Can deception exist even if the deceiver thinks that he/she is telling the truth? Today it is more important than ever to identify and discuss the hidden deceptions and suggestions woven into the fabric of modern culture that can instill false “truths” and beliefs in our students, or even in ourselves.  We live in a world where mixed, or covert, messages in popular entertainment are blitzed at us faster than we even know how to process them. This presentation explores elements of dramatic/entertainment theory and application, to help identify common elements that make “the power of suggestion” work.

Guest Speaker: Peter Bloedel

Professor Peter Bloedel uses a Christ-centered approach to teaching and it is at the very heart of the Bethany Lutheran College theater curriculum. His students study plays of all types and genres, and all of them are examined through the lens of Christ.

Chair of the Bethany Lutheran College Theatre Department, Peter Bloedel has been teaching for over 26 years and has been entertaining crowds professionally for even longer. Bloedel is an active juggler and magician and is also one of the founding members of the eclectic folk band “The Divers.” He is the originator of Bethany’s annual vaudeville revue Theatre Physics, which is in its 25th year of production. He has written a number of full-length plays including: Jam Jar Sonnets, Icehouse, Life Coach, and Aboveboard. He has also written a number of one-act plays, that together have been produced thousands of times in over 45 countries. His play The Seussification of Romeo and Juliet is listed by Playbill Magazine as the 7th most produced one-act internationally in 2017. Bloedel lives in Mankato, Minnesota with his wife Sarah and their four children.