Former Hollywood actor performs three-night Gospel dramatization in archdiocese

OAK PARK – A crowd gathered at Our Mother of Perpetual Help Parish in Oak Park on Wednesday, Oct. 23, for the opening night of actor Frank Runyeon’s one-man show, “ A Journey to Joy,” a dramatization of the Gospel stories.

Runyeon, best known for his daytime television roles, most notably as Steve Adropoulos on As the World Turns opposite actress Meg Ryan, was invited as part of a three-day mission hosted by the Family Sent on Mission Family of Parishes, which includes Our Mother of Perpetual Help, Our Lady of La Salette Parish in Berkley, and Divine Providence (Lithuanian) Parish in Southfield.

“We decided it would be worth having such an event because our goal has always been to bring our Family of Parishes and parishioners together,” Chris Ihlenfeldt, director of discipleship formation for the Family Sent on Mission Family of Parishes told Detroit Catholic.

Runyeon left Hollywood to pursue theological studies and has adapted Biblical texts for six one-man theatrical performances, which he has performed across the country for the last 30 years.

Runyeon was invited to perform at each parish in the family over three nights, starting on Wednesday and running through Friday, Oct. 25. Each evening performance is unique, beginning with “Luke: Stories on the Road” at Our Mother of Perpetual Help, followed by “The Sermon the Mount," Thursday at Our Lady of La Salette and concluding with a Friday performance at Divine Providence (Lithuanian) of “Hollywood vs. Faith: the struggle to live faithfully in the media age.”

Ihlenfeldt, who fondly remembers her grandmother watching Runyeon on daytime television, says that the family intentionally chose “A Journey to Joy!” from Runyeon’s repertoire to prepare for the upcoming Advent season.

“This is an opportunity for us all to step back for a few nights from all the stories out there and listen to some of the most ancient stories of our faith as a way of reminding ourselves who we really are and for the real joy in life is to be found,” Runyeon said.

Between acting out scenes from the Gospel of Luke, which included the Prodigal Son, the Road to Emmaus and The Good Samaritan, among others, Runyeon took time to reflect on the stories and challenge the audience to consider how they listen and receive each one.

“It can be hard for all of us to have ears to hear these stories because our ears are tuned to the stories out there (in the world) that are not telling us prophetic truth– they are just trying to grab our attention for five minutes to sell us something,” Runyeon said.

Runyeon added that, just as it can be hard to understand these stories today, the first disciples also struggled.

“Jesus told them to look at how they were listening, which is what tonight is all about,” Runyeon continued, “It’s a chance for us to not just hear these famous stories one more time, but let's step back for now and look at how we’re listening to them so maybe we can start to hear what they said a little bit better.”

After reenacting the story of the prodigal son, Runyeon pointed out that most people hear this story and actually identify with the younger, wayward son who is welcomed back into his father's arms rather than as the older son who stays, does his duty, but misses out on his father's joy.

“We like to think of ourselves as the younger son because then it becomes a story about how we can do anything we want with the life the father has given to us: we can squander the whole thing, seeking pleasure, and he will welcome us home in the end,” Runyeon said.

“Except that isn’t quite what that story says," he added.

While the story's title implies that the younger, prodigal son is the main character, Runyeon explained that the father and the older son play important roles worth noticing as well, even arguing that the story is actually mostly about the older son.

“We don’t like to think of ourselves as being the older son, but aren’t we? Didn’t we all show up here tonight? We are at the father's house trying to do the right thing, and then we are going to go out there and try to do the right thing. Trying to get As in schools, or get the right job, the right college, pay the bills…because those are the right things to do,” Runyeon said. “(But) we never stop slaving away. When the party is already here, the celebration is already here. All too often, we miss out on the joy of it because we are so busy slaving away trying to do the right thing, trying to get ahead and comparing ourselves to other people.”