FILM REVIEW: One-man stage play becomes an inspiring movie about America’s first black priest.
Tolton: From Slave to Priest is a winning work from St. Luke Productions that takes a slightly different approach to films as it stirs emotions in telling the story of America’s first black priest in the late 19th century.
This story of Venerable Augustus Tolton has a distinct “personality” about it, primarily in the way it was done, as the film version of the live multimedia play with the same title was performed in theaters, churches and schools and seen by more than 75,000 people in 32 states.
It is very difficult to film a stage play and make it flow seamlessly as a film also. Not only does this production succeed, but it had to take unusual steps to triumph as it does.
Tolton as a play is essentially a one-man show and, in effect, transfers the same way onto film. Yet there are also other people populating the story of Tolton’s life. They react with him, and he with them, especially his mother, Mama Tolton. Although they all appear on film in the stage play, the movie takes it a step further:
