THE PASSION PLAY, WAUCHULA, FL

April 09 - Last year, 2009, I saw signs around Wauchula advertising the upcoming Passion Play. I didn’t think anything about it, but our friend, Lois from back home in Richmond was spending the winter months in St. Petersburg, asked me about the Play. Unfortunately, we left Florida early last year and were unable to make arrangements to attend the play. This year, I called Lois and Gene who were back in St. Petersburg and Clearwater, and told them when the Play would be showing. Unfortunately, they have left Florida to go back home.

But, fortunately for me, we are still here. Ken had no interest in going with me. Most of our friends have already left the area or were not interested. So, Friday night I went to see the Passion Play alone. I really did not feel alone because there were a couple of really nice Little Old Church Ladies seated behind me, on the very back row. Actually, I can’t think of any ladies who are nicer or older than I am, but that’s how I thought of them.



When I called for tickets a few days earlier, the lady sort of indicated my seat was really good. If I had no problem climbing stairs, I could be on the 14th Row, Seat 1, on the Aisle!! The Aisle turned out to be next to the railing that separated my seat from the pit for the Sound and Lighting Crew!! One of the Crew commented to me and the Little Old Church Ladies that we had really good seats. We promptly asked him to explain how our seats were good!! He said we were not seated behind a pole!!

The production took place in the Wauchula Cattlemen’s Arena where they auctioned farm stock, etc. Seats were metal bleachers – hard and cold. I had taken my seat cushion with a back that we had bought for the Pasadena Rose Bowl Parade, so that made it much more comfortable for me.


The view from my seat!! Fortunately, most of the action took place in the center and to the left.

Seating was less than ideal, but that was soon forgotten as soon as the action started. Who could ever dream the little town of Wauchula could pull off such a mammoth theatrical event!! I’ve included a lot of pictures in an effort to show just how huge and impressive this production was!! (My pictures are not clear because we were asked not to use a flash, and if either the actors or I moved, the pictures were pretty blurred.)

The Arena was filled with background scenery and animals and a cast of hundreds. The Sound and Lighting Crew did an excellent job!!

The First Christmas!! At the manger. The birth of Christ!! (The angels above were actually white, but my camera made them blue.)

Wise Men came to worship the King!

They asked the King where they might find the new-born Babe that they might worship him.

People came to celebrate the birth of Christ.

Then the scene changed to about thirty years later when Christ was a grown man.

These are the lepers he would later heal.

This is the crowd that came to see Christ.

Note the Roman soldier in the chariot.

Healing the sick.

Raising a child from the dead.

Palm Sunday.

Jesus comes in riding a donkey.

The Last Supper!

Drinking the Wine, the Blood of Christ.

Arrested and tried for claiming he was King, the Son of God.

Roman Soldiers!

Christ bearing the Cross!! This scene was truly brutal!!

Preparing to nail Christ to the Cross!

Soldiers standing the Cross in place.

Hanging from the Cross!!

Christ and two Sinners on either side.

The resurrection!!

I thought the above scene was the end of the production, but the next thing I knew, Christ was ascending into the Heavens among a hail of white fireworks!! My camera was off and I missed the picture!

Then Jesus appeared on a white stallion and charged across the arena from one end to the other and back. The crowd exploded into applaude as though He were a Super Hero!!

Then He stopped before each section of the audience and blessed us!! It was an amazing production!!

Guess who had her picture taken with the Star. Actually this picture was taken during the Intermission. One of the Little Old Church Ladies had returned from going to the bathroom and mentioned that she had used the Porta Potty because the line was much shorter than going to the restroom. I figured I could use the Porta Potty. On my way, I ran into Jesus Christ Super Star mingling with the crowd and having pictures taken. I asked him if he could perform a miracle so I would not have to go to the bathroom!! He could not!! But he did pose for a picture!!!

It was a wonderful evening.