“This Will Lead To Dancing: A Play About Wholeness, Belonging, & LGBTQ Inclusion”
by Johnny Wideman
Theatre Of The Beat, 2017, 107 pages

At A Glance: “This Will Lead to Dancing” is a play that tells the story of two teenagers challenging their church’s exclusion of homosexuality through a hunger strike that ignites a movement and forces them to confront the cost of standing up for the marginalized.

Overview: “This Will Lead to Dancing” is a play that follows teenagers Sam and Alex, who embark on a week-long hunger strike to protest their Mennonite church’s exclusion of homosexuality.

Their quiet act of defiance soon draws national attention, sparking a movement within their small community. As crowds gather and media converge, Sam receives an unexpected visit from the ghost of Menno Simons, the founder of the Mennonite faith, who offers guidance. Faced with the church’s impending decision, Sam and Alex must weigh the cost of standing up for the spiritually marginalized, even if it means risking their own well-being.

Thoughts from Readers: