Christianized 'Friends' come to Northlake Baptist stage
Friday, November 5, 2004 11:27 PM PST
By Tom Paulu
Printable version
E-mail this articleShannon Sullivan loves coffee, wants to inspire other teenagers' Christianity -- and needs to raise $6,000 to study in South America.
Those three strands in the Kelso High School junior's life will intertwine next week when Sullivan's play is presented at Northlake Baptist Church in Longview.
"Our Corner at Hazel's," which Sullivan describes as a "Christian, teenage version of 'Friends' " will be staged at 7 p.m. Thursday through Nov. 13 at the church at the corner of Ocean Beach Highway and Pacific Way.
"Our Corner at Hazel's" takes place in a coffee shop owned by Hazel (played by Vola Moore). "I love coffee," said Sullivan, a Starbucks devotee. "I thought, 'What better setting?' "
Four friends played by Mallory Gebhardt, Kendahl Stratton, Ashley Rosbach and Isaac Stiltz hang out at the shop to do homework or talk. They also go to church together.
The play revolves around a girl named Natalie, whom Sullivan describes as "the typical troubled teen. She's 16. She moves in with her boyfriend. He has a temper and he's abusive."
Sullivan plays Natalie and her cousin, Matt Sullivan, plays the boyfriend.
Natalie starts going to the coffee house to write in her journal and escape the stress at home. She eventually becomes friends with the others. "Her new friends say, 'Jesus is love,' " which helps Natalie cope with her troubles.
The play "doesn't go really deep into religion but it does share the Gospel," Sullivan said.
For the shows, the church sanctuary will be set up to resemble a coffee shop. The audience will sit around tables and will be served coffee and desserts.
The event is a fund-raiser for Sullivan, who is saving money to be an AFS exchange student in South America next year.
Sullivan has appeared in several community plays, and is in the cast of "Sing On," the upcoming comedy at Kelso High School. Her character is "violent, and I'm 10 months pregnant. It's very different from this."
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