On the stage and behind the scenes

Get the story behind the story as writer / director Rebecca Martin takes us behind the scenes with an insightful look at what inspired her creativity in portraying this superhero of the faith as she wrote "Samson: the Last Judge."

I’ve never been a follower of the superheroes – although I have found myself wishing I could soar through the air, climb steep walls, and spin a web over a few people. And I’m certain that I’ve gotten frustrated enough to turn into a green monster.

The Bible says that the Old Testament stories are there for our example (Romans 15:4). If so, surely these were flesh and blood people, exactly like us - people called to overcome their human nature and don the nature of God.

Samson is often portrayed as an example of “who not to be.” If that portrayal is accurate, how did he end up in the list of prestigious heroes of our faith (Hebrews 11)?

When writing the script for “Samson”, I laid aside the comic book notions of Samson and let the Bible speak fresh about this often underrated man of God.

Oddly enough, I learned much from what the Bible DOESN’T say about Samson.

Our immediate reaction to that question is: “Of course not!”  But wait. Take a closer look at the situation with Delilah, which led to her betrayal of Samson. There is some debate regarding whether or not Delilah was a Philistine. She lived in the Philistine territory known as Sorek, located between the Israelite camp and the Philistines.

It is unlikely that an Israelite woman would have ventured away from her people, so, in writing NarroWay's SAMSON, Delilah is portrayed as a Philistine. 

BIRDIE –
Bachelors degree –
Seminary degree –
First job lined up –

Unfortunately, life doesn’t go by check lists.

REBECCA –
The boarding school was located in a secluded area in beautiful Virginia. In many ways, it was a wilderness.

What does this part of life have to do with the NarroWay story?
Hmmmm.....

BIRDIE –
Hmmmm.....

REBECCA –
Maybe it made us realize:
If hell is worse than this, we don’t want anyone to go there!!

BIRDIE –
That’s it!

REBECCA –
When the time isn’t right or there’s something left to learn, God puts us in a HOLDING PATTERN.

BIRDIE –
Holding Pattern: "the flight path maintained by a plane awaiting permission to land."