Play About Judith's Story

By: Luis Nava

On a cool April afternoon, I walked into a school gym to watch a rehearsal for a play recounting the story of Judith, the famous Old Testament figure. I was greeted very kindly by Mrs. Campbell, who has been directing rehearsals for the group of seven middle school girls performing in the play. 

Mrs. Campbell described how this beautiful mission began when she felt inspired to start a theater class for her parish’s homeschool co-op. Mr. Center, a member of the co-op and a playwright with a large musical background, heard about the class and asked if he could write a script.

Growing up, Mr. Center acted in plays for his homeschool group and in his local community theater. In his early teens, Mr. Center picked up the guitar, and by his high school and college years, he was leading a band as a singer, guitarist, and songwriter. After college, he helped write a musical, and from there he was part of a few writing groups that put on shows every few years. During the Covid lockdown, Mr. Center “felt inspired to assemble a writing team to write a show about St. Ignatius of Loyola,” and that show came to the stage in May of 2022. When Mr. Center first heard of the theater class in his parish’s homeschool co-op, he set out to write music for a pre-existing script, but he began getting new ideas and eventually decided to re-write the dialogue as well. “Writing started this past August and I finished in January,” wrote Mr. Center. 

When I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Center at a rehearsal, he said that he, “was really inspired by Archbishop Vigneron’s Unleash the Gospel letter,” and mentioned how it “really lit a fire in [him].” Mr. Center said he has “a ton of fun writing… seeing it come to life, and then seeing the joy that it brings to everyone involved."

Truly it was a great privilege to be able to be present at a rehearsal, and it was amazing to see the hard work that the actresses have put into the play, from memorizing lines to practicing songs, and it was an honor to watch the dedication with which Mr. Center and Mrs. Campbell directed the rehearsal. Mrs. Campell said, “If I had to pick a goal [for this play], it would be that the girls can see that they can do anything they set their hearts and minds to.” 

This is truly an inspiring mission, and we should all draw from this and find righteous missions that we can set our hearts and minds on. Luke 10:2 reads, “He said to them, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” It is important that we labor for God!

“The general message [of the story of Judith] is one of hope, and trusting in God, even in really difficult, and maybe even impossible circumstances,” said Mr. Center. There are challenges that we may face in our lives, but learning from Judith, we must turn to God in trust.

To give a little background about Judith’s story, Judith’s husband, Manasseh, had died, leaving Judith as a widow. Several years later, Nebuchadnezzar, a powerful ruler, sends Holofornes, his second in command, to wreak havoc among the empires that refused to support him when he was engaged in a war with another empire. Holofernes devastates the nearby civilizations, and eventually he comes to the Jews, who begin praying and fasting so that God will save them from the invaders. Holofernes and his enormous army surround Bethulia, blocking their source of water and laying siege to the Israelites. After this has gone on for thirty four days, the Israelites grow restless as they have no more water to drink, whereupon Judith steps forward, urging the Israelites to trust in God. God uses Judith’s gifts and works through her to realize His plan.

Sometimes, the situation may seem as bleak as it did for the Israelites who were surrounded, but God is always greater than our struggles, and He alone knows what is best for us, so we must trust Him. 

I urge you to attend this play and read the book of Judith in the Bible. It is a relatively short book, but it is rich with important lessons. Moreover, attending the play will allow you to support an inspiring mission, and hear the beautiful story which contains resounding truths for us today.

Mrs. Campbell said when I asked her about the lessons modern audiences can draw from the story of Judith, “We don’t always know where we are being led or the journey we are going to be on, but if we put our faith in God, then He will see us to the end.”