Faith can hold a family together.

It can also be the thing that exposes the cracks.

Nodding Off In Church is an original stage play about family, faith, and the space between what we’re taught and what we actually believe.

On Easter Sunday in Sherwood, Arkansas, Elice Johnson gathers her adult children under one roof, believing faith is what keeps a family whole. But each of her children carries a different relationship to God, to grief, and to the memory of their brother Emmanuel, whose absence lingers in the room. As the day unfolds between morning service and Sunday dinner, old wounds reopen, belief is tested, and the family is forced to confront the difference between inherited faith and lived experience.

We’re telling this story in a moment when the world feels loud, divided, and increasingly disconnected from each other, from tradition, and sometimes from ourselves.

This play sits with that tension.

It explores how belief is passed down, how family shapes us, and the quiet labor of carrying tradition forward while making room for who we are becoming.

We’re bringing this story to the stage with a cast of eight actors, alongside a stage manager, designers, and a small production team. This GoFundMe supports the real costs of producing the work:

rehearsal space

set pieces

costumes

marketing materials

and compensating the artists bringing this story to life.

The goal is simple: take care of the people telling the story and put the work on its feet with intention.

We’d love for you to come along on this journey with us whether that is through support, sharing, or simply showing love.

February 6–8, 2026

Long Beach Playhouse

With gratitude,

Landon Moss (Director) & Codi Coates (Producer)