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POSTED: APRIL 4, 2010
HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS
BY NIRAJ WARIKOO
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
EASTER PAGEANTRY: Church plays add complex special effects

From flying angels to elaborate lighting systems, some churches across metro Detroit are putting on more sophisticated Easter shows to capture the attention of worshipers.

At Our Lady of Sorrows church in Farmington, the director uses a sound crew, several camera operators and long nights of rehearsal to put together "Living Stations of the Cross," one of the more popular Easter plays for Catholics in metro Detroit.

Detroit's Greater Grace Temple's annual Good Friday and Easter plays are using stage harnesses for the first time this year to lift angels and Jesus into the air as he ascends into heaven.

Michael Leither of Farmington plays Jesus with his disciples following him in the play at Our Lady of Sorrows church in Farmington.

"When you're able to see and visualize something — it becomes more real to you," said Carlos Hall, 31, of Westland, who plays the role of Jesus at Greater Grace. "It's meant to help people understand."

As millions take part today in Easter services, some churches will put on special performances meant to drive home Christ's message of hope, reaching those who might not ordinarily be inside church on an average Sunday.

It takes dedication and long hours.

Close to midnight on a recent Friday inside Our Lady of Sorrows, a Roman guard stifled a yawn.

"Hang in there everybody," director Kelly Nieto, 47, of Farmington told her crew. "You're doing a great job."

"People have to feel the power of the moment," Nieto said while on break. "The visuals can help them understand — we need this in the church."

This year, Nieto is creating a filmed version that she hopes can be used by churches across the U.S. as a template for their own productions.

At Greater Grace, the increasingly sophisticated productions draw more than 4,000 people each year who pack the church and spillover areas where the Good Friday and Easter shows are watched on monitors.

Hall prepares for the role and the Easter season by fasting and praying. Last week, he was down to one meal a day, even though he put in long hours for his role.

That focus also was seen at Our Lady of Sorrows. The group of men and women in the production have spent almost every Friday night this year rehearsing. It's enabled them to bond over faith. To many, the productions bring them closer to God.

"When I sing, the emotions come out," said Sarah Evangelista, 40, of Farmington, who plays the role of Mary. "I try to imagine how Mary would have felt having her son crucified, which would be the worst thing in the world."

Contact NIRAJ WARIKOO: 313-223-4792 or warikoo@freepress.com

A version of this story appeared on page 4A of the Sunday, April 4, 2010, print edition of the Detroit Free Press.

OAKLAND PRESS ARTICLE, 2010

Living Stations is based on the Stations of the Cross celebrated by Pope John Paul II in 1991 on Good Friday. These Stations reflect deeply on the Scriptural accounts of Jesus Christ's Passion to prepare Christians, both Catholic and Protestant alike, for Holy Week. Living Stations has been described as the "Broadway version of the Passion of Christ" because of its professionalism, original musical score and epic theatrical production! Don't miss this powerful prayer on the altar of the historic Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit, Michigan during Lent 2012.