Publisher's Synopsis
"Becoming Calvin" celebrates the Frenchman who was a defining figure of the Protestant Reformation. This compelling two-act drama explores the lives of characters living at the crossroads of history, caught up in the complex relationships between royalty and Rome, leaders of the Church and leaders of state. The play takes the audience on a journey with one extraordinary young scholar as he realizes his destiny. And it asks us the question: What would you give up for your freedom? We first meet Jean Calvin, the protagonist of the play, as a university student coming of age during the Renaissance. His world is undergoing great change, just as he is on the cusp of adulthood. As he grows into himself, circumstances force him to make difficult, life-altering choices. After fleeing his native land, Jean travels to Basel, Geneva and finally Strasbourg where he meets fellow reformers, religious and civic leaders who praise him or revile him, and the love of his life. The play charts his course over 13 critical years as he develops from a bookish schoolboy to the leader who will "become Calvin"-- a man for all time. Contemporary audiences and readers, though far removed from the Reformation and Renaissance periods, share his sense of struggle. The events of "Becoming Calvin" remain surprisingly relevant: modern readers will recognize the human drama behind shifting allegiances and challenges to authority.
