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For his latest play, "The Gathering Place," playwright William "Kip" Moore has opted not only to talk about an important gathering place — the church —  but to perform it in a bigger gathering place than usual.

Whereas most of Moore's plays have been held in the relatively small Middletown Community Center, "The Gathering Place" will be performed at 6 p.m. Sunday at the Sorg Opera House.

"I wanted to take it to another level of theater and acting," Moore said, explaining the change of venue.

Written in collaboration with the Rev. Kevin L. Aldridge, founder and pastor of Kingdom Vision Ministries, "'The Gathering Place' focuses on several characters as they go through a week, starting on Sunday. Through the week, various crises arise, such as a worship team leader being replaced.

"I pitched it to Kippy as my experience of what I feel happens in churches. Some of the stories are based on reality, some are not," Aldridge said.

Through all the problems that crop up in the various stories, the church has to maintain some sense of normalcy when the congregation comes to worship on Sunday.

"No matter what the situation is or what conflicts you have, you can rise above it. It's your choice. God will help you through if you seek his guidance," Moore said.

Which is not to say that every story ties up neatly and that every character ends up getting what they want in "The Gathering Place." Life's not like that, and neither is the play, Aldridge said.

"Drama doesn't care what or who you believe in. It just happens. That's what we see in this production," Aldridge said.

That said, "The church is a gathering place. Things do happen in the church, but it still has to be a welcoming place. Sometimes it gets a bad rap, but it's meant to be a place of fellowship and giving," Aldridge said.

Moore said that producing this play is a ministry, so "The Gathering Place" will also reach audiences outside of Middletown. It is slated to play at Antioch College in Yellow Springs on Dec. 9, he said.

Contact this reporter at erobinette@coxohio.com.

how to go

THE NAME: "The Gathering Place."

THE LOCATION: Sorg Opera House, 65 S. Main St., Middletown.

THE HOURS: 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22, 2006.

THE TAB: $10 adults, $5 children ages 3 to 11.

THE PHONE: (513) 464-1108 or (513) 320-6068.