Newman Week participants present 'Â?Set us Free'
Published Feb. 13, 2004
Clad in black pants and T-shirts featuring phrases such as, "Roe v. Wade," "Sick," "Blind" and "Addict," 20 students asked for deliverance.
The students performed in the Broadway revue "Set Us Free" as a part of the Catholic Student Association's Newman Week to raise funds for two prison ministries, Welcome Home and Backpack Ministries.
This is the second time the group has produced a show as a part of the week's activities, "Set Us Free" director Kelley Burns said. Last year, the group presented "Godspell."
"I was really happy with the response we received," she said. "We thought we could effectively convey the message we wanted with the musical selections we chose."
She said organizers chose to present a revue of songs instead of one full-length musical because they didn't want to spend too much money producing it.
"By the time you pay for royalties, costumes and set pieces, you spend lots of money," she said. "We're trying to make money for charities, not spend it."
Freshman Michelle Pfaender said she didn't realize the impact the charities would have on her.
"The charity helps prisoners get their lives back," she said. "It's so easy to just fall back into drugs. It offers them prayer groups and other services to help them avoid falling back into that lifestyle. People deserve a second chance."
Pfaender said she became involved with the Newman Center when she went to a morning mass and heard the choir sing.
"I wanted to meet people who shared my faith," she said. "The best part of working on this show was making friends and meeting people who are so strong in their faith. They made me want to be even stronger in my faith."
Sophomore Matthew Koenen said he was pleased with the audiences who attended the show.
"They were very supportive and made us all feel good," he said. "I believe that they were very receptive of our message. Near the middle of our rehearsal process we were lagging a little, but the wonderful group of people I worked with really stepped it up and we put on one hell of a show."
Pfaender called the show a "roller coaster of emotions."
"At the beginning of the show, we were asking God to deliver us and we had some happy, upbeat songs and others that were serious," she said. "The theme of the show was to be set free, which coincides with the charities that help ex-prisoners."
Other Newman Week activities included a parish carnival and a candlelight vigil for those on death row, Burns said.
The week will conclude with a semi-formal dance on Saturday night at Memorial Union. Tickets for the event are $10.
"It's important to participate in the week's activities because we not only want to raise money for our charity, but also awareness about the charity," Koenen said. "Plus, it's always good to get together and have some fun in the spirit of kindness."