PRODUCTION NOTES

for
The Resurrection and the Life
by
Deborah Craig-Claar

The Resurrection and the Life is a collection of dramatic musical scenes from the life of
Christ. It was created to provide you with a dozen songs that can be easily inserted into a pageant
or musical of your own creation. The dialogue sequences I have included are suggestions only. In
most cases you will want to wed the song to your script with dialogue fashioned by your own
writers. (You will notice that the vast majority of dialogue included is direct or paraphrased
excerpts from the NIV edition of The Bible.) If you would like to perform the songs as a narrated
musical, a narration has also been included at www.wordmusic.com. The production notes below
discuss each scene from a Scriptural, historical, and theatrical context. They also offer
suggestions for staging the musical scenes in a variety of settings. A list of resources (and their
links) to aid you in technical production follow the production notes.

Questions? Comments? Words of encouragement (either from you or to you?)

Write Deborah Craig-Claar at: [email protected]

THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY

“Hosanna to the King”

The Triumphal Entry is one of the most consistently staged events in Easter musicals. It is
easy to understand why. The sequence clearly marks the beginning of the Passion week and thus
highlights for an audience a definite time and place in the continuum of Christ’s life. The crowds
that ushered Jesus into Jerusalem also provide one of the most natural opportunities for an
upbeat, joyous, celebrative song. The sequence is highly visual, with well–known and readily
recognized objects (palm branches) and easily accommodates as many participants as needed.

Having said that, it is also necessary to emphasize that the Triumphal Entry was an event of
subtle conflict and mounting tension. The crowd that shouted “Hosanna” and lauded Jesus as
king was almost certainly not of one mind and one purpose. We know that many of Jesus’
followers were in the crowd, and they hailed Him as the spiritual Messiah that they knew Him to
be. However, many others welcomed Jesus as a ruling Messiah who was arriving to end the
Roman occupation and at long last establish a political kingdom. Both groups would have hailed
Jesus as “king”–but for vastly different reasons.

It is this dynamic that forms the spine of “Hosanna to the King.” The lyrics were fashioned to
reflect these two differing perspectives in an alternating rhythm. This will allow you to split your
choir into two groups: the spiritual Messiah group and the political Messiah group. It is
suggested that these two groups be placed in separate areas, perhaps in opposite aisles or placing
one group onstage and one out in the auditorium. Although their song is sometimes different and
sometimes “the same” (unison lyrics), their contrasting purposes should add a dramatic (and
historical) level to the entire sequence.
Here are the lyrics to “Hosanna to the King,” assigned to the two groups. Remember, of
course, that you can also stage the song in a more traditional fashion and have the choir sing the
lyrics as a single piece.

GROUP A: The “Spiritual Messiah” Group

GROUP B: The “Political Messiah” Group

BOTH GROUPS
Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna!

Verse 1
GROUP A
We lay down our branches,
We lay down our garments,
We lay down our lives before the Lord.

GROUP B
We raise up our banners,
We raise up our voices,
We raise up Jehovah’s mighty sword.

Chorus
BOTH GROUPS
Hosanna! The King is coming.
Hosanna, Hosanna we cry.

GROUP A
Ruler of heaven,

GROUP B
Ruler of Judah,

BOTH GROUPS
Sov’reign of earth and sky.
Hosanna, prepare His pathway.
Hosanna, Hosanna we sing.

GROUP A
Blessed Redeemer,
GROUP B
Conquering Warrior,

BOTH GROUPS
Hosanna to the King!
Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna!

Verse 2
GROUP A
We seek gentle healing,
We seek peace and mercy,
We seek true forgiveness in His name.

GROUP B
We found liberation,
We found our Defender,
The Lion who shatters ev’ry chain.

(Repeat Chorus twice)

There are three key challenges to staging Triumphal Entry sequences: maintaining choral
strength, achieving variety, and establishing the role of Jesus. Here are some suggestions for
staging “Hosanna to the King” that will meet these challenges.

If you begin the number with choir members walking down the aisles, it will be very difficult
to establish choral strength. This is especially important at the start of such a robust number. You
will have greater success if you’ll pull out two core groups (Group A and Group B) of some of
your strongest singers and have them run in during the instrumental introduction to take their
place onstage. If they are well miked, they will establish a strong choral base from the beginning.
They should have appropriate props and should be highly animated. This will also help maintain
good visual focus during the procession.

You should also cast a number of non-choir individuals (youth work especially well) to
function as crowd “extras.” Their job is to maintain a high level of excitement through movement
and shouting. They can run down the aisle(s) at the beginning of the number to establish an
excited pace, announcing the arrival of Jesus to those assembling onstage. Once the singing
begins, they are free to continue believable crowd response.

A good rule in staging musical numbers is to mirror musical change with visual change. So
whenever something changes musically (the verse moves to the chorus, there is an instrumental
section, key change, etc.), something should also happen visually. These visual changes can
include any of the following ideas:
• Bring in new characters. These new groups can include non-singers and children. Using
part of your children’s choir will add a special element of excitement to the number.
• Use new props. You may want to hold some of your props “in reserve” to use whenever
the music changes. Besides the traditional palm branches, the props can include garments,
banners, and staffs.
• Change movement. Although you may not want to “choreograph” the Triumphal Entry (if
you are trying to achieve believability), a well-placed unison movement by the choir can
create a strong effect. This can include having the entire group turn downstage on one
beat or having everyone lift their head together.

Finally, it is important that the character of Jesus Christ remain the focus of the entire musical
scene. A frequent dilemma that Triumphal Entry sequences encounter is bringing Jesus
centerstage early in the number. This effectively robs the song of a genuine climax and Jesus
inevitably looks uncomfortable as He stands, watching the celebration around Him, with no
interaction. I suggest delaying Jesus’ entrance onstage until the last chorus. This will provide
motivation for all of the participants in the sequence to ascend to the stage (or group around the
front of the stage on the floor), and sets-up a dynamic final tableau. The inclusion of children at
this moment–running to Jesus, Jesus lifting them high–will also make the end of the number very
natural and human.

THE LAST SUPPER

“In Remembrance”

The final meal shared between our Lord and His disciples was surely one of the most painful
and emotional occurrences of the final week of Christ’s life. In terms of genuine human drama, it
is a profound event. However, the Last Supper has traditionally been accompanied by rather
mellow and plaintive choral numbers that often turn this very dramatic scene very pastoral. It is
critical, of course, that we experience Jesus personally pronounce and minister the bread and cup
and clearly understand the essential redemptive truths connected with these actions. Yet at the
same time, we should experience the full power of Christ’s love for His disciples, and ultimately,
for us.

As I began searching for a Last Supper song that might convey this difficult dual purpose, I
immediately thought of what has become one of our “standards”– Buryl Red and Ragan
Courtney’s classic “In Remembrance” from their pioneering 1972 musical, Celebrate Life!
Buryl’s soaring AABA melody and Ragan’s rich, poetic rendering of Jesus’ words (largely from
John 15, 16 & 17) have touched lives for over three decades and made their way into countless
hymnals, choral repertoires, and hearts. I remember the first time I heard this song. I was a new
Chrisitian, struggling to balance my faith and the challenges of college life, and searching for
what God might call me to do with my future to serve Him. The piece spoke to me in a personal
way that I shall never forget. Thirty years later, I am honored to help give this anointed song a
new voice.

“In Remembrance” is the perfect addition to a dramatic telling of Christ’s story as it is written
entirely in first person. The song’s lyrics are from the “I” point of view throughout; I believe this
is what gives the song its special intimacy and power. Since the song is written as if Jesus were
speaking directly to His disciples/us, the best (or perhaps I should say, truest) rendering is as a
dramatic solo for Jesus. Robert Sterling’s elegant arrangement has turned this classic choral piece
into a sweeping, theatrical solo, reminiscent of a climatic moment in a Broadway musical. He has
added background vocals for your choir, if you would like to enhance the number in this way.
But the piece will work equally well as an unadorned solo.

Your physical staging of the Last Supper sequence will depend on many factors: the physical
space available for the scene, the number of disciples you have included in your production, and
the amount of time you feel you can devote to this event. Your audience’s visual expectations of
how the Last Supper “should look” have largely been formed from a lifetime of exposure to
Leonardo da Vinci’s classic painting. Although this masterpiece is rich in human emotion and
interaction, it is visually more reflective of the European Renaissance than first-century Judea.
For instance, is was actually a first-century requirement for the Passover meal to be shared while
reclining on dining couches, leaning on a low table with the left elbow, and eating with the right
hand. Da Vinci’s disciples are sitting at a long rectangular table of customary (3') height.
Although many think of the “supper” consisting of one loaf of bread and one goblet of wine
(similar to how we often symbolize the sacrament of communion), in actuality, everyone would
have had their own wine goblet and the bread was certainly unleavened, having a thin almost
cracker-like texture. The Passover meal would have also consisted of roasted lamb and bitter
herbs, along with a sauce made of dried fruit moistened with vinegar and wine and combined
with spices. Having said all of this, I want to make a carefully-worded comment about making
historically-accurate choices in staging. You must always balance historical fact with audience
expectation and theatrical limitation. For instance, I doubt that many productions could
physically build (let alone fit) reclining couches around a table for this scene. And even if the feat
could be accomplished, it would simply cause confusion in your audience. However, using
unleavened bread instead of a French loaf from the local bakery is a wise choice, both historically
and theatrically. It will add meaningful realism to the scene, yet not draw undue attention to
itself.

A good “compromise” (between history, audience, and space) staging of the Last Supper
would involve the participants kneeling or sitting around a low (18"-24") table. Cover the table
with several woven mats or fabrics of thick weave. If you cannot find platters, goblets, and wine
containers that appear period authentic, buy the plastic variety and paint them with a brown rust
paint. (Texture it with darker brown or gray if needed.) The scene should be lit in rich shades of
blue and violet, with natural warm amber light provided by the candles and oil lamps on the
table. You will have ample Scripture in all four gospels from which to fashion the sequence.
Each gospel focuses on different aspect of the meal and Jesus’ interaction with the disciples. I
would place Jesus singing “In Remembrance” in the middle of the sequence, after He predicts
Peter’s denial, then focuses on the “new commandment–love one another, as I have loved you.”
(John 13:34). If you plan to include Jesus’ prediction of Judas’ betrayal, you might consider
ending the scene with this dramatic exchange. It would serve as a good segue to the scene in
Gethsemane.

Jesus can sing His solo from a seated position, or He can personally move among the
disciples, individually administering the bread and cup. If you elect to use the background choral
vocals, the choir (or ensemble) should sing from the dark. The disciples must not sing. (If that
effectively reduces your background vocals to female voices, so be it.) They should simply
respond to Jesus naturally. The key to this scene and this song is genuine, heartfelt love.

GETHSEMANE
“Thy Will, Not My Will with The Garden Arrest”

Jesus’ agonizing prayer to His Father on the eve of His death, followed by the betrayal by one
of His closest friends and His subsequent arrest, constitutes the best in-tact dramatic scene in the
Easter story. The gospels have recorded this extraordinary sequence in vivid detail, including
dialogue, providing you with a script that does not need to be embellished or modified but can be
lifted verbatim from the pages of Scripture and brought to life onstage.

In deciding how to musically dramatize this scene, I chose a haunting number by Robert &
Cindy Sterling from the 1993 Word musical The Choice entitled, “Thy Will, Not My Will”. I
asked Robert to write an extended piece of emotional program music to follow the solo that
would accommodate the entire arrest sequence. Robert completely re-orchestrated the original
“Thy Will Not My Will” and then used motifs from the song to fashion the exciting 3 minute
instrumental piece that follows. The sequence is carefully paced and timed, allowing for all of the
stage action (arrivals, recognitions, skirmishes, etc.) that must occur.

You will notice that although Jesus performed a solo as a dramatic character in the previous
musical scene of the Last Supper, in the Gethsemane scene He does not. The solo is sung in third
person by a non-character soloist; the song describes the drama, but is not sung by a participant
in the drama. This was a conscious choice and perhaps warrants a brief explanation. Christ’s
prayer in Gethsemane marks one of His most painful and troubling moments in His earthly
ministry. His movement from “Take this cup from me” to “Yet not what I will, but what You
will” chronicles a private journey of unfathomable depth. This is our Lord at His most human
and His most divine...and, I feel, is infinitely beyond our mortal ability to understand–or at the
very least, write into metered, rhymed song lyrics. Therefore, I have always felt that the prayer in
Gethsemane is best rendered as an observed event, allowing the character of Jesus to pray silently
as His communion with His Father brings Him to the point of peace and acceptance.

Gethsemane (meaning, literally, “press of oils”, or a press for crushing oil out of olives) was a
gardenlike enclosure in an olive orchard near the foot of the Mount of Olives. This secluded area
would have been known to Judas as it was a favorite meeting place for the disciples. Any
addition of natural foliage to the area you have designated for this scene will help convey the
atmosphere. A far more effective scenic element is the effect of moonlight through branches.
This effect is easy to achieve with the use of lighting gobos, metal plates cutout that are placed in
the gates of ellipsoidal reflector spotlights. The scene should be bathed in a medium blue light
and the gobo effects should be created with ungeled lights.(Rosco #7732, “Realistic Leaves,”
works especially well for this effect.) The other important scenic element you should attempt to
create for this scene is a variety of levels. This will allow Jesus to isolate Himself somewhat from
the sleeping disciples and will create a much more dynamic field upon which to stage the
confrontations.

The majority of the disciples were instructed by Jesus to wait near the entrance to
Gethsemane; He selected Peter, James and John to go with Him into the garden to pray. For
Scriptual accuracy (and the probable space limitations) you should stage this scene with only
three disciples. Jesus should pray by Himself on an elevated level. Scripture tells us He
prostrated Himself on the ground (Mark 14:35; Matt. 26:39; Luke 22:41), and if you can achieve
this stance it will certainly communicate greater emotion than the traditional kneeling posture.
The alto solo should be sung from the dark. Encourage your Jesus to pray silently and
realistically; do not allow Him to mouth words silently, or use large, exaggerated hand gestures.
Keep the scene real.

At the conclusion of the solo, after Jesus utters His accepting line, there should be a noise
offstage to indicate the approach of a group of men. This provides Jesus His motivation to
awaken the three sleeping disciples. The approaching group consisted of Roman soldiers (John
18:12) armed with short hand swords and the temple police (Luke 22:52) armed with clubs. Be
sure one or two also carry torches. Limit the group to 8-10. Any more will prove unwieldy and
congest your staging pictures. Using the aisles of the auditorium for Judas and the approaching
group will create a stage configuration of real intensity when Jesus first confronts Judas, as Judas
will be downstage of Jesus, and the rest of the group will be on the edge of the light. This will
help keep the small garden area open, and keeps Jesus in clear focus and in the position of visual
strength. Judas can now approach Jesus from “below” for the confrontation and the kiss. Jesus
offered no resistance and so would be easily seized. Mark records a single-handed attempt at
armed resistance; John writes that Peter drew a sword and struck Malchus, the servant of the high
priest Caiaphas, cutting off his right ear (John 18:10, 13); Luke records that Jesus restored it
(Luke 22:51). If you elect to stage this skirmish, keep the majority of the action turned upstage
and do not attempt to suggest the actual physical events. Jesus will stop the melee with His loud
exclamations. Although He offered no resistance to arrest, He did protest to the religious
authorities for the excessive display of armed force marshaled against Him, condemning them for
their cowardice in arresting him like a criminal at night. Yet he declared that this had happened
so that the Scriptures would be fulfilled. With this declaration, the disciples’ loyalty and
confidence in Jesus as the Messiah must have collapsed; they deserted Him and fled (Mark
14:27), including Peter. As Jesus is led out of the scene, it is important that you show the
disciples physically desert Jesus, even as the lights are fading.

PETER’S DENIAL
“I Did Not Know the Man”

After Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane, He was led under guard back into Jerusalem to the
residence of the high priest, Caiaphas. The 71-member Sanhedrin was hastily assembled for a
plenary night session. Peter followed Jesus at a distance, and walked into the courtyard of the
high priest. This was a central quadrangle with the high priest’s residence built around it. Peter
sat there with the guards and temple police, warming himself by a fire (actually, “facing the
light” of the fire, so his face was illuminated). It appears the fire was below the window where
Jesus’ trial was taking place. It was in this setting that Peter’s famous threefold denial of Christ
takes place.

What we have come to refer to as Peter’s Denial presents some difficulties, dramatically
speaking. First of all, the three encounters are quite brief, each containing what amounts to a
single exchange between the interrogator(s) and Peter. Secondly, the three encounters did not
happen concurrently. The second denial occurred in an entryway, where Peter had gone to avoid
further exposure. The third denial happened at least an hour later (Luke 22:59). Although this is
quite believable, and actually helps account for Peter’s growing guilt and distress, separating the
three encounters in a theatrical rendering of the evening’s events is virtually impossible;
therefore the denials are almost always performed in a single scene, around the fire. Finally,
given the intense brevity of the scene and the expectant climax (the rooster crowing, and Peter
seeing Jesus looking down at him), it is virtually impossible to render the scene musically.
Singing the well-known dialogue as lyrics seems fairly artificial and awkward. (This only works
when the majority of the production is, indeed, sung, a la Andrew Lloyd Weber.) It is also too
small and brief an event to be handled chorally.

I believe the best musical dramatization of Peter’s Denial is a solo for Peter, sung after the
event has occurred. This allows the song to be an emotional, “soul-searching” reflection for
Peter, during which he comes to a profound new understanding of Jesus’ divinity and
unconditional love. “I Did Not Know the Man” is just such a song. Written by Jim Kroegaert,
Scott Krippayne, and Michael Puryear and arranged by Robert Sterling as a solo without any
background vocals, this theatrical song focuses on Peter’s reaction to the denials, rather than the
denials themselves. This, of course, is the true purpose of drama.
Where you place the song in your production will depend upon how you have scripted the
narrative and the place Peter has in your story. If you choose to have Peter sing immediately
following the rooster crowing, you will need to modify the lyrics, as the last stanza makes
reference to the Crucifixion. The simplest solution is just to sing the first stanza a second time.
This provides you with an ideal opportunity to have Peter sing the song as a reprise following the
Crucifixion, using the final stanza as written. (Because the turn on the title phrase is such an
integral part of the song’s message, you should plan to have it sung as written somewhere in the
production.) You can also place the song after the Crucifixion and sing it as written.

A good principle of staging theatrical “interior” solos is to not let anything else onstage
visually compete with the singer. This includes other people and even physical objects. Light the
stage in a rich color (blue or violet) and be sure Peter is well lit in a deep amber. Although a
follow spot allows the character the freedom of movement, it also creates a sudden “show biz”
atmosphere, which would certainly work against the effect you are trying to create. Try and light
a general area in which Peter can move and not fall into shadows. (The down right area of any
stage is considered strongest after centerstage, and would provide a realistic, asymmetrical area
for a solo.) Solos should be treated as dramatic monologues and blocking choices should be
based on emotional motivation rather than posturing for an audience. Favor diagonal lines and
slightly heightened, purposeful movement. Because the song ends unresolved (harmonically
speaking), it would be very appropriate to have Peter conclude the song not facing front, but in a
weaker position including a quarter turn away from the center line and even sitting. This song is
one of those “questionable” applause solos (partly due to the subject matter, partly due to the
ending), so you might want to alleviate any ambiguity in the audience’s mind and create an
instrumental segue immediately after the song’s conclusion.

CARRYING THE CROSS TO CALVARY

“The Road of Sorrows”

The sight of Jesus Christ carrying His Cross on the Via Dolorosa to the site of His execution
at Golgotha is one of the most emotional scenes in the Easter story. There is something
profoundly moving in viewing the mass and weight of the cross (i.e. our sins) on the shoulders of
our suffering Lord. Even if you do not plan to physically represent the Crucifixion with Jesus on
the Cross, you may consider including a Via Dolorosa scene.

Because most auditoriums will scenically depict Golgotha on their church platform, necessity
will demand that the Via Dolorosa be staged in the aisles. Whenever you decide to merge actor
space with audience space, you must be very careful to respect two principles. First, be certain
that you use the aisles more than one time in your production. If you only go into the aisles once,
the choice will seem out of place, stylistically, and the audience may be startled. (Three other
natural scenes to be staged in the aisles are the Triumphal Entry, the Garden Arrest, and the
women approaching the tomb and then running to get the disciples.) Second, maintain the “fourth
wall” with the audience, even though you are in their space. Do not talk directly to the audience,
and do not try and engage them in conversation. Maintain the separate first century world of the
production. Most audiences do not want the invisible wall broken; help them feel comfortable
and help them relegate your production to its theatrical world. This will also help you with safety
concerns. Whenever you are this close to audience members, every precaution must be made to
keep them safe and comfortable.

The other significant challenge of staging the Cross-carrying scene in the auditorium aisles is
maintaining believability. Roman soldier costumes, which looked perfectly fine at a distance
under lights, are now right next to the audience’s scrutinizing glare. Make-up–especially on Jesus
(who is often covered in stage blood with shadowed cuts and bruises)–looks, well, like make-up.
If you have the crowd out in the audience, yelling at the passing procession, someone is going to
actually hear every word of a choir member’s ad-libbing. (Now that should strike terror into any
heart!) In other words, this scene isn’t easier to stage because it’s in the aisle of the church…in
many ways, it’s harder.

I can offer several ways to circumvent some of these difficulties. First of all, send Jesus along
one of the outside aisles, rather than down the center aisle. This accomplishes several things. It
keeps Him at a distance from the majority of the audience, it is safer (for the actor and the
audience) since there is a solid wall upon which He can lean if He is suddenly dizzy or if He has
trouble with the Cross, and any follow spot you may be using to light Jesus will have much
greater definition (and will not unintentionally light up audience members, which can be very
visually distracting.) Next, I suggest you keep the “crowd” at a bare minimum, perhaps not using
them at all. This suggestion may surprise you, but the aisles of most church auditoriums are
barely wide enough to accommodate Jesus and the soldiers. There is certainly not room for
individuals as well. If you attempt to place them there, they will be too close to Jesus, they will
certainly only be in a single file line (hardly a satisfying depiction of a “crowd-lined street”) and
they will invariably appear uncomfortable. Their ad-libbing…which, realistically, should be
shouting…is usually counterproductive to the musical sequence. Exiting them, whether in light
(which also looks very unrealistic) or in the dark (which is not safe, and will usually involve
opening doors lit by bright “Exit” signs), is always a dilemma. If you feel you need to have
individuals witness the walk, you can place small groups of actors at strategic spots–along the
front of the stage area (on the floor), at “intersections” of your aisles, perhaps even along the
back of the auditorium. But keep the majority of the “road” open, clear, and well-lit.

You needn’t send the entire Roman legion out with Christ either. A single soldier will do. He
will function as the “way-clearer”–in other words, being sure that everyone is out of Christ’s
direct path. This is the dialogue I have suggested in the short scene that accompanies “The Road
of Sorrows.” The soldier can go about this activity even if there are not individuals actually in the
path. (And having said what I’ve just said, I certainly do not advocate you having the soldier
crack a real full-length whip in the middle of your audience! We have included the whip SFX at
the end of the Accompaniment CD if you would like to use a short soft-leather [i.e. safe] whip to
simulate the effect.) If you elect to have Simon of Cyrene (Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26) help carry
the Cross, he can come forward from a small group placed at the front of the audience area. I
suggest this event happen during measures 23-25, between the first two stanzas in “The Road of
Sorrows.” A powerful reaction has been achieved by some churches who have designated a
contemporary man (a plant, obviously) to be pulled from the audience to carry Christ’s Cross.

The physical appearance of Jesus during this scene is paramount. He should show the effects
of a recent flogging . (A Roman flogging consisted of stripping the prisoner, tying him to a post,
and beating his back with several leather whips studded with sharp pieces of bone or metal. Such
punishments often proved fatal themselves.) Christ had also been beaten by the soldiers,
repeatedly struck by a staff on the head (Matt. 27:30). Because this is not cinema but live theatre,
and because Jesus may be very close to some in your audience, the principle for creating Christ’s
physical appearance for this scene is “less is more.” Even very skilled theatre make-up artists
depend upon theatre lighting (and distance) to aid them in creating believable wounds and
injuries. You relinquish both out in the audience. In addition, many productions have very little
time between Gethsemane or Pilate’s trial and the Via Dolorosa, and there simply isn’t time to
apply adequate make-up effects. (And trying to do it before the production and maintain them
under costumes can produce disastrous results.) Therefore, I strongly suggest that you do not
attempt to actually depict the flogging wounds on Christ’s back. In fact, I think covering Christ in
a robe, cloak, or mantle is the best choice. You can soak the fabric in stage blood, and “distress”
it with charcoal and soil. We know that Christ was “robed” by the soldiers when they mocked
Him…suggesting that this is the same robe could provide a powerful visual metaphor. In
addition, if you have cast a member of your own church as Jesus, you should seek every
opportunity to help “mask” this individual from close audience scrutiny. (In other words, you
don’t want your audience thinking, “Wow, look how pale Bob Johnson’s skin is”…help them in
every way possible to believe that they are witnessing Christ.)
You should be able to quickly apply stage blood to Jesus’ head and brow and perhaps His lower
arms and hands.

Although a number of classical paintings depict Christ carrying the full cross, we know that
the custom of the day was that a condemned man carried the patibulum of his own cross, which
is the crossbeam weighing about 100 pounds. This is a situation where historical authenticity and
theatrical necessity can form a happy alliance! You should be able to construct a believably
crossbeam for your actor that is safe and comfortable to carry. If you will form a hollow, long
rectangular box and attach ropes to the two ends, Jesus should be able to hold the crossbeam
securely on His shoulders. It should have enough weight that the actor can believable labor while
carrying it, but not be so heavy that the task becomes burdensome. Be sure you “distress” the
wood after you build the crossbeam, using charcoal and brown and gray stains and paint.

There are several ways this scene can be staged musically. “The Road of Sorrows” can
provide you with three different methods. First, the song can be performed exactly as written and
recorded with SATB choir. This, of course, will provide you with the emotional power of full
choral writing. However, you do not (I repeat, you do not) want to have the crowd in the streets
of the Via Dolorosa singing. “The Road of Sorrows” is not a theatre song (where the choir is
singing as a crowd of dramatic characters). This song is a descriptive song that narrates the
events and provides a personal, first-person spiritual application. As in the Gethsemane
sequence, this has always seemed to me to be the best way to musically approach the event. I feel
it would be wildly inappropriate to have Jesus sing while carrying the Cross, and given the huge
variance of the crowd’s reactions (some accusing, some confused, some in sorrow), it would also
be near impossible to craft an appropriate number to reflect the scene. Therefore, if you want
your choir to sing “The Road of Sorrows,” they must do so out of the main action of the scene.
This can include singing from the “dark” (no theatre lights are turned on them), from the “pit”
(usually an area in front of your stage or to the side which can accommodate your orchestra or
singers), from backstage (not impossible as long as you have good miking and, if you are
conducting, a modicum of visual contact), or in a formalized “theatrical” formation that will
clearly communicate to the audience that they are not dramatically part of the scene. I have
personally had success with placing the choir up on the stage, in the dark, at Golgotha, ready for
the Crucifixion scene (which usually follow this). They have a perfect platform from which to
sing, but are not part of the scene (which is lit completely in the audience area). Be sure if you
choose this configuration that Jesus exists to the side and does not walk up into the scene.
Separate the two scenes with a blackout or crossfade. Otherwise, you draw genuine attention to
the architectural features of the stage, and you must make realistic use of the prop crossbeam. (If
Jesus goes offstage before the Crucifixion scene, he can discard the crossbeam.)

Second, you can turn “The Road of Sorrows” into a solo. This would be sung by a man or
woman out of the audience’s view. This might prove to be the best choice if you are using the
majority of your choir as the crowd. It is always easier to understand the lyrics when a soloist
sings rather than a choir, and there will be fewer layers of competing sound.
 Finally, you can use the piece as pure instrumental background to the scene. Camp Kirkland’s
atmospheric orchestration has a “movie score” feel and would provide a very emotional
accompaniment to the event. (As a matter of fact, as Camp was working on the piece, he
mentioned that he was using the song “Exodus” [from the movie of the same name] as his
inspiration.) In addition, the AABA structure of the song accomplishes that soaring “one climax”
effect that will mirror the drama well, and the 4+ minute length of the piece should allow you
ample time to complete the necessary stage action. If you are planning to have a crowd that is
actively shouting throughout the scene as well as dialogue between soldiers and other characters,
I encourage you to not sing, but to use an instrumental piece. Make your decisions based on a
single principle: which staging in this auditorium will best focus audience attention on the
suffering of our Lord.

THE CRUCIFIXION
“The Wondrous Cross”

The central act of Christ’s redemptive sacrifice provides the cornerstone upon which all
Easter productions rest. Whether it is actually staged with a live actor on the Cross, suggested
with only physical objects, or alluded to with light and shadow, the Crucifixion portrays the heart
of the story. It also poses the most daunting of your staging challenges. Unless you are staging an
Easter production for the first time, you have certainly faced this challenge before, and
undoubtedly made choices that are commensurate with your facility’s technical capabilities, your
own aesthetic sensibilities, and the mission of your production. It is far beyond the scope of
written production notes to detail realistic and above all safe methods of using live actors in
Crucifixion sequences. Instead, I’d like to offer a half dozen “alternative” staging ideas beyond a
realistic enactment of the Crucifixion. Each will provide a unique visual counterpoint to Robert
Sterling’s masterful musical tone poem arrangement of “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.”
After these staging suggestions, I’ll discuss musical considerations for presenting this piece.

First of all, you can elect to visually represent the Crucifixion with media. The death of Christ
has been the subject for many of the world’s greatest artists and their portraits often capture a
unique dimension of our Lord’s suffering. With the mixture of sound effects, Jesus’ lines from
the Cross, and the choral arrangement in “The Wondrous Cross,” you can fashion a very moving
depiction of this event with a series of projections of classic works of Crucifixion art.

You can also create the effect of the Cross with light. Several commercially made gobos
(metal plates inserted into theatrical lighting instruments that create patterned light) will create
crosses: a three-dimensional white cross and the three crosses on the hill. The light can be
focused across an empty stage, across a crowd gathered at the hill, or onto a cyclorama serving as
a sky. You can also order a “reverse-cut” gobo, which will allow you to cast the shadow of the
Cross.

If you are using a cyclorama or sky backdrop, the crosses can also be depicted as shadows
against a deep red-violet storm. First, you will actually build full-size three-dimensional crosses
from plywood. You will attach one-dimensional silhouettes of men to the backs of the crosses.
(Simply have six-foot men lay down in the correct position on canvas, trace the form, and cut
them out.) Paint the crosses and their men silhouettes black. The rest of the stage must be
completely dark and the backdrop brightly lit with rich color for the effect to work, but it is
aesthetically quite stunning and also surprisingly emotional.

You can also create three-dimensional mannequins (cloth or plastic) that are attached to the
crosses and then painted and draped. You will turn the crosses away from the audience so the
effect is that the audience is viewing Golgotha from the back of the hill. This allows Mary, John,
and other principals to stand at the apex of the hill and look up into the face of Jesus, their faces
and reactions being seen by the audience.

Finally, you can establish the stage area as the foot of Golgotha, as though the choir/crowd is
positioned along the base of the hill. The choir looks up at the imaginary crosses as if they were
placed just above the audience area. The focus now becomes the choir’s reaction to the
Crucifixion, rather than the physical enactment of the Crucifixion itself. This effect is greatly
enhanced with sound effects and Jesus’ words from the Cross, which is exactly what we’ve tried
to give you in “The Wondrous Cross.”

Robert Sterling and I are both huge fans of Samuel Barber’s stunning “Adagio for Strings.”
As testament to the universal emotional power of this piece, it has been used in many film scores
and never fails to touch a deeply-felt chord in audiences. Therefore, with a humble
acknowledgment and salute to the famous “Adagio,” we have incorporated several motifs in this
arrangement of another universally-regarded piece: “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.” The
piece has been carefully paced so that you can stage a fully realistic crucifixion sequence or an
implied sequence. The SFX of the hammer and nails has been incorporated into the
Accompaniment Trax. If you are planning to physically show Jesus being nailed to the Cross, I
suggest you have the soldiers face upstage, thus masking the actual hammer strike from the
audience’s view. A few rehearsals with the trax should help your soldiers time their hammer
blows to sync up to the SFX. The crescendo on the ascending melodic line (measures 6-12) can
be used to raise the Cross up with Jesus upon it. If you are not planning to put a live actor on the
Cross, you can slowly bring up your lights during this segment to reveal the Cross. If Jesus is
actually on the Cross, of course He will speak His lines live. If you are just suggesting the Cross,
Jesus can speaking these lines live into an offstage microphone or you can prerecord the lines and
play them at the appropriate time.

Once again, do not attempt to have your choir engage in realistic mourning on Calvary, then
suddenly sing. Your choir can be placed onstage, in small groups around the base of the hill, but
they should essentially be in shadows. Only have a select group of confident actors, near the apex
of the hill, convey reaction to the Crucifixion. This reacting should continue through the song,
which will add a wonderful human dimension to the sequence.

The first two stanzas of this magnificent hymn have been arranged in a minor key. However,
directly following Christ’s death (measure 41), the final stanza is triumphantly major. This
choice underscores the dual nature of the Crucifixion: the agony of death yet ultimately the
victory over sin. The Thunder & Rain SFX, also incorporated into the Accompaniment Trax,
should provide you with a natural segue to the next scene.

LOWERING THE BODY AND THE BURIAL

“Take Me Down”

Anyone who has staged the Crucifixion with a live actor on the Cross has had to face the
decision whether to lower the lifeless body in view of the audience. Not only is this a tricky
logistical maneuver, but you are once again confronted with issues of safety for Jesus and the
soldiers. Once again, if you have successfully staged the Crucifixion in your auditorium, you
have probably already devised the best method of removing the body from the Cross. If Jesus
was fairly close to the ground to begin with, several men may be able to carefully lower him
directly from the Cross into waiting arms. A simple ladder can be constructed from pieces of
wood and rope bindings. If Jesus is higher from the ground, it is probably safer to lower Him
with a long piece of white linen. Wrap it around His chest and under his arms, then drape it over
the horizontal bar of the cross. Several men on either side can maneuver the body in a simple
“pulley” manner. Always leave at least one or two individuals free to stand beside the Cross and
“spot” the body as it is lowered. They will be able to catch the body if anything happens and
assure the safety of the actor playing Jesus.

One of the most moving moments after the Crucifixion in the image of the lifeless body of
Christ in His mother’s arms. Michaelangelo captured this extraordinary moment in his immortal
sculpture, “The Pieta.” After the energy and high drama of the Crucifixion, this moment of
human sorrow and reflection would serve the pacing of your production well and surely prove
very moving for your audience. After Christ is lowered from the Cross, John and others can
gently place Him in Mary’s arms.

“Take Me Down” was written to provide you a special number in which to lower the body,
allow Mary a time of grieving with her Son, and if needed, the removal of the body to the tomb.
Robert Sterling’s haunting, dirge-like Celtic melody and arrangement is meant to evoke a wake
and funeral procession. You will notice that his rich lyrics only speak of Christ’s sacrifice on the
Cross and do not anticipate the events to come. The soloist should not be lit but should sing from
the shadows with the choir. Any active dramatic characters should not be involved in the singing.

The body can be placed on a bier made of wood, rope, cloth, or a combination. It would be
very appropriate to cover the body with a piece of white linen. If you have included the
characters of Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea in your script, you can have these characters
direct the removal and wrapping of the body (John 19:38-42). According to Scripture, they
wrapped the body with strips of linen and a mixture of myrrh amd aloes. (To introduce unnamed
pharisees into your story at this time would probably prove confusing for your audience; only use
Nicodemus and Joseph if they have appeared in previous scenes.) The body can be processed
offstage, down an aisle of the auditorium, or if your space is big enough and you have located a
tomb permanently in an area of the stage, it can be brought directly to the tomb and placed inside,
with the stone rolled in front of the entrance.

THE RESURRECTION
“Jesus Is Alive”

If you are bringing the Easter story to life, your audience has been waiting all evening to
witness the Resurrection. As the act that secures our eternity and forever defeats death, it is the
event we most desire to witness. However, it is also the event that is the most difficult to visually
recreate. For one thing, there were no human witnesses to the Resurrection. When humans went
into the tomb, it was empty. The Resurrection had already occurred. If you wish to stage the
events that occurred before the discovery of the empty tomb, you will need to carefully consider
your choices. You may want to consult with your pastor concerning how the stone is moved, the
personage and role of the angel(s), and how and if Jesus will physically appear. The discovery of
the empty tomb is, in many ways, a separate event. If you plan to stage both scenes, you may
want to include two songs. (This is a good choice, by the way, as this will assure that the
Resurrection is indeed the climax of your production. Because the Crucifixion is a lengthier
event and is often ascribed multiple songs, it is sometimes difficult to effectively pace the last
section of an Easter production.)

“Jesus Is Alive” was created to help you stage the discovery of the empty tomb, first by the
women and then by Peter and John. It includes solos and then a duet for Mary Magdalene and the
disciple John. The song was arranged to include the choir, but I’d like to suggest another
configuration. As I was working on this sequence, it occurred to me that once the disciples joined
the women at the tomb, there were probably between 5-10 jubilant believers proclaiming the
risen Lord – a first century praise team! Robert and I purposely set out to write a contemporary,
upbeat number that would lend itself perfectly to a praise team. By not using the choir for this
sequence, you have solved several of your most difficult problems: you do not need to account
for the sudden appearance of a large group of people at the tomb, you do not need to figure out
how to expediently get them on and off the stage, and you will have a much more theatrically
paced musical sequence. (Choral songs about the Resurrection tend to say the same thing over
and over.)

“Jesus Is Alive” is all about the excitement of finding the empty tomb, and the excitement of
telling others about the discovery. I have suggested that you use a minimum of five women for
the scene. This will give you two women (who are unnamed in this version) to run to get Peter
and John at the beginning of the song. They will return with the disciples and can join the song at
this time.

I have chosen the gospel of Mark to provide the framework for this sequence, but please feel
free to add additional perspectives from the other gospels. If you have been using the aisles of the
auditorium up to this point, it makes good sense to have the women approach the tomb area from
the aisles. They should bring jars and/or canisters to hold the spices and aromatic oils that they
planned to use to anoint Jesus’ body. Because they left home while it was still dark (John 20:1)
and got to the tomb shortly after sunrise, you’re advised to keep the actual tomb in shadows as
long as you can. (In other words, you need to regulate with a lighting cue when the women first
see the tomb with the stone rolled away.) The burial linens that lay on the ground should be
placed at the entrance.

You can stage the appearance of the angel in a variety of ways. The angel can actually emerge
from the tomb. (Mark seems to indicate that the women first saw the angel as they entered the
tomb. Since you cannot stage the scene from inside the tomb, having the angel emerge seems
fully plausible.) The angel can also appear over the tomb, perhaps by walking up concealed steps
behind the tomb that are masked from the audience. The angel can also be present in front of the
tomb from the beginning, and simply lit at the appropriate time with a bright light. In all cases, it
should be clear to the audience why the women do not see the angel until they do. (While John
and Luke record the presence of two angels, Mark and Matthew only mention one, presumably
the spokesman.) Mark also indicates the angel is “a young man” (Mark 14:51) and Luke tells us
the angel(s)’ clothes gleamed like lightning. In addition to making the angel’s robe out of a fabric
that reflects the light, you will be able to enhance the luminescent quality if you do not use white
onstage for any other costume. Once the eyes of the audience have become accustomed to beige,
the sudden appearance of white fabric will have the startling effect you desire. You should also
light the angel with as much ungeled, white light as you can muster.

Once the angel has made his announcement to the women, he should probably disappear,
presumably back into the shadows. If you can’t create a subtle and believable exit, then allowing
the angel to remain in a majestic pose over the tomb during the song will also work. As Mary
Magdalene sings her solo, the other women onstage can sign the background vocals. Peter, John,
and their messenger(s) should time their journey down the aisle so that they arrive at the end of
the first chorus. Peter remains outside the tomb, somewhat skeptical, but John should enter the
tomb, emerging with a burial linen. As he begins to sing, joined by Mary, Peter joins the women
in singing background. If you would like to involve an ensemble, or even your full choir, simply
have one or two of the original women run to tell the news to these groups. These larger crowds
can enter by degrees, joining the song as they arrive. This should help you build and well-paced
and visually exciting climax to the number.

THE BAPTISM OF JESUS

“The Kingdom of Heaven Is at Hand”

The first “bonus number” from the life of Christ that we have included in this collection is a
genuine piece of theatre music that will aid in your staging of the baptism of Jesus. Before I go
any further, however, I need to acknowledge that “The Kingdom of Heaven Is at Hand” does not
actually include the baptism event. In fact, Jesus does not appear (musically or as a character) in
the song at all. This song features John the Baptist proclaiming his prophetic message on the
banks of the Jordan while he baptizes. It should be used to set-up the scene of the baptism and
establish the turbulent and expectant world of first-century Judea. “The Kingdom of Heaven Is at
Hand” is from a dramatic musical that Robert Sterling and I wrote several years ago called One
Voice. If you wish to stage the full baptism musically, you can purchase the song “One Voice,”
which has already been released in octavo form (UPC# 0 80689 11979 8). This is the reason we
decided to include “The Kingdom of Heaven Is at Hand” in the collection rather than “One
Voice.” Robert and I have received many requests over the years for a re-release of “The
Kingdom of Heaven Is at Hand”, and since “One Voice” was already available as an octavo, we
felt this was the number that would best serve your needs. (For those that are not familiar with
the song “One Voice,” it also includes a solo for John the Baptist in the identical vocal range to
“The Kingdom of Heaven Is At Hand” with full choir. The dramatic character of Jesus Christ
appears halfway through the song, requests to be baptized, and is baptized during the final coda.
The two songs were written to bookend a scene depicting the baptism of Jesus.)

If you plan to include the baptism sequence, you face one essential question: to use water or
not to use water? It is difficult to “mime” a believable baptism, but on the other hand, water
raises many safety issues, especially when there is electricity in such close proximity. If your
auditorium already features a baptismal area, then you should attempt to mask this with natural
foliage and utilize it in your production. If you desire to create an area with water, you will need
to build a low berm that effectively masks the baptismal pool. John can emerge Jesus with the
appropriate motion, and when Jesus is bent backwards, he can lower his head into a basin of
water, thus allowing him to stand up and appear to have been submerged. Of course, you can
decide not to include the actual baptismal in this sequence. (There is no direct reference to the
immersion in “One Voice,” so you can use the sequence to suggest that Jesus is preparing to walk
into the river.)

The beginning instrumental sequence in “The Kingdom of Heaven Is at Hand” gives you the
perfect opportunity to enter your choir from every aisle in your auditorium. Start with a small
ensemble (your best singers) onstage with John. Have him interact with the various groups that
make their way to the stage. (Feel free to add your own dialogue to the suggested lines.) Once
everyone has arrived onstage, they should create an attractive tableau of varying levels. John will
move among them, singing and interacting. If you have available wireless microphones, you can
add a nice dash of “Broadway-feel” by giving the first two lines of the second verse to
individuals. (These same individuals can also have lines in the opening dialogue sequence.) This
number should always focus attention on John the Baptist; keep him moving, focused, and
consistently in a “heightened energy” zone.

CALLING THE DISCIPLES

“We Followed the Man”

Including a scene where Jesus initially calls some of His disciples is a good news/bad news
proposition. The good news is that it is always an exciting sequence, culminating with a robust
song of aspiration sung by a group of men. The bad news is that you must include a song sung by
a group of men. Many choirs have a difficult time recruiting enough men to cover the tenor and
baritone sequences on Sunday morning. The idea of finding 12 men, who can sing, who are all
approximately the same age, to play the disciples, is…well…bad news.
 Having said that, let me encourage you to be creative in how you configure the disciples.
Unless you are planning to stage a formal Last Supper sequence, you do not need to cast 12
disciples. In most scenes, as few as 4-5 will often adequately communicate the function of the
group. (Smaller groups of disciples usually consist of Peter, John, James, Andrew, and Judas.
These are often the disciples that have dialogue and specific actions to perform.)

The song “We Followed the Man” was fashioned for the “calling the fishermen” scene (Mark
1:16-20, Matt. 4:18-22, Luke 5:1-11). Claire Cloninger’s perfectly-crafted lyrics carry the
“fishing” metaphor throughout and Robert Sterling’s vigorous melody captures the excitement of
the ministry’s “launch.” The song is arranged for a men’s ensemble, but it can also be performed
by a men’s quartet, composed of the four fishermen who were called to become “fishers of men.”
Jesus would first call Simon (surnamed Peter) and his brother Andrew, and later call brothers
James and John. The scene is the Sea of Galilee, a warm-water lake about 7 miles wide and 13
miles long. It would become geographically central to Jesus’ ministry. Visually, you can suggest
the Sea of Galilee with nets, crates, and the shell of a wooden boat.

It is suggested that you have Jesus call Peter and Andrew first, and have these two characters
sing the solos in the first verse and chorus. James and John can take the solos in the second verse.
These four characters can sing “We Followed the Man” as a quartet, or you can add other men to
the choruses. The key to this number is the energy and excitement in the disciples’ delivery. I
would bring the men to the edge of the stage area and have them sing directly to the audience.
There is a directness in this song (and the implication that we, also, are being called as disciples)
that warrants making a strong connection between the stage and the audience.

JESUS AND THE CHILDREN

“In Your Name with You Are My All in All”

Many life-of-Christ productions include a scene that involves Jesus teaching the people. This
provides an excellent opportunity for some of Jesus’ most important spiritual truths to be shared
in a warm, human manner. I have always felt that the best theatrical rendering of a “teaching”
scene is to show Jesus interacting with children. We all know that Jesus honored children,
admonishing certain adults that “the kingdom of God belongs to them.” The song “In Your Name
with You Are My All in All” was fashioned for a scene in which Jesus instructs a group of
children and this song is sung in response.

If you have a regular children’s choir, this can serve as their featured number in the musical. If
you do not have a regular children’s musical group, you can create a special group from the
children of the adults in your production. (That should make some rehearsals much easier to
attend!) Adults have been added to the arrangement to suggest that, in this case, the children have
actually taught them. When the children run to Jesus, simply arrange them in a natural group,
with Jesus sitting in the center (perhaps holding a very small child on His lap.) Treat this in the
most genuine (i.e.non-staged) manner possible. Jesus should feel free to interact with the children
in a very realistic way, as long as He stays within the parameters of Scripture. One way you can
make this scene seem less “inserted” is to involve children throughout the production. You don’t
necessarily need to use the entire children’s group, but having selected children in the crowd will
create a much more believable stage picture.

You might precede the number with a series of parables. The parable, of course, was the chief
way Jesus related important principles, and it makes a perfect vehicle for children. If you have an
experienced troupe of kids, you might have them “act out” the parable as it is told. Several
parables that make especially good visual stories are The Rich Fool (Luke 12:16-21), The
Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:23-35), The Sower and the Weeds (Matthew 13:58; 24-30)
and, of course, The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). The Pearl of Great Price (Matthew 13:45-46)
would also work well as it is referenced in the lyrics of “You Are My All in All.” You should
end the teaching sequence with important promises from the Sermon on the Mount, as these form
the lyrics of “In Your Name” and will set-up the song. Jesus might even ask them what they have
learned, and the children then respond in song.

The short solo in the second verse has been arranged for a child and an adult, to continue the
children-teaching-adults motif in the song. An especially sweet idea is to have a child and one of
their real grandparents sing the solos. If you plan to involve the audience in your production as a
worshiping body, they can be invited to sing the well-known song “You Are My All in All” with
those onstage.

THE MINISTRY OF HEALING

“Shout to the Lord”

The final “bonus number” that we have included in The Resurrection and the Life is a fully-
realized musical theatre scene that involves two sequential healings. The events that are recorded
in Luke 8:40-56 have been taken fairly verbatim from Scripture and dramatized, framed by a
dramatic new arrangement of the classic worship song, “Shout to the Lord.” This song was
chosen (as opposed to writing an original number) for the great emotional power that audience
familiarity brings to a piece of music. Because your congregation has undoubtedly used this song
in worship many times, there will be an immediate connection and transference of response.

I chose Luke 8:40-56 – the healing of the woman with the issue of blood and the raising of
Jairus’ daughter – because these two events demonstrate such uniquely different aspects of
Christ’s healing powers and because the events appear to have happened sequentially. (Because
we like to have more than one healing and due to theatrical necessity, we sometimes combine
healings from different points in Christ’s ministry into a single song. This sequence did, indeed,
happen as recorded, and creates a much more believable and dramatic scene.)

The sequence begins with Jairus finding Jesus and pleading with Him to attend to his dying
daughter. Jesus agrees and begins to move toward offstage, as if to exit to the house. Jairus must
run ahead and actually exit. Jesus would certainly have had several disciples with him, and they
can provide a “buffer” for the crowds who are “pressing in.” This scene will probably involve
your entire choir and it must never feel out of control. I would permanently place small groups of
people and only have about a dozen of your best actors up and moving around. You will be able
to maintain much better control this way.

Once Jairus has exited, a woman emerges from the crowd and touches the hem of Jesus’ robe.
Scripture tells us this woman had been subject to hemorrhaging for 12 years (the same age,
interestingly, that Jairus’ ill daughter is) and no one could heal her. (Her bleeding would have
also rendered the woman ceremonially unclean [Lev. 15:25-30] and anyone who touched her
would also be unclean. These details are not included in the scene…just as they weren’t
explicated in Scripture. But it will be good background for your actors to understand.) The
woman is healed upon touching Christ’s robe. This healing is quite private, theatrically speaking,
and must be communicated to the audience through the changed posture (perhaps moving from
kneeling to standing) and demeanor of the woman. When Jesus asks, “Who touched Me?”, I
believe He knew full well who had touched Him and He wanted the woman to reveal herself and
openly express the faith that had caused her to reach out. I have scripted Jesus asking “Who
touched Me?” two times for purely dramatic purposes. First of all, the scene needs to slow down
and quiet down. By asking “Who touched Me?” more energetically the first time, the crowd’s
attention can be drawn to the woman and their general noise can reduce. The second “Who
touched Me?” is then more gentle and intimate, as if encouraging the woman to finally speak.
This will effectively change the pace, allow a physical repositioning, and signal a lighting cue to
start.

Scripture tells us that the woman, trembling, fell at Jesus’ feet. I would imagine that Jesus
would have knelt down to look her in the eyes. Although Scripture does not record what she said,
Luke 8:47 shares the essence, and I have simply allowed this essence to become the dialogue I’ve
included. This gentle exchange between our Lord and a woman of faith then turns into song. The
first verse and chorus of “Shout to the Lord” is a solo for the healed woman. It has been arranged
in a tender, almost rubato fashion, allowing it to remain a personal expression between the
woman and Christ. I would have her sing the entire sequence directly to Jesus with both of them
kneeling in a soft pool of light. (A brief note of the minimalistic lyric changes; because the song
is being sung by one individual to another individual, the perceptive of the lyrics had to remain
first person and present tense. Our changes were largely pronouns and verb tenses, and made to
create a consistency.)

At the conclusion of the woman’s solo, Jairus reenters with his dead daughter in his arms. (In
Scripture, Jesus goes to Jairus’ house, but this would be theatrically impossible. The sight of the
lifeless child in her father’s arms is also much more emotionally powerful.) Scripture states that
Christ took the girl by the hand and said “My child, arise!” (The NIV states “My child, get up!”),
but you may elect to have Christ actually take the girl in His arms. The young child you cast in
this role must be small and lightweight. (There are plenty of 12-year-old girls that would not be
physically right for this role. The girl should probably be considerably younger than 12.) She
must be comfortable being completely limp and then coming to life on cue. The crowd erupts
into immediate jubilation and then breaks into song – the final choruses of “Shout to the Lord.”
During this last section, the girl is reunited with her family and Jesus can move among the
people. I would simply tell my choir to sing the song and let their natural worship happen. For
truth be known, that is almost assuredly what happened on that amazing day in first-century
Judea.
 FULL NARRATION
for

The Resurrection and the Life

by

Deborah Craig-Clair

Production Note: The following narration was created for those wishing to perform The
Resurrection and the Life from cover to cover as a narrated musical. All twelve of the
musical numbers are included with their dramatic scenes, placed in chronological order.
Because this project was originally conceived as a collection, and no underscores exist
between the numbers, the narrations are kept fairly short. If you feel the necessity to
provide underscoring, it is suggested that you create your own and perform them with live
keyboard.

The narration provided is largely Scriptural, based on the NIV translation. It is not
interpretative in nature, but purely narrative, providing the story-telling link between the
key dramatic musical events. The twelve musical scenes from the life of Christ should
provide an in-depth portrait of the ministry, death, and resurrection of our Lord; the
power is in the showing, not just the telling. At the conclusion of the narration, there are
suggestions for an invitation sequence and a time of worship.

I have also included suggested minimal staging considerations, focusing on the movement
of the crowd. You can perform the narrated version of The Resurrection and the Life with
your entire choir in Biblical dress, functioning as a crowd throughout, or you can have
your choir remain in the loft and use a small ensemble of costumed non-singing actors to
portray the crowd. Because a large number of Easter productions are performed on
Sunday morning and the use of theatrical lighting is limited, I have conceived the flow of
the production without blackouts or internal lighting cues. (Of course, the musical also
lends itself to as much elaborate technical staging as you wish.) Please refer to the online
Production Notes, also located at www.wordmusic.com, which will provide you with
detailed discussions of all twelve scenes. You are always encouraged to use the aisles of
your auditorium for entrances and exits to help expedite the pace of the production. You
are welcome to make any additions or changes to the suggested narration and dramatic
scenes that will best suit your individual production needs.

****************************************************************************
(Consider underscoring the opening narration with chimes. These can be played live from a
keyboard, an organ, or your church’s clarion. The two NARRATORS stand on opposing sides of
the platform.)

NARRATOR 1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
 and the Word was God. (chime)

NARRATOR 2: The Word was made flesh and made his dwelling among us.
(chime) And his name…

NARRATOR 1: …and his name…

NARRATORS 1 & 2: …was Jesus Christ! (chime)

NARRATOR 2: To all who received him, to all who believed in his name, he
gave the right to become children of God.

NARRATOR 1: He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive
him.

(A bright light illuminates the figure of JOHN THE BAPTIST, either in the center of the stage
area, or in the center aisle in the auditorium.)

NARRATOR 2: So there came a man who was sent from God; his name was
John. He came as a witness to testify concerning the light, so
that through him, all men might believe.

JOHN THE BAPTIST: I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness: “Make straight
the way for the Lord!”

NARRATOR 1: As John preached in the desert, all the people went out to him
from Jerusalem and the whole region of the Jordan. They came
confessing their sins, wanting to be baptized in the Jordan
River. (A large crowd of people start to move excitedly down the
aisles toward the platform area.)

(music begins to “The Kingdom of Heaven Is at Hand”)

JOHN THE BAPTIST: (said over measures 1-16) I baptize you with water for
repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful
than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you
with the Holy Spirit and with fire!

(singing) THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND!

MAN IN CROWD: The kingdom is upon us—what must we do?

JOHN THE BAPTIST: Repent. Confess the past, then look to what's coming…

WOMAN IN CROWD: But how? Where do we go?

JOHN THE BAPTIST: Come to the river!

CROWD: (overlapping) The river? He said the river! Baptize me…and

my son! etc.

JOHN THE BAPTIST: Come to where it is deep and swift—and no soil from this
world
can withstand the current!

JOHN THE BAPTIST: (singing) STEP INTO THE JORDAN,

FEEL THE RIVER’S RUSHING ROAR…etc.

I. “THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND”

JOHN THE BAPTIST: (spoken at measure 91) The kingdom of heaven is at hand—
prepare you the way of the Lord!

(At the conclusion of the number, JOHN stands amid the crowd as everyone freezes in a tableau
of exultant anticipation. As NARRATOR 1 begins to speak, they slowly relax out of the freeze.)

NARRATOR 1: The next day, John looked across the river…and there, coming
toward him, was Jesus of Nazareth.

(JESUS approaches the stage, either down the center aisle [you will need to add additional
dialogue for JOHN], or from the side of the platform. As he approaches, the entire ensemble on
stage turns to look at him, and they kneel as he passes.)

NARRATOR 2: When John saw Jesus, he cried:

JOHN THE BAPTIST: Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
I have seen, and I testify, that this is the Son of God!

(The stage picture freezes for a moment around JESUS, then they slowly begin to back away,
leaving JESUS center stage. Several men are also left on stage – PETER, ANDREW, JOHN and
JAMES. They pick up nets and begin to work on them.)

NARRATOR 1: From his baptism in the Jordan River, Jesus went into Galilee,
preaching the good news of the kingdom of God. As he stood
on the water’s edge, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter
and his brother Andrew.

NARRATOR 2: As they were about to cast a net into the lake, Jesus
approached and called to them.
(music begins to “We Followed the Man”)

JESUS: Peter! Andrew! Come. Follow me, and I will make you fishers
of men.

PETER: (singing) SOMETIMES I KNOW PEOPLE WONDER

HOW WE COULD LEAVE ALL WE’D KNOWN…etc.

II. “WE FOLLOWED THE MAN”

(At the end of the song, the disciples have abandoned their nets and stand with JESUS center
stage. During the following narration and dialogue sequence, the choir reenters from every
aisle. They will assemble around JESUS, sitting, kneeling, and standing, as JESUS moves to a
high point on the stage, as if atop a hill.)

NARRATOR 1: Jesus would eventually call 12 disciples to join in the ministry

of His Father’s work. And so Jesus went throughout Galilee,
teaching in the synagogues, and preaching the good news of the
kingdom.

NARRATOR 2: News of Him spread, and large crowds came to hear Him
speak. When He saw the people, He went up on a
mountainside, and began to teach, saying…

JESUS: Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed
are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of
righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are
you when men revile you and say all manner of evil against you
falsely on account of Me. Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward
in heaven is great. Look at the birds of the air. They don’t reap
or sow, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth
more than they? Don’t be anxious–seek first His kingdom, and
all shall be added to you. Ask, and it shall be given; seek, and
you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you!

(JESUS opens His arms, and the children in the crowd run to Him, laughing. Some of the adults
try to restrain them, but JESUS gently rebukes them.)

JESUS: No, no. It’s alright. Let the children come, for the kingdom of
God belongs to them.

(The children sit around JESUS.)

CHILD 1: The kingdom of God? What’s that?

CHILD 2: Who lives there?

JESUS: Well, the kingdom of God is like this tiny mustard seed. It’s the
smallest seed you sow in the garden, but it grows to be the
largest of all the plants.

CHILD 1: When will the kingdom get here?

CHILD 2: How long will we have to wait?

JESUS: Now the kingdom won’t come if you do nothing but wait for it
to come.

(music begins to “In Your Name with You Are My All in All”)

Some people will say “Here it is” and other people will say
“There it is.” But listen to what I tell you…the kingdom of
God…is within you.

CHILD 2: Within us?

JESUS: Yes, within you! Be patient. Be faithful. And pray. For

whatever you ask in My name, My Father will give you.

III. “IN YOUR NAME with YOU ARE MY ALL IN ALL”

(At the conclusion of the number, the children either return to their parents in the crowd, or are
led off as a group by some adults. JESUS slowly begins to make His way down through the
crowd. Those around Him reach out to Him, and He touches them and interacts with them.)

NARRATOR 1: Jesus continued to reach out to all people–young and old, rich
and poor, the venerated and the cast out–and the crowds
continued to follow Him.

NARRATOR 2: News about Jesus spread throughout Judea, and people

brought to Him all who were ill and suffering with pain, and
He healed them.

NARRATOR 1: One day, as Jesus walked among the people, a man named
Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, approached Him.

(JAIRUS emerges from the crowd and runs to JESUS, who is now downstage.)
JAIRUS: Master! Master Jesus, please…You must come at once. My
daughter…my only daughter…she’s barely 12…she’s had this
fever for so long, and now, she is dying…

JESUS: Bring me to her.

JAIRUS: Thank you, thank you, Rabbi. I’ll show You the way.

(JAIRUS exits, and JESUS begins to follow. Suddenly, a WOMAN from the crowd approaches and
touches the hem of JESUS’ robe.)

JESUS: Who touched Me?

(The crowd hushes)

JESUS: (softly) Who touched Me?

PETER: Master, the people are crowding and pressing against You.

JESUS: But someone touched Me. I know that power has gone out from
Me.

WOMAN: Rabbi…it was I.

(music begins to “Shout to the Lord”)

Forgive me. I have been ill for over 12 years. No physician has
been able to heal me…until the moment I touched the hem of
your robe. In a single instant, I have been made whole again.

JESUS: (bending down to her to touch her face) My daughter…your faith

has healed you.

WOMAN : (looking into JESUS’ eyes) That is because my faith is in You.

(The WOMAN sings directly to JESUS)

WOMAN: (singing) MY JESUS, MY SAVIOR,

LORD, THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU…etc.

IV. “SHOUT TO THE LORD”

(beginning in measures 44-47, JAIRUS reenters, his lifeless child in his arms. He is sobbing. The
WOMAN moves back into the crowd, responding in sorrow with the others.)
PETER: Look, Master, it is Jarius, the one with the afflicted child.

JAIRUS: It is too late. She is gone. My daughter has died. See how lifeless
she is in my arms…

JESUS: No. Do not be afraid. Believe and she will be healed.

JAIRUS: But, how can that be…

JESUS: (more firmly, as music starts to build) Believe and she will be
healed. (crying out) My child! My child, arise!

(The child comes to life as the CROWD erupts into exclamations of praise, which naturally flow
into the final choruses.)

CROWD: (singing) SHOUT TO THE LORD,

ALL THE EARTH LET US SING…etc.

(At the conclusion of the song, the stage is in a tableau of praise around JESUS, who is center. It
is suggested that you bring back the chimes that you used in the beginning of the production to
help proclaim this important turning point in the story. JESUS and his DISCIPLES should remain
center stage, as the rest of the CROWD turns and slowly exits. [Most of them should exit into the
aisles of the auditorium, where you can preset palm branches under pews for them to retrieve.]
There should clearly be a change in JESUS at this point, as He focuses on the final days of His
earthly life.)

NARRATOR 1: It had been three years since Jesus first brought the kingdom of
His Father to the world. He healed their hearts, He mended
their bodies, He renewed their lives. (chime)

NARRATOR 2: Yet the time had come when Jesus began to explain to His
disciples that the end was near. (chime)

NARRATOR 1: One day, Jesus gathered His disciples about Him, and asked a
simple question.

JESUS: Who do the people say I am?

JOHN: Some say John the Baptist.

JAMES: Others say Elijah, or one of the prophets.

JESUS: But who do you say I am?

PETER: (understanding it fully for the first time) You are the Christ, the
 Son of the living God.

JESUS: Blessed are you, Simon, for this was not revealed to you by man,
but by my Father in heaven. Remember those words, and upon
them build My Church. For I will soon be going to Jerusalem,
where I will suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief
priests, and teachers of the law. (chime) I will be killed and on
the third day be raised to life. (the DISCIPLES respond)

PETER: Never, Lord! This shall never happen to You!

JESUS: No Peter, you’re setting your mind on man’s interests, not

God’s. If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself
and take up his cross and follow Me. (chime) For whoever wants
to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will
find it. (chime)

NARRATOR 1: And so Jesus and His disciples made their way to Jerusalem.
(JESUS and the DISCIPLES either slowly move to the front of the
stage, or into the aisles of the auditorium.) The great crowd that
had come for the Passover Feast heard that Jesus was on His
way to Jerusalem.

NARRATOR 2: They took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting
“Hosanna!”

NARRATOR 1: “Hosanna in the highest!”

NARRATOR 2: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

(The CROWD fills the aisles, waving palm branches and greeting JESUS.)

(music begins to “Hosanna to the King”)

V. “HOSANNA TO THE KING”

(At the conclusion of the number, the CROWD should exit down the aisles, carrying their palm
branches with them. During the narration, JESUS gathers His DISCIPLES around Him center
stage, at a low table or mat and the Passover elements [see Production Notes] are brought in by
several costumed extras.)

NARRATOR 1: The hosannas quickly faded into the noise and confusion of the
days that followed.

NARRATOR 2: The chief priests and elders plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly
 way and kill Him.

NARRATOR 1: Then one of the 12 disciples–the one called Judas Iscariot–went

to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me
if I hand Him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty
silver coins. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to
hand Jesus over to the authorities.

NARRATOR 2: On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples
made preparations in an upper room for the Passover meal.

NARRATOR 1: When evening came, Jesus sat at the table with the Twelve. He
looked at them sadly, then said…

JESUS: I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me. (The
DISCIPLES respond)

PETER: Lord, who is it?

JESUS: It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have
dipped it in the dish.

(JESUS dips the bread, and turns to hand it to JUDAS, who stands.)

JESUS: (To JUDAS) What you are about to do, do quickly.

(JUDAS abruptly exists; the other DISCIPLES are clearly upset.)

JESUS: This very night, you will all fall away on account of me. (the
DISCIPLES react)

PETER: Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.

JESUS: (Directly to PETER) I tell you the truth. This very night, before
the rooster crows, you will disown me three times. (more
reaction)

PETER: Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you! (The
DISCIPLES echo the same sentiment)

JESUS: Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in
Me. As my Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now love
each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one but this,
that he lay down his life for his friends. (Picking up the bread)
Take, and eat; this is my body. (Picking up the cup) Drink from
 it, all of you. This is the blood of the covenant, which is poured
out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

(music begins to “In Remembrance”)

(JESUS passes the elements during the instrumental introduction [measures 1-15]. At measure
16, He pauses and speaks.)

JESUS: (over measures 16-20) I have so desired to eat this Passover with
you before I suffer. For I tell you—I will not eat it again until it
finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.

VI. “IN REMEMBRANCE”

JESUS: (singing directly to the disciples individually) IN

REMEMBRANCE OF ME, EAT THIS BREAD
IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME, DRINK THIS WINE…etc.

(At the conclusion of the number, JESUS stands among his DISCIPLES and prays.)

JESUS: Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may
glorify You. I have brought You glory on earth by completing
the work you gave Me to do. And now, Father, glorify Me in
Your presence with the glory I had in You before the world
began.

NARRATOR 1: When Jesus had finished praying, He left with His disciples.

(JESUS and the DISCIPLES stand and move to one side of the stage. They turn and descend
down the steps to the floor of the auditorium. They will turn and walk on the auditorium floor in
front of the platform area to the opposite side, where the area for the garden of Gethsemane has
been set up with some foliage.)

NARRATOR 2: They crossed the Kidron Valley, and on the other side, there
was an olive grove, a place called Gethsemane. Jesus turned to
His chosen, and said…

JESUS: Sit here while I go over there and pray.

(The majority of the DISCIPLES sit or lay down on the floor area, as JESUS ascends into the
garden area with PETER, JOHN and JAMES.)

NARRATOR 1: Jesus took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, John and James,
along with Him into the garden. He was deeply troubled as He
spoke to them upon entering the garden.
JESUS: My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay
here and keep watch with Me.

(music begins to “Thy Will Not My Will with The Garden Arrest”)

NARRATOR 2: Jesus went a little further, then fell to the ground and prayed.

JESUS: My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from Me.

VII. “THY WILL NOT MY WILL with THE GARDEN ARREST”

(An unseen soloist sings from the shadows as JESUS continues His agonized prayer. PETER,
JAMES and JOHN remain a short distance away, huddled together.)

SOLOIST: (singing) THE LONELY NIGHT OF SHADOWS

A CHILL HANGS IN THE AIR…etc.

JESUS: (spoken over measures 37-41) Thy will…not my will…be done.

(The music continues. An angry CROWD approaches down the aisles of the auditorium. JUDAS
walks near front of the group. The DISCIPLES stir from their sleep, remaining on the floor area
in front of the platform. PETER, JOHN and JAMES stand.)

PETER: What is happening? Who approaches?

JOHN: Master!

JESUS: Peter! John! How can you still be sleeping? The hour is near—
and I will be betrayed into the hands of sinners.

(DISCIPLES respond with denials. The CROWD is closer.)

JESUS: We must go! Here comes my betrayer.

(The CROWD enters the garden. They stop at the sight of JESUS as JUDAS moves forward.
JUDAS confronts JESUS and the CROWD falls to a hush.)

JUDAS: Greetings…Rabbi.

JESUS: Judas. Am I to be betrayed with a kiss? (beat) Friend. Do what

you have come for.

(JUDAS kisses JESUS. JESUS is immediately seized. After a few moments, JESUS shouts over the
tumult.)
JESUS: Stop! No more of this! Am I leading a rebellion, that you have
come after Me with swords and clubs? Every day I was with
you in the temple and you did not lay a hand on Me. (slower,
more deliberate) But this is your hour…when darkness
reigns!

(JESUS is led out as the angry CROWD follows. The DISCIPLES watch, most of them running off
stage, deserting the scene. PETER should be left alone, center stage, watching the departing
crowd in horror. [If you have lighting capability, dim the stage lights and light PETER in an
intense white light.])

NARRATOR 1: Jesus Christ was taken to the high priest, Ciaphas, and all the
chief priests, elders, and teachers of the law came together.

NARRATOR 2: Peter followed at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high
priest. He sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire.

(PETER kneels at the very edge of the stage, as if warming himself at a fire imagined to be in
front of him. Slowly, three individuals move into a semi-circle behind PETER, as if joining him at
the fire.)

NARRATOR 1: Above Peter, in a large room, the chief priest and the whole
Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so they could
put Him to death. Finally, Ciaphas asked Him, “Are you the
Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” And Jesus answered, “I
am.”

NARRATOR 2: The high priest tore his clothes, saying “Why do we need any
more witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy!” And they all
condemned Jesus as worthy of death.

NARRATOR 1: While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls
of the high priest approached the fire. She looked closely at
Peter, and said…

WOMAN 1: You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus!

NARRATOR 1: But Peter denied it.

PETER: I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about.

NARRATOR 2: Another woman saw him, and said to those around her…

WOMAN 2: This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.

NARRATOR 2: And again, he denied it.

PETER: I don’t know the man!

NARRATOR 1: Finally, someone stood next to Peter, saying…

MAN 1: Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away.

NARRATOR 1: Then Peter began to call down curses on himself and he swore
to them…

PETER: (Crying out) I do not know the man! (SFX: A rooster crows three
times. PETER cries out in agony; the three individuals immediately
turn and exit; PETER stands alone center stage)

(music begins to “I Did Not Know the Man”)

PETER: (speaking his thoughts aloud) Master…how did it come to this?

How could I deny serving you? How could I deny even knowing
who you were?

VIII. “I DID NOT KNOW THE MAN”

PETER: (singing) THERE WAS A FIRE IN THE COURTYARD

AND I FELT THE DEEPEST CHILL…etc.

(*SPECIAL NOTE: If “I Did Not Know the Man” is sung in this position in the musical, you will
need to repeat the first stanza as the final stanza, as Peter does not yet have knowledge of the
Crucifixion. The song can be sung as written [either as a Reprise or for the first time] immediately
following “Take Me Down.”)

(At the conclusion of the number, PETER should slowly back up, as a small group of CROWD
individuals walk on stage; they should be animated, angry, looking out over the audience. [The
idea is that they will become the crowd before Pilate’s balcony.] PETER disappears into the
group.)

NARRATOR 1: The long night was over, and early in the morning, the chief
priests came to the decision to put Jesus to death. They bound
Him, led Him away and handed Him over to Pilate, the
governor of Judea.

NARRATOR 2: It was the governor’s custom at Passover to release a prisoner

chosen by the crowd. At the time, they had a notorious prisoner
called Barabbas. So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked
 them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas,
or Jesus who is called the Christ?”

NARRATOR 1: “Barabbas!” they answered.

(The small CROWD assembled on stage takes up the ad-libbed calling for Barabbas.)

NARRATOR 2: Pilate asked them again, “What shall I do, then, with Jesus?”

NARRATOR 1: And they all answered, “Crucify Him!”

(The small CROWD on stage now takes up the chant “Crucify Him!”)

NARRATOR 2: (overriding the CROWD, who now fall silent) Then Pilate cried, “I
am innocent of this man’s blood!” And he released Barabbas to
them. And Jesus Christ was handed over to be crucified.

(The small CROWD can stay on the platform level or move onto the floor in front of the platform.
They once again begin to mock and accuse JESUS, as the group now represents those that lined
the Via Dolorosa. The volume of the CROWD’s reactions should serve as an underscore to [and
not overpower] the narration. A low, muffled drum cadence would help build the momentum of
the scene into the next musical number.)

NARRATOR 1: The governor’s soldiers flogged Jesus, stripped Him, and put a
scarlet robe around His shoulders. They twisted together a
crown of thorns and set it on His head.

NARRATOR 2: They spit on Him and they mocked Him, calling out “Hail, King
of the Jews!” Then they brought Jesus to the street known as
the Via Dolorosa, the “way of suffering.” It was the road that
would lead to the place of His execution.

NARRATOR 1: And they forced Him to carry a cross…the cross upon which He
was sentenced to die.

(JESUS now appears at the back of the auditorium. He shows the effects of His beating and
carries the horizontal beam of His cross upon His shoulders. A ROMAN CENTURION walks with
Him, clearing the way. [You may also have the CROWD enter the aisles, or they can remain on
the platform. The CHOIR [or ensemble or soloist] that will sing “The Road of Sorrows” should
not be part of the action occurring in the aisles.])

CENTURION: All of you—you must clear this road! A condemned prisoner is

passing through. By the command of Caesar, disperse! Or you
will also be arrested!
(JESUS cries out, falling. A solitary WOMAN’s voice is heard from the CROWD.)

WOMAN: Help him, please…won’t someone please help this man?

CENTURION: If you so much as touch this criminal—or the cross He carries—

you may incur the same fate. An execution awaits. Clear this
road!

(music begins to “The Road of Sorrows”)

(As the music begins, the small CROWD can either continue their realistic reactions or exit. [See
the Production Notes for a more detailed discussion of this sequence.] JESUS and the
CENTURION continue to make their labored journey down the “road.”)

IX. “THE ROAD OF SORROWS”

CHOIR (or ENSEMBLE

or SOLOIST): (singing) HE WALKED THE ROAD OF SORROWS,
HE BORE THE WEIGHT OF ALL MY TEARS…etc.

(At approximately measure 22, JESUS falls to the ground, unable to go further. The CENTURION
points to a man in the CROWD [or audience].)

CENTURION: (during measures 23-25) You there! Pick up the cross of the
accused. You will carry it until we reach the road’s end.

(The man [Simon of Cyrene] picks up the cross and carries it the remainder of the way, following
JESUS and the CENTURION. If you plan to portray Jesus on the Cross with a live actor, JESUS
and the CENTURION will walk directly onto the platform and the area designated for Calvary. If
you plan to depict the Crucifixion using an alternative method [see Production Notes for
suggestions], then JESUS, the CENTURION and SIMON will exit once they reach the front of the
auditorium. At the conclusion of “The Road of Sorrows,” there is a direct segue to “The
Wondrous Cross” with a single sentence of narration between.)

NARRATOR 1: And Jesus arrived at Golgotha, which means the “Place of the
Skull,” and there He was crucified.

(direct segue; music begins to “The Wondrous Cross”)

(The Crucifixion is enacted. JESUS speaks three times from the Cross. This can be performed
live, or, if you are using an alternative method to depict the Crucifixion, the lines can be read off
stage or prerecorded. The SFX of the hammer rings, thunder, and rain are on the Accompaniment
Trax.)

X. “THE WONDROUS CROSS”

CHOIR: (singing) WHEN I SURVEY THE WONDROUS CROSS
ON WHICH THE PRINCE OF GLORY DIED…etc.

JESUS: (at measure 15) Father, forgive them, for they do not know what
they are doing.

JESUS: (at measure 32) My God…my God…why have you forsaken

Me?

JESUS: (at measure 38) It is finished! Father, into your hands I commit
My Spirit!

(If you have depicted the Crucifixion with a live actor, at the conclusion of “The Wondrous
Cross” you will need to prepare to remove the body. The disciple JOHN and MARY, the mother of
JESUS, should approach the cross where the CENTURION stands nearby. There is no narration;
the dialogue begins immediately.)

(*SPECIAL NOTE: If you depicted the Crucifixion using media or by other methods not
involving a live actor, you can either eliminate “Take Me Down” and move directly to the next
narration sequence, or you can use the number as a time of meditation and prayer, similar to a
Tenebrae service).

CENTURION: The sentence has been carried out. The execution completed.
I’m sorry. Everyone must vacate this hill. (MARY cries out)

JOHN: Please. This is the mother of Jesus of Nazareth, the man you
have just executed. Can you not find it within your heart to
allow a mother to hold her son one last time?

CENTURION: Very well. Lower the body…

(music begins to “Take Me Down”)

MARY: (through tears) Gently. Please…be gentle…Oh my son…my

son…

(During the song, the lifeless body of JESUS is slowly lowered from the Cross and put into
MARY’s arms. It can then be prepared for burial, put upon a bier, covered in linen, and
removed. [See the Production Notes for a detailed discussion.] The soloist and choir for
this number should be unseen, singing from offstage or the shadows.)

XI. “TAKE ME DOWN”

SOLOIST: (singing) TAKE ME DOWN THE RUGGED ROAD
WHERE JESUS STUMBLED, WEAK AND WORN…etc.

(At the conclusion of the number, the stage should once again be empty. The NARRATORS move
forward.)

NARRATOR 1: The body of Jesus Christ was taken down from the Cross,
wrapped in linen cloth and placed in a tomb cut in the rock, one
in which no one had yet been laid.

NARRATOR 2: The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed the
body to the tomb and saw how the body was laid in it. Then
they went home and prepared spices and perfumes, but they
rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.

NARRATOR 1: On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the
women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.

(Three to five women appear in the aisle of the auditorium, making their way toward the platform
area. They carry containers of spices and oils.)

MARY MAGDALENE: There it is, Mary. There is the entrance to the garden. Do
you need my help?

OTHER MARY: No. No, I can make it on my own.

SALOME: Let me at least take some of your spices.

OTHER MARY: Thank you, Salome. The road to the tomb was longer than I
imagine it would be.

MARY M.: Come. We must hurry. The sun has already risen. We have a
short time in which to anoint the body.

OTHER MARY: But how will we enter the tomb? Who will roll the stone away
from the entrance?

SALOME: There are five of us. Surely, together, we would be able to move
one stone…(sees MARY M’s frightened expression) What is it,
Mary?

MARY M.: (breathless) Look. The tomb…it’s open. The stone…is rolled
away…
SALOME: What are you saying?

MARY M.: It’s empty! The burial linens are on the ground…

SALOME: (terrified) The body is gone! Where is our Lord? What have
they done with Jesus…?

(music begins to “Jesus Is Alive”)

(A brilliant ANGEL appears. [See the Production Notes for a full discussion on this event.] The
WOMEN respond in awe.)

ANGEL: Don’t be afraid! I know you are looking for Jesus who was
crucified. But He is not here. He…has…risen!
Go quickly and tell his disciples: He is going ahead of you into
Galilee, and there you will see Him! It is just as He said. Jesus
Christ is alive!

(Two WOMEN run down the aisle of the auditorium to find the DISCIPLES. MARY
MAGDALENE, SALOME and the OTHER MARY respond to the news in jubilant song.)

XII. “JESUS IS ALIVE”

MARY M.: (singing) THE TOMB IS EMPTY

THERE’S NO ONE THERE…etc.

(During the first chorus [measures 27-36], the two WOMEN return with the disciples JOHN and
PETER. They run excitedly down the aisle and up to the platform, timing their arrival with the
conclusion of the chorus.)

JOHN: (At measure 39) Mary…Mary, what is it?

MARY M: John, Peter, it’s a miracle…

PETER: What’s happened?

MARY M: The tomb is empty!

PETER: Empty?! I can’t believe that…

JOHN: Peter, it’s true! The body is gone; it’s all happening just as He
said it would.
(singing) THE GRAVE IS SILENT,
THERE’S NOT A SOUND…etc.
(The production can end with the conclusion of “Jesus Is Alive” or you can extend the program.
If you wish to have a message or a service of testimony, it can occur at this time. The pastor can
also offer an invitation. You can also include a time of worship for your congregation. If you wish
to provide a more formal closure to the musical, you may use the following response sequence. A
reprise of “Jesus Is Alive” would make an excellent conclusion.)

NARRATOR 1: Do not be afraid! I know that you are looking for Jesus who was
crucified. But He is not here! He has risen!

ALL: He has risen indeed!

NARRATOR 2: Come and see the place where He lay. Then go and tell
everyone: Jesus Christ has risen!

ALL: He has risen indeed!

NARRATOR 1: Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them, in the

name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.

NARRATOR 2: And surely, Jesus will be with you always, to the very end of the
age.

ALL: He has risen indeed! Alleluia!