The Christmas Story
Every year during the holiday season my aunt stages a community production in a small church beside the Eton Centre here in Toronto. It is a tradition which has been going on for nearly a century.
The production is a retelling of the Christmas Story, an amalgamation of stories told by the apostles Matthew, Mark, John, and Luke. It’s a short narrative that depicts the birth of Jesus and all the relevant characters surrounding that story.
Gabriel appearing to Joseph in a dream
When I was an infant I played baby Jesus in the show. I didn’t return to the production for twenty three years, until I came back this year as the archangel Gabriel (the one who announced to Mary that she was pregnant with the son of God). I was compelled to participate for a variety of reasons: a desire to volunteer some of my extra time during the holidays, to be part of a strong community dedicated to a creative pursuit, and to reconnect to my acting roots. But the central reason that drew me back to this production was something much more profound.
It was something that I caught a glimpse of when walking through the cathedrals and studying the magnificent works of art in Florence, Italy.
It was something that touched me when I took Ayahuasca with my father last month.
It was something than an arrogant fifteen-year old me was completely oblivious to.
There was a chorus of angels in the story, but I was the only angel to don a pair of prosthetic wings on my back. It was physically demanding to wear, but it was worth it every time a spotlight came down on me, sending radiant light out in all directions.
The final scene was a tableaux including the whole cast, who surrounded the baby Jesus and knelt as we all sang “O Come All Ye Faithful.” Something in the moment moved me.
That moment is exactly what I feel like I’m attempting to get at in Mythos Ascending. The reality of suffering, the worship of something greater than oneself, and the importance of divine revelation. The lights and the wings gave me a few select moments where I felt like I was able to embody Mythos completely.
These threads between my work and the ancient spiritual narratives of the past are thin and elusive, but they are real. I want to collect as many as I can. Enough that one day I can hopefully weave them into something intact.
