Actress brings St. Thérèse of Liseaux to the stage

photo courtesy of St. Luke Productions

+ Enlarge

Actress Dorothy Pawlowski as St. Thérèse of Lisieux is touring and will have live showings at St. Joseph Catholic High School, Ogden, on Oct. 18, and the Cathedral of the Madeleine, Salt Lake City, on Oct. 20. 

SALT LAKE CITY — Play-goers will have a unique opportunity to get to know St. Thérèse of Lisieux this month as "Thérèse: Story of a Soul," plays at two venues. The play, directed and produced by Leonardo Defilippis for St. Luke Productions, can be seen in Ogden Oct. 18 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Joseph Catholic High School, and Oct. 20 at 8 p.m. at the Cathedral of the Madeleine.

St. Luke Productions is dedicated to renewing and evangelizing the culture with a Catholic vision focused on the dramatic arts, the company’s press release said.

The one-woman show stars Dorothy Pawlowski, a Catholic actress who has, "always loved the saints."

"I used to think of St. Thérèse of Lisieux as a weak person," said Pawlowski in a telephone interview with the Intermountain Catholic, "but after doing some research, I found that she was calling me to this role. Now I understand her as a woman who had great strength in facing spiritual trials. She offered all of her imperfections to Jesus because that’s all we have to offer him."

Pawlowski describes herself as, "a cradle Catholic who grew into my faith. As an adult I am grateful for the gift."

Pawlowski is the oldest of seven siblings who grew up in Cambridge Springs, Pa. She said she is the only one of the Pawlowski children who is performing for her living, "but I come from a creative family."

She was drawn to the theater by teachers and others who recognized her talent, and when she isn’t performing "Thérèse," she is making the rounds of repertory theater companies.

The press release for "Thérèse: Story of a Soul," says the life of Thérèse of Lisieux, "would have remained buried in obscurity if she had not, under (her vow of) obedience, written down her story before she died of tuberculosis in a convent in France at the age of 24.

"This autobiography ("Story of a Soul") made her the most beloved saint of our age, because she articulated a way of life based in littleness and humility, trusting simply in the mercy of God."

Branching out from our tradition of one-man dramas, the press release said, "Thérèse" is a one-woman show. The musical score is lyrical and moving, and is performed by a full orchestra."

Pawlowski said the play has many powerful scenes, but one is her favorite. "It’s very lyrical. Thérèse is talking about her vocation of love and she is delirious with love. I love to look out into the audience during this scene and see their eyes."

St. Thérèse of Lisieux described her struggles with her faith as "like being in a fog," Pawlowski said. "The fog obscures her vision of faith, and she has some hesitation about her faith. I think this fog is very much like the darkness and the aridity that Mother Teresa wrote about. It was as if they felt their faith wasn’t good enough. Thérèse believed that she had to have great love for Jesus and she had to be able to share that love with others."

Pawlowski said traveling with this show means she has spent time in various host family homes and in convents. "I love to go into the chapel and listen to the sisters sing the office. I really believe that what is holding this world together are these groups of women and men who live the life of praying day-in-and-day-out."

When she was a child, Pawlowski thought God might have been calling her to religious life, "but as I grew up, I realized I was being called to something else. That is why I love working with St. Luke Productions so much."

At 29, Pawlowski has already lived longer than St. Thérèse, "and so far, she is so spiritually ahead of me. She wrote that some people are called to be daisies, and others are called to be other flowers.

"Initially, Thérèse knew she was weak, but she longed to do great things for God. She longed to be a missionary. But she was limited by the Carmel and her own poor health. She learned that love was the greater power for her," said Pawlowski.

A graduate of Seton Hill University, Pawlowski said she tries to live every part of the play. It sometimes takes her back to when she was a child and her elementary school put on Easter plays. "I was very serious, because we were doing a play about God."

Pawlowski has spent a lot of time working in Shakespearean companies, and in 2006, her roommate told her about auditions for "Thérèse." "I met Leonardo Defilippis, and I fell in love with the work of St. Luke Productions. You don’t encounter many places in the theater world in which you can spread the word of God."

"Thérèse: Story of a Soul"

*Saturday, Oct. 18, 7:30 p.m.

St. Joseph High School

1790 Lake Street, the top of 24th St.

Ogden, Utah

$5.00 for adults, $2.00 for children

*Monday, Oct. 20, 8 p.m.

Cathedral of the Madeleine

309 East South Temple

Salt Lake City, Utah

Free will offering