Passion Play tells Jesus’ story in everyday language

Laureen F. Guenther
Times Contributor

 

The Canadian Badlands Passion Play opened its 23rd season on July 8. The Greatest Story Ever Told, as the Passion Play calls itself, is both completely old and entirely new.
The Passion Play story is, of course, completely old. It’s the story of Jesus’ life as recorded in the Bible. It tells of Jesus’ birth, his teachings, his miracles, his crucifixion, his resurrection and his return to Heaven.
But the 2016 story is also brand new. The script is based on the Gospel of Luke, after five years of performances based on the Gospel of John. These Gospels are similar, but they describe different events from Jesus’ life and give varied perspectives of his major life events.
The Passion Play still includes about 200 volunteers, many from Rosebud and Wheatland County, who perform onstage and work behind the scenes, to make the event run incredibly smoothly. Many of them have been volunteering for years, and I’m always impressed at the freshness of their enthusiasm and their limitless energy.
Caleb Gordon, a Rosebud School of the Arts graduating student, is one of those who’s been involved in the Passion Play before. But this year, he’s in a brand new role, playing Jesus.
Brian Jensen, the actor who played the narrator John in previous years, is also back but in a new role, as lead director. Luke Ertman, who composed the music for the previous script, has returned with brand new music this year.
Passion Play performances are set on the same stage in a natural amphitheatre in Drumheller. But the Luke script uses the set differently, and spreads the action even more widely across the hills.
When I saw performances based on the John script, it was always a thrill to see white-clothed angels end the show by circling us from the tops of the hills. The Luke script also includes white-clothed angels, singing and telling the story, entering into the joy and sorrow of the people, and watching over them.
This year, I was fascinated to see the addition of dark angels, who emphasize that evil is also very present in this story. They’re prominent when evil forces are trying to destroy people, and when it seems that evil will triumph. But evil does not triumph. And in this story, the white-robed angels still celebrate the victory of good over evil.
New to this script is also plenty of humour, arising from ordinary conversations, from sibling rivalry, and from the limitations of leaders who pretend they’re powerful.
The simplicity of the language, based on a contemporary translation of the Bible, also surprised me. The music of this script is harmonic and haunting, carrying the story in ways the dialogue alone could not. I’m used to thinking of the life of Jesus with a bit of distance, because it happened so long ago. With this music, plain language and humour, and the ordinary, open conversations between characters, the story seemed more immediate and much more personal. I felt like it could happen here where I live, and that it really was happening right before my eyes.
The crucifixion scene seemed especially real, and with Gordon’s excellent acting, I sensed Jesus’ torment more deeply too.
The Passion Play is performed outside in all kinds of weather, which also enhances the sense that this story is current and alive. During our three-hour performance, the weather moved from sunny and hot to cool and cloudy, then to rainy, windy and dusty. I was glad we’d dressed and prepared for a full range of weather. I was comfortable enough in my wooden seat, but I noticed that many others had brought seat padding; I’d likely do that next time.
The Passion Play gives six more performances at 4 p.m. or 6 p.m. on July 15, 16 and 17, and 22, 23 and 24. See canadianpassionplay.com for more information and tickets.