An evolution of love

Love According to John celebrates its 40th anniversary next week and founder June Hunt continues to be amazed and gratified that the public has embraced the three-hour production so effortlessly.

Back in 1971 Hunt, who had spent 12 years touring with Edmonton Opera, originally received a request from Teen Time of Edmonton to organize a variety show involving adolescents.

“But I thought variety shows were boring,” laughs the candid director who directs under the banner of Alberta Lyric Theatre. Picking up the glove of challenge, Hunt scanned the King James Bible and read the Gospels in search of a good story.

“I picked John’s because he had written all the lines. John quotes everybody. There were a lot of girls in the teen club and John has a lot of lines for women.”

And that really impresses Hunt. “In John’s Gospel, women are identified. They say things and are quoted. In the rest of the Bible, women weren’t counted. But John’s Gospel shows that Jesus treated women as equals.”

Creating a stage-worthy production from limited lines in the Bible was a painstaking process. “It was pretty scary that first year. We thought we’d do it for one year, but here we are 40 years later with a cast of 200 professionals and novices and a 30-piece orchestra.”

The three-hour production starts off with John as an old man and prisoner, writing Jesus’ story from the baptism to the crucifixion, burial and resurrection.

“People of all denominations find it worshipful. It’s a colourful, exciting story. It’s also a very important, universal story and people can identify with it. As a play, it brings the script to life and gives a certain personal involvement.”

Hunt says Love According to John is not a proselytizing play. In fact, year after year the production draws a cast with a wide variety of religious interests including Protestants, Catholics, Messianic Christians and even agnostics.

Love According to John has attracted about 25 St. Albert triple-threat performers including Carmen Vale as Mary Magdalene and Terry Hall as Peter.

The music blends Bach and Handel with rock, pop, hymns and sentimental contemporary works. Composer Dan Gagan has, over a period of years, written nine songs for the show. “We keep it fresh by changing the music.”

Last year, Hunt created new staging and had the actors step out into the audience for some scenes. This year, they’re expanding that format. “In the scene where Jesus feeds 5,000 people, the disciples go out and share real bread with the audience. And when Jesus is taken away as a prisoner to Pilate, we will have actors walking through the audience.”

For Hunt, the colour, the music, and the excitement are what it’s all about. “You don’t necessarily get this story by going to church. You get this story by the guy who was there.”

Love According to John runs at the Jubilee Auditorium from April 21 to 23.