As a gift to the community to celebrate Justin-Siena High School’s 40th anniversary, on Dec. 7 the school presents a free performance of “Thérèse: The Story of a Soul,” a play written and produced by alumnus Leonardo Defilippis.

Defilippis is taking his 75-minute drama, which features an original orchestral score, on its debut national tour. Dorothy Pawlowski portrays the title role of a middle-class girl who entered a French convent at the age of 15 and discovered a way of life based on humility and trust. She died of tuberculosis at the age of 24.

The life of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux would have remained buried in obscurity if she had not written down her own story before dying in 1897. Her autobiography circulated around the world, and her simple spirituality touched the hearts of millions, making the Carmelite sister a beloved saint in the Catholic Church. In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of her death, Pope John Paul II named Saint Thérèse a doctor of the church; she was only the third woman in history to be so honored.

This is the first one-woman drama produced by Defilippis, who trained as a Shakespearean actor and founded Saint Luke Productions in Beaverton, Ore., in 1980. Since then, the company has produced seven live religious dramas and five videos that have been broadcast worldwide and received awards in the New York, Chicago and Cascade Film Festivals. He has delivered more than 1,200 one-man performances to audiences of more than 325,000 people in the United States, Canada and Europe.

The performance takes place in the school’s North Gymnasium at 7:30 p.m. and is suitable for ages 10 and up. Reservations are required and are available while supplies last. For more information or to reserve tickets, contact Mary Williams at 255-0950 ext. 624 or williamsm@justin-siena.org.