PHOTO COURTESY OF OUTRÉ

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. – Outré’s first production of the 2018/19 season is the South Florida premiere of “The Christians” by Orlando-native playwright Lucas Hnath. Winner of the 2016 Outer Critics Circle Award, “The Christians” is a complex, multi-layered exploration of faith, belief and the seemingly insurmountable distance that separates us. The production will take place at the Pompano Beach Cultural Center from Oct 19Nov. 11.

“This play, while set in a Protestant Christian church, creates a dialogue that transcends religion, and is incredibly poignant at this time in our nation,” said Skye Whitcomb, Outré’s Artistic Director and the director of the production. “The thing that strikes me most about “The Christians” is that for all the struggle that the characters go through, there is no ‘bad guy.’ Every one of these characters is coming from a place of personal truth, of belief, and they struggle with reconciling the differences in their beliefs. There’s this heartbreaking distance between them that tugs at the soul. And one of the most wrenching questions that the play forces us to contemplate is what we should do when those we love believe something that is not only different from what we believe, but believe something that we feel is actually dangerous.”

In Hnath’s play, which features cast members Tim Gore, Rita Joe, Jordon Armstrong, Timothy Mark Davis, and Shannon Ouellette, Pastor Paul has guided his congregation through the years, from its origins as a tiny storefront church to today’s beautiful new megachurch with thousands of congregants. Now, on a Sunday, in the middle of his sermon, Paul is about to challenge one of his congregation’s most fundamental beliefs. What do you do when you realize that you’ve been lied to? If the stakes are eternity, how far are you willing to follow those you love?

IF YOU GO:

WHAT: “The Christians”

WHEN: Oct. 19 – Nov. 11, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m.

WHERE: Pompano Beach Cultural Center, 50 West Atlantic Blvd., Pompano Beach

COST: Tickets: $39 adults, $19 students. Tickets available at www.ccpompano.org

CONTACT: For more information, call 954-545-7800 or visit www.ccpompano.org.