Written by orange• November 19, 2025• 7:27 pm• Irvine, Review, The Wayward Artist, Theater

The Christians @ The Wayward Artist – Review

photo credit: Francis Gacad

Written by Diana M. Robles

The Wayward Artist’s new home at a congregational church came just in time for their latest take on Lucas Hnath’s The Christians.

Story:

The Christians is the story of a megachurch pastor who has an epiphany, delivers a contested sermon, and divides a once-unified church. Pastor Paul (played by Kelly Franett) claims his first inkling that Hell doesn’t exist in the way his religion had taught him. When he heard a story of a fellow Christian feeling pity for not converting a non-believer before he died (rescuing a child from a burning building). The notion that a merciful Lord would punish a young person who acted so selflessly in his final moments did not make sense to this man of God, and it was enough to set off a sermon that would gain backlash from every corner of his church.

This play examines the Christian faith’s deepest complexities and contradictions while still being respectful of believers in the audience. However, the story begins more compellingly than it ends, with little development among its small group of characters, leaving things feeling unresolved.

Acting:

Franett demanded attention. His vocal projection was strong and direct, and gave the feeling that one should listen. When you did listen, the performance became both impressive and underwhelming at once. The confidence he portrayed in Pastor Paul’s beliefs asserted what was later revealed in the play – a foreshadowing that is satisfying to recognize.

But the performance would surely have given Franett the opportunity to show a range of acting skills, had the Pastor been wrestling with his own beliefs in addition to wrestling with the young and feisty Associate Pastor Joshua (Max Lund) about them. We did not see this range, likely due to the story’s restrictions. Still, he did a lot with what felt like a lackluster script, in some aspects.

With only five actors and heavy-ish material, the overall performance was lifted by the joyful sounds of the Irvine United Congregational Church’s (IUCC) choir, which served both the play’s theme and transitions well.

Set/Costume Design:

It doesn’t get more church-like than being in a literal church. The set was enhanced with impressive lighting from designer Blake Huntley. Lighting always sets the tone. In a production that’s mostly dialogue, it did a tremendous job reflecting the church’s increasing turmoil. Also notable were the stock videos that played on two television sets at the ends of the rooms during the church songs, which helped lift the mood in some scenes, along with the choir’s joyful sounds.