The Greatest Stories Ever Told . . . Outdoors

Seeing is believing. For many people involved in producing outdoor religious drama each summer, that motto holds special meaning. By portraying the life of Christ, these dramas not only celebrate the story of Jesus, but also witness to hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.

Besides passion plays, which dramatize the final days of Jesus’ life, are Mormon plays. These dramas celebrate major events in the Mormon faith, including the delivery of metal plates to Joseph Smith by an angel as well as the struggles of the faithful in the face of growing hostility in the early years of Mormonism.

Beginning with the Black Hills Passion Play (Spearfish, SD) in 1938, outdoor religious dramas have continued to grow and thrive across the country. Appealing to large tour groups, spiritual individuals and families alike, these plays take the written word of the Bible and well-known characters from its stories and bring them to life on stage under the stars. Located in spectacular settings – the Ozarks of Arkansas, nearby the mighty Missippi River and the Manti Temple Hill in Utah for example – these incorporate stirring music – much of it original composition or a combination with traditional hymns – as well as period costumes, chariots, horses, camels and elaborate sets so as to make their message more appealing and more powerful to audiences in attendance.

In The Great Passion Play (Eureka Springs, AR), Jesus and the Apostles are portrayed on a massive stage 500 feet wide and 400 feet deep. Horse drawn chariots, live sheep, goats and camels and a cast of 250 actors all serve to dramatize Christ's final days on earth in Bethlehem, Galilee, Jerusalem and others. Special effects help dramatize the crucifixion, emergence from the tomb and the spectacular ascension of Jesus.

These are no amateur church dramas; they are designed to tell their stories as effectively and powerfully as modern theatre technology will allow.

Outdoor religious dramas are located across the country, from South Carolina to South Dakota, from Utah to Ohio and many points in-between. For more information about any of the country’s eleven outdoor religious dramas, contact the Institute of Outdoor Drama at (919) 962-1328 or online at http://www.unc.edu/depts/outdoor