When thinking of typical church theater, a live nativity or a Christmas concert might come to mind; perhaps a Passion Play, if a church is feeling particularly bold. But a show about a girl being banned from taking her girlfriend to prom might not be the first thing that comes to mind from a stage that shares a pulpit. Through its summer theater ministry, St. Luke’s United Methodist Church is putting on The Prom, bringing vibrant music, heartwarming comedy and a message of inclusion to the local stage.
“These summer productions are always a ton of fun, but a ton of work,” says Steve MacKinnon, senior artistic director at St. Luke’s and director of The Prom, which was written by Chad Beguelin and Bob Martin with music by Matthew Sklar. “Our place as a church is to hopefully show our community who we are, living out our values — to know that they have a place they can always turn to.”
For St. Luke’s, those values are acceptance, hospitality, community, discipleship and service. “The stories we tell ultimately are doing the work of the church,” shares MacKinnon. “That’s why we’re really specific about the titles we choose, and so The Prom really reflects who St. Luke’s is. What we believe about doing no harm, loving your neighbor; learning how to treat one another, grow from where we are and learn from one another.”
Set against backdrops like Applebee’s and a monster truck rally, The Prom promises powerful voices and an even more powerful message. When Emma (Rachel Hope Ihasz), an Indiana high school student, says she wants to take her girlfriend, Alyssa (Kendall Falana), to prom, she finds herself ostracized and blamed for the PTA canceling prom. Four Broadway has-beens — Dee Dee Allen (Ame Livingston), Barry Glickman (Darren Escarcha), Angie Dickinson (Grace Flaherty) and Trent Oliver (Matthew Nash-Brown) — and their publicist, Sheldon Saperstein (Josh Ball), take it upon themselves to personally right this wrong. However, their actions come less from the goodness of their hearts and more from how advantageous it will be to their reputations. While Emma journeys toward accepting that she can do things her own way instead of everybody else’s, the outsiders end up eating not only Hoosier pie, but humble pie as well.
From the scenic designs (Joe C. Klug) to the vocal direction (Bradley Roberts), St. Luke’s production of The Prom proves vibrant, pulling the audience in with its energy. MacKinnon’s direction keeps things moving quickly without feeling rushed, and excites the audience for what’s ahead. Although the large ensemble tends to overcrowd the stage, somewhat constraining the enjoyable choreography by Shane Bland and Grace Flaherty, overall this cast is overflowing with talent. In particular, Livingston’s bold performance as diva Dee Dee Allen makes it easy to understand how the character commanded Broadway’s stages, just as Livingston commands this one. Ihasz is another standout; her Emma has a vulnerability that was easy to tap into, and her sweetly alluring voice pairs well with Falana’s during their duets.
It’s no secret that The Prom — which had an unprofitable Broadway run in 2018-2019, but became a cult hit on tour and commanded a film adaptation — is a show that centers around sexuality. Some might call into question a church doing this production, but for those familiar with the Methodist church’s history, it’s less of a surprise. A few years ago, theological differences caused some churches to secede from the United Methodist Church and form the Global Methodist Church. According to NPR, one reason for the split was differing stances on same-sex marriage. In 2024, the United Methodist Church lifted restrictions and replaced them with agreements regarding sexuality. Even prior to the national shift, St. Luke’s had established a reputation in Central Florida for active LGBTQ+ inclusion. While this production may invite controversy, it’s not something that the church is trying to shy away from, but rather invite conversation about.
MacKinnon says he hopes people ask questions like, “‘Why is a church doing The Prom?’ ‘Who are they?’ ‘What do they believe?’ ‘Why would they do something like this?’”
“A lot of times, churches mean well, but sometimes we cause unintentional harm,” MacKinnon continues. “I think for a church community to hear that is so important because you get a lot of people that want to serve and do good, but sometimes, how do you do that? What ways can we learn from each other to actually do impactful good and meaningful stuff and learn from that? It’s not just about making sure everyone’s inclusive. We hope our community is, and we believe our church community definitely is. Our audiences, we hope, have that mindset.”
Various times Aug. 13-16; St. Luke’s Founder’s Hall, 4851 S. Apopka-Vineland Road; 407-876-4991; st.lukes.org/prom; $25-$45.
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This article appears in Aug. 12-18, 2026.