News & Reviews

Women of Passion, Power and Purpose
Manna - Good News for Delmarva
September 2002
By Martie Callaghan

"Where is it? Have you seen it?" The woman is almost shouting as she makes her way through the audience. "Where is my water jar?"

All eyes focus on the bold and determined character now ascending the small stage. Her long, white hair and furrowed brow imply the frailty of old age, but her voice and her demeanor are strong.

She begins to tell her story around the water jar - her precious water jar - a significant article in the unfolding of some very amazing events in her life.

The audience has just been introduced to Rebekah, wife of Isaac and mother of Jacob and Esau - one of several women of the Bible portrayed by Christian dramatist Anita Gutschick in her one-person presentation, "Women of Passion, Power and Purpose."

How ironic that when Anita was first attracted to acting as a teen, she was too timid to actually do it. Instead, she would hold the book for her older brother while he learned his lines, and would go to see him act in summer stock. It was not until later in life that Anita decided she would like to do acting herself.

"When I turned 40, life changed," she said. "My kids could tie their own shoes. I decided I would love to be onstage, and I set out to do that."

An acting class at Anne Arundel Community College was the first step on a long journey for Anita. For several years, she would "hang out" with the theater people, go to auditions and take more classes, but she would never be cast.

Very discouraged and about to give up, Anita figured she must have the wrong dream. That's when the call came to read for a subordinate part in "House of Blue Leaves." She responded that if she were to come and read, it would be for one of the main parts. She read the main part and go her first major role.

"After that, I went to other theaters and had lots of wonderful roles," she said. "It was a building process."

In addition, Anita did liturgical drama through her church and cofounded The Nicodemians, a liturgical drama group.

Anita's interest in women of the Bible was born of necessity when she was asked to do a one-woman show for a church group. The character she had chosen to portray would have provided an excellent opportunity to showcase her talent, but was rejected as unacceptable for a church program. However, the committee still wanted Anita.

"I was panic stricken and didn't want to do it any more," she recalled. As she tried to work with one of her Nicodemian monologues, she remembered that she had always wanted to do a show where she would pull things out of a trunk and be different women. She did some research on women of the Bible and sewed a few simple costumes.

"My heart was not in it at all, she says. "I ran into the sanctuary and said (to God), "I think You want me to do this and be here," and He gave me the vision to not just tell stories but to present the messages they carried through the generations. Ruth is about love; Sarah is about faith; Esther is about courage. That is the message He wanted to get across."

Still, Anita's main goal in life was to improve as a stage actress.

After one evening performance, a woman from the audience came up to Anita and thanked her for her portrayal of Lot's wife. "She was thanking me, telling me that she was Lot's wife," Anita recalled. "It was at that moment that God enlightened me to the fact that this wasn't about me."

A similar incident had occurred about a year before. Anita had portrayed the sinful woman and when she spoke the words, "I can be forgiven," one woman started sobbing from her soul.

"You'd think I would have 'gotten it' then," Anita says. "I did, sort of. (But there was) something about this time . . . I was ready to receive it. It was part of God's perfect timing."

Anita continues to be humbled by the reactions to her presentations.

"I believe that somehow God is working through me," she continued. "I feel so unworthy and I love that line where Timothy says, '. . . this is something worthy, that Christ died for our sins and He is using me, one of the worst . . . ." If He would use me, how awesome He is!

"I Timothy 1:15 - that's how I feel. When I see people's faces and how they respond, it can't be (only to) me! As much as I'd like to take the credit, I really believe they are responding to God's story and God's sacred truth, not to me."

Paralleling the women of the Bible, Anita's presentation often includes her own testimony of God's love and forgiveness, presented with honesty and humor, emphasizing how He worked and continues to work through ordinary people.

While some audience members will identify with a certain character, many will say that they saw a little piece of themselves in all of Anita's characters, "which is my goal," she said. She really doesn't have a favorite.

"I love Martha because she is comedy and I love comedy. I love Sarah because she is the most physically demanding as an actor."

Women of the Bible presentations have great versatility and can be performed for large audiences in the setting of a conference or retreat, for intimate groups such as a Bible study or women's group, for a luncheon or even the Sunday sermon. Anita's repertoire consists of nine [now 15] women plus her own personal testimony, in addition to a presentation of parables which is geared more to children.

When not absorbed in her acting, Anita wants "to be in the Word," and is in her second year with Bible Study Fellowship. She also enjoys "running the house," walking, swimming, sewing and visiting with friends.

"My goal right now is to try to walk as close with the Lord as I can and do what He wants and be light and salt in the world."

Women of the Bible is close to full-time work know, with the addition of a sound system, a director, improved costumes, a brochure and a Web site. However, Anita has no business plan to define where Women of the Bible is going. "For that," she said, "I wait on Him."