Fall 1999 Newsletter
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Fall 1999 Newsletter |
Saint Luke Building A Team
by Leonardo Defilippis| SAINT LUKE NEEDS TO MOVE NOW by Leonardo Defilippis |
| Dear Friends in
Christ, A few years ago we got together with our Board of Advisors to discuss fundraising ideas and the future of Saint Luke. Sitting in on the meeting was Steve Beard, the development director of the local Jesuit High School. He was very quiet throughout the whole meeting. At the end we asked him for his impressions. "I don’t mean to be morbid," he said, " But, Leonardo, what would happen to Saint Luke Productions if you died?" We were all silent. "My point is," he continued, "who would want to make a significant contribution to an organization that is based on one person?" That moment marked a turning point in the mission of Saint Luke Productions. It had always been our goal to include others in this work, but Steve’s words began a process of growth in our organization that has given it a life outside of my personal work and allowed us to incorporate more people. At our annual Saint Luke picnic a week ago I looked around in amazement at all the staff and volunteers enjoying themselves. I had to laugh when I remembered the early gatherings that my wife Patti, our secretary Callie and I used to organize. We would run around the house preparing for our one guest, Callie’s husband Rich! This year we invited 47 local people who have been a part of this work in some way. As we proceed with the preproduction stage of the new THERESE film, we are becoming a truly independent Catholic production company. THERESE is providing an opportunity for talented young people on our staff to contribute to a film project that has a profound spiritual integrity. We all believe the story and message of Therese of Lisieux, the greatest saint of modern times, has an appeal that reaches far beyond our usual audience, because she is so much like every one of us. A team of qualified professionals is forming. We have been busy auditioning actors for the many roles that will b. It is our belief that besides the screenplay, which is developing in an exciting direction, an excellent cast is the central element of a successful film. The inspired performance of Maggie Mahrt as Therese, will be supported by a cast that equals her excellence. One of the main team players in the making of this film is Sister Marie Therese Sokol, a cloistered Carmelite nun who is composing the musical score. She is excited about expanding the beautiful orchestral work that she created for the live drama. Judy Newland, the costume designer for all of our other productions, is currently working at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and will be available to take over this project at the end of this year. Bill Iglesias, Andrew Baklinski, Jessica Kroll, and Brian Shields are researching locations and production options. So the project moves forward! Our Gospel of John drama also is in the works, with a national tour in celebration of the millennium and a new CD of the entire drama out in time for Christmas. We have also invested in an excellent digital video camera and editing system to produce other new projects through the creative talents of our own staff. When I think back to that Board meeting just a few short years ago, I am truly in awe of the work that God is doing through Saint Luke Productions. Now I would be able to answer Steve Beard’s question confidently, "We have a vision, and it is being fulfilled by the energy and inspiration of a strong team of dedicated Christian artists." High quality Catholic films and theater change lives and influence our culture with a mighty impact. By joining us, you can make a difference in what people see on their television screens and at the movies. We need your help. Please pray for us as we take on these daunting, expensive, but so worthwhile projects. Also please send a financial contribution to make the THERESE film happen. Just think - when you’re sitting in the theater looking at the credits at the end of the movie, you’ll be able to say that you were a part of the making of a feature film for Christ. God bless you,
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| Family Reflections by Patti Defilippis |
| We just put our family home on the market, and have begun the search for a new place
with more land. For years we have talked about finding a place that could accommodate both
our family and Saint Luke. This summer we decided not to wait for Saint Luke to find a
facility, but to move our family first and let the work follow us. So far, we have no real idea where we are going, or if our house will even sell. However, inspite of moments of anxiety about this process, I am very excited about the possibilities. This experience has been very interesting. First of all it has been very good to pack up a lot of our stuff and live more simply. You’re supposed to declutter when you try to sell and that’s very freeing. The prospect of packing up a family of nine has always been so daunting that I didn’t even want to attempt it. But now that we have plunged in and put our lives in boxes, I feel like God can really take us in a new direction, and we’ll be ready to go. Plus having less stuff out makes it easier to clean. I can see the value of moving periodically throughout life in helping me detach from material things. The darkness of not knowing where we will go has been a challenge. Sometimes panic wells up in me about the uncertainty of the future. Then I am forced to realize that God is in control and has a plan. It really doesn’t matter where we end up, as long as we are together as a family. I would recommend this process of detaching and taking a step towards change to anyone, because it has been an occasion of spiritual growth for our whole family. We are all ready for an adventure, and are excited to see where God will place us. Dear Lord, thy will be done. |
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| What's New At Saint Luke |
| WORLD YOUTH DAY 2000. La Bella Roma! The Pontifical Council for the Laity at the
Vatican has officially accepted our dramas on Saints Maximilian and Therese to welcome the
world’s youth in August 2000. We will perform at Santa Maria degli Angeli, one of
Rome’s large ancient basilicas. These two saints will certainly be models of
inspiration and courage to the young people of the new millennium. We will need to finance
this trip and the performances ourselves, so please help if you can. Donate airline miles!
(See below). CAMERA AND EDITING SYSTEM. Saint Luke Productions has just acquired our first broadcast quality video camera and editing system. Now we have the opportunity to independently produce new creative projects. Future projects in the works: The Gospel of John, a promotional video on the Therese film, (the actual movie will be shot on 16 mm film,) and an original work on the: 20TH CENTURY MARTYRS. We want to honor the many unknown martyrs of this century who have shed their blood for the salvation of souls. Leonardo will host the program which will examine many countries of the world where the Christian faith is persecuted. Research is underway in conjunction with author Robert Royal, who is writing a book on the 20th Century martyrs. We are very excited about this project’ potential as an inspiration to video audiences, and also as an opportunity for the young filmmakers here at Saint Luke. 20TH ANNIVERSARY DOCUMENTARY ON ST. LUKE. In celebration of the 20th anniversary of our work, we are planning to make a documentary on the history of Saint Luke Productions. This will chronicle our roots at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival through our many tour experiences, and our vision for the future of Catholic video, film and theater. |
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| You Make These Dramas Happen |
THERESE: THE STORY OF A SOUL A full length feature film. RELEASE DATE: August, 2000. Budget: $875,000 - Raised so far: $290,000 Our last newsletter and appeal raised a total of $15,000 towards this exciting project! Thank you so much. We are more confident than ever that this inspiring film will be in theaters soon, spreading the Saint Therese’s message of total confidence in the mercy of God. With your sacrificial contribution we can do this. Please continue to give generously, by making a single donation or a monthly pledge towards our work. We have received an anonymous pledge from a supporter who will match any gift we receive up to $25,000. This doubles the effect of your gift! GOSPEL OF JOHN Live Drama. Budget: $20,000 The production is coming together and our tours for the year 2000 are almost completely booked! We hope you get to see it – call to schedule a performance in your community. Our new CD of the entire drama will also be available for Christmas, so order your copy today. Production expenses still need to be met, and we would be so grateful for your financial support. WORLD YOUTH DAY 2000 Budget: $20,000 Raised for far $3,000 With your help, we will be going to Rome to share the stories of Saint Therese of Lisieux and Maximilian Kolbe with young people from all over the world. What an opportunity! Which brings us to our new idea: AIRLINE MILES Have you got airline miles accumulating that you can spare? We could sure use them to get to Rome, and for all the miles that we fly on tours throughout the U.S. Give us a call at (800) 683-2998 to investigate making a tax deductible donation. VISIT OUR NEW WEBSITE ORDER OR MAKE DONATIONS ON-LINE in our new secure site. (Spread the word by creating links with our website.) |
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| Therese Film Update |
THE FILM In this full-fledged feature film, Thérèse will reach millions with the message that ordinary people can become saints. THERESE: THE STORY OF A SOUL presents a personal portrait of this extraordinary, accessible saint, letting her speak to the heart of every individual. FUNDRAISING To date, we have raised a total of $140,000 in cash and $150,000 in pledges toward the
film’s production SCREENPLAY A powerful script is developing that reveals the complexity of this inspiring human being. We want to go beyond the pious image that separates her from the average person to discover the real Thérèse. SHOOTING SCHEDULE Arrangements are being made through our Carmelite contacts and Vatican officials to shoot exterior scenes in France and Italy and we will begin shooting interior scenes in the the U.S. in the spring of 2000. RELEASE DATE Because of the immensity of this project, we have re-scheduled our release date to October of 2000. |
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| Schedule a Live Performance Of Therese: The Story Of A Soul |
| I would like to preach the Gospel on all five continents simultaneously and even
to the most remote isles. I would like to be a missionary, not for a few years only but
from the beginning of creation until the consummation of the ages.” With the touring of the relics of St. Thérèse throughout Europe and the United States during the coming year, Thérèse’s dream of becoming missionary to the world will finally come to pass. What better time to bring Saint Luke’s nationally acclaimed production of the life of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux to your church or organization? In Maggie Mahrt’s moving portrayal, Thérèse comes to life as a disarming, strong and honest young woman, who has found a secret way to Jesus, the “little way” that she gave to the world. Bringing Therese: The Story of a Soul to your community is as easy as picking up the telephone. We’ll send you all the information you need, including general and technical requirements, costs and the dates the show will be available in your area. Once you decide to sponsor a performance, we take care of the rest. Saint Luke Productions brings its performers, technicians, sets, lighting and sound equipment to your location. We’ll also provide you with all the publicity you’ll need and helpful reminders to make your preparations for the show stress-free. The story of Saint Thérèse, presented with all the power, beauty and excitement of live, professional theater, will be an experience your community will never forget. For more information, call Saint Luke Productions at (800) 683-2998 or (503) 524-7760 or check out our new location on the worldwide web at www.stlukeproductions.com. |
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| John's Gospel Live |
| Our latest drama, which will open at the beginning of the year 2000, is the most
ambitious one-man work that we have ever attempted – it encompasses the entire Gospel
of John. The production is very innovative, because in music, costume and sets it combines
the styles of both the Roman Catholic and the Byzantine tradition. Leonardo portrays an
icon of Christ come to life. We pray that by uniting these two beautiful traditions, this
live drama will be a pleasing offering to God for the unity of all Christians in the year
2000. The separation of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches is something that Pope John
Paul II has courageously tried to resolve, especially in celebration of the birth of
Christ. May there be one flock, united under one Shepherd, as Jesus states so clearly in
the Gospel of John. Please pray for the success of this project. Be sure to contact us as soon as possible to make JOHN’S GOSPEL a part of your Millennium celebration of the birth of Christ. Call 1(800)683-2998 to schedule a performance while dates are still available. |
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| The Runaways A gift from the kids at Saint Luke to you! |
| Here’s a delightful children’s video project that we did a few years ago to
give young people the experience of creating a film. Saint Luke Productions sponsored this
entire experiment that was written by two eleven-year-old girls and performed by about 40
children. It was shot in one day on a simple camcorder with little technical support and
therefore lacks the polish and clarity of our other works. However, it was a wonderful
learning opportunity that we hope to do create again in the near future. The children not
only worked hard but they were able to express themselves creatively. I think your
families will enjoy this video and hopefully it will plant seeds for your own communities.
Just send whatever donation you can afford and we’ll send it to you as a thank you! THE STORY Once upon a time there was a king with five daughters who were bored with their lives in the castle, and dreaming of adventure. Their Father, King George (played by Leonardo) orders them to marry five undesirable princes. Greatly annoyed, the princesses disguise themselves as boys and escape into the forest, where they are attacked by robbers. The merry men of the Evergreen Band save them, and invite the boys to join them in their quest to right wrongs. When the Evergreens discover the girls true identity, they all head back to the castle, which has been captured by the evil princes, who have imprisoned the king. After a valiant battle, the king is freed, and there is great rejoicing throughout the land. |
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