THE GREAT PASSION PLAY
The Great Passion Play was produced by the Elna M. Smith Foundation and performed in Eureka Springs, Arkansas in September of 1998. The beautiful scenery of the Ozark Mountains was the setting for this outdoor production. The play opens with an introduction of Jesus by scripture. "In the beginning was the word, and the word was made flesh to live among men." We, the audience, immediately see Jesus and his twelve disciples on the hillside outside of Jerusalem. Jesus is warning the twelve disciples of the persecution that are to come. The audience is able to see how the Sanhedrin Counsel, chief priest and elders of Jerusalem, want Jesus removed because of the following that Jesus has among the people and how they are conspiring against Jesus. The overall structure of the play has several story lines. From Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem, his illegal arrest and trials, his death on the cross, and his resurrection and ascension into heaven. The climax of the play occurs after Judas betrays Jesus. The soldiers and an angry group of people go to Jesus in the garden. They tell Jesus that they are looking for the man who claims to be the Son of God, the Messiah. At this point Jesus steps to
The actors and actresses were well suited to their rolls. Each actor appeared comfortable in his or her roles. The physical description accented the character that they portrayed. Jesus was an averaged sized man that was strong, forceful, meek, and humble. Herod was portrayed as a large boisterous man and fit the character very well with what we know about Herod through the bible. The disciples each played their roles well with Judas appearing as a slim shifty eyed character and Thomas as a head shaking negative type character. The reversal took place and the play shifted when Jesus was raised from the dead in the tomb. He has now fulfilled what the prophets have foretold and he appears to Mary and the disciples. My personal evaluation of The Great Passion Play is very positive. My attention was caught and held throughout the entire production. The action keeps your mind in constant motion, which does not allow for boredom. Overall, I enjoyed the play very much. The production and all elements involved appeared appropriate. As a member of the audience, I was able to reflect on my knowledge of the bible and follow the play to its conclusion. The significance of the play opens ones eyes to the fact that Jesus came to earth and suffered and died on the cross for each of us. Lighting, sound effects and props were all used as technical elements in this play. Their appropriateness was accurate as well as functional. The minute details cannot be relayed in this analysis. My attention and concentration were held captive throughout the play by the performance of the characters. As the sun went down in the mountains lighting was used to accent the brightness of day and the moonlight glow of the night. The lighting also was used to achieve dramatic effects throughout the play. Spotlights were used to show the character that the audience should be concentrating on. There were several conflicts and arguments in the play. The Scribes and Pharisees are questioning Jesus in front of the temple. They seem to try and trap Jesus into answers that would turn the people away from him but Jesus responds to their questions wisely and avoids their traps. In the upper room while the disciples were partaking in the Last Supper, Jesus tells them that the one who is to betray him is in the room with them. Jesus tells Judas "whatever you must do, do it quickly". Jesus was arrested in the garden and Peter, James and John want to run away or fight for their freedom. Jesus stays and surrenders himself to the guards. Jesus confronts the guards and allows the arrest as he knows it is the will of God. Jes
Some common words found in the essay are:
Olives Elaborate, Barabas Jesus, Jerusalem Jesus, Sanhedrin Counsel, Son God, Passion Play, Ozark Mountains, God's Jesus, Pilot Herod, Scribes Pharisees, sanhedrin counsel, son god, passion play, jesus crucified, jesus tells, play jesus, throughout play, people jesus, twelve disciples, angry mob, triumphant entry jerusalem, convicted thief murderer, jesus crucified jesus, judas betrays jesus, resurrection ascension heaven,
Approximate Word count = 1770
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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