Religious Drama “Heaven’s Rivers” Compelling
New play by Kevin T. Baldwin explores a man’s faith in God, in others and ultimately, in himself.
Worcester, MA, June 05, 2014 --(PR.com)-- Shortly after the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001, there was a substantial increase in “holy sightings” - religious imagery and people with rumored God-endowed healing powers. Now, a new religious drama has a novice priest struggling to overcome his demons while trying to help the family of a troubled young girl.
During this time, all over the world, religious images of the Blessed Virgin Mary, God or Jesus were reported as appearing in the highly unlikeliest of objects: grilled cheese sandwiches, tree trunks, potato chips, peeling paint on houses, and so forth.
“Heaven’s Rivers”, written by Kevin T. Baldwin, uses the news reports of such sightings to bookend scenes of a spiritual, soul-searching journey that begins as Daniel, a former musician, reports for duty as a new priest in a Catholic parish.
The parish serves a community that is a veritable “crosshairs” of wealthy and impoverished neighborhoods. Gangs control the streets on one side of town while the affluent and bigots control the other side.
With “Heaven’s Rivers”, Baldwin, a published playwright of over 30 years, has offered a two-act dramatic play that, while not strictly liturgical, explores a man’s faith in God, in others and ultimately, in himself.
“The action centers on how people’s lives change either by choice or by force,” Baldwin says. “Some make a decision to change in order to better contribute to the world, others to escape from it.”
The play focuses on those choices made by Daniel and the other characters in the story, with some decisions proving polarizing, altruist, prejudicial, calamitous and, at times, fatal.
Daniel’s supervisor, Father Cliff, believes Daniel’s sudden interest in becoming a priest is compensating for the loss of his beloved wife and child years before. Daniel struggles with his own conflicting emotions when he encounters an old friend from high school, Eugenia, working at the local hospital and immediately feels a mutual attraction.
Daniel meets Juliet, a troubled youth whom he ministers to and takes into the rectory. Juliet is accused of euthanizing her grandmother at Daniel’s behest. When Father Cliff confronts Daniel about the accusation, Daniel claims to have been guided by the miraculous voice of the Blessed Virgin Mother Mary.
Father Cliff, skeptical of Daniel’s claim, consults with Sister Rachael, a parish counselor, who finds Daniel’s assertion indicative of a deeply troubled man.
But Father Cliff, while agreeing, offers, “Aren’t we the ones who are supposed to believe in miracles? What does that say about our own faith?”
Through many shifts, twists and turns, without being maudlin, self-indulgent or preachy, the play becomes more about faith and how a person acknowledges faith in their life, be it spiritual, familial, or even self-acknowledged.
At 53 pages, "Heaven’s Rivers" is available in both paperback and Kindle form. The average retail price of the paperback is $7.99.
For more information on "Heaven’s Rivers" and other plays written by Kevin T. Baldwin visit www.MillboroughStories.com.
Copies of the play are also available through Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.
During this time, all over the world, religious images of the Blessed Virgin Mary, God or Jesus were reported as appearing in the highly unlikeliest of objects: grilled cheese sandwiches, tree trunks, potato chips, peeling paint on houses, and so forth.
“Heaven’s Rivers”, written by Kevin T. Baldwin, uses the news reports of such sightings to bookend scenes of a spiritual, soul-searching journey that begins as Daniel, a former musician, reports for duty as a new priest in a Catholic parish.
The parish serves a community that is a veritable “crosshairs” of wealthy and impoverished neighborhoods. Gangs control the streets on one side of town while the affluent and bigots control the other side.
With “Heaven’s Rivers”, Baldwin, a published playwright of over 30 years, has offered a two-act dramatic play that, while not strictly liturgical, explores a man’s faith in God, in others and ultimately, in himself.
“The action centers on how people’s lives change either by choice or by force,” Baldwin says. “Some make a decision to change in order to better contribute to the world, others to escape from it.”
The play focuses on those choices made by Daniel and the other characters in the story, with some decisions proving polarizing, altruist, prejudicial, calamitous and, at times, fatal.
Daniel’s supervisor, Father Cliff, believes Daniel’s sudden interest in becoming a priest is compensating for the loss of his beloved wife and child years before. Daniel struggles with his own conflicting emotions when he encounters an old friend from high school, Eugenia, working at the local hospital and immediately feels a mutual attraction.
Daniel meets Juliet, a troubled youth whom he ministers to and takes into the rectory. Juliet is accused of euthanizing her grandmother at Daniel’s behest. When Father Cliff confronts Daniel about the accusation, Daniel claims to have been guided by the miraculous voice of the Blessed Virgin Mother Mary.
Father Cliff, skeptical of Daniel’s claim, consults with Sister Rachael, a parish counselor, who finds Daniel’s assertion indicative of a deeply troubled man.
But Father Cliff, while agreeing, offers, “Aren’t we the ones who are supposed to believe in miracles? What does that say about our own faith?”
Through many shifts, twists and turns, without being maudlin, self-indulgent or preachy, the play becomes more about faith and how a person acknowledges faith in their life, be it spiritual, familial, or even self-acknowledged.
At 53 pages, "Heaven’s Rivers" is available in both paperback and Kindle form. The average retail price of the paperback is $7.99.
For more information on "Heaven’s Rivers" and other plays written by Kevin T. Baldwin visit www.MillboroughStories.com.
Copies of the play are also available through Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.
Contact
Kevin T. Baldwin
774-242-6724
www.MillboroughStories.com
774-242-6724
www.MillboroughStories.com
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