This July the Canadian Badlands Passion Play will celebrate its 22nd season with 9 final performances of the ‘Gospel of John’. Over 50,000 people have seen the John script in the past four seasons and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. 95% of the reviews on Trip Advisor have given the play 5 stars.
Although the stunning natural amphitheatre plays a great role, the phenomenal success of this is mainly due to the long-term dedication of more than 200 volunteer actors. Without them this would just be another Canadian Badlands valley, beautiful to see but devoid of life.
The volunteer performers begin arriving at the Passion Play’s beautiful riverside campground on the May long weekend and everyone is excited and anticipating the start of rehearsals.
That energy and enthusiasm binds the Passion Play actor community together and then flows through every rehearsal and permeates every performance. Lifelong friendships are formed on stage, in the dinning hall, and around campfires. They already miss the play in the fall, long for it in the winter and count down the days in the spring. Seven rehearsal weekends and the nine July performance weekends fly by and at the closing night party there is both joy and sorrow.
Together they have produced something truly great but now they must say goodbye until the next Passion Play season. It is no wonder that many of the actors and their families come back to act in the play year after year.
Vance Neudorf, the Executive Director of the Passion Play says, “as an organization we are dependent on our volunteer actors and anyone is welcome to join us even if you do not have any experience in acting, singing or dancing. If you have experience with animals or play a musical instrument we can put your talents to good use.”
Performing in the play is the experience of a lifetime and is open to any age or skill level. To register to become part of the volunteer cast community go online: www.CanadianPassionPlay.com and look under the “Act in the Play” tab, or call 403-823-2001. There is also an open house from 10am – 4pm, on Saturday and Sunday over the Easter Weekend and a sunrise service at 8:30 am on Easter Sunday. Stop by for a “behind the scenes” look at the Passion Play site or to talk to our staff about being and actor in the 2015 Canadian Badlands Passion Play.
