THEATER : Scenes of Celebration : For director-performer Alan Johnson and his co-religionists at the Actors Co-op, the message is faith, hope and good reviews.

By Janice Arkatov

May 7, 1995 12 AM PT

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‘I want to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

That’s how Alan Johnson began his acceptance speech at the recent Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards, where he had just been tapped for his direction of Walton Jones’ bouncy period musical “The 1940’s Radio Hour.” Several people in the audience thought that Johnson was kidding and began to laugh. But Johnson wasn’t kidding.

“I am not ashamed of who I believe is the center of my life and why I believe I’m getting some success,” the actor-director, 45, says firmly. “I credit that to Jesus, because I gave my life to him.”

In times when public proclamations of personal faith are not particularly stylish, Johnson--the son of a retired Covenant minister--stands by his words. “It’s who I am,” he says. “I’m not out there telling people how they should be. But I was very happy to have been at the awards, to say that. I don’t know if people were offended or awkward. I don’t care what is trendy or popular. I hope I never do a play because it’s politically correct or fashionable. And I hope I live my life the same way.”

Johnson is managing director of Actors Co-Op, an 8-year-old Christian cooperative based at the Hollywood Presbyterian Church (although only 20% of the co-op’s 60 members belong to the church).

The professional company--which has had critical and popular successes with such non-religious fare as “1918,” “The Traveling Lady,” “Under the Sycamore Tree,” “Pack of Lies,” “Edith Stein” and “Into the Woods”--has really hit its stride this last year, with the back-to-back hits “1940’s Radio Hour” and a revival of Bernard Pomerance’s “The Elephant Man,” both named as Critics’ Choices in The Times.

Now the company makes a leap to the classics, with Friday’s opening of Moliere’s 11-character dark comedy “Tartuffe.” For Johnson--who plays the title role--it’s been quite a workout, artistically and physically. “I’m trying to get to the weight room here, and I do my Nordic Track at home, 15 to 20 minutes a day,” he says. (Johnson is also cutting back on calories: His Easter feast consisted of turkey breast on toast with brown rice.)

“Tartuffe is very much out for power, out for himself,” he continues. “He’s a diabolical man; I don’t know if he even has a conscience. But my job as an actor is to make him as charming and believable as possible. I hope the audience is taken in as well, not seeing behind the mask. Just for a moment, you’ll see the evil that is Tartuffe. But you don’t want to give that away.”

Actress Kristina Lankford, who had a role in the just-closed “Elephant Man” and previously staged “See How They Run” for the co-op, is directing “Tartuffe.”

“The play speaks to people as much today as in Moliere’s time,” says Lankford, who admits that she was initially cool to the assignment. “I thought, ‘It’s been done, done, done!’ But then I had a dream about it--a way to stage the show that’s fresh and different and fun. It helps me get across the points Moliere was trying to make to his society: that everyone at some point in their life falls prey to their weaknesses, to someone like Tartuffe. Everyone, at some time, ends up compromising their values, doing things they’re not proud of.

“While it’s funny, there are some dangerous elements; Tartuffe is dangerous. You look around you--at this town, especially--which preys on people’s hopes and dreams. And actors are very vulnerable. So it has a lot to say about how we should treat each other, and how we should be on guard. Instead of just putting on a funny play for people to enjoy, part of our work with the outreach and the church is to look for the underlying message that’s often overlooked.”

That underlying message, Johnson stresses, is never about proselytizing.

“We’re all Christians,” he says, referring to a “statement of faith” every member signs before joining the group. “We believe we’re here to use our talents to the glory of God and give audiences material that celebrates--scenes of hope, healing, redemption, sacrifice. But it’s not Pollyanna stuff, sweet and light. ‘The Elephant Man’ investigates what is a freak, where is humanity. In John Merrick, you see the beauty of the human soul. When we look at pieces, we’re governed by what we want to say, as our faith dictates.”

And, he adds, not all of the co-op’s shows have a message.

“Something as fluffy as ‘Radio Hour’ gives people a couple of hours to relax, enjoy themselves,” he says of the show, which debuted last October and in March transferred from the church’s Crossley Theatre to the newly created adjacent 99-seat Terrace Theatre. “I’ve had so many people come up to me afterward and say, ‘This brings back such memories.’ It’s not going to change the world, but it will remind people of a nicer time--and maybe recapture a sense of brotherhood, of being united.”

B orn in Inglewood, Johnson grew up in Chisago City, Minn. (population: 700). He received a theater degree from the University of Minnesota and racked up acting credits at the Indiana Repertory Theatre and the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis. He also began singing in a nightclub group and learned to juggle, working Renaissance fairs with the Flying Karamazov Brothers and magicians Penn & Teller--and the occasional cruise ship. “I’m not in the world’s Top 10,” he allows. “But I can do a bowling ball. I can do five balls, Ping-Pong balls out of my mouth-some pretty decent juggling.”

In 1985, Johnson moved to Los Angeles to pursue his acting career. Four years ago, he hooked up with the co-op, where he’s found a welcoming environment for his faith and his art. “I’m here all the time,” he says dryly. “I’m in charge of the actual management of the theaters; the research, acquisition, upgrades and upkeep of new equipment and renovations. I also deliver artwork and printing, keep up the (7,000-name) mailing list, request rights for shows, help with the construction of sets, sell tickets between services and generally serve as liaison with the church.”

As part of its arrangement with the church, the co-op receives free rent and electricity (sharing both its theater spaces with the church’s Sunday school classes), and also runs Co-op Too!, an in-house workshop for original pieces. Its self-styled ministry, Heart to Heart, performs at local juvenile facilities and convalescent homes. There’s also a year-round acting academy for junior high and high school students and adults.

In return for its patronage, the church’s six-member drama committee retains final approval on all of the co-op’s play choices. The director is sanguine with the arrangement, describing it as “part of the trade-off. Once or twice, the committee has said, ‘This is not something we want on our church campus.’ And that can be disappointing, a little frustrating.”

But Johnson is not complaining. “We are pretty autonomous here.” he says matter-of-factly. “We are not going to be doing anything racy--because we can’t, but also because we don’t want to.”

He’s also not about to argue with success. “When you’re out there schlepping every day, busting your tuchas , spending nights where you don’t get much sleep--it’s hard. So when it does take off, it’s very exciting, very gratifying. And you never do it alone; it’s a team effort. To me, what we’re getting now is a result of years of effort. To create good theater, theater people want to see--that’s the real payoff.”

Vital Stats

“Tartuffe”

“The 1940’s Radio Hour”

Address

Crossley Theatre and Terrace Theatre, Hollywood Presbyterian Church, 1760 N. Gower St., Hollywood.

Schedule

“Tartuffe”: Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2:30 p.m. Closes July 2. “Radio Hour”: Fridays-

Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays,

2:30 p.m. Closes June 25.

Price

“Tartuffe”: $15; $10, children

and senior citizens.