Wide-Ranging `Mark's Gospel' Rivets, Inspires

It's a familiar sight: a football player scores a touchdown or a baseball slugger hits a home run and then punctuates the moment with a finger thrust skyward.

I never quite know how to take that gesture, especially when the finger-pointer seems to consistently run afoul of Godly behavior. (Hey, nobody's perfect, we all fall short of the glory of God, but we don't all show up on the police blotter every six months.)

These thoughts flashed through my mind recently at the end of Max McLean's stirring one-man performance of Mark's Gospel, at The Mercury Theater, 3745 N. Southport Ave. in Chicago.

The remarkably talented actor had concluded the presentation, and cheering audience members had collectively risen to their feet. McLean soaked in the accolades for a few moments, then pointed straight up before leaving the stage.

On the heels of his own crowning achievement--think grand slam home run times 99-yard touchdown run...and then some--McLean's motion was one that was refreshingly genuine and appropriate. He had just spent himself in communicating history's greatest and most important story, and McLean understandably knew that his wasn't, in truth, a one-man show so much as a show honoring the One.

That being said, Mark's Gospel holds broad appeal, whether you are an evangelical Christian or simply a fan of wide-ranging performances that seek to provoke emotion and thought. The two-hour, two-act play is complemented by a large PowerPoint-style map that provides the logistical context for the journeys that Jesus and his disciples took in his ministry en route to the cross.

In telling the story of Jesus, McLean, so wickedly good as Screwtape in The Screwtape Letters, the high level demon in hell, wields his magnificent voice, masterful interpretation and energetic theatricality.

Portraying scenes that are by turns compelling, maddening and hilarious, McLean humanizes what can so easily be dismissed as words on a page. And he does it with such seeming ease that you may be apt to forget that it's one man up there on stage, transforming himself, often in rapid-fire fashion, from one character to another.

“Jesus is certainly a controversial figure.” McLean says. “Yet he has been tamed by overfamiliarity. Bringing a theatrical lens to the original source for Christianity helps restores Jesus back to size. It is meant to surprise and delight. And I need to redeem myself for doing Screwtape these past few years.”

McLean and director Jeffrey Fiske, the producers of The Screwtape Letters, brought Mark's Gospel to the stage through Fellowship for the Performing Arts.

As they both were when my wife, Bridgett, and I saw Screwtape five months ago, McLean and Fiske were affable and engaging as they chatted with us after the performance.

My recommendation: see the show and stick around afterwards to dig even deeper with these talented artists. Time is running short, with Sunday, May 17th marking the final performance. The schedule is Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. with matinees on Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.

Tickets range in price from $29 to $48.50 and are available by calling The Mercury Theater Box Office at 773.325.1700, TicketMaster at 312.902.1500, or visiting www.ticketmaster.com.

Discounted tickets for students and groups of 10 or more are also available by calling 773.477.7666. For more information, visit MarkOnStage.com.

Early and Often: Blood Donors Needed!

If you can donate blood, please do it ASAP!

I have donated frequently over the years, but last year was the first time I made a concerted effort to donate every eight weeks. My next donation is Monday afternoon. See the news release below, from Heartland Blood Centers.

To find a donor center or blood drive near you, visit Heartland's web site or call 1-800-7TO-GIVE.

Swine Flu Affects Local Blood Supply: Your Help is Needed Now!

AURORA, IL. - As potential cases of swine flu reach the Chicagoland area, schools and public facilities will continue to take precautionary actions and close until any suspected cases can be confirmed. Blood drives scheduled to be held at these locations will likewise be cancelled. Case in point, yesterday a blood drive scheduled for a school in Kane County which closed while confirmatory tests are performed, was cancelled. As the prospect for additional closings is likely, officials at Heartland Blood Centers are concerned about the impact on the blood supply.

"It is even more important today for all healthy, eligible blood donors to step forward and donate blood", said Dominique Bazile, M.D., Medical Director for Heartland Blood Centers. "Heartland Blood Centers must be ready to respond to all routine and emergent blood product requests."

In recent weeks, inventory levels of O positive, O negative, B negative and A negative blood types have begun to drop nationwide. Heartland Blood Centers has seen similar patterns in their blood collections. "As the summer months are fast-approaching, we ask everyone to make a renewed commitment to donating blood for others less fortunate", said Ann McKanna, Vice President, Marketing and New Business Development with Heartland Blood Centers. "The gift you will have given patients in need through your blood donation is immeasurable for those whose lives depend on your kindness."

While the four types listed above are in the greatest demand, blood donors of all types are asked to give as soon as possible. To find a donor center or blood drive near you, visit www.heartlandbc.org or call 1-800-7TO-GIVE.

Based on current knowledge and added safety precautions, donors with fever, cough, and/or respiratory infection are deferred. Donors reporting confirmed, probable or suspect swine flu influenza will be deferred for a period of at least 7 days from the onset of symptoms and must be symptom-free upon completion of treatment. Until further guidance is provided by the agencies governing the blood center, donors who have traveled to areas identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as affected by swine influenza (including the entire country of Mexico) will be deferred from blood donation for 7 days following their departure from the affected areas.

As always, to be a blood donor, individuals must be at least 17 years of age, or 16 with written permission; weigh at least 110 pounds; be symptom-free of cold, flu and allergies; and be in general good health. Donors who have traveled outside the U.S. within the past 12 months should contact Heartland at 1-800-7TO-GIVE to determine eligibility.