Faith based play "Innocent Rage" is creating a buzz in New York City with its 90 minutes of unadulterated honest dialogue about child abuse, rape, gang violence, drugs and the relevance of God and the church. Breathecast attended the show over the weekend and caught up with the people behind this emotional dramatization.

The production packed out a Brooklyn Church Park Slope Christian Tabernacle, near the Barclays Center, to standing room only. Its gritty, raw depiction of real life scenarios barely left any one in attendance with a dry eye.

Innocent Rage displays the struggles faced on a daily basis in a younger generation plagued with rage and anger, and confronts it. The dynamic performances kept the audience engaged with the perception of a 'reality show' from the moment the house doors opened until the curtain call.

Writer and creator of Innocent Rage, David Ham, played the role of Paul Meeks, a talk show host who firmly and patiently introduces and facilitates the 11 young people who share their tragic stories throughout the course of the show.

Ham, who is a credited writer, minster, and mentor to one of the most popular emcees in Christian music, has a big heart for the youth.

"I think this play will create more opportunity for more conversation with young people to discuss this ongoing dilemma of violence, anger," he said. "I hope this play will stir up more conversation within youth group's community centers and young people to really take a look at where this is all coming from which is clearly a heart issue."

Ham and his production team Trace Life Media have been taking this one act play on the road and the reception has been overwhelmingly positive. Ham said, "our hopes with this play is to create a demand for a play like this to really move about."

(Photo : twitter)

Production partner and acting coach, famed actress Patricia Mauceri, has been an instrumental dynamic to the team. She surely helped the actors bring the heart of the script to life. Although Mauceri spent 14 years as a popular soap opera actress in the hit Television series "One Life to Live," she said seeing these kids bring these stories of agony and hope of Jesus is the highlight of what she does.

"Having been in the theater and using your gifts to self serve as a selfish endeavor, is much different than now," she explained. "Seeing the gifts that these kids have to be able to communicate their pain and the love of Christ through characters that would touch hearts of kids that would never walk in the door of a church who don't understand that there is a God and father image who loves them - it's such a powerful way to give back to the body of Christ."

The third producer of Trace Life Media Marco Santiago said "a lot of prayer" went into prepping the young actors for their roles as bitter characters whose lives have been fueled by rage.

"These kids don't have a BFA or MFA, but they have a willing heart. Day one they walked in as 'hey God, here's my two fish and loaves,' and he has multiplied it," he said. "It has been ministry though, because if they themselves are not prepared, how are they going to minister to someone else?"

The show dramatically builds with arguments, physical fights and shocking confessions of abuse. Some of the stories take you to the very depths of pain and bitterness and these roles sometimes hit so close to home that the actors can stay in character throughout their regular days.

(Photo : Twitter)

Santiago said they make sure to instruct the actors to leave the roles for the stage. "We let them know you have to de-role," he said, "just like David was crazy before the king but he wasn't really as crazy person. He didn't become crazy from then on; he became crazy, the Lord used it, saved his life, and then he let it go."

He continued, "They have to be able to know to go there because the Holy Spirit is with them. We let them know you are ministering but you are not this character the spirit that dwells within your vessel is not the character but the Lord, the Holy Spirit. There ain't no Beyoncé Sasha Fierce happening here."

The play ends with Ham as Meeks delivering a final statement of faith, hope, and forgiveness that had the entire audience compelled to walk up to the altar for prayer. After the show was finished, the cast members prayed individually with everyone who needed prayer. It was definitely an unforgettable moment.

Among the cast members in the play were Ham, Mauceri, Christian singer Bri Ortega, and Rapper Isaiah Tate.

The show's press release stated, "Innocent Rage, The Talk Show is compelling, thought provoking and painfully honest. You laugh when maybe you shouldn't laugh, and you cry when you should. The audience is engaged from beginning to end, bearing witness of what they already know is a problem and reminded that something must be done."

For more information on Innocent Rage and how you can get the play to your location contact David Ham on Twitter or Facebook.