Thursday's Internet Edition, August 28, 2008.
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| Here, during Thursday’s dress rehearsal, the cast of the 57th annual Easter Pageant enjoyed pleasant weather. Not so on Saturday night, when the actors were pelted with freezing rain and snow throughout the two-hour presentation of the story of the final days in the life of Jesus Christ. |
- Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow stopped the dedicated members of the Easter Pageant cast from presenting the Easter story last Saturday night. During the pageant, it rained, sleeted and snowed..... in April......in the Hill Country!
Those in the audience, snuggled warmly in their vehicles with windshield wipers and heaters running most of the time, marveled at the quality of the performance, given the miserable conditions, and were amazed that there was even a show at all.
The annual performance of the story of Jesus Christ’s last days on Earth has been presented in several formats over the last 57 years. The inter-denominational Men’s Bible Class manages the event, but everyone is welcome to be involved.
The presentation has changed considerably over the years. The site, located on the hillside below Lover’s Leap, has gone from the first pageant, with a single concrete platform with wool sacks used for curtains, to include numerous staging points with several sets and dramatic lighting. The new, more colorful and ornate costumes provide a distinctive contrast to the natural beauty of the craggy limestone rocks and native fauna.
The actors pantomime as the “readers” in the sound bunker give voice to the action with an improved sound system. The language currently in use is more contemporary than the King James version.
Because the actors choose to keep their identities hidden so the focus of the presentation can remain on the spiritual message of the crucifixion and resurrection, audience members can’t thank the cast and crew personally, but those involved should know that their dedication and commitment of their personal time were appreciated by those who attended.
Perhaps next year’s pageant crew should pray for nice weather for the performance, but whatever the conditions, the show will go on. As one of the men who played the role of Jesus Christ prepared to hang on the cross barely clothed in that cold, miserable rain, he told other members of the cast that he could do anything for fifteen minutes for the Lord.