The musical drama The Gathering premieres on Friday, October 20th & Saturday, October 21st at the Glenlyon Norfolk School Theatre, 801 Bank St., commissioned by the Bahá’í Community of Victoria. It is one of thousands of celebrations to be held across Canada and the globe on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Bahá’u’lláh, the prophet founder of the Bahá’í Faith. All are open to the public free of charge, in an effort to bring people together and further the bonds of social unity.
The Gathering is a contemporary blend of story, music and dance affirmingour origin as one human family and offering a glimpse of our noble destiny. Directed by Victoria resident Laura Lee, the play draws inspiration from a traditional Hopi legend and the writings of Bahá’u’lláh.
Lee pulls together a diverse cast of local actors, dancers and musicians to bring this inspiring story to life. “The writings of Bahá’u’lláh emphasize that this is an age when all the peoples of the world are being drawn together as one human family. The Gathering depicts the pain and challenges of our coming together and celebrates the powerful energy and potential it offers.”
The story is told from the perspective of an Indigenous youth who is searching for the meaning of existence and his purpose in it. “I think that we, as a human race, are on a parallel journey with this adolescent youth”, says Lee. “His questions, and perhaps some of our own, are answered through the stories of the grandmother, which come to life through music and dance.”
For her role as grandmother Deloria Bighorn says "It's my honour to share that we the original inhabitants of this great land were given the wisdom and guidance of the Creator in ways indigenous to us. Today they are needed more than ever to find a path to the healing and unification of our Mother Earth."
Doors open at the Glenlyon Norfolk theatre, 801 Bank St., at 6:30 p.m. and the show begins at 7 p.m. Light refreshments will be served after each show. Free tickets are general admission and can be obtained by contacting [email protected]
An additional performance is being sponsored by the Bahá’í Communities of the Saanich Peninsula on Sunday, October 22nd at 2 p.m. at the Parkland Secondary School Theatre, 10640 McDonald Park Rd, North Saanich. Doors open at 1:30 p.m.; no tickets are necessary.
* Photo: Deloria Bighorn performs in the upcoming premiere of The Gathering
Related links:
Bicentenary website: https://bicentenary.bahai.org
Victoria Báhai Community: https://www.victoriabahai.org
International Bahá’í Community: http://www.bahai.org/
You can read more articles on our interfaith blog, Spiritually Speaking, HERE
