As he came on stage for the curtain call after a Tennessee high school performance of Tolton actor Jim Coleman looked out into the audience and saw a young girl about 15 years old, wearing a head wrap. She was crying.
Afterwards, as the students were filing out, she walked up to the stage with a few of her friends.
“Thank you so much for telling this story,” she said.
"Throughout my career as a composer, I've written mainly concert works, video game soundtracks, and most recently, operas. While fulfilling, these were nothing quite like creating the score for Tolton. From studying Father Tolton's journey, to incorporating spirituals of his time, the process brought me even deeper into my relationship with Christ. It's been nothing but a blessing to provide my God-given gifts back to the Lord through Tolton: From Slave to Priest!"
Since the beginning of 2018, actor Jim Coleman has been playing the role of Father Augustus Tolton,. Our Backstage Crew got a chance to talk to him. Here is an excerpt from that talk:
SLP: How did you end up performing the role of Father Tolton?
As I boarded the plane after the last Tolton tour, I was aching from head to toe. I just wanted to sleep. I sat next to the window, closed the shade, and shut my eyes.
As a recent college graduate, I packed up all my things and made the five-day drive from upstate New York to Washington State, to join the Saint Luke Productions team as the stage manager for Tolton: From Slave to Priest. Two years later, my time with Venerable Father Augustus Tolton has ended, and I'm the studio manager at our home office, supervising the touring teams. It’s been quite a ride!
