Whoever said to separate church and state obviously didn't have Penn State in mind.

At 8 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday, No Refund Theatre (NRT) will present the fanciful musical Godspell in 111 Forum. John-Michael Tebelak's '70s rock musical, with music by Stephen Schwartz, recounts the story of Jesus Christ, based on the Gospel of St. Matthew.

Told through a series of whimsical parables and snappy songs, the storyline is basically taken directly from the Bible. Tom Bowler (senior-English and statistics), who plays Jesus, said, "The universal familiarity that everyone has with [the Bible] helps us bring energy to the show."

Directed by juniors Robert Huber and Kasey Soska, NRT's version of Godspell follows the traditional casting guidelines with five men and five women. The modernized parables chronicle Jesus' experiences from establishing his credibility and attracting a following to ultimately losing the faith of his followers.

The main concept of the show is the creation of a community composed of complete individuals. Therefore, the majority of the characters are very ambiguous, with the actors incorporating their own personalities, beliefs and morals into their acting. In fact, the program will list the actors' real names rather than characters, Soska said.

Only two actors play named characters: Bowler, portraying Jesus; and Robert Kalman (sophomore-division of undergraduate studies), portraying both Judas and John the Baptist.

Interestingly, practically every production of Godspell has the same actor playing both Judas and John the Baptist, adding to the drama.

Kalman said, "There is one point where I, as John the Baptist, mention Judas. It solidifies for the audience that I play both."

"From then on, it basically [shows] me running out on the group and Jesus, ending with the crucifixion," he added.

Godspell, although based on religious accounts, is not trying to preach to the audience. Rather, the show presents religious and non-religious aspects.

Soska said, "It's about the formation of community. We're not trying to show it as very Christianized."

"There are a lot of good morals behind it," he added.

Even though the story comes from the Bible, some people still find Godspell sacrilegious. However, Soska believes the Penn State audience will accept the production as a fun and exciting presentation of a Broadway musical, not a discourse on religion.

"Anyone of any religion, or people of no religion for that matter, will enjoy the show. It has a lot to it. It touches almost any vein of human nature," Soska said.

Bowler agrees that the show will attract a wide audience.

"We are sharing the same concepts of Christianity, the same messages. I don't think the show is sacrilegious," he said.

Adding to the spirit of the performance, the diverse styles of music help to animate the parables and bring the show to life.

"The cool thing about the show is that the songs are so eclectic," Bowler said. "The mix makes it really entertaining."

Katrina Schmidt (freshman-hotel, restaurant and institution management) plays an eager disciple of Jesus, always volunteering to be active in the parables. Schmidt believes that the final result will impress the audience.

"I've never had to memorize an entire script in two weeks before. Not having a lot of time makes you work harder," she said.

Godspell marks NRT's second full-length musical ever performed, after October's Working. NRT usually chooses to produce plays rather than musicals because it is technically difficult to stage the latter in classrooms. Godspell, however, is "doable because it is a concept musical. We don't need elaborate sets or costumes," Soska said. "Godspell has been done so many times, but it can mold to fit different stages, directors and actors."

During rehearsals, the cast and crew have collaborated in order to produce the most creative finished product possible. Bowler said, "Of all the theatre I have ever done, it's the most fun."