Musician Rich Mullins wrote, “I think life, by nature, is a struggle. You know, whether or not you believe in the health, wealth, and prosperity doctrine, the ideas of that have polluted almost all of our thinking about Christianity- where we think that a really great Christian is someone who does not struggle.”
When you read the works of Corrie ten Boom, you know that Christians do struggle, and often, through their struggles, Jesus produces the perseverance necessary to cultivate Christian maturity while working His plan in the lives and hearts of others. In both “The Hiding Place” and “In My Father’s House,” Corrie ten Boom records her journey from young child to Christian maturity. When the Germans occupied her native Holland, Corrie and her family had to make the difficult decision whether to obey God or man.
Last year, I led a group of students in a read-through of A.S. Peterson’s stage adaptation of Corrie ten Boom’s “The Hiding Place.” It was a concise, well-ordered, faithful retelling of her nonfiction work suited for the stage. Our students had fun learning about stage acting, but the conversations we had about honesty, courage, grief, hatred, and love were even more valuable lessons.
I was ecstatic when I heard that a filmed version of the professionally produced stage adaptation would be showing at a movie theater in Fargo this summer. The three hour drive didn’t seem like too much of an obstacle, and the children couldn’t wait to see the parts they had read come to life on a big screen.
The film did not disappoint. The theater was full, mostly of older adults, but I took all of my children who range in age from 15 to 6. Since we had read through the script and discussed the difficult topics, I felt that they could handle even the scenes depicting the concentration camps and loss. They loved it. My oldest daughter said, “This is the best movie I’ve ever seen.”
Peterson masterfully wove the lessons Corrie ten Boom learned in her father’s house as a child with the events leading up to her arrest and detention in Ravensbruck concentration camp. Incorporating dance, spoken word, and concise dialog, the stage adaptation of “The Hiding Place” pulls viewers into Corrie ten Boom’s story, world, thoughts, and motivations, while also highlighting the actions and decisions of her sister, Betsie, her father, Casper, and others who risked all to do what was right.
Witnessing Corrie’s maturing faith in Christ set in the backdrop of increasing trial and tribulation stirred in me the desire to hold on tightly to Jesus so that I might learn the lesson she did- that it is actually Jesus holding tightly to me when I encounter difficulty, and He never lets go.
Even though “The Hiding Place” is a filmed stage production, it never feels distant or clunky. The videography focuses on the action, and the stage melts into the background.
The scene depicting the group of Jews huddling in the hiding place in Corrie’s room while German soldiers interrogate the family made me hold my breath. The raw emotion of a mother being separated from her child while a concentration camp guard hollers “I am all you need!” drew audible gasps and protests from the audience.
I wished at one point that the stage adaptation had not pinpointed Corrie’s relationship with Betsie as the climactic action, but had instead focused more on her relationship with Christ. However, even in ten Boom’s own writings, her relationship with her sister heavily influenced her own walk with the Lord, so this criticism fades in light of the artistic achievement of the whole.
Peterson recently left his position as Executive Director of The Rabbit Room, a Christ-centered artistic community, in order to focus on his work as editor of Rabbit Room Press and playwright with Rabbit Room Theater. I hope he continues to create and produce more films like “The Hiding Place: A Stage Adaptation” that edify and encourage both Christian and non-Christian audiences.
If you missed seeing “The Hiding Place: A Stage Adaptation” in Fargo, it will be showing September 8 and 9 at 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at the Historic Webster Schoolhouse in Webster, ND. You can find information and tickets for the Webster showing at https://brushfire.com/faithcontentnetwork/thehidingplace/560245/tickets
