Command Performance
January 07, 2004

CDR Chuck Roots with the cast and crew of "The Greatest Story Ever Told." Click here to view Roots' photo album.

They were billed as the Camp Lemonier Enduring Freedom Chapel Players.

It all started innocently enough. Two of the men who are very involved in the ministry of the Chapel approached me back in early December. They had a request: Could they put together a Christmas play? "Sure!" I said. "That's a great idea! What do you have in mind?" They said they were working on something.

True to their word, they began assembling a cast. With my office separated from the sanctuary by plywood walls you hear everything that's going on in the other room. Occupied with other matters, I would only catch bits and snatches of the play. I do know this much — it was lively! Actors would exit out the front door of the Chapel only to reappear at the back door, proceeding through the office area, bursting into the sanctuary with their next line right on cue. Several nights a week these faithful performers would begin rehearsals at nine o'clock, not quitting till after eleven.

The Angel Gabriel, MSgt Wesley McBride

MSgt Wesley McBride and MGySgt Lloyd Hampton were the two Marines who dreamed up this idea. They sat down on the first of December and decided they wanted to do something for Christmas to honor the birth of the Savior, and to glorify God. Both of these men are ordained ministers and preachers of the Word. Lloyd leads the Pentecostal service on Friday evenings, and Wesley leads the Gospel service on Sunday afternoons. They also work in the same office, so one night they sat down with their Bibles and wrote, "The Greatest Story Ever Told." They completed the writing of the play in four days.

Let me paint this picture for you. Lloyd and Wesley began on the first of December. The first performance was exactly three weeks later! We put the word out on the base with flyers, word of mouth, and e-mail. We had no idea how many people would come. I was amazed at the creativity of these folks, not to mention the ability to use anything and everything at hand. Costumes were very colorful, mixing and matching American style clothing with East African clothing obtainable in town. The Angel of the Lord, Gabriel, had a set of hand-made wings that were awesome! It was simply cardboard and paper, but they were perfect. King Herod's soldiers wore the desert combat boots found on every single military person on this base! I mean think about it! It's not like you can run down to the local theater arts store and grab an outfit and some props.

King Herod and his guards

The magi followed a star that was cut from cardboard and covered in foil, with a flashlight shining upon it. It reminded me of a similar foil-covered cardboard star I made for my mother when I was in elementary school. She's eighty-eight years old now, but I'd bet she still has it in a box somewhere!

Attendance was encouraging, with thirty-seven the first night. The second performance was Christmas day. We had sixty-four show up. This is in a Chapel that seats 75 at a maximum. The next day, December 26th, LtCol Ward Scott, the executive officer (XO) commented to one of the cast members, Dr. Melanie Mitchell, that neither he nor Col Bill Callahan, the commanding officer (CO) had been able to free themselves to see the play. On top of that, BGen Mastin Robeson, the commanding general (CG) of our tenant command, CJTF-HOA, was occupied with official business and could not make any of the performances either.

Col Bill Callahan greeting a guest with BGen Mastin Robeson

So, could the Players possibly perform the play a third time? This, my friends, is called a "command performance." Now normally within the military construct, a command performance is an event hosted by the commanding officer, and everyone in the command is expected to attend. It's bad form (and potentially detrimental to one's career!) not to show up. Command performance is an official way of saying, "Be there!"

This play, on the other hand, was literally a "command performance." Two commands, Marcent Djibouti and CJTF-HOA both requested a repeat performance. I contacted Lloyd and Wesley and asked if the Players were ready to give it another go. They were, so the next performance was slated for December 30th. Then the fun began!

It was decided by the powers that be that this might be an excellent opportunity to have a social hour for our many guests along with the play, inviting our French, German, and Djiboutian military counter-parts, as well as various other guests and dignitaries from the community outside the barbed wire fence line of the base. The command now asked that the play be performed twice — and on the same evening in order to accommodate the growing numbers of guests, many who brought their families.

These performances were by invitation only. We had 65 in attendance for the evening's first performance, including General Pons, the commanding general of the French base, and his wife. French Foreign Legionnaires were there, wearing their unique white uniforms, along with the Germans with their recognizable flag on the shoulder of their mustard-colored uniforms.

(L-R): Rear Admiral Iasiello, Navy Chief of Chaplains; Giorgio Bertin, bishop of Djibouti and Somalia; Chaplain Chuck Roots; and Chaplain Jack Lea (my counter-part with CJTF-HOA — replaced Chaplain Hal Scott).

At the conclusion of the second performance that evening we counted 61 in the audience. Among them was Monsignor Giorgio Bertin, the Catholic Bishop of Djibouti/Somalia, along with one of his priests, Father Sandro Deprepis. Out in front of the chapel these two priests were having an animated discussion (they're both Italian) with the XO. It seems the bishop was quite taken with the play and its portrayal of the birth of Jesus. So much so that he wanted to know if the Players would come out to the cathedral and perform the play yet a fifth time! I happened to walk out front about this point in the conversation. They all looked at me and asked if this could be done. I said I'd check with Lloyd and Wesley.

Then up walks my CO. The bishop asks him if the Players can perform at the cathedral, and could they be allowed off base for such a thing. The colonel smiled at the bishop and said, "Anything you want, bishop."

So while winging my way back to California on Sunday night, January 4, the Players will be preparing a final performance for Monday night.

One of the Legionnaires commented after the performance that he and his wife had attempted several times to explain the Christmas story to their four-year-old daughter, but felt they had not done a good job. After seeing the play, she understood it perfectly.

This is one command performance I will not soon forget. And the story of our Savior was clearly presented. To God be the glory!