News

Passion play to be performed at Xavier High School

By Patricia Kasten
Compass Associate Editor

	If you go: What: The Northeast Wisconsin Passion Play When: March 14 (7 p.m.), March 15 (1 p.m. and 7 p.m.) and March 16 (7 p.m.) Where: Xavier Fine Arts Theatre. 1600 W. Prospect Ave, Appleton Tickets: Children: $5; Adults: $9; Seniors: $8. Visit www.newpassionplay.org for more information.

APPLETON -- Take an element of Greek tragedy, mix in a bit of Broadway-style musical, add a cast of 100.

You have the Northeast Wisconsin Passion Play, ready to premiere Palm Sunday weekend at the Xavier Fine Arts Theatre, located at Xavier High School.

L e n t

"To sum it up, we want to make this come alive," said writer/director Jim Romenesko.

The performances, on March 14, 15 and 16 - with a special preview for religious education students on March 12, contain what you would expect in a play about the Passion of the Lord.

There's the Last Supper, the Via Dolorosa, crucifixion and resurrection. Even the ascension. But then there's more - including the Old Testament Book of Exodus and the escape from Egypt, with the parting of the Red Sea, along with the first Passover.

The Northeast Wisconsin Passion Play grew out of the long-running and very popular ecumenical Christmas Stars event held each December in the same theater.

Romenesko, who is theater director at Xavier, has worked on Christmas Stars and said some of the same cast are in the new play. There are also some elements from the Celebrate Easter! program that ran for four years, but without the audiences of the Christmas show.

So Romenesko and his crew decided to go "all biblical" on the new play and add the Broadway musical touch. There are familiar Easter hymns, but with new lyrics; there is somber music; there's dance; there's even a dramatic song for the cleansing of the Temple that Romenesko found on YouTube, the popular Internet sharing portal.

He contacted the Baptist church that had composed the song and got permission to use it. He said that all the copyright holders whom they contacted were cooperative and enthusiastic.

There wasn't time to cover all of Jesus' life, but many highlights of his ministry are there - from the call of the apostles to the wedding at Cana to the Sermon on the Mount.

The play's crucifixion scene is intense, Romenesko said, but not graphic. This is where the elements of Greek theater come in.

"We're not watering it down," Romenesko said. "But Greek theater never showed violence on stage. There is terrible violence in Greek theater, but it's not shown graphically on stage."

The result, the cast hopes, is a play that everyone in the family can attend. There are moments of audience interaction and familiar hymns, as well as the new music.

"Children will see things come to life on stage, while adults will get the deeper meaning," Romenesko said.