MANSFIELD – A new original playwright will be introduced to the Mansfield area this weekend, in the form of former high school basketball coach Effie James.
A surprise to himself and those who know him, James penned an original play that will open on Saturday, May 7 at Latter Rain Church in Mansfield. James is both the writer and director of the show.
“Lord Can You Hear Me?” tells the story of two sisters brought up in the church, taught the ways of Christ and what it means to be a Christian. As they mature, their lives take them in totally separate directions, but the spirit of Christ eventually brings them back to the church and to each other.
“Their experiences are what the play is about, it’s about how they’re being reconciled and shown in their individual lives how God can work in your life no matter the circumstance,” James said.
This is James’ first foray into theatre, which originally began as an Easter skit for the kids at Latter Rain. He wrote the story for almost four months before realizing its message was bigger than just a small skit.
“It started out very small, and it got very big,” James said with a laugh. “I honestly thought it would be just a few members of our church putting on a skit in the middle of worship service.”
Even more surprising is the fact that James has never written a play in his life, and yet “Lord Can You Hear Me?” is a fully developed idea. James even wrote original songs for the piece. But ask him how he did it, and he can’t tell you.
“That’s why I know this thing is driven by God, because I have no answer,” James said. “God used me as a medium; I couldn’t come up with something this elaborate on my own.”
Indeed, James’ small skit has instead turned into a full-scale production complete with lighting, sound and a cast of 12 members from Mansfield and beyond. Enthusiasm from the community helped drive James to turn his play into the real thing.
“Everybody that I asked immediately was interested, nobody said no,” James said. “These are real people with jobs and lives, and they come in and give their time. Sometimes we have some late nights but they are here, and I’m completely blown away by their commitment.”
One of those cast members is Walter Jordan, pastor at Oasis of Love Church who will act as the emcee of the evening. Despite being from an outside church, Jordan said he immediately wanted to get involved and support James. He also noted James’ theatrical talent came as a bit of a surprise.
“I was stunned and shocked, and that’s another reason I wanted to help him out because I couldn’t believe he was doing this. And he’s excellent,” Jordan said. “A lot of his coaching abilities are showing up here as a true playwright, he knows exactly what he wants and he’s a very strategic producer and writer.”
Another cast member is Tony Bond, a preacher at Latter Rain. After first reading James’ script and realizing his gift, Bond knew he had to get involved. He also connected deeply with James’ message, and believes many other people will find it relatable.
“The common denominator in this is a lot of people have the same feeling, wondering if the Lord hears you,” Bond said. “Sometimes we go through a lot of stuff and we feel like God doesn’t hear us or he doesn’t hear it as quickly as we want Him to. But this play is going to help a lot of folks understand that no matter what you’re going through in life, He hears us.”
A big reason why the play is so relatable is because James wrote from his own experiences, particularly when he was younger and felt more intimidated by the church. He recalls feeling that he had to be perfect in order to be saved in the eyes of God.
“A lot of my inner feelings made their way into the script in certain ways,” James said. “I always thought people in church were all perfect, but Jesus didn’t come for the perfect – he came for the wounded. I wanted to have that infused into this play, and at the end of the day that’s who we’re trying to reach.”
“Lord Can You Hear Me?” will open on Saturday, May 7 at 5 p.m. at Latter Rain Church in Mansfield. The show will only run for one performance, and admission is free.
James said seeing his words come to life has been everything he hoped for and more. He said the play will be a success in his eyes if just one person becomes closer to Christ.
“We want the place packed, but if everybody sees the play and leaves the same way they came, we haven’t done what we needed to do with this play,” James said. “My goal is to change people’s lives and ultimately this play is a ministry, we want to bring people closer to God and introduce them to Christ, and show them God can fix any situation.”
