PASSION PLAY IN THE SMOKIES:

The mountain breezes of Townsend will once again carry the dramatic sounds and inspirational words of the story of Jesus as Crown of Thorns Ministries, in cooperation with the Chilhowee Baptist Association present THE PASSION PLAY IN THE SMOKIES. This dramatic musical is presented in the beautiful Townsend Amphitheater on Bethel Road in Townsend, Tennessee according the the following schedule of shows. Performances in the month of October will begin at 7 pm. All other performances begin at 8 pm.

This outdoor production combines elements of drama, solo and choral music, pageantry, and traditional Hebrew dance to tell the story of Christ's ministry, and His death and resurrection.

Nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, THE PASSION PLAY IN THE SMOKIES will allow vacationers (and locals alike) an opportunity to escape for a time - to leave behind the frantic pace and hectic rush of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg and experience the peace and tranquility of Townsend, the peaceful side of the Smokies. Our audiences sit as a congregation gathered under the stars and experience the story of God's ultimate love and a peace that passes all understanding.

The production is being presented by Crown of Thorns Ministries. Mark Pedro, Director and Producer of the drama, is no stranger to the Townsend area, having worked with the Smoky Mountain Passion Play in this same amphitheater from 1985 to 1992. He was the last actor to portray the role of Christ in the original production and will assume the role again for this production. Mark Pedro is the Art Director and Artist-in-Residence for Gatlinburg's oldest attraction: Christus Gardens. As a matter of fact, while distributing brochures for Christus Gardens in Townsend a year ago, Pedro, feeling nostalgic about the years he participated in drama in Townsend through the Passion Play and later as a member of the technical staff of Christie, the television series, asked someone in one of the hotels about the fate of the old amphitheater. After being informed that it was now in the hands of the Chilhowee Baptist Association (CBA) he said, "I contacted Rev. Kelly Campbell, who heads Ministries Outreach for many of the campgrounds in the area for the CBA and asked him what was happening with the amphitheater. Kelly told me that, as a matter of fact, they had been praying about what to do next at the amphitheater."

"How about resurrecting the Passion Play?" I blurted!

Kelly then said, "We were hoping and praying that someone with the passion and drive to take on the task would come along." After hearing this Pedro exclaimed, "I AM YOUR MAN! I already have all the costumes and props ... in fact for the past three years my wife and I and a band of dedicated cast members have been producing a small drama at the fairgrounds in Sevierville. Trying to schedule a production around all the other activities held there has really been a hassle ... and besides, my wife would LOVE to see all that Passion Play paraphernalia out of the basement of our house!"

After a few meetings between Campbell and Pedro along with Baptist Missions Director Rev. Jim Snyder and the technical director for the play and the stage manager, Ed and Teresa Cooper, the decision was made prayerfully to mount a "new" production in the "old" amphitheater.

How does this new Passion Play differ from past productions held in the Townsend Amphitheater? Pedro states, "Many Passion dramas simply tell the story of Christ's last week on earth ... we begin with His Baptism by John the Baptist and include many of His miracles and His parables as well as the more traditional scenes included in all Passion Dramas. A very unique element of our production is traditional Hebrew dance provided by Benote Tsion of Knoxville whose director and founder is Mrs. Jean Mabry. This group interprets through Hebrew dance many of the prophecies and sufferings of the Messiah, utilizing silk worship banners and flags and a type of Hebrew ballet. Through this medium, the audience is given a chance to reflect on what they have just witnessed in the drama. An example of this is when following Jesus' emotional lament over Jerusalem, the city He loves and which has rejected Him, a solo dancer also symbolically weeps over Jerusalem using a prayer shawl. The interpretive dance really gives a beautifully full understanding of the emotion behind the scene. Benote Tsion is internationally known - the dancers and their leader travel world-wide and present the Gospel through dance yearly at the Feast of Tabernacles in Israel as well as at various locations here in the United States and Europe. The beauty and emotion evoked by this form of worship is unforgettable and we are blessed to have them as part of our production!"

Another element impossible to get by without is the technical end of a production - sound and lighting. Ed Cooper is our Technical Director and his wife Teresa is our Stage Manager. Ed is the lead Sound/Communication Coordinator at Dollywood and we also consider him to be an answer to prayer and our "fleece" as well. When we were first considering mounting our production in Sevierville we had been having casting calls and had a good bit of interest, but knew that without a Technical Director we were sunk before we even started - in fact, that was our "fleece" - if God really intended for the drama to go forward, He would send us a technical director at the next meeting. When Ed and Teresa arrived, they were asked, as everyone else had been, what characters they were interested in playing. Without missing a beat, Ed stated simply, "I am your technical director." It is occasionally easy to misread an answer to prayer, but not that time!

Many of our actors and singers are professional - we have had volunteers who are paid cast members of local theaters in Pigeon Forge but who love the Lord and want to be involved in ministry. Our Public Relations Director is Ms. Sandra Pinkoski who is a local newspaper columnist and who has been involved in Opera productions as well as the Gatlinburg Passion Play and is now a dancer with Benote Tsion. We are blessed by our professional singers, actors, and dancers, but are just as blessed by those who just love God and are willing to be put to work in whatever capacity they are needed. Pedro emphasizes that "We have many families involved. Being a part of a dramatic ministry is a wonderful thing for them to experience together. This is true not only for those in the cast but in the audience as well."

Crown of Thorns Ministries and the Chilhowee Baptist Association are so thrilled that once again these mountains will ring with the sound of music and drama and the beautiful story of the love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ for us all!

Please contact Crown of Thorn Ministries & Mark Pedro by email.

For more information about the production or for ticket information, please contact the Chilhowee Baptist Association:

Purchase Tickets: (865) 448-3505

Adults - $12.00 each
Children (12 yrs & under) - $5.00 each
Church Van Discount (groups of 10 or more) - $10.00 each
CLICK HERE FOR A DISCOUNT COUPON

To see our schedule for the 2008 season (click here)

For information about becoming a part of the drama as a volunteer through acting or music or a part of the support staff, please contact Teresa Cooper at (865) 640-8960.