One-man show at Catholic Central to portray English writer
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STEUBENVILLE -- A one-man theater show at Catholic Central High School will lead viewers through the life of G.K. Chesterton, an English writer and philosopher who lived during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Entitled "An Evening with G.K. Chesterton; Apostle of Joy," the roughly 70-minute show will take place at 7 p.m. on Sunday inside CCHS's Lanman Hall. Admission is by donation, with proceeds benefitting the high school.
The show's sole actor will be John Walker, a Franciscan University of Steubenville theater professor who has portrayed Chesterton in productions for Catholic broadcaster Eternal Word Television Network.
The father of one CCHS alumna and another current student, Walker wrote the show, which he will be performing as part of a national tour throughout the first half of the year. Having around 40 years of experience as a professional actor, Walker said writing the show -- which took around seven years -- has been a "bucket list" item for him.
Walker began acting in regional theater in the 1970s. Picked up by talent scouts, he ventured into TV and film in Hollywood, New York and London. With his career booming, Walker eventually dropped acting at the advice of the president of casting for the Walt Disney Co., who told him that the world of a superstar is a "diabolical place."
Finding distaste in the content of a particular gig, Walker "surrendered to God," left his career and moved his family to Vermont. However, a "hunger" to one day write a one-man play -- over which he would have total creative control -- remained with him.
Walker had discovered Chesterton and his work through the "Father Brown" TV series, which is based on the detective character created by Chesterton. Walker found himself intrigued by Chesterton's humor, imagination, joy in adversity and broad following, and he decided Chesterton is the only person he'd ever want to write a one-man show about -- it helps also that the two are the same height and share some features.
Walker began researching Chesterton in 2010 but set the project aside several years later when he came to work at Franciscan. Later, in 2017, he was cast by EWTN to portray Chesterton in the TV series "Saints vs. Scoundrels," which pit Walker's Chesterton in a battle of minds against Enlightenment-era philosopher Thomas Hobbes.
Benjamin Whiker, host of "Saints" and former political science professor at Franciscan, learned that Walker was writing a one-man show and passed the information on to EWTN. The network wanted to film it, which put Walker on a deadline to complete his writing.
"(My research) started with trying to read everything that Chesterton had written, but I realized that was impossible. ... As an actor, you always try to get into the head of the character. ... I visited with a Chesterton scholar, and he told me: 'Don't do quotes; do the man.'"
The completed show takes place while Chesterton is riding a train through the afterlife -- a nod to C.S. Lewis' "The Great Divorce." While stopped at a station, Chesterton rummages through his bag to find a cigar, pulling out various objects that lead him to ponder his life story, filled with hardship, perseverance and faith. In the end, he finds his cigar and leaves listeners with a final message.
"(People will) see the journey of a man who, in spite of the trials and difficulties of life, turned out to live a very joyful, faith-filled life because of his surrender to God's plan for him," Walker said of the show. "If anything, I think the moral of the story is how to live a more joyful, faith-filled life, and I don't know anybody who could not (relate to) that message."
Although EWTN taped the show, Walker still longed to have it performed on a stage with a live audience, though he was limited by his teaching schedule. To gauge interest, Walker sent out an advertisement for anyone willing to host and received an unexpectedly abundant response.
Aided by a sabbatical from the university, Walker set up the one-man show's tour, which will bring him to about 25 cities across the U.S. between now and June. Walker returned Monday night from his trip to Madison, Wis., for the first show, which he considered somewhat of a test rehearsal.
The real challenge will come Sunday when Walker performs at CCHS in front of his local friends, about whom he joked, "If I stink, I have to see these people all the time."
Walker said Sunday's show is an opportunity to give something in return to the high school that taught two of his three children and employed his wife as a special needs aid. Planning on CCHS's end came from Martina Erste, religion and math teacher, who set the show up as a fundraiser for the school.
The show tour will run into the summer, at which point, Walker will begin filming for the next season of "Saints vs. Scoundrels." After that, as much as Walker would like some rest, the one-man show may develop into an international, college or national theater tour, with the possibility of improved tech and lighting. For now, Walker said, he's just following to where God wants him to be.
Asked about his favorite part about portraying Chesterton, Walker said, "His sense of humor. His ability to laugh and laugh at himself. Everyone who sees this show has at least one good belly laugh, and I really enjoy that."