36. "God is a Poet” with Carvens Lissaint

You know the stories of people facing impossible barriers—and then somehow they overcome each one? Carvens Lissaint’s life is full of those stories. Writer of Target Practice and actor on Hamilton, Carvens Lissaint joins VOICES’ Where Ya From? podcast to remind us that when we walk through wilderness, we can be both discouraged and faithful at the same time.

Guest Bio:

Carvens Lissaint is a Haitian American award-winning poet & actor. Most recently Carvens completed his run as George Washington in the Tony Award winning musical Hamilton. He was selected as an honoree by Blavity & Shadow and Act at the first annual Shadow and Act RISING Star Awards, featured on the second, third, & fifth seasons of the hit television series Verses and Flow and debuted his original poem “Embers in The Dark” on NBA on TNT’s show: The Arena. Carvens’ most recent work Target Practice was featured on Huffington Post, Broadway.com’s Front Row, and the Build Series. He is a graduate of The American Academy for Dramatic Arts, St. John’s University and holds an MFA from NYU Tisch School of The Arts Graduate Acting Program. He gives all glory and honor to Jesus.

Notes & Quotes:

• There was overwhelming evidence that there was something far beyond this world that was at play. It’s just evident. No one goes through a poverty like that and gets out on their own volition.
• I have never not struggled for everything that has been remotely beautiful in my life. 
• I taught myself how to sing by listening to “End Of The Road” and memorizing that song. And I just knew every time I expressed something, I felt overwhelming freedom. I felt overwhelming catharsis. 
• Walking off stage, I remember saying to myself, oh, wait a second. If I have a gift that means someone gave me that gift. That suggests a gift giver. Right? Who’s the gift giver?
• That’s what really moved me about being in Hamilton, that I got to tell stories the way that I felt like God designed me to tell stories was through this medium. I think God’s a poet. I think God has lyrical dexterity.

Links Mentioned:

• Visit our website to sign up for emails: whereyafrom.org
• Leave us a review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-ya-from-podcast/id1581145346
• Check out our Voices Collection from Our Daily Bread Ministries
• Follow Where Ya From? podcast on Instagram: @whereyafrompodcast

Verses Mentioned:

• Matthew 5–7
• Mark 4:39
• John 11
• Luke 23:34

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