Creating Culture: Michael Wilhelm

The mission of all for One productions is to impact our culture for God through the arts. Our staff has talked a lot lately about not only impacting, but creating culture. When we mount a show, release a podcast, or hold a workshop, we are creating something that goes out from us and impacts the world in which we live. It might be on a small scale, like the eight students who attended our socially-distanced Young Playwrights Workshop last month, or on a larger scale like our community theater productions which draw thousands a year, but it touches lives.

What kind of culture do we want to create? all for One strives to be a place of encouragement, family, and Godly values. We want to be an entity that nurtures the God-given artistic talents of our community to glorify our Creator.

We are going to spend some time this month getting to know some folks who are “creating culture” with us and impacting our culture for God through the arts.

Today we are going to meet Michael Wilhelm. Michael discovered all for One in 2003, and has been a great friend ever since. He is a skilled actor and talented author with whom we are blessed to work.

Here is his story…

Michael Wilhelm

In 2002 my wife Cindy and I were living in Pasadena, California. I had been struggling for 10 years to get my foot in the door of the television and movie industry as an actor. I found it very difficult as many projects conflicted with my beliefs. At that stage in my career, I couldn’t just pick and choose projects. I had a wife and baby to support, and I had to take whatever I could get whether I liked it or not. We began considering giving up the dream and moving back to Indiana.

Around that time, my sister mentioned that she had heard of a new Christian theater company opening up in Fort Wayne, and I might want to check it out. That was an enticement, and after prayer and counseling with some members of the church we were attending at the time, we headed back home.

I looked up the company and found out they were called all for One productions. I met with Sharon Henderson (afO founding Executive Director) at a local café. It was one of the most enchanting two hour interviews I have ever experienced. As we concluded our time together, she invited me to audition for I Remember Mama. I did and was cast. It was there I met the most amazing group of theater people I have ever known. Encouragement was in abundance and comradery was fostered. All egos had been put aside, I was home.

I’ve been invited to audition for other theater companies in the area but I have settled in here at all for One. Whenever we mount a production, it’s all about how we are impacting everyone we encounter in the process and what influence we’re spreading. all for One is about how can we help those who work with us and attend our productions.

It has been in this spiritually rich and fertile environment that I have been able to develop beyond acting to playwriting. Three scripts of mine have been produced by all for One: Turtle Soup, Bentley and The Dreadful Journal of Phoebe Weems. All these scripts come from my moral and spiritual center while dealing with issues like the importance of family, redemption and overcoming fear. all for One has been a wonderful environment in which to develop my God given gifts.