Faith Takes the Stage
Ross Lefort Unites Art and Gospel
Ross Lefort has had more than one role in life, but storytelling is at the heart of them all. Whether sharing Gospel stories as a Focus campus minister, leading pilgrimages for Focus, or acting, producing, and directing live theatre, Lefort is animated by how stories connect us to each other and to the truth about our lives.
While still in elementary school, Lefort was cast as Jonah in a local church play. It was the beginning of a love affair with theatre that carried him through adolescence. Throughout his youth, he starred in plays and musicals and won awards.
He was set to pursue theatre as a career when, the summer before entering college, he had what he describes as a powerful conversion experience. A new love entered his life: Jesus and His Church.
In the immediate aftermath of this experience, Lefort believed he needed to choose between two loves: faith or art. He chose faith. Retrospectively, this looks like an initial effort to reckon with an adolescent sensibility that had characterized his theatrical pursuits. “I wanted to be seen, loved, and appreciated,” he says. Hardly an unusual motivation for those who find their way to the spotlight.
As Lefort matured in life and in his faith, however, his longing for creativity resurfaced. A performance of Bright Star, the musical by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, was a turning point. Lefort was struck by the pro-life and family-oriented themes of the show. It was, Lefort recognized, natural theology dramatized on stage. “The theme is how people are gifts from God.”
He saw the enormous impact the show had on the audience. “It’s safe to assume that many in the audience don’t share the same views as I have on some moral issues, but they were all impacted by the human person and what we’re made for,” Lefort reflects.
That was all it took to reconnect Lefort with the possibilities of theatre. He began reading St. Pope John Paul II’s play, The Jeweler’s Shop and his artist’s retreat, God is Beauty. He moved beyond thinking of drama in terms of the spotlight and realized that storytelling is letting God shine through us.
Lefort’s hesitation about theatrical involvement evaporated and he jumped back into theatre. He found actors, support, funding and a location and put up his own production of Bright Star, which raised money for a pro-life organization. “I was fully alive,” he says. “Doing art in this beautiful way and I knew it was something I wanted to continue to do.”
Since relocating to Denver to join Focus, Lefort has joined forces with other Denver talent (such as Ryan Noll) to form the company, Backyard Musical. Backyard Musical has a purpose of highlighting truth, beauty and goodness wherever it can be found. “We don’t want to just produce shows that talk about God or saints but shows that are relevant to culture but that we can highlight truth, goodness, and beauty,” he says.
Lefort has found great rewards in connecting with a community of artists that are united in a desire to give glory to God. “We all of us want to tell a good story for the sake of glorifying God, not ourselves,” he says. “We’ve been able to create a great culture of forgiveness, supporting each other whole-heartedly.”
Recently, Backyard Musical presented 12 Angry Jurors (originally 12 Angry Men) at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Westminster, Colorado. The well-attended show demonstrated convincingly that there’s an audience for this approach to theatre.
Next up is the musical Big Fish, by Andrew Lippa and John August, based on the Daniel Wallace novel. Big Fish is scheduled for May 8 – 10 in Ballard Hall at Christ the King parish, in south central Denver. Onstage Catholic will give updates as the performance approaches.
From a binary choice – faith or theatre – Lefort has moved to a synthesis of the two. “Being an artist stems from my relationship with God,” he says.
Curtain Call Q & A
What are your thoughts about this post?
Have you ever experienced a tension between your faith and another part of your life or identity? How are you resolving it?
LeFort was struck by how audiences who might not share all of his moral views were still moved by the themes of Bright Star. What does this suggest about the role of art in engaging culture?
What are examples of books, films, plays, or music that have helped you see a deeper truth about life or faith?
This agrees with my belief that God is the original Creator and since we're made in His image we are creators and our creativity can and should glorify Him. Very well expressed .