Being a part of Poteet Theatre has changed my whole heart in a way that surprised me, more than I could have ever imagined. I thought from the moment I could walk and talk, I was going to be on Broadway. When I tell you I did everything I could to prepare for that, I was training at every company, with every instructor, for hours and hours a week, and it is safe to say that I was absolutely obsessed.
Fast forward to college when I found out that my training had led to bad physical habits that would make it impossible to carry the 8-show a week requirement. “Devastated” barely covers the feeling of thinking your dreams are crushed forever. I decided to switch my passion over to film and television – a beast I knew nothing about – that would become my sole mission in life to tackle. It ended up taking me over 7 years to find my own power in that industry, and I still struggle with holding on to who I am when it comes to standing my ground in the face of Hollywood mega giants.
This dream had taken shape over 25 years and sometime around 2020, during a pandemic when everyone was forced to stay home and spend time with themselves, I realized my unhappiness was deeply rooted in an identity crisis that lacked real faith. I didn’t need to know “who I was” but “whose I was”. I didn’t need to know where I was going, just that I knew who was going to take me there. God was the conductor of the train, and all He wanted me to do is be the caboose and enjoy the ride He was taking me on.
My role at Poteet has grown over the year that I’ve worked for St. Luke’s, and it is such a dream come true, more than I could have ever guessed. The kids are inspiring, the art we create together creates community, and with the help of Logan Fish and several other amazing congregation members, we have taken the theatre and turned it into a safe place where kids can grow and learn, surrounded by those who are passionate about sharing God’s love and bringing hope to the world. We choose productions that reflect our values, and we instruct with a firm, but compassionate hand. We believe in our artists, not because of their talents, but because they are just happy to be along for the ride and their spirits uplift this ministry to new heights.
One of our students that is involved in our current summer theatre camp started with us by being “dragged” by his foster parent to rehearsals while I was directing Beauty and the Beast. To say that he was interested in being there would be a vast overexaggeration. Slowly but surely, getting to know him, and sharing my own experience in foster care, I asked what his interests were, and it turns out he loves to paint. Well, helping paint our set turned to helping with costumes, which turned to being a small part in the production, which turned into him having a role in our current production. In just a few months, he went from feeling displaced to feeling a sense of belonging. That is what this ministry is passionate about accomplishing, and what I believe God’s purpose was for it all along.
As always, I am just grateful to God for His insight and foresight. He can see more than we can, and it just takes a little faith to utilize the gifts He gives us to work it out for His good.
– Kelsey Paul, St. Luke’s Arts Administrator & Downtown LifeLight Worship Leader
