by Steffanie Lindgren ’10

They look at us and see no more than animals.
Animals to be herded here or there, here or there.
-Susaneh Winter in The Clearing

Sam Kampa and Rachel Gryte as Robert and Madeline Preston.

The Bethel value of reconciliation seeks to honor the worth and dignity of people from all races and purposely create a community that reflects the diversity of the Body of Christ. Bethel’s theatre department recognizes that today’s reconcilers must educate themselves about historical divisions so that history’s mistakes are not repeated. Thus, they presented the powerful play, The Clearing, October 30-November 8.

The Clearing tells the story of the genocide of the Irish through the lives of two families. The play begins in Ireland in 1652, when more than one-third of the population of Ireland was killed by war, plague, and famine as a result of Oliver Cromwell’s reign of terror on the Irish people. Being Irish, Catholic, or a supporter of the English king—whom Cromwell murdered to seize power—were offenses worthy of hanging; forced slavery in the Americas; or transplantation to the Irish province of Connaught, the least hospitable region of Ireland.

Bethel theatre professor Meg Zauner wrote in her director’s notes about the importance of addressing the issue of genocide: “If we are unwilling to grapple with issues that continue to promote ethnic cleansing, we seem destined to keep making the same mistakes. In Edmunson’s The Clearing, we see how two families are impacted by a society that fosters the idea of the ‘other.”’

Bethel freshman Samuel Kampa had one of the lead roles in The Clearing. Last summer, he received a 10,000 scholarship from the national Holocaust Remembrance Project for his essay about why personal stories and firsthand encounters with the few remaining Holocaust survivors are important.

The experiences Kampa had after meeting Holocaust survivors made him want to do something to raise awareness about genocide. “I felt strongly compelled to try out for the show with the hopes of perpetuating genocide education and discovering the meaning of my summer experience,” said Kampa.

“Without reconciliation, we cannot hope to advance society, ensure justice, promote peace, or fulfill God’s restorative vision for humanity,” continued Kampa. “As servants of Christ, it is our duty to celebrate reconciliation, breathing His hope into hopeless situations.”

Theatre Department Production Schedule