Hey! Let's Put on a Show!(Behind the Scenes at the 2010 Ephiphany Pageant)

There was a lot that took place beforehand: preparing, editing, and printing the script; cast calls; assignment of parts. But preparations for the 2010 Epiphany Pageant really started heating up at about noon on Sunday, January 3, after the 10:30 service. In the next five days the church had to be transformed to a theater, and 30-plus ... um ... independent young people had to be transformed into an acting troupe.

The Christmas banner Angela wrote of in the prior post was taken down and carefully rolled in a sheet, to be stored for next year.

This year there was something new: theatrical lights! Purchased with funds from the Jack Siebert Memorial Fund, we had expert assistance in selecting and installing the lights from Lifeline Theatre's Alan Donaghue.

Alan showed Tim, Mason, and Jess how the lights were set up and operated, mapping out where light would be needed during the Pageant and aiming them appropriately.



Meanwhile, all around them the thespians walked through their first full rehearsal. Gabriel spread her wings behind the seraphim and cherubim. In the background, Mary is sitting with the innkeeper's wife.

Pageant Director Angie coached Gabriel in the proper use of wings:


Yep, you read that right: STOP VOLDEMORT.

If you're a little confused about what you're doing, and stopping Voldemort is more than you signed on for, it's always comforting to check and see that Mom is still sitting in a pew in the back.


Hi Mom! I think I can do this. I think I can, I think I can, ....

Two actors, unsure of their motivation in a particular scene, looked for a new perspective:


The first full dress rehearsal was Tuesday night, and for hours Tuesday Elbert was at work in the undercroft, preparing the scenery back-drop for the stage.




At the same time, Katie was upstairs, laying out the cast's costumes in the nave:


Tim and Mason had the opportunity to run through the lighting script, and everything worked just fine. Dancing angels were bathed in a celestial glow.


When the rehearsal got a little harried, we had only to look at Angie's t-shirt (no photo, sadly) which instructed us to "Stay calm, and carry on".

Friday, January 8, was the first performance. Angie and Bryan put finishing touches on the music:


Angie and Gabriel (who had the most lines) ran through the Annunciation scene again.


But backstage was the place to be for the two hours before showtime. The classrooms were transformed into dressing rooms and rehearsal halls. In the J2A room, Aniko worked her magic, turning teenagers and pre-teens into wizened old men and women. And, due to a shortage of boys who wanted to be anything but soldiers, she even turned some young women into old men!


Note to future actors: If you get rude with the photographer, expect the whole world to know about it:






Meanwhile, the less complicated transformations were handled elsewhere:






Roman soldiers look plenty tough without make-up.


The Sacristy became the rehearsal room, where Adler and Mary had a final run-through of her song.


Time was running out. Just before 7:30, the whole cast assembled in a classroom for last minute instructions and a pep talk from Angie.


Finally, it was Show Time!

The Epiphany Pageant

Epiphany is the holiday (January 6) that celebrates the arrival of the Three Kings, or Magi, in Bethlehem.

St. John's has about 140 members, of whom it seems about 190 are children. That makes things very lively, and you have to constantly watch where you're stepping. Each year the kids put on an Epiphany Pageant, and each year it's different. We are lucky to have a vast number (relatively speaking) of very talented people in the congregation: artists, playwrights, mechanics – it's amazing. And the adults chip in to make costumes, take out the "quire" pews to give the kids room for a stage, build sets, assist with direction, feed everybody during rehearsals, and keep the littlest ones from wandering off.

The youngest children are assigned to be "angels," which is not always type-casting. They have a few lines but they say them in unison, so there's usually at least one that's paying enough attention to get the line out on cue. The adult here is Jason. He is a professional actor and has a lot of lines, but the most difficult thing he does is herding these cats.



I took about 10 shots of the angels, and each one is charming and hilarious in its own way.



This is the Annunciation scene. Notice that Jason has a wire going down the back of his neck to a battery pack. His "halo" had little lights in it. You can't say we don't have a sense of humor at St. John's. Mary is showing an appropriate level of apprehension, I think.



There's no room at the inn.



Shepherds watching their flocks by night (sort of):


Joseph and Mary, with a doll. One year we used a real baby. The baby survived, but I'm not sure the mother did. And yes, Joseph wore glasses and a wristwatch. You don't know your Bible, do you?


The Magi arrive. And yes, of course Joseph and Mary had a Christmas tree.


The cast, mostly. I think some of the angels have wandered off.


The audience was totally charmed. Suellen looks positively enraptured.