The Allegory
Opening scene (rough cut): Lynn questions Francis about his
new play
The life of Jesus...or the life of someone anyway.
spring production update:
The film is in the can
(okay, almost entirely) and we are editing!!
​
Alexander Roberts as "Francis"
Cleopatra Boudreau as "Judy"
Raye Levine Spielberg as "Gertie"
Marcia DeBonis as "Lynn"
Manoli Ioannidis as "Mick"
Sahra Mellesse as "Sean"
Melanie Brook as "Petey"
Ted Koch as
"Josef"
Joe Hoover
as "Duffell"
THE STORY
Francis enlists his theater company in producing a Christian play to win over Gertrude, a devout Catholic. Things take a turn when the company receives surprise funding...with one condition: that the play remain free of any trace of religion. The company teeters back and forth through the rest of the film as they attempt to tell the story of Jesus...without mentioning Jesus.
​​
​
THE Production TEAM
Ted Koch as the play's backer "Josef", and Melanie Brook as the seminarian "Petey" backstage at the Burgdorf Theatre, Maplewood, NJ
As a Jesuit writer, editor and performer, it has been my work the past twenty-two years to tell stories that explore the pursuit of God in a today's worls. Stories that, in one sense or another, all ask the question: can you really keep Christ out of anything?
In the summer of 2022, I began writing "The Allegory," a film which, in its own, screwball way, engages that same question. Since then, the production of the film has been a grassroots artistic initiative supported by Catholics, Christians and anyone willing to support creative, new inroads to engaging faith. (Or, simply engaging a delightful, screwball romantic comedy.)
Throughout January and early February we shot nearly the entire film. (We have one final day of shooting left and are currently in a casting search for one more actor to play the father of our "love interest" Gertie). Our director Deniz Demirer is doing double duty working in the editing bay right now.
You are welcome to join us as we put out in the world film that reveals the joys and heartaches, contradictions and complications of searching for God--and true love--in today's world.
Feel free to reach out if you would like to be part of this promoting, funding and distributing this new work. We are grateful for your support. Thank you!
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
Joe Hoover, SJ