Canons prohibiting laity or clergy from acting on stage?

[Barbara]

Regarding Cyprian's comments about "Ostrov", he picked out the 2 or 3 things which gave me a pang of unpleasantness.
Perceptive as always, Cyprian !

The Nazi scene was in fact so overdone, which I recognized at the time of viewing the movie. Surely the Nazis would have picked them up out of the water and kept them as prisoners.
Even sent them to join the ranks of the arbeiters, the workers they had drafted from France and all over to keep their machine going. Young French men were hauled off the streets and sent to Germany later in the war for this purpose.
This is the SOLE reason that the ranks of the COMMUNIST - based resistance to the German occupation of France, the Maquis, bloomed in that era.
Otherwise, few French would have joined the Maquis. Just mentioning that part.

Back to the film, that German battle scene was wildly improbable. However nearly all that followed was so good that I was willing to let the not-believable start of the movie go.

As Cyprian mentioned, the part about the possessed daughter of the Soviet Admiral was the other disturbing scene to me. It was painful to watch. Almost indecent when she was lolling about in the snow.
However, I figured that the point needed to be made that she was really a handful. Thus her cure by the Starets would be
the crowning scene of the movie, wrapping up all the loose ends. Don't want to give anything away for those who have not yet viewed it.

In contrast, I remember clearly the scene where father and daughter are in the train compartment headed north to the skete or monastery of the Starets. The viewer knows the characters have some significance, so waits in suspense. But what could be the relevance, he waits to find out.

[Barbara]

Regarding the 6th of the morality plays Maria recommended, I did watch a little later.

I recently learned, though, that the plot is from an old French tale which was redone by Leo Tolstoy.
It became a well-loved Christmas story under the title of "Papa Panov's Special Christmas".

However, the Russian filmmakers added MUCH detail and changed the main character to a woman who
played in most of these clips. Her eyes are so expressive and her entire demeanor so recognizable, hence
believable, that her role makes the entire story come alive and be full of religious emotion.

[Cyprian]

Barbara,

Did you know that the lead actor in Ostrov, Петр Мамонов (Pyotr Mamonov), who plays the repentant holy fool father Anatoly, is also well known punk guitarist in a rock and roll band? It speaks volumes that the illegitimate Alexey II of Moscow gave his blessing to this film. The genuine Church of Christ ought never get involved in the sordid movie business.

[Matthew]

Yes, I have often felt that acting is a kind of lying. I have also felt it is a kind of prostitution, where the actor prostitutes his emotions and body to the pimps (producers and directors). And they trick us into crying artificially over things. The Holy Fathers say we should not trust spurious tears. I agree. We should not allow our souls to become practised in being moved so easily to emotional hights or depths. We open ourselves to the tricks of the demons otherwise.

Quotes from the Holy Fathers on Acting

Saint Cyprian of Carthage

1. Cyprian to Euchratius his brother, greeting. From our mutual love and your reverence for me you have thought that I should be consulted, dearest brother, as to my opinion concerning a certain actor, who, being settled among you, still persists in the discredit of the same art of his; and as a master and teacher, not for the instruction, but for the destruction of boys, that which he has unfortunately learnt he also imparts to others: you ask whether such a one ought to communicate with us. This, I think, neither befits the divine majesty nor the discipline of the Gospel, that the modesty and credit of the Church should be polluted by so disgraceful and infamous a contagion. For since, in the law, men are forbidden to put on a woman's garment, and those that offend in this manner are judged accursed, how much greater is the crime, not only to take women's garments, but also to express base and effeminate and luxurious gestures, by the teaching of an immodest art.

1. Nor let any one excuse himself that he himself has given up the theatre, while he is still teaching the art to others. For he cannot appear to have given it up who substitutes others in his place, and who, instead of himself alone, supplies many in his stead; against God's appointment, instructing and teaching in what way a man may be broken down into a woman, and his sex changed by art,2 and how the devil who pollutes the divine image may be gratified by the sins of a corrupted and enervated body. But if such a one alleges poverty and the necessity of small means, his necessity also can be assisted among the rest who are maintained by the support of the Church; if he be content, that is, with very frugal but innocent food. And let him not think that he is redeemed by an allowance to cease from sinning, since this is an advantage not to us, but to himself. What more he may wish he must seek thence, from such gain as takes men away from the banquet of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and leads them down, sadly and perniciously fattened in this world, to the eternal torments of hunger and thirst; and therefore, as far as you can, recall him from this depravity and disgrace to the way of innocence, and to the hope of eternal life, that he may be content with the maintenance of the Church, sparing indeed, but wholesome. But if the Church with you is not sufficient for this, to afford support for those in need, he may transfer himself to us, and here receive what may be necessary to him for food and clothing, and not teach deadly things to others without the Church, but himself learn wholesome things in the Church. I bid you, dearest brother, ever heartily farewell.
   --Ante-Nicene Fathers Volume 5, Wm. B. Eerdmans publishing company, Grand Rapids, Michigan

260-330 AD Lactantius

"I am inclined to think that the corrupting influence of the stage is even worse [than that of the arena]. The subjects of comedies are the deflowering of virgins or the loves of prostitutes.... Similarly, the tragedies parade before the eyes [of the audience] the murder of parents and acts of incest committed by wicked kings.... Is the art of the mimes any better? They teach adultery by acting it out. How do we expect our young people to respond when they see that these things are practiced without shame and that everyone eagerly watches." (Lactantius Institutes bk. 6, chap. 20, paraphrased)

140-230 AD Tertullian

"The father who carefully protects and guards his virgin daughter's ears from every polluting word takes her to the theater himself, exposing her to all its vile language and attitudes." He asked rhetorically, "How can it be right to look at the things that are wrong to do? How can those things which defile a man when they go out of his mouth not defile him when going in through his eyes and ears?" (Matt. 15: 17­20). (Tertullian The Shows chaps. 21, 17)

260-330 AD Lactantius

"He who finds it pleasurable to watch a man being killed, even though the man has been legally condemned, pollutes his conscience just as much as though he were an accomplice or willing spectator of a murder committed in secret. Yet they call these 'sports'-where human blood is shed! ... When they see men placed under the stroke of death. begging for mercy, can they be righteous when they not only permit the men to be killed, but demand it? They cast their cruel and inhuman votes for death, not being satisfied by the mere flowing of blood or the presence of gashing wounds. In fact, they order the [gladiators] -although wounded and lying on the ground-to be attacked again and their corpses to be pummeled with blows, to make certain they are not merely feigning death. The crowds are even angry with the gladiators if one of the two isn't slain quickly. As though they thirsted for human blood, they hate delays.... By steeping themselves in this practice, they have lost their humanity.... Therefore, it is not fitting that we who strive to stay on the path of righteousness should share in this public homicide. When God forbids us to kill, he not only prohibits the violence that is condemned by public laws, but he also forbids the violence that is deemed lawful by men. (Lactantius Institutes bk. 6, chap. 20, paraphrased)

[Matthew]

Although the last quote I provided from Lactantius is regarding the gladiatorial arena, I think this Father's criticisms apply equally well to the pretended killings and tortures and gratuitous violence displayed in action movies, horror, and the like in movies and film, not to mention the immoral sexuality with chaotic driving rock music that usually accompanies such shows.

[Justin Kolodziej]

Today was the day of a Martyr Gelasios of Hieropolis. He was named "the Actor". I thought that was worth investigating.
But there was seemingly no material in English online. Perhaps he was a former actor who converted to Christianity,
as his date of martyrdom is given as 297.

I do remember there was one actor who was on stage mocking Baptism, when suddenly, he was illuminated for real and began proclaiming Christ, and therefore was martyred. But, the closest I can currently find is a St. Genesius of Rome, then the source says he may not exist or may be the same as that St. Martyr Gelasios of Hieropolis.

[Maria]

Today was the day of a Martyr Gelasios of Hieropolis. He was named "the Actor". I thought that was worth investigating.
But there was seemingly no material in English online. Perhaps he was a former actor who converted to Christianity,
as his date of martyrdom is given as 297.

I do remember there was one actor who was on stage mocking Baptism, when suddenly, he was illuminated for real and began proclaiming Christ, and therefore was martyred. But, the closest I can currently find is a St. Genesius of Rome, then the source says he may not exist or may be the same as that St. Martyr Gelasios of Hieropolis.

The Roman Church has systematically declassified a lot of their saints as myths.

This list of declassified saints included St. Christopher, who is still honored as a saint in Holy Orthodoxy.