Madison Watkins, Staff Writer

This past weekend, Armstrong’s Baptist Collegiate Ministry (BCM) showcased student talent with a play at the Isle of Hope Baptist Church. “Forever Hold Your Peace,” is written by junior theater major Kenneth Jones. Jones has previously written two plays for BCM’s annual fundraising Dessert Theater.

This play was a short romantic-comedy that focused on three married couples that go in for marriage counseling at the same time, featuring a crazy counselor. As the play goes on, they learn more about themselves and each other.

The play’s rehearsal process for this play was much shorter than usual due to a change in scheduling. BCM’s Dessert Theatre is typically held at the end of each fall semester casts have more time to prepare and rehearse. Jones wrote, directed and cast “Forever Hold Your Peace” in about two months.

Jones was inspired to write the play after “looking at many marriages and relationships, including my own and wanting to display real people that have real problems in a show,” he said.

“The process took all of winter break. I locked myself in my room for three weeks, prayed, meditated, wrote, and rewrote. It’s a challenging process.”

For “Forever Hold Your Peace,” the challenge was to tell a story without elaborate set design or adequate sound and light design. “I believe we accomplished that,” he added. The show’s simple setting took place in a marriage counselor’s office consisting of only consisted of six chairs for the couples and a stool for the marriage counselor.

Student-produced shows can be hard work, but the theater majors pulled it off. Sophomore Secondary Education major Olivia Wright explained, “I feel like we did a great job despite the crunch! You have a few laughs, you gasp a few times but in the end you realize how great God’s love is.”

Those interested in learning more about the BCM can attend a free lunch every Wednesday afternoon at 12 p.m. in the BCM building across from the Fine Arts Hall.