Actors David Coleman and Jenny Price rehearse a scene for the upcoming performance of "The Voices in My Head are Organizing a Union," a show which will be performed at the Church of the Nazarene in Sutter Creek on Wednesday, May 6 at 6:30 p.m. The show, written by Pine Grove resident Scott Coleman, is free and open to the public. Photo by: Bethany A. Monk

Most Christian scripts for young actors are over-the-top cheesy, according to R. Scotty Coleman.

Coleman, a Pine Grove resident with a background in improv theater, decided to mix things up a bit by penning a series of scenes that now make up a full-length show called, "The Voice in My Head are Organizing a Union." On April 17, local actors performed the show at the Church of the Nazarene in Sutter Creek for the church's women's ministry. The ensemble will perform the show again at the church on Wednesday, May 6 at 6:30 p.m. The performance is free and open to the public.

Coleman, who belongs to the church, said the show is for people of all backgrounds and faiths.

"My goal is that anything I write could be performed anywhere," said Coleman, who belongs to the church. "I think we have this standard for Christian art and we lower it," he said, referring to Christian artists in general. "I think we should raise it.

"We tend to speak in code," Coleman added. "Instead of saying 'I had a great time,' we say 'I feel blessed.' We don't say 'I screwed up.' We say 'I struggle.' I think this separates us from the world we're trying to relate to."

Coleman's series of scenes, written for two actors in each scene, touch on issues such as the complexities of relationships between those we love; the art of semantics; making peace with loss; eating disorders; abortion and several other topics. Most actors are teens, aside from Stevens Price, who plays a girl's father in one of the scenes, and Amy Doyle, who plays a woman who finds herself in a conversation with a homeless girl. Coleman said some are from the church, but others are not. Being a Christian, he added, is not a prerequisite for being a part of this project.

One of the scenes, "Bullhorn Evangelism," features two characters chatting together - one a Christian, the other a non-believer. Coleman said he wrote this scene based on a conversation he had with someone once at the Sutter Creek Ice Cream Emporium. In the scene, the Christian character, based on Coleman, breaks out a bullhorn at various times in the conversation and in a "Christian" manner, points out what his friend is doing wrong, instead of listening to him. The scene, which drew a lot of laughter from the audience, is one of the many ways, Coleman is trying to break down the barriers between believers and non-believers.

"When I talk about us having a different language, I think we almost create a language barrier," Coleman said.

In the show's program pamphlet, Coleman writes, "I was the Bozo with the bullhorn." His son, David, plays the part in the skit opposite actor Adam Warren.

Coleman told the audience during the show about a time when a teenager was telling him something important, and instead of listening, Coleman asked the teen not to use "that sort of language." The situation has haunted him, he told the Ledger Dispatch in an interview Monday. But instead of dwelling, Coleman wrote a scene called, "Poem on a Church Wall," a title inspired by Paul Simon's song, "Poem on the Underground Wall."

In this scene, a teen, played by Erin Lehman, tags a church wall with graffiti. Another teen, played by Brittaney Brennan, who belongs to the church, sees the girl. Instead of chastising the graffiti artist, she talks to her about what she's writing.

One of the most controversial scenes, Coleman said, is the first one he wrote, called "The Waiting Room." This features a teen, played by Hannah Lack, in the waiting room of an abortion clinic and a conversation she has when her baby girl, as a teen, approaches her and talks to her. Charlie B. Merritt plays the baby as a grown teen.

"'The Waiting Room' offends," Coleman said, noting that once people take a stand on whether or not a fetus is a life, "you will offend." He said that his intention is not to politicize the issue, but to explore the situation via the human experience. "I think both sides trivialize the issue," he said.

"In everything I write, I try to show the human side," he said. "I try to push the edge. I want to make it more real."

The feedback has been great, Coleman said. "It's been really positive," he said. Some people have told him they don't agree with everything he's said, but still enjoyed the scenes.

"I enjoy how personal the scenes are," said Scott's son, David, who is a senior at Amador High School. "And because they're written by my dad, I like to think I understand them more. The characters are very believable."

Other scenes in the show include, "Tell the Pirate Story," with Michelle Burns and David Coleman; "Step 9," with Brittaney Brennan and Stevens Price; "When I was Hungry," with Hannah Lack and Charlie B. Merritt; "Can You Hear Me Now?" with Amy Doyle and Charlie B. Merritt; "24 Hour Prayer," with Michelle Burns and David Coleman; and "Famous," with Michelle Burns and Hannah Matranga.

Coleman credits the show's director, Lizzie Parker, for getting the best out of the show's actors. The actors will perform seven of the scenes in "Elevate," a region-wide Christian talent competition in Point Loma in June.

Church of the Nazarene is located at 14050 Ridge Road in Sutter Creek. For more information, call 267-1307.