The Christians
Mainstage Theater
Written by
Lucas Hnath
Directed by Les Waters
Ten years ago, Pastor Paul’s church was a modest storefront. Now it houses thousands, with a coffee shop in the lobby and a baptismal font as big as a swimming pool. But Paul is about to preach a sermon that will shake the foundation of his congregation’s beliefs. Backed by a live choir, The Christians is both epic and unexpectedly intimate, an unflinching look at faith in America — and its power to unite or divide.
“Critics' Pick. THE FIRST IMPORTANT NEW PLAY OF THE FALL SEASON. Ingeniously staged by Les Waters, this terrific play about the mystery of faith by Lucas Hnath — one of the freshest playwriting voices to emerge in the past five years — is MESMERIZING.”
— Charles Isherwood, The New York Times“DEEPLY AFFECTING. EMOTIONALLY DEVASTATING. A white-knuckled drama about a theological battle. This is a production we can believe in.”
— Elisabeth Vincentelli, The New York Post
“A LITTLE BIT OF HEAVEN with a chorus whose voices blend in harmonies as bright as their choir robes!”
— Joe Dziemianowicz, New York Daily News“EXTRAORDINARY! Lucas Hnath dares us to see anti-religious prejudice as just another form of faith.”
— Jesse Green, New York magazine