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Catholic theater brings 'the Little Flower' to Valley
By Ambria Hammel, ahammel@catholicsun.org
September 4, 2008
Statues of saints adorn diocesan churches, and while the plaster figures invite prayer, there are other ways to bring these holy men and women to life.
That’s why St. Luke Productions transforms the lives of saints into interactive plays and DVDs.
The Washington-based theater of evangelization is bringing the striking story of St. Thérèse to Arizona Sept. 28 through Oct. 1.
The one-woman drama takes Catholics through the life and death of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, a devout young Carmelite whose simple faith helped her become the most popular saint of the 20th century.
“She’s really the saint of everyday life,” said Dorothy Pawlowski, the actress who has been bringing the 24-year-old to life for two years. “She did very simple things.”
Catholics know of St. Thérèse’s deeds mainly through a collection of letters and journal entries turned over to her sister before her death. Those writings led to the book, drama and film, “Thérèse: The Story of a Soul.”
“The play is her words,” Pawlowski said, noting that preparing for the part was nothing like getting into character for other performances. “It’s not a character. You just kind of have to let her words and the Holy Spirit speak through you.”
“It’s an incredible person and story,” said Leonardo Defilippis. At the encouragement of some Carmelite nuns, Defilippis, founder of St. Luke Productions, produced the play in 1997 for the 100th anniversary of St. Thérèse’s death.
St. Thérèse was born in France in 1873. She was among nine children, five of whom lived — all girls. Although they each ultimately entered a convent, it took some doing for Thérèse.
The Mother Superior of a Carmelite convent rejected the young teenager on account of her age. The local bishop agreed. Thérèse was heartbroken. Determined to become a Carmelite in spite of her youth, Thérèse sought out the pope, only to be carried out by guards after she tried asking his permission to join the monastery.
The pope consoled her by saying, “Come, come, you will enter if God wills.” In the end, the pope’s prediction came true and Thérèse was allowed to enter the convent at the tender age of 15.
Even though St. Thérèse fulfilled her vocation, “she had this temptation that it was all for nothing,” Pawlowski said. “She didn’t feel God’s presence and love with her.”
St. Thérèse spent her days making little sacrifices — often taking the blame for things. It was these small sacrifices, these “little flowers,” she said, that showed her love for God.
“Thousands of miracles have been attributed to her,” Defilippis said, including converting France’s most famous murderer.
Defilippis, a Catholic producer and director, can also talk at length about the profound effect St. Thérèse has had on theatergoers. He’s heard stories from prisoners, religious leaders college students and families.
One day a Methodist took out a St. Thérèse prayer card that someone gave him. The prayer changed him. That man converted to Catholicism, as did his wife and their 10 children.
“He’ll weep when he talks about her,” said Defilippis, who played the saint’s father in the 2004 movie.
The young nun who remained close to her family has also been known to intercede for those facing relationship or family problems.
Pawlowski, who portrays the saint, has also heard her share of testimonies from people who see the play who are sick or know someone who is sick, often find solace knowing that their suffering has meaning.
St. Thérèse laments over her suffering, but accepts it as God’s will.
“If I didn’t have any faith, I would just kill myself outright,” she says at the end of the play as she is dying of tuberculosis. “I know I’m suffering so much, but let me suffer more.”
Pawlowski said it’s the saint’s time of trials that revealed her strength the most.
“It helps you realize a saint is not a plaster figure or stained glass figure up on a shelf,” Pawlowski said of the 75-minute drama. “A saint is a person who went through the same sufferings as you. They inspire you to live a Christian life more joyfully and with more strength.”
Defilippis agreed that the saints are a gift of hope.
“They not only help us reflect on living,” he said, “but give us that sense of where we’re trying to go.”
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