LAKE COUNTY — Saturday’s performance of the Passion Play, the story of the last days of Jesus Christ, included special effects by Mother Nature — or some might say a higher authority.
The pageant opened with Roman soldiers, on foot, horseback and in chariots marching down a hill, many who will later participate in Christ’s crucifixion. Up until then, the cloudy skies had been docile but as the soldiers marched, a bolt of lightning ripped across the sky, unleashing an explosion of thunder.
The lightning and thunder display continued for about 30 minutes but was followed by rain that lasted through most of the rest of the two-hour outdoor production. At times, the rain became heavy, eventually sending nearly half of the 250 audience members scrambling to get to their cars — and a bus — parked nearby. However, few people drove off. Most waited for small lulls in the showers to return to their seats.
To add more drama, the rain stopped and the sun peeked out from behind dark gray clouds as Jesus was about to be bound to the cross.
Not everyone was bothered by the inclement weather.
“We got wet but we didn’t think once about leaving,” said John Encinias of Castro Valley, who attended the play with his wife, Lura and son, Joseph. “The thunder and lightning showed that someone up there was paying attention,” he added, pointing skyward.
The weather this year was in sharp contrast to last year’s play when it was sunny and hot.
This year marked the 35th anniversary of the Lake County Passion Play, established by two priests, Father Paul Moran and Father Philip J. Ryan, from St. Mary’s Parish in Lakeport. Ryan still produces the pageant.
The play is set on 85 acres of gentle hills along Westlake Road with 65 acres for parking. The other 20 acres are dedicated to the play. Sets include the Garden of Gethsemane, the house of Caiaphas, the Last Supper stage, Pilate’s judgement hall, and Herod’s palace. The Via Dolorosa is a 615-foot climb to the crucifixion scene.
In addition to a cast of 140 humans, other actors include horses, sheep and pigeons. There are three stages and a grassy area for seating, where people generally bring their own chairs. This year, many people brought their own umbrellas.
Christine Rogers of Hidden Valley has been coming to the pageant for about 10 years and said it gets better every year.
“I love to come every year if the Lord is willing,” she said. “Seeing this play makes my year complete.”
Another play-goer not bothered by the adverse weather was John Macdonald, 14, of Ukiah.
“It was cool how the rain started when the play began and then stopped at the end,” he said.
This was Macdonald’s second time at the Passion Play.
“I thought it was really good,” he said. “I really liked the part where the horses and chariots come in.”
Leading the cast as Jesus Christ is Jose Angel Martinez who has been in 12 productions of the play, six times as Jesus. “Every time is a different experience,” he said.
He said he was well aware of the part the weather played in this year’s production, although he did not credit it to Mother Nature.
“I think God wanted to touch the people and show them that he is alive,” said Martinez, of Windsor.
Fellow cast member Dirk Widman of Spring Valley is in his 12th year performing in the pageant. This year, he played a Roman soldier on horseback, a promotion from his previous 11 years as a Roman foot soldier.
He said he wasn’t surprised by the weather pyrotechnics, adding there has been lightning, thunder and rain for past productions.
“The rain was a bother but it was worth the effort,” he said.
In what seemed like an appropriate ending to the weather’s involvement, when the play had ended and cast members were mingling with the audience, a huge rainbow arched across the sky in sharp contrast to the gray and white clouds behind it.
Cast members included Gary Woodson (Peter), Kaleb Sanderson (John), Jose Contreras (Judas), Saul Acosta (Philip), Martin B. McManus (James I), Jose Benjamin Robles (James II), Wayne Muller (Thomas), Eddie Pagulayan (Thaddaeus), Pierre Williams (Simon the Zealot), Doug Mooney (Matthew), Manny Rodriguez (Bartholomew) and Petro Piaseckyj (Andrew).
Others in the cast include Cody Haynes as Caiaphas, Peggy Woodson as Mary, Judith Steele Lanfranco as Mary Magdalene, Joe Sanderson as Pontius Pilate, Bob Baireuther as Herod, James Nightingale as Malchus, and Joe Swehla as Barabbas.
Mark Brown is the narrator, Rob Haun is the director, Jose Contreras is assistant director, Craig Swehla is sound director and Doris Perry is costume director.
The play is presented yearly on the third weekend of May. Admission and parking are free.
