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March 2005 Table of Contents
Special Feature
Pageant Of Our Lord Celebrates 20th Anniversary Easter Message Conveyed Through Artistic Expression at Rolling Hills Covenant Church
By Brian Peterson
Each Easter season for the past 20 years, Rolling Hills Covenant Church has celebrated the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ with the majestic Pageant of Our Lord. More than 150,000 people have experienced the wonder of the Pageant and the Easter message during the presentation's tremendous run.
Inspired by the world-famous Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach, California, and the Oberammergau Passion Play in Germany, The Pageant of Our Lord—using live models posing motionless to bring to life classical works of Christian art—has become a cultural institution in southern California.
"The Pageant is a year-round project for myself," said Pageant Producer and Music Director Dr. David Halverson, who also serves as worship pastor at Rolling Hills Covenant Church, located approximately 20 miles south of Los Angeles. "I have visited art museums in many countries of the world searching for art that would fit the theme of the pageant and that would be feasible to recreate in life-size dimensions. It is difficult to find art—sculpture, paintings, ceramics—that is done in a style, and has the dimensions that our pageant can use."
Beginning March 11, the 20th Anniversary of the Pageant will play 16 performances (see schedule below). Under the art direction of local plein aire artist Brad Hicks, the 2005 Pageant will include 16 sacred masterpieces, including a new piece "Doubting Thomas" a 16th century sculpture by Andrea Del Verrocchio.
"This is my way to serve the Lord," said Hicks, who believes his artistic talent is a gift from God. "The Pageant is a beautiful way to show God's love for humanity, and to share with others the salvation we have in Christ."
"God's Faithfulness" is the theme for the 20th Anniversary show. Karen Forest is the Pageant's drama director and her husband, Guy, wrote an original script that will be accompanied by music performed by a sixty-voice choir and a full orchestra. More than 300 local volunteers will be used to assemble the artwork, paint the models, participate in the drama, and perform the musical score.
During the Pageant's 20 years, more than 40 works of art have been created. Some of the legendary pieces include Da Vinci's "The Last Supper;" Michelangelo's "Pieta;" "Calvary," a South German bronze sculpture by DeKeyser from the 1600s; "Well of Moses" a 14th-century sculpture featuring six Old Testament prophets by Claus Sleuter; "The Sacrifice of Isaac," a 17th-century relief by Jaeger; "Jesus with Mary and Martha," by Jan Vermeer; "The Baptism of Christ," reproduced from a statuary group in the Sala dei Misteri, and "Daniel in the Lion's Den," a black and white etching by Dore. "The Last Supper" and "Pieta" are the only ones to have appeared in every show.
"Performing in the Pageant changed my life," said one of the models in the "The Crucifixion" piece after a recent performance. "I was going through marital and business difficulties at the time. I felt the whole world was on my shoulders, and I was looking for answers. The turning point was the first dress rehearsal. As I climbed up the painting and positioned myself, and the lights and the music began, I was actually there watching Jesus be crucified. I felt forgiveness in my heart. God's only Son died for me, and He forgave me. I finally had peace in my life, and that's because I cast all those burdens on God and learned to forgive."
The musical score that accompanies the artwork is equally impressive. Works from legendary composers such as Mozart, Beethoven, Handel, and Tchaikovsky have delighted ears. Some of the songs being used for the 20th Anniversary include, "Great is Thy Faithfulness," "Intermezzo from Cavaleria Rusticana," "On Eagles Wings/Theme from Symphony #6–Tchaikovsky," "Gabriel's Oboe," "Theme from Schindler's List," "Ave Maria," and "A Mighty Fortress."
The idea to create The Pageant of Our Lord originated with Dr. Halverson, and Stephanie MacKay in 1985. Rassie Harper, a retired local fireman with no formal art training, served as the artistic director during the presentation's first 17 years. Nancy Calkins penned the original script that featured just six works of art and played to a total of 3,000 people during five performances.
The superb quality of the Pageant has been highly acclaimed locally and internationally in newspapers and on television. People who have attended the presentation have described it as breathtaking, exhilarating, glorious, amazing, incredible, inspiring, moving, and awesome.
"I remember playing Mary in ‘Pieta' for the first time," said a former Pageant actress. "Rehearsal, makeup, lights, led to a concentrated study of the pose and finally time for the presentation to begin. I was excited and ready to stand motionless for the minutes it took the orchestra to play. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with emotion. How had Mary, the mother of Jesus, felt holding her crucified son in her arms? Tears flowed down my cheeks, sadness overcame me, and the "marbled' makeup ran down my face."
A typical performance is divided equally between classical paintings and sculptures. One or two new pieces are created each year.
A small army of artists is used to apply body paint, specially formulated for the show, to the models. It's like applying paint to a canvas. Highlighting and shading are key elements to create the illusion necessary to enmesh a person into a work of art.
When the makeup is finished, the models are skillfully positioned into a set that has been crafted to duplicate every aspect of the classic work of art. For example, "The Wise Men"—an heirloom Faberge-style egg by Aline Becker of Springfield, Missouri—had to use junior high boys because the piece could only stand 17 feet high. Adults would have made the piece 25 feet high.
Safety is very important. Footrests, handrails, safety belts, and harnesses are used to ensure that the models, which often are placed in demanding positions for lengths of time, can perform without distractions.
The Pageant of Our Lord is a monumental undertaking each year, and is revered for good reason. Not only has it provided tremendous entertainment and exposed a variety of cultures to art, but it also has struck a spiritual cord in the hearts of everyone who sees it.
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