Yes, Fire-Eating, Sword-Walking and Hoop-Dancing Can Be Part of Your Testimony

V. Scites, a senior theatre major, will present her testimony Saturday, Nov. 1 in “unVeiled,” her senior theatre project (STP).

UnVeiled is a show Scites wrote to reflect her life, and she said it focuses on individuality in Christ.

“It’s kind of my life story,” Scites said. “I had a really interesting, unique upbringing, so I threw in the spectacle of some of the stuff I can do, so there’s some sword-walking, some hula-hoop dancing and some fire-eating.”

Scites grew up traveling all over the country with a circus and practiced these circus art forms there. She said she’d one day like to be a vocalist for Cirque du Soleil because it’s a similar field to what she grew up in and an area that she said could become a conduit for sharing the gospel.

“What I’m passionate about is serving God with my talents,” Scites said, “and so if I could live doing that, that’d be my ultimate, end-all dream.”

But her STP does not just include these circus acts.

Anna Porter, a junior, is the only other actress besides Scites in the show. Porter plays the role of a reporter, interviewing Scites about her life. The performance takes on the feel of a TV interview backstage from Scites’ circus show, said Sarah Lum, a senior theater major and stage manager for the show.

Scites said the audience will often travel into her head for a more in-depth look at her life in various “unveiled” moments, hence the name of the show.

V. Scites will incorporate circus acts, monologues and scripture into her senior theatre project 7 p.m. Nov. 1 (photo: Jillian Philyaw).

Scites said she’s always been interested in hearing people’s testimonies, but the thought of telling her own story was not something she felt comfortable with.

”I really felt like God wanted me to tell my own story and I was really panicked about that for a while, and I definitely avoided that at all costs,” she said. “And it finally came down to that was the only thing I was passionate about—was telling my own story in hopes of using it as a ministry and throwing in my own talents to show as a ministry, that these talents aren’t just something that I do.”

In addition to performing circus acts, Scites will recite lengthy monologues and reveal unveiled moments, some of which include scripture passages, to share her testimony with the audience.

“Beyond those (circus) elements, it’s also very raw and it’s very real,” Lum said. “It’s scary to get up on stage and to tell your story and be vulnerable like that, and so I really admire her strength in that.”

Scites said she has one goal for the show.

“This is my testimony, so whether I impact people or not, if I impact one person, then I’ve done my job. I think Christ would have still come even if he was only coming for one person.”

The performance is at 7 p.m. in Alford Auditorium, and there is no charge to attend. A reception to honor Scites’ achievements will follow.

Anna Dembowski is a junior journalism major and managing editor/arts & entertainment editor for Cedars. She likes nearly anything that is the color purple and enjoys spelling the word “agathokakological.”