
· 16 min
God Can Redeem Anyone’s Story and Rahab Is the Proof
Crosswalk Talk: Celebrity Christian InterviewsAbout this episode
Hope Klessig was in third grade when she traveled to Branson, Missouri, with her family and saw Noah at Sight and Sound. The second act opened, live animals surrounded her, and she thought it was the coolest thing ever. Years later, after studying musical theater in college and driving 14 hours from Wisconsin to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, for an audition, she moved there in 2021. Now she plays Rahab in Joshua, which is coming to movie theaters October 30 as Joshua Live.
Rahab, live Bible theater, and a God who redeems any story: Hope shares why Rahab is far more than the Canaanite prostitute people remember from Sunday school, and what it took for her to hang the scarlet cord and swear an oath with the Hebrew spies. She walks through life at Sight and Sound, from over 400 shows a year to a full week of filming with a Steadicam on stage, and from understudies stepping in mid-show to dodging live animals. She also explains why every production ends with the gospel, and why it is a gift to use her talent without ever questioning whether it glorifies God.
Highlights
- How a third-grade trip to see Noah in Branson planted the dream that led her to Sight and Sound
- Why Rahab is more than a supporting character, and what her scarlet cord and oath reveal about her courage
- The central lesson of Rahab’s story: God can redeem anyone’s story if they surrender to Him
- How a full week of filming with a Steadicam on stage works, and why most of the film is the live Friday night performance
- Why the cast performs over 400 shows of Joshua a year, with two months of rehearsal before opening
- How each major role is cast three to four people deep, and how understudies and swings keep every show in good hands
- The honest realities of live animals on stage, including riding a donkey as Mary and dodging the occasional mess
- Why working at a theater where she never has to question whether her gifts glorify God means so much
Resources / Links / CTA
- 🌐 Hope Klessig website: https://hopeklessig.wixsite.com
- 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeklessig
- 🎬 Joshua Live: in theaters October 30
- 🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk
- 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio
Click to Listen to Signs of Life: UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org
Join us this Fall for Season One of "Signs of Life," an original podcast from UM News. The journey begins in Atlanta, hearing how a book from an icon of the Civil Rights movement is bringing relationship and understanding to two congregations seeking to bridge divides. Then to Belfast, learning about the Northern Ireland Peace Process and the Methodist connection that was—and is—an essential part of healing and peacemaking. Finally, at the Global Young Peoples Convocation in Dublin, explore the world of translation and interpretation through diversity, language and culture.
UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org
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A transcript is available. Open transcript
Reflections