Bluffton University’s upcoming Spiritual Life Week will feature Ted & Company’s performance of “Laughter is Sacred Space” at 8 p.m., Tuesday, April 4, in Founders Hall. The event is free and open to the public. A freewill offering will be taken.

Led by veteran actor Ted Swartz, Ted & Company TheaterWorks uses humor and professional storytelling to talk about issues of faith and social justice through live shows and other forms of media. 

During “Laughter is Sacred Space,” Swartz walks the audience through his relationship with friend and business partner, Lee Eshleman, who took his own life in 2007. Swartz explores the paradox of working with a comedic partner struggling with bipolar disorder, as well as the challenge of writing and performing stories about God while experiencing the absence of God after Eshleman’s death.

The performance is part of the “Human Faces” tour, which humanizes the faces and stories of those who have struggled with mental disorders while addressing the stigma.

At Bluffton, one week each semester is devoted to Spiritual Life Week, a special time for focusing on Christian life. Students play a major role in planning activities during the week that help strengthen growth and faithfulness in their relationship with God. The week includes guest speakers and special times of worship.

This semester’s theme is “Soaked in Suffering,” based on the scripture from Isaiah 43:2.