HOLLYWOOD STARS AND HUMOR HELP BRING "HEART" TO DRAMA

A YOUNG ACTOR has recruited a stellar Hollywood cast to help him bring to life the story of one of the Bible's best-known characters.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Mel Gibson, Jim Carrey and Sean Connery are among the stars who "appear" when David Sanborn presents his one-man production of the life of David at churches, universities and conferences.

Sanborn's impersonations pitch the celebrities into a series of familiar roles - Schwarzenegger as menacing Goliath, Gibson as brave Jonathan, and Connery as distinguished prophet Nathan - in the course of the 90-minute Song of the Shepherd.

But although the famous "extras" make people smile, Sanborn's intent is serious - to "show people what is means to have, like David, a heart after God's. Not by expounding it, but simply by showing the story".

The script comes straight from the Bible - passages in Samuel books I and II - with a series of songs drawn from some of David's famous Psalms. Sanborn chose to include impressions of famous people because "people are funny. I wanted to show that the Bible is entertaining and fun, exciting and powerful.

"My inspiration comes from Jesus, the greatest storyteller that ever lived; he had people sitting there for days. Another reason for impersonations is that I only have a few seconds to establish a character, and I realized that if I brought people's own ideas about who someone is to the role, then half my job was already done."

Sanborn began touring the country with his show 18 months ago, after leaving a growing theatrical career. He had appeared in several professional musicals, as well as TV commercials and films. But the actor who grew up in Thailand, Malaysia and Hawaii where his parents served with Youth With A Mission wanted more than success.

"It's great to do a show that makes people laugh, it's good, but I had a longing to do something that had a deeper purpose," he said. "I always said when I was growing up that I would be a missionary. As much as I love Asia, however, I knew that I was called to be a missionary to the jungles of Hollywood and Broadway, rather than to the jungles of Asia."

He decided to tackle the life story of his namesake, crafting a script word for word from the Bible. "There are none of my words in it, so people don't feel it's a sermon, that they are being preached at. It's literature."

During the course of writing, he found himself identifying with the Bible character at various points. Then his fiancee called off their engagement. "The whole testimony of David's life was such a part of the healing process, because I was going through the same wilderness experiences he did, and I could identify with them. It helped me better understand him and understand something of his passion."

During the past 12 months Sanborn has appeared at many different kids of venues, from churches to universities. One presentation was at Sellwood Baptist Church, Oregon, where Rev. Michael Wilson said: "He did a wonderful job... he used humor, but at the same time there was a very serious moment and an important message."

Sanborn books his own dates through his Shepherdsong Productions company, appearing for freewill offerings. Once while on tour in Australia only three people turned up for a performance. "I wondered whether I should cancel and preserve my strength for the rest of the week, but I felt that God said no," he said. "That night one man there gave his life to Christ."

On three other occasions, Sanborn has been approached by people who told him that they had been intending to take their life before watching the drama, but had changed their minds because of what they had seen and experienced.

"It's amazing what God has done. I can't change hearts, only God can do that, but I can touch people's emotions. I really want to be part of inspiring people to be passionate for God like David was."

- reported by Rose Yoon

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