Behind the scenes with 'Jesus' from Godspell

'Prince' Arts Editor Caroline Barnard sat down with Barrett Foa, who is currently playing Jesus in the Off-Broadway production of "Godspell."

'Prince:' What was it like to work with creator Stephen Schwartz on this show?

Barrett Foa: Stephen was very intellectual, very well-spoken, really open-minded and really creative. He would ask us what we were thinking. We'd tell him, and he'd say, "OK, that's really spot on. But you're going to need to make this decision. And [your choice] needs to be specific and dramatic, but I don't care what your choice is." It was amazing that he wasn't dictatorial, that he wasn't saying, "This is the way it has to be done."

P: How did the director and the cast work together to develop the revised "Godspell" script?

BF: In the first rehearsal, we took the script, and we stripped all the jokes out. And we did a read-through, and it was so boring. All the parables were so dry. And then we would take each parable, and we'd brainstorm. And we'd come up with a general concept, like a football game. And we would improvise. And it would get more specific as we went on. And some of the stuff wouldn't work with the parables, and some would.

The show evolves. Now that we've opened, we try to be consistent. But new lines are added. If someone thinks something is funny, they just do it, and we're like, "OK, it works, let's do that again." But the problem with that is sometimes things work one night, and on another night, we try to recreate that moment, and it doesn't work. That's kind of rare, though.

P: Is playing Jesus different from playing your average role?

BF: I think the key to Jesus is not that he's the Son of God, but that he is a man. And that's why he's the perfect interpreter and the perfect teacher. In John the Baptist's speech before I enter, he's this fire and brimstone preacher, telling everyone that it's going to be terrible. And then I come in, and I'm this floppy little blond boy who is so not any of that. And I sing "Save the People," not "bow down at my feet." I'm so on your side, and I'm the leader, but I'm not the be all, end all.

This woman came up to me after the show, and was telling me how much she liked it. And then she said, "And what a great representation of the Lord Our Savior Jesus Christ." And I thought, that is so not the point! "Godspell" is about community. The group comes together and listens to this one guy, and they all learn how to be better human beings. It's not about worshipping Jesus.

Someone said to me last night that as man gets worse, "Godspell" gets more relevant. The more bureaucracy there is, the more red tape and big business and corporations, as everything grows and gets muddied, the message of the show makes more sense. Because all these things are getting in the way of basic human values.

P: What is it like to be a young actor in New York?

BF: I know I've been incredibly lucky. I've worked pretty consistently since I graduated [in 1999 with a degree in musical theater from the University of Michigan]. But I think it's really about being seen. Not so much about getting cast. The most important thing is to be prepared and do your auditions.

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I love auditions, and it's always fun. And some of them go well, and others don't. But at least the casting directors see you. And maybe they'll call you next time. Because there always is a next time. I've heard people say that you shouldn't let anyone tell you that there's not work. Because if they say that, then there's something wrong.