{"id":58515,"date":"2025-03-24T14:55:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-24T18:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=58515"},"modified":"2025-03-26T16:10:09","modified_gmt":"2025-03-26T20:10:09","slug":"emu-theatre-presents-original-musical-about-wwii-era-nun-and-martyr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2025\/emu-theatre-presents-original-musical-about-wwii-era-nun-and-martyr\/","title":{"rendered":"EMU Theatre presents original musical about WWII-era nun and martyr"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em>\u201cOn the Breath of God: The Life of Maria Skobtsova\u201d opens at MainStage Theater this Friday<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An original musical premiering at EMU\u2019s MainStage Theater this week brings audiences the captivating, never-before-seen story of a Russian poet, nun and saint who saved countless lives during World War II and was killed for it. Created by EMU professors <strong>Jerry Holsopple<\/strong> and <strong>Justin Poole<\/strong>, \u201cOn the Breath of God: The Life of Maria Skobtsova\u201d runs from Friday-Saturday, March 28-29 @ 7 p.m.; Thursday-Saturday, April 3-5 @ 7 p.m.; and on Sunday, March 30 @ 2 p.m.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21165708\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-035-1024x683.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-58539\" style=\"width:600px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21165708\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-035-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21165708\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-035-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21165708\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-035-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21165708\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-035.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong>Born in present-day Riga, Latvia, Maria Skobtsova was a poet, nun and martyr whose courage saved countless lives during World War II. <\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The sweeping drama traces the remarkable life of Skobtsova, played by EMU senior <strong>Reah Clymer<\/strong>, from impetuous teen to chain-smoking nun who sheltered refugees and helped many Jews escape Nazi-occupied Paris. Known as \u201cMother Maria,\u201d she was arrested and sent to the Ravensbr\u00fcck concentration camp, where she was executed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou really see the arc to Maria\u2019s life,\u201d Poole said. \u201cBy the end of the play, you\u2019re completely invested in who she is, and you see this dramatic transformation she goes through.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21164727\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-062-1024x683.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-58535\" style=\"width:600px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21164727\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-062-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21164727\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-062-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21164727\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-062-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21164727\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-062.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong>The musical features a chorus of four women mystics, played by students Elie Hoover and Erin Batten and alumnae Caitlin Holsapple \u201916 and Elizabeth Eby \u201922, singing Celtic folk melodies.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21165332\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-038-1024x683.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-58538\" style=\"width:450px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21165332\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-038-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21165332\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-038-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21165332\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-038-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21165332\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-038.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong>Musicians Perry Blosser \u201918 (violin), Benjamin Brantley (guitar), and Dirk Holsopple \u201910 (Uilleann pipes) perform on stage.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The fourth collaboration between Holsopple and Poole, \u201cOn the Breath of God\u201d brings together a multigenerational cast and crew of EMU students, alumni, faculty\/staff and community members. The musical features a chorus of four women mystics from history, singing lyrics taken directly from their texts to Celtic folk melodies, performed by musicians <strong>Perry Blosser \u201918<\/strong> (violin), <strong>Benjamin Brantley<\/strong> (guitar), and <strong>Dirk Holsopple \u201910<\/strong> (Uilleann pipes). These mystics, played by students <strong>Elie Hoover<\/strong> and <strong>Erin Batten<\/strong> and alumnae <strong>Caitlin Holsapple \u201916<\/strong> and <strong>Elizabeth Eby \u201922<\/strong>, surround Skobtsova during pivotal moments in her life. Though invisible to her, they influence her decisions through their words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCeltic music is able to hold trauma and hope together,\u201d Holsopple said. \u201cThat\u2019s what this story is. It\u2019s the story of a woman who endured all kinds of trauma and never lost the ability to have hope and keep doing what she believed was right, up until the very end.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21165117\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-050-1-1024x683.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-58537\" style=\"width:600px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21165117\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-050-1-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21165117\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-050-1-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21165117\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-050-1-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21165117\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-050-1.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong>EMU senior Reah Clymer, a music and peacebuilding major, portrays Maria Skobtsova.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21170144\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-036-1024x683.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-58540\" style=\"width:450px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21170144\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-036-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21170144\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-036-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21170144\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-036-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21170144\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-036.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong>Reah Clymer, foreground, as Maria Skobtsova and Elie Hoover as Therese of Lisieux\/Hildegard of Bingen.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Clymer delivers a masterful performance as Skobtsova, pouring her soul into the multifaceted character, capturing her playfulness, fierceness and suffering. \u201cMother Maria lived a tough life,\u201d Clymer said. \u201cShe lost two daughters, went through two divorces, lived through war and displacement and deportation, and was thrown in jail multiple times. I\u2019ve had to go there, emotionally, in every rehearsal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The set design is minimalist yet imaginative. Backlit stained glass panels form the backdrop, paired with an animated collage of photos projected onto two screens. While most characters in the play wear neutral-toned, period-specific clothing, with Skobtsova dressed in a Russian Orthodox nun\u2019s habit, the mystics don flowing robes accented with pops of color.&nbsp;Frequent EMU Theatre collaborator <strong>Rachel Herrick<\/strong> returns as costume designer. Rounding out the crew are <strong>Shannon Dove <\/strong>(technical director and set design), <strong>Robert Weaver <\/strong>(light designer), <strong>Tom Carr <\/strong>(sound technician), and <strong>Sarah Peak <\/strong>(stage manager), among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the play\u2019s early- to mid-20th century setting, Clymer said its themes are just as relevant today. \u201cThis story is so timely,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s about immigration. It\u2019s about refugees. It\u2019s about war and political turmoil.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for seniors, $10 for children 18 and under, and $6 for university students. For tickets, visit: <a href=\"http:\/\/emu.edu\/theatre\"><strong>emu.edu\/theatre<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21170842\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-020-1024x683.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-58541\" style=\"width:600px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21170842\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-020-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21170842\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-020-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21170842\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-020-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21170842\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-020.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong>Reah Clymer and Joe Seitz during a rehearsal of <em>On the Breath of God.<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p>Read a preview of the play from the <em>Daily News-Record<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dnronline.com\/news\/arts_and_entertainment\/eastern-mennonite-university-to-perform-musical-about-russian-nun\/article_b4b21fe3-a1f9-5994-9d4d-ad12a4d87c9a.html\"><strong>here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Cast<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Liz &#8220;Maria&#8221; Skobtsova \u2013 <strong>Reah Clymer<\/strong><br \/>Sophia \u2013 <strong>Melody Wilson<\/strong><br \/>Jura\/Sailor \u2013 <strong>Ross Haun<\/strong><br \/>Alexander Blok\/Captain\/Father Dimitri \u2013 <strong>Adam Hoover<\/strong><br \/>Dmitri\/Daniil\/Peters \u2013 <strong>Joe Seitz<\/strong><br \/>Father\/Metropolitan \u2013 <strong>Shannon Dove<\/strong><br \/>Evgenia\/Klara \u2013 <strong>Kay Pettus<\/strong>&nbsp;<br \/>Ana\/Ida \u2013 <strong>Alexis Lewis<\/strong><br \/>Gardener\/Father Kern\/SS Officer \u2013 <strong>Nathanael Eby<\/strong><br \/>Lyuba\/Nun at Lourmel House\/Inna \u2013 <strong>Cassidy Walker<\/strong><br \/>Nun\/Irena \u2013 <strong>Emilee White<\/strong><br \/>Therese of Lisieux\/Hildegard of Bingen \u2013 <strong>Elie Hoover<\/strong><br \/>Hadewijch of Flanders \u2013 <strong>Elizabeth Eby<\/strong><br \/>Mechthild of Magdeburg \u2013 <strong>Caitlyn Holsapple<\/strong>&nbsp;<br \/>Julian of Norwich\/Theresa of Avila \u2013 <strong>Erin Batten<\/strong><br \/>Young Liz\/Giana \u2013 <strong>Vienna Poole<\/strong><br \/>Young Giana\/Nastia \u2013 <strong>Felicity Poole<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Crew<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Co-creator \u2013 <strong>Justin Poole<\/strong><br \/>Co-creator \u2013 <strong>Jerry Holsopple<\/strong><br \/>Costume designer \u2013 <strong>Rachel Herrick<\/strong><br \/>Technical Director\/Set Design \u2013 <strong>Shannon Dove<\/strong><br \/>Light Designer \u2013 <strong>Robert Weaver<\/strong>&nbsp;<br \/>Sound Technician \u2013 <strong>Tom Carr<\/strong><br \/>Stage Manager \u2013 <strong>Sarah Peak<\/strong><br \/>Assistant Stage Manager \u2013 <strong>Jordyn Thompson<\/strong>&nbsp;<br \/>Video Production Assistant \u2013 <strong>Zack Furr<\/strong><br \/>Video Production Assistant \u2013 <strong>Oslyn Mejia Gomez<\/strong><br \/>Cast and Crew Photographer\/Video Production Assistant \u2013 <strong>Cassidy Walker<\/strong><br \/>Video Production Assistant \u2013 <strong>Willem Hedrick<\/strong>&nbsp;<br \/>Video Production Assistant \u2013 <strong>Allie Watkins<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Musicians<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Violin \u2013 <strong>Perry Blosser<\/strong><br \/>Guitar \u2013 <strong>Benjamin Brantley<\/strong><br \/>Irish Pipes \u2013 <strong>Dirk Holsopple<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cOn the Breath of God: The Life of Maria Skobtsova\u201d opens at MainStage Theater this Friday An original musical premiering at EMU\u2019s MainStage Theater this week brings audiences the captivating, <a href=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2025\/emu-theatre-presents-original-musical-about-wwii-era-nun-and-martyr\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"more-link\">... read more <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">about EMU Theatre presents original musical about WWII-era nun and martyr<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":302,"featured_media":58534,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7931,5583,14715,13679,17562,17564,5642,5147],"tags":[6012,15040,18400,17913,17871],"feature":[17427,17426,17241,17422],"class_list":["post-58515","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts","category-campus-community","category-campus-life","category-center-for-interfaith-engagement","category-digest","category-events","category-faculty-and-staff","category-theater","tag-jerry-holsopple","tag-justin-poole","tag-maria-skobtsova","tag-reah-clymer","tag-theatre","feature-emu-home-page-feature","feature-myemu-feature","feature-news-feature","feature-news-landing-page-main-feature"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>EMU Theatre presents original musical about WWII-era nun and martyr - EMU News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2025\/emu-theatre-presents-original-musical-about-wwii-era-nun-and-martyr\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"EMU Theatre presents original musical about WWII-era nun and martyr - EMU News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cOn the Breath of God: The Life of Maria Skobtsova\u201d opens at MainStage Theater this Friday An original musical premiering at EMU\u2019s MainStage Theater this week brings audiences the captivating,\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2025\/emu-theatre-presents-original-musical-about-wwii-era-nun-and-martyr\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"EMU News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/EasternMennonite\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-03-24T18:55:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-03-26T20:10:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21164501\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-063.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"854\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ryan Cornell\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@EMU_News\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@EMU_News\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ryan Cornell\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2025\/emu-theatre-presents-original-musical-about-wwii-era-nun-and-martyr\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2025\/emu-theatre-presents-original-musical-about-wwii-era-nun-and-martyr\/\",\"name\":\"EMU Theatre presents original musical about WWII-era nun and martyr - EMU News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2025\/emu-theatre-presents-original-musical-about-wwii-era-nun-and-martyr\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2025\/emu-theatre-presents-original-musical-about-wwii-era-nun-and-martyr\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21164501\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-063.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-03-24T18:55:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-26T20:10:09+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/4d24e9770fdab8276fbcf29504123fdf\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2025\/emu-theatre-presents-original-musical-about-wwii-era-nun-and-martyr\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2025\/emu-theatre-presents-original-musical-about-wwii-era-nun-and-martyr\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2025\/emu-theatre-presents-original-musical-about-wwii-era-nun-and-martyr\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21164501\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-063.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21164501\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-063.jpeg\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":854,\"caption\":\"On the Breath of God: The Life of Maria Skobtsova Created by Jerry Holsopple and Justin Poole This world-premiere production co-created by EMU professors Jerry Holsopple and Justin Poole showcases the remarkable life of the Russian poet, saint, and martyr Maria Skobtsova. This edgy, defiant, offbeat, twice-divorced, chain-smoking nun, who called Tolstoy and other intellectual giants her friends, broke many stereotypes. She rejected traditional notions of sainthood, poured herself into the service of the poor and the oppressed, and saved the lives of many Jewish people during the WWII Nazi occupation of Paris. Did we mention that this original piece is a musical featuring a chorus of female mystics who sing Celtic tunes to the accompaniment of a live band? Photos: EMU\/Macson McGuigan.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2025\/emu-theatre-presents-original-musical-about-wwii-era-nun-and-martyr\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"EMU Theatre presents original musical about WWII-era nun and martyr\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/\",\"name\":\"EMU News\",\"description\":\"News from the Eastern Mennonite University community.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/4d24e9770fdab8276fbcf29504123fdf\",\"name\":\"Ryan Cornell\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"EMU Theatre presents original musical about WWII-era nun and martyr - EMU News","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2025\/emu-theatre-presents-original-musical-about-wwii-era-nun-and-martyr\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"EMU Theatre presents original musical about WWII-era nun and martyr - EMU News","og_description":"\u201cOn the Breath of God: The Life of Maria Skobtsova\u201d opens at MainStage Theater this Friday An original musical premiering at EMU\u2019s MainStage Theater this week brings audiences the captivating,","og_url":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2025\/emu-theatre-presents-original-musical-about-wwii-era-nun-and-martyr\/","og_site_name":"EMU News","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/EasternMennonite","article_published_time":"2025-03-24T18:55:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-03-26T20:10:09+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":854,"url":"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21164501\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-063.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Ryan Cornell","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@EMU_News","twitter_site":"@EMU_News","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Ryan Cornell","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2025\/emu-theatre-presents-original-musical-about-wwii-era-nun-and-martyr\/","url":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2025\/emu-theatre-presents-original-musical-about-wwii-era-nun-and-martyr\/","name":"EMU Theatre presents original musical about WWII-era nun and martyr - EMU News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2025\/emu-theatre-presents-original-musical-about-wwii-era-nun-and-martyr\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2025\/emu-theatre-presents-original-musical-about-wwii-era-nun-and-martyr\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21164501\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-063.jpeg","datePublished":"2025-03-24T18:55:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-26T20:10:09+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/4d24e9770fdab8276fbcf29504123fdf"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2025\/emu-theatre-presents-original-musical-about-wwii-era-nun-and-martyr\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2025\/emu-theatre-presents-original-musical-about-wwii-era-nun-and-martyr\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2025\/emu-theatre-presents-original-musical-about-wwii-era-nun-and-martyr\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21164501\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-063.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/03\/21164501\/20250320-On-the-Breath-of-God_MM-063.jpeg","width":1280,"height":854,"caption":"On the Breath of God: The Life of Maria Skobtsova Created by Jerry Holsopple and Justin Poole This world-premiere production co-created by EMU professors Jerry Holsopple and Justin Poole showcases the remarkable life of the Russian poet, saint, and martyr Maria Skobtsova. This edgy, defiant, offbeat, twice-divorced, chain-smoking nun, who called Tolstoy and other intellectual giants her friends, broke many stereotypes. She rejected traditional notions of sainthood, poured herself into the service of the poor and the oppressed, and saved the lives of many Jewish people during the WWII Nazi occupation of Paris. Did we mention that this original piece is a musical featuring a chorus of female mystics who sing Celtic tunes to the accompaniment of a live band? Photos: EMU\/Macson McGuigan."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2025\/emu-theatre-presents-original-musical-about-wwii-era-nun-and-martyr\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"EMU Theatre presents original musical about WWII-era nun and martyr"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/","name":"EMU News","description":"News from the Eastern Mennonite University community.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/4d24e9770fdab8276fbcf29504123fdf","name":"Ryan Cornell"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58515","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/302"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=58515"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58515\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":58614,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58515\/revisions\/58614"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/58534"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=58515"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=58515"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=58515"},{"taxonomy":"feature","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/feature?post=58515"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}