Tradition and pageantry: Jackson church prepares for annual Easter production

The First Baptist Church of Jackson sanctuary reverberated with laughter and music Wednesday night. Girls danced in circles with their hands clasped together until Jean Schweain took the microphone.

Schweain, director of the church's annual Easter pageant, quiets the cast members and brings them together for rehearsal.

For about 20 years, the First Baptist Church, at 212 S. High St. in Jackson, has produced a yearly Easter pageant following scenes from the life of Jesus Christ, performed with live music and drama.

The pageant is a church tradition. Most of the members contributing to the production have been doing so for years and have worked in many positions. Larissa Petzoldt now plays one of the servant girls in the pageant. She played baby Jesus when she herself was a baby, then played the role of Lazarus. Her job as Lazarus, she said, was to be silent and wrapped in burial clothes.

"We don't want to give her any lines," joked Avis Bollinger, a participant for the last four years providing cast makeup and performing in the pageant's crowd scenes.

Brent Crites, working his first year running the lighting board, has had three daughters play baby Jesus over the years.

"The kids enjoy it, they learn about Jesus' life. It's a family thing," he said.

Members of the cast and crew are quick to talk about the other people involved and the relationships being built in the process.

"It's a great way to get to know others in the church, especially the younger kids," said Keith Cook, who will be playing one of Jesus' disciples. "I can't wait to get [to the practices] — it's the closeness."

The production has drawn the enthusiasm from other area churches that bring viewers by the busload. Other church pastors sometimes have cameo roles in the Easter pageant.

"You can hear the visiting audience members whisper as they recognize their own church leaders," Schweain said.

The pageant story focuses on the life of Jesus, but there is really no single star in the pageant's production.

In mid-February, a 40-man crew did the heavy assembling of the pageant's three-tier set designed eight years ago by Morton Estes, a retired mechanical engineer. Dennis Hurst, who has been active in the pageant for 12 years, and others have continued to work several hours in the evenings repainting the set, hanging curtains and adding the finishing touches to the set.

"To me [the pageant] is a part of the church," Hurst said. "It takes a lot to put together and you need that in the church."

A cast of 120 people will be carrying out the live performance. Schweain, who has directed the pageant the past four years, expects to see more than 1,200 people over the weekend's five performances and advises people to get tickets as early as possible. Tickets are free and may be picked up at First Baptist Church office, Country Mart in Jackson, the Baptist Association office in Jackson, Gospeland Bookstore and Schnucks.

The Easter pageant will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday to April 4 and 3 p.m. April 5.

Pertinent address:

212 High Street, Jackson