Brant Pope
EDITOR’S NOTE: A church community is created when people gather together for the love of God. At the same time, Saint Philip’s is comprised of many people who represent different ages, life experiences, and world views.
The “In conversation…” series is one attempt to create possibilities for connection between the different people in our community. As varied as we all are, there are also similarities and mutual interests waiting to be discovered. And there is one thing we all share: a desire to know God and be in relationship with him.
This week’s conversation is with parishioner and volunteer Brant Pope.
How long have you worshiped at Saint Philip’s?
About three years.
Which service do you typically attend?
The 11:15am service.
Were you raised in a faith tradition?
I was. My father was a Unitarian minister. He was very interested in religious questions and was the most intellectually eclectic person I have ever known. It was his open-mindedness and his relentless encouragement for me to ask questions about what ultimately matters in life that shaped me. My answer to what ultimately matters led me to becoming an Anglican.
What about Saint Philip’s appeals to you?
When my wife and I moved to Tucson, I was invested in finding a church. Someone told me that Saint Philip’s is an historical church so I was curious to attend. Fr Robert preached that day and his homily blew my mind. Having an inspiring homily is a very large part of the entire liturgical experience for me.
How would you describe Saint Philip’s to someone unfamiliar with the parish?
This is a very thoughtful and balanced parish. It takes liturgy seriously without high church overkill. It’s friendly and outgoing without being too folksy. It’s a perfect balance. And the music is fabulous. I really appreciate and love the First Sunday music that the choir tackles.
How are you involved in the parish?
I’m a lector (reader) at the 11:15am service. I feel very involved because I’m part of the reading plan. I appreciate the concerts offered and love to attend them, too. Saint Philip’s is a wonderful home.
How did you become a lector?
Fr Robert knows the adage that if you’re lucky enough to be Rector in a university town you make sure musicians are in the choir and theater people serve as lectors. I think reading well is as important as singing well.
What do you do professionally?
My life has been in the theater. I’m an actor/director and my wife is a costume designer. We’ve both worked in the professional theater worlds and in academia. That’s taken us to a number of places: New York, Florida, and four or five different universities.
After I retired from the University of Texas in 2020, I did some consulting with colleges of fine arts and one of them was at the University of Arizona. My consulting work turned into an invitation to serve as the Interim Director of the School of Theatre, Film and Television at the University of Arizona for two years. My charge is to lead transformational change in the school.
The career I’ve enjoyed in live theater is exceptionally difficult for this (and future) generations of young artists. Although live theatre will continue to exist, it is in film, television, and media where young people will primarily make their livelihoods in the future. My consulting work has been about helping theatre programs better prepare their students for where the jobs are in the 21st century. In case you haven’t noticed, people don’t like change, so my consulting work is… ah….. challenging.
How do you like to have fun?
I enjoy reading and physical things like hiking, running and biking. And—true confession time—I’m also a political junkie. But I balance that obsession with being a baseball nut, too.
What’s one of your guiding principles?
When we train actors, we encourage them to be people who are interested rather than trying to be interesting. As an actor, you have to be focused on the other person. If you are invested and interested in the other person then you are automatically engaged. I try to be interested in people—and in life generally.
My intellectual hero is the theologian Marcus Borg. He expressed my guiding principle theologically. From him I learned that to love God is to love what God loves and God loves compassion and justice. That helps me get out of myself and focus on others.
Borg changed my life in many ways. I’m friends with his wife Mary Ann, and serve on his foundation’s Board.
What’s one of your super powers?
I think I’m very good at finding what’s most positive and exciting in other people. If nothing else I hope that I inspire or affirm what’s most appealing and favorable in other people.
My father had the same gift and it inspires me to this day.
What have I not asked that readers should know?
You didn’t ask why I became an actor. It was because I couldn’t hit a curve ball!
But I also explored becoming a priest—twice. Both times were when I was younger and the opportunities to attend seminary remotely or even via a hybrid model didn’t exist. Work and family obligations didn’t allow for the long-term study that seminary would have required.
What’s a fun fact about you?
I have two answers: a G-rated one and an X-rated one!
The G-rated fun fact is that the author Tom Friedman and Senator Al Franken were classmates of mine. It is humbling having brilliant friends—one who is a Pulitzer prize winning columnist and the other a Saturday Night Live comedian and US Senator.
The X-rated fun fact is that I acted fully nude in a production of The Full Monty as a fund raising benefit for the Asolo Theatre in Florida which I ran.
Missed an interview? All previous interviews can be found on Saint Philip’s website under the “About Us” tab. Click here to visit that page.