Working on the Inside: The Spiritual Life Through the Eyes of Actors

193 Pages·2003·8.92 MB·English

by  Retta Blaney

Working on the Inside
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Working on
the Inside
The Spiritual Life
through the Eyes of Actors
REI-TAB LANEY
A SHEED& WARDBO OK
ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD PUBLISHERS, INC.
Lanham Boulder New York Oxford
A SHEED &WARD BOOK
ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD PUBLISHERS, INC.
Published in the United States ofAmerica
by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
A wholly owned subsidiary of the Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706
www.rowman1ittlefield.c om
PO Box 317
Oxford
OX2 9RU, UK
Copyright 02 003 by Retta Blaney
All biblical quotes taken from the New Revised Standardversion and the
New American Bible.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior permission of the publisher.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-PublicationD ata
Blaney, Retta.
Working on the inside : the spiritual life through the eyes of actors /
Retta Blaney.
p.
a.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0-7425-3319-0 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1 . Christian biography-United States. 2. Actors-Religious life-
United States. 3. Jewish actors-United States-Biography. 1.Title.
BR1702.B55 2003
277.3'083'09224~21 2003006156
Printed in the United States ofAmerica
eM
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of
American National Standard for Information Sciences-Permanence of Paper
for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO 239.48-1 992.
For myf ather,
from whom I received my spiritual nature
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Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction xi
Chapter One: FAITH 1
Jeanne Beauvais Dudu Fisher Michael McElroy
Kristin Chenoweth Larry Collis Rabbi Richard Steinberg
The Rev. Paul D. Schmiege
ChapterTwo: INTHE MOMENT 25
Vanessa Williams Casey Groves Kristin Chenoweth
Richard Costa Rabbi DavidWoznica The Rev. Robert E.
Kennedy, S.J .
ChapterT hree: LISTENING 41
Kristin Chenoweth Edward Herrmann Rabbi Laurie
Katz Braun Peter W. Culman
Chapter Four: SILENCE
57
Phylicia Rashad Edward Herrmann Liam Neeson
Matt Mitler Rabbi James L. Mire1 Sr. Mary Elizabeth
Earley, S.C.
...
viii CONTENTS
Chapter Five: PRAYER 73
Liam Neeson Vanessa Williams Michael McElroy
Bertilla Baker Kristin Chenoweth Rabbi David Baron
The Rev. George Drance, S.J .
Chaper Six: SELF-KNOWLEDGE 91
Vanessa Williams Edward Herrmann Ann Dowd
Amanda Blair Ellis Heather Tamar Feffer The Rev.
Mitties DeChamplain
Chapter Seven: COMMUNITY 113
Michael McElroy Liam Neeson Amanda Blair Ellis
Rabbi Irving “Yitz” Greenberg The Rt. Rev.
Catherine S. Roskam
Chapter Eight: HOSPITALITY 129
Kristin Chenoweth Lesley Birchall Collis and Larry Collis
Matt Mitler Carol-Jean Lewis Rabbi Allen A. Secher
The Rev. Ern0 Diaz
Chapter Nine: RITUAL 143
Carol-Jean Lewis Menvin Goldsmith Matt Mitler
Rabbi NoachValley The Rev. Canon Jay Wegman
Chapter Ten: TRANSFORMATION 159
Kristin Chenoweth Casey Groves Lesley Collis
Shoshana Bean Rabbi Richard Jacobs The Rev.
William A. Doubleday
About the Author 177
Acknowledgments
thank my publisher at Sheed &Ward, Jeremy Langford, for hav-
ing faith in my project and allowing me the freedom to let it be
what it would be, and I thank the Rev. James Martin, S.J., for
bringing us together.
Thank you once again, Jon Furay, for reading my contract and
advising me.
Thank you, Merwin Goldsmith, not only for the terrific inter-
view, but for graciously offering to take my book publicity photos as
well. What a thoughtful person!
And thank you to the congregation and staff of St. Clement’s
Episcopal Church for allowing me to photograph their wonderful
space.
I am grateful to the following people for leading me to so many
great actors and clergy members: the Rev. Daniel Berrigan, S.J . ;
the Rev. Barbara C. Crafton; Msgr. Michael C. Crimmins; Dr. Emil
Dansker; Sr. Mary Dowd, OSU; Sr. Mary Gallagher, SC; Rabbi Loraine
Heller; the Rev. Kate Kinney; the Rev. Dr. Peregrine L. Murphy; the
Very Rev. Harry H. Pritchett; and Diane Snyder.
Thank you, Fr. Ern0 Diaz, for the use of the cozy little parlor on
the second floor of St. Malachy’s rectory. That space, right in the
ix