ELCA NEWS SERVICE
June 25, 2007
Lutheran, Ecumenical High School Youth Tour With Original Musical
07-112--LL*
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Todd M. Mattson, First Lutheran
Church, Morris, Minn., has been turning high school students into
performers since 1981. Mattson is the founder of "New Wine," an
ecumenical drama and music group that produces original
contemporary Christian musicals. First Lutheran Church is a
congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
"New Wine" has been associated with First Lutheran Church,
Morris, Minn., since 2001. Each summer the group of ecumenical
high school students tour throughout the country. The 2006-2007
production features 48 teenagers who star in "The Family."
The Family is a fast-paced musical comedy that addresses the
question, "What does it mean to be a family?" As generational
differences are played out, greater similarities are discovered.
Both single- and two-parent families explore the same issues.
Using a series of documentary-style asides and a storyline
focusing on growing conflict between a boy, his mother and his
stepfather, the cast redefines what it means to be a family. In
the end, all realize it is the family of God that matters most,
according to Mattson, author of the production.
Performers audition annually in November and rehearse most
Sunday evenings through May to prepare for their public
performances. "We work really hard. It's a fun experience to
see how we touch peoples' lives when we perform in other towns,"
said Charles "Chuckie" Michealson, who plays "Robert" in The
Family.
Although New Wine is a financially self-sufficient group,
each cast member must pay between $250 and $350 for the summer
tour. The group raises funds to offset travel costs, including
selling pizzas and hosting a dinner theater. A portion of
leftover funds is donated to a congregation or charity chosen by
the youth. Last year, New Wine donated $3,000 to help build a
retreat center in New Orleans.
Not everyone would be able to travel with 48 teenagers in
vans for two weeks, but Mattson believes in the value of seeing
the world. "When I was a kid my parents took me camping, so
travel is in my blood. I always try to organize tours in towns
that are very different from Morris so that the kids gain an
understanding of those around them," said Mattson. Congregations
will host the New Wine performers throughout the tour.
The journey from the first read-through to the last
performance does not come without its own set of bumps along the
way, but Mattson helps the cast through whatever comes their way.
"He's patient. No matter how many times you mess up or how
much he gets frustrated, Pastor Mattson is always there for us,"
said Kelsey Raasch, who plays "Patti" in The Family.
Each tour also serves as a retreat for the cast and their
counselors. Throughout the day the teenagers are expected to
read materials and answer questions from their tour books
focusing on the theme of family. Each day concludes with a
devotional period.
New Wine will begin its latest tour on June 24.
Destinations include congregations in: Omaha, Neb., Lakewood,
Colo., Los Alamos, N.M., Roswell, N.M., Las Cruces N.M., El Paso,
Texas, Durango, Colo., Dillon, Colo., and Pine Ridge, S.D.
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Information about New Wine can be found at:
http://www.firstlutheranmorris.org/newwine.htm
*Lauren A. Lamb is a senior public relations and speech
communication major at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.
This summer she is an intern with the ELCA News Service.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog
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