To There and Back Again

By Ted Swartz Feb 13, 2015 in Freeman South Dakota, I performed “Laughter is Sacred Space.” (Click here for a decent review of the show.) Laughter reflects my relationship with Lee Eshleman, our discovering one another, our work together, and resulting 20 year friendship. And then, following his death, the period of grief and recovery…

Read More

The Jesus Stories and the other Jesus Stories

It’s called The Jesus Stories and as the title suggests that’s what Ted and I (Jeff Raught) try to do. Finding new ways, while visiting some of the old, to tell these stories of Jesus. It’s a play interwoven with music and scenes around food. Pasta, cheese, fine wine and so much more. But that’s…

Read More

The Impact of a Story or Song

In case we ever lose sight of the incredible effect that a story or song can have on us, a little story from Jeff… Recently I was invited to share with a local youth group. After some warm wonderful greetings we gathered around the piano in the sanctuary and I shared a few songs. As soon…

Read More

Setting the stage for some historic peace pie bidding

March 16 we, Tim Ruebke and I, were in McPherson Kansas for a Peace Pies and Prophets show, in the historic McPherson Opera House, originally built in 1888. Jerry Bowen of McPherson Church of The Brethren and Kathy Neufeld Dunn, First Menno of McPherson — both Christian Peacemaker Teams alumni — were the hosts and organizers. Kathy is an old…

Read More

Where theater is alive and well

Do you know where Gretna, Manitoba is — without checking an atlas? You remember atlases right? Those wonderful maps travelers used before mapquest and GPS’s? The woman in the post office didn’t know and before I visited, I wasn’t exactly sure. It is literally a few hundred yards from the North Dakota border, a small…

Read More

Stories from the Road: Rhubarb Pie and Baseball

Baseball has been a constant presence in my life for the last 50 years. It marks the seasons, enriches spring, symbolizes the death of summer and as the days shorten, a growing cold of the autumn.  I grew up playing with my brother, following the Giants and St. Willie Mays. Then there were the home…

Read More