Audio clip
Tom Goddard
Ripple Productions, a Christian theater company that has had a low-profile existence locally for 10 years, now has a permanent home. The nonprofit company bought the former Encore Theatre on Brainerd Road in October and launched its first production there Friday night.
“(Patrons) can bank on good, quality entertainment with a message,” said Tom Goddard, artistic director for the company. “We’re the only Christian theater in Chattanooga dedicated to this purpose, and we want to grow this method of spreading Christ’s love and forgiveness.”
However, the theater is not a glorified stage for actors in bathrobes retelling biblical stories.
Mr. Goddard said he and associate artistic director Tenika Dye are trained theater professionals. Several of their actors have worked with the company for several years, he said.
“There is a tremendous misperception about this type of entertainment in general,” he said. “I believe theater is talent created by God and kidnapped by Satan. Ripple Productions is utilizing Ripple Theater to the goal of taking that talent back from Satan and using it to promote God’s ideals and his purposes.”
One of the ministry’s goals, Mr. Goddard said, is to maintain a standard of excellence.
“You can’t just throw this together,” he said. “(Theater) speaks to the senses in a way no other thing can. Ripple (wants) to reach out to those of like mind in this community who believe this way of telling the gospel and work with them to the potential they know they have with it.”
The shows will not always deal with aspects of Christianity but will include works from secular authors such as William Shakespeare, Anton Chekhov and C.S. Lewis.
Some will be “secular shows that are very strategic in nature,” said Ms. Dye. Many of those will have “elements of salvation and forgiveness” and emphasize “the importance of relationship.”
In addition to the shows, Ripple Productions plans to continue partnering with churches on projects. It also will offer group and individual classes to help people use their skills to promote a message of faith.
“My personal passion is to help ministries in the area to do ministry better,” said Ms. Dye. “This will look different for each church,” but “we want to fit the needs of that church. Our goal is not to put God in a box.”
Sherrie Williams, assistant director of “Son-Rise,” an elaborate portrayal of the last few days in the life of Christ at Collegedale Seventh-day Adventist Church and Southern Adventist University, said Ripple Productions annually stages the event’s Resurrection scene.
“Ripple has been great to work with over the past several years that they have been involved with ‘SonRise,’ ” she said. “We have been able to focus our attentions on other aspects of the pageant and know that the Resurrection scene will be done professionally.”
The theater, which the nondenominational production company bought for $218,500, has been renovated inside and painted outside.
The largest body of the work was gutting and remodeling 2,300 square feet of indoor space that includes the stage, backstage area and dressing rooms, Mr. Goddard said.
The company’s debt-free sound, light and audio equipment, which was appraised five years ago at just under $580,000, also has a permanent home.
The theater will seat approximately 100 people and will not be a dinner theater like the Encore or its predecessor, the Backstage Theatre. Since the building has a kitchen, though, a dinner may be offered in the future in certain circumstances, Mr. Goddard said.
“It’s a wonderful resource,” he said. “This is the first time in history we have taken on debt we could not pay off in one year, but we felt it was necessary to change to purchase a theatrical home.”
Clint Cooper is the faith editor and a staff writer for the Times Free Press Life section. He also has been an assistant sports editor and Metro staff writer for the newspaper. Prior to the merger between the Chattanooga Free Press and Chattanooga Times in 1999, he was sports news editor for the Chattanooga Free Press, where he was in charge of the day-to-day content of the section and the section’s design. Before becoming sports ...
Wasn't one of these guys caught embezzling lots of money? Maybe they are confusing "Christian" with something else.
You are correct. that would be Mr. Goddard. It was in relation to the local fertility clinic.
in reviewing this article, i was intrigued, and went looking into the case involving the fertility clinic on gunbarrel road. it turns out that mr. goddard was not charged in any way involving this issue, which was a major tax fraud plan that involved a number of people who worked there. both doctors and another administrator plead guilty to several counts of tax evasion, and defrauding the irs, including restitution of over $400,000 each to the government. mr. goddard's name is nowhere found in the case, except a short listing that i found in the court record stating that mr goddard resigned his position at the clinic in jan 2006.
i usually don't go into detail with these things, but it's important to not spread rumors that could influence people to think inaccurate things about others. so, 'treefall' and 'andybjanssen', i would say that your comments above were inaccurate and i would hope that you would have a desire to rectify your comments as according to the records, they are untrue and even potentially libel.
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