Tabernacle Baptist Church Brings Easter to Life
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Tabernacle Baptist Church in Vidalia has been bringing Easter to life for many years but plans to debut a brand new perspective this year through its drama Pilate House. In past years, the church has performed two plays – Centurion’s House and Tombstone, which playwright Pastor Bobby Thompson described as being “a fictional tale of possibility in the context of absolute truth of Scripture.” He explained that these dramas are rooted in the historical and biblical truths of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ and time leading up to it, while also using some creativity to imagine what these events would look like through traditional minor characters.
“These plays are not just for entertainment – they are to open the door for conversations,” Pastor Thompson emphasized. “We focus on the minor characters, and this year we are focusing on Marcus Pontius Pilate, who was the one that ordered Jesus to be crucified, and his wife, Claudia. Lucifer will also be a main character in this year’s production.”
According to Thompson, this year, Pontius Pilate will be played by Shannon Shelby, who is the lead singer for the “Eternal Vision” gospel singing group. Pilate’s wife, Claudia, will be played by Sydni Collins Perry and Lucifer will be portrayed by Chris Palmer. Music will be infused into the production, as all three main characters will sing.
A total of almost 40 people make up the cast and crew for the production, which took between 60 and 70 hours to research and between 30 and 40 hours to write. The set centers around the Praetorium, which is the palace of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem.
Tickets to the production are free, but must be reserved prior to the performances on Monday, March 27, through Wednesday, March 29, at 7 p.m. each night. In past years, a total of 1,000 to 1,200 spectators have witnessed the drama each year; thus, with only 350 seats being available each night, Pastor Thompson advises those who wish to come to reserve their spots and arrive early. All audience members must be seated 10 minutes prior to the start of each performance. Pastor Thompson also advises families with young children to be mindful when planning to attend, as there is no childcare available this year, and the nature of the drama may be too intense for children under 8 years-old.
For more information or for reservations, call the church office at 912-5374272.
