INTERVIEW: Tanya Davis, Patrick Blenkarn, Cole Lewis, & Sam Ferguson on Bringing Mass for Shut-Outs & 2021 to Stages Fest

Explaining Mass for Shut-Outs Davis says, “I grew up Catholic, and I’m not anymore, and I realized that I kind of liked the framework of Catholic Mass, because it’s kind of theatrical, and there were some things about it that moved me, even as the content really bothered me. So, Mass For Shut-Outs is sort of my take on a communal experience that brings people together, that critiques the Catholic Church a little bit, and also asks questions about why we are drawn to religion in the first place. What about it is interesting? What about it is problematic? So, there’s a few things that are direct plays on what happens at Catholic Mass, and the rest of it is a lot of commentary, poetry, music, and [is] very loosely based on the framework of that kind of service.” 

Thank you to Amanda Campbell from TWISI Blog for taking the time to sit down with Tanya Davis (Mass for Shut-Outs), Cole Lewis, Patrick Blenkarn, and Sam Ferguson (2021).

Read the full interviews here!