classic Christmas drama tells the story of a cobbler in old Bavaria who sees a vision that Christ will visit him in his shop on Christmas Eve. Caroling before and during the production was provided by The Sounding Joy, a community Christmas choir in its 26th season. For more info, click here. |
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| 1999-2000 Season |
Stained: The Ministry of Christ in Stained
Glass - Presented March, 1999
By popular demand, this production was repeated. Profits
from this presentation benefited Fishcreek Ranch for Boys and the Tyler Street Community
Services Outreach Ministry.
Catacombs by Paul McClusker-
Presented July, 1999
This reprisal of Catacombs was presented at the
DeSoto Corner Theater.
| Closure: The Problem with Money - Presented
June, 2000 Prominent businessman John A. Money's life is suddenly thrown into chaos when a quirky angel of death who eats donuts and wears Bermuda shorts pays him a visit. Closure: The Problem with Money, a comedy about dying, was presented at the DeSoto Corner Theater. This original production was written by local playwrights, Leon McWhorter and Alan Elliott. |
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We Need a Little Christmas -
Presented November, 2000
The CrossWise Players and Sounding Joy started the 2000 holiday season with a performance
of We Need A Little Christmas. The production combined Christmas music, both old and new,
dance, mime productions, and drama.
| 2001-2002 Season |
The Courtroom - Presented May,
2001
Our first production of the 2001 season was an original play titled
The Courtroom. This
play, written and directed by Anthony Skinner, takes a look at ten individuals and how they
fare before "The Judge" we will all face someday. This production was held in the birthplace of the CrossWise Players, Tyler Street United Methodist.
| Ten Miles to Jericho - Presented August, 2001 | |
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This drama is a fresh look at an old story -- the ancient parable of the Good Samaritan. However, this time the setting is not a deserted stretch of road between Jerusalem and Jericho, but the inn where the robbery victim was taken. In this play the wounded man probes to find the reason for the indifference or compassion that motivated the Priest, the Levite, and the Samaritan. Presented by CrossWise Players Youth. |
We Need A Little Christmas -
Presented November, 2001
We had so much fun putting together We Need A Little Christmas last year
that we decided we just had to do it again. This production featured even
more music than in 2000.
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Night of the Day - Presented July/August 2002 |
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| While Jesus' followers experienced an avalanche of feelings after his crucifixion -- grief, guilt, and then indescribable joy at his resurrection, Pontius Pilate was left alone to face the consequences of his actions. This play explores the personal stories of Peter, Mary, Mary Magdalene, a soldier, Pilate's wife, and Pilate himself -- a man forced to face the truth about his life. Presented by CrossWise Youth and directed by Alan Blunt. Performed at the Corner Theater in DeSoto. Click here for more info. |  |
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| STAINED: A Drama of Life in Stained Glass - October, 2002 | |
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The CrossWise Players presented the drama titled Stained: A Drama of Life in Stained Glass on October 5th and 6th, 2002, as part of Tyler Street United Methodist Church’s 90th Anniversary celebration. This play, written by Alan Elliott and Leon McWhorter weaves incidents in the lives of people and places in Dallas history from 1900 to the present in a story of life, romance, and faith. Click here for more info. |
| 2003 Season |
| The People Versus Christ, April 2003 | ||
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The People Versus Christ was written for the nationally famed
Drama Trio, from the University of Redlands. Three players play all the
roles, even though the cast may call for diverse characters. The actors
enacting more than one role do so with voice, diction, posture, movement, gestures
and, above all, emotional involvement in each character. This is no change
of makeup or costume, since either would detract from the style.
The People Versus Christ has been presented in cathedral chancels, in gardens, in beautifully equipped theaters, in studios and living rooms, in enormous auditoriums, and in a clearing in the woods. In this CrossWise production of The People Versus Christ we find Mary in a courtroom being questioned about the validity of Christ's life, particularly the events surrounding his death. Events move from a modern courtroom setting to the events of 2000 years ago as Mary reacts to the questions of a prosecutor and as she interacts with characters including Peter and Judas. Performed at Tyler Street United Methodist Church Click for more info. |
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| The Old Faith, Hope and Charity, July 2003 (CrossWise Youth) | |
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When country doctor and
resident curmudgeon Peter Farraday is faced with retirement, the only
interested candidate is Dr. Lorraine Marcus, a young physician fresh out of
medical school. When Farraday takes her on, there is a warmhearted grand
collision of old and new ways. See what hilarious misunderstandings transpire
in this drama with heart. |
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CLOSURE:
The Problem With Money
(September 24-26, 2004) "A comedy with mortifying consequences" |
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Prominent businessman John A. Money’s life is suddenly thrown into chaos when a quirky donut-eating Angel of Death in Bermuda shorts pays him a visit. Billed as a “comedy with mortifying consequences,” this play follows the life of businessman John A. Money whose goal is to succeed “whatever the cost.” When John is suddenly faced with impending death he realizes how severely he’s neglected the important things of life. His situation is complicated by the eccentric Angel of Death who appears in a puff of smoke and tries to collect John and take him to the pearly gates. This original production was written by local playwrights, Leon McWhorter and Alan Elliott. J King of DeSoto plays the lead role of John A. Money and the Angel of Death is portrayed by Anthony Skinner of Duncanville. Click for more pictures. |
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December 12-21, 2003 |
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Christmas Break is a play about Martha and Warren Cotton’s son, Billy, who comes home from college claiming that the world would be better off without Christmas. Billy is supported in this disquieting contention by his girlfriend and fellow college-student, Brianna. During the process of the drama, the CrossWise Players create a startling change of mood on stage as the happy Cotton family enters into a colorless world where there is no Christmas. Author and director Leon McWhorter says, “Christmas Break is a blend of comedy and drama that takes the audience on a rollercoaster experience in search of the true meaning of Christmas.” Coauthor Alan Elliott adds, “In this play, the CrossWise Players bring to life some characters that you will love, some that you will hate, and some that you will recognize from your own holiday family gatherings.” |
| Heaven Tonight, July, 2005 | |
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CrossWise Players founder and Dallas playwright Leon McWhorter started with the question, “What if there is a talk show in heaven?” The result is a side-splitting play titled “Heaven Tonight” which rollicks onto the stage at the Anderson Hall Theater of Tyler Street United Methodist Church. “Heaven Tonight” was presented as a dinner theater where the audience "observed" a talk show originating from heaven. In the play, host Tony Malachi interviews some of heaven’s superstars including King David, Abraham, Sarah and Isaac, Adam and Eve and a few other special guests. Of course, no talk show would be worth its pillar of salt without music entertainment and “Heaven Tonight” is no exception. A live band and the Divine Diva Singers entertained and inspired. The show even contained several commercial breaks. “Heaven Tonight” was directed by stage veteran Anthony Skinner - a Duncanville city councilman. |
| Heaven Tonight, Christmas, 2009 | ||||
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