web1_BattleOfBands.jpg

Mohegan Sun Pocono accepting submissions for 2016 Battle of the Bands

web1_SantaPic.jpg

Our Opinion: Season made more bright by people on our ‘diamonds’ list; others get coal

<p>LARKSVILLE &#8212; Picture this: A museum guide named Sebastiano is about to start a tour, promising to lead visitors to magnificent portraits that depict Jesus&#8217; crucifixion, death and resurrection.</p><p>Suddenly, a latecomer rushes in, chattering about how excited she is to have the last ticket, how jealous her friends are and how she needs to take a selfie.</p><p>Sebastiano admonishes her to be quiet and put away her &#8220;electronic abomination,&#8221; and the tour proceeds into one reverent scene after another, starting with Jesus agonizing in the garden of Gethsemene about his upcoming ordeal as an angel offers him a chalice.</p><p>Welcome to &#8220;Portraits of the Passion,&#8221; the latest Easter play written by the Rev. Gerald Gurka, pastor of St. John the Baptist Church, who has been presenting the resurrection story in theatrical ways for 34 years.</p><p>At 7:30 p.m. March 27 at the church, parishioners and friends will portray characters you might expect, including Richard Wisniewski as Jesus, Mary Sincavage as the Blessed Mother, Richard Huey as Caiaphas and Jeremy Shrawder as Pontius Pilate.</p><p>This time around, the goal of the cast is to represent various moments as famous artists painted them.</p><p>&#8220;You&#8217;ll hold the lantern away from you, behind you,&#8221; Gurka said during a recent rehearsal, directing cast member Josh Koval to imitate a painting by James Tissot that shows Judas turning away from the light as he betrays Jesus with a kiss.</p><p>Paintings by Tissot, Giambattista Tiepolo, Tiziano Vecilli and other masters are full of such symbolism, Gurka said, pointing to illustrations in books he used as research.</p><p>&#8220;In El Greco&#8217;s painting of Jesus carrying his cross, Jesus&#8217; eyes are lifted up toward heaven, very hopeful, and he&#8217;s embracing the cross,&#8221; Gurka said.</p><p>In another scene by Albrecht Altdorfer, the &#8220;good thief&#8221; Dismas manages to bow toward Jesus, though he is fastened to a cross himself.</p><p>&#8220;I used to wonder, how did the soldiers put the crown of thorns on Jesus&#8217; head without hurting their hands,&#8221; Gurka said, turning to a painting by Vecilli. &#8220;Then I saw this and thought, &#8216;of course, they used spears to jam it on&#8217;.&#8221;</p><p>Using the paintings as inspiration, the cast will depict Jesus being questioned by the high priest Caiaphas, enduring a scourging and carrying his cross with help from Simon of Cyrene. Along the way to Calvary he will meet such sympathetic characters as a woman named Veronica who cleans his face with her veil as well as his mother Mary, along with Mary Magdalene and Mary the wife of Clopas.</p><p>&#8220;I never knew too much about Mary the wife of Clopas,&#8221; said Lucy Singer, who first appears in the play as the art-tour latecomer but then dons a robe and enters the biblical scenes as that third Mary.</p><p>&#8220;I literally get into the painting,&#8221; Singer said.</p><p>You&#8217;ll find other plot twists in the present-day portions of the play, but the meat of the story invites the audience to ponder Jesus&#8217; sorrowful death, bewailed by both humans and angels, and then his resurrection, followed by a joyful reunion with the three Marys.</p><p>&#8220;The Three Marys had been at the cross,&#8221; the character Sebastiano explains. &#8220;They were present when Jesus was laid in the tomb, and now in Easter Sunday scenes painted by James Tissot, his artistry beautifully, luminously captures the eternal reward of perfect, unselfish love.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a good way for the kids to learn the story,&#8221; said Kelly Landi of Dallas, who portrays a woman of Jerusalem and brought 8-year-old Kayle and 5-year-old Kylie to portray children in the crowd.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s something for the community,&#8221; said Jeff Yedloski of Hanover Township, who is in charge of lighting.</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_passion3_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Karen Steckman, at right, as Veronica, offers her veil to Jesus, portrayed by Richard Wisniewski, as the crowd looks on during a rehearsal for &#8216;Portraits of the Passion&#8217; at St. John the Baptist Church in Larksville. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_passion3_faa.jpg</photo0><caption0>Karen Steckman, at right, as Veronica, offers her veil to Jesus, portrayed by Richard Wisniewski, as the crowd looks on during a rehearsal for &#8216;Portraits of the Passion&#8217; at St. John the Baptist Church in Larksville. </caption0><photoCredit0>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_passion1_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">The angel Gabriel, portrayed by 15-year-old Bernice May, holds out a chalice to Jesus, portrayed by Richard Wisniewski, in a scene from &#8216;Portraits of the Passion,&#8217; to be presented at St. John the Baptist Church in Larksville. This scene is based Giambattista Tiepolo&#8217;s painting of &#8216;Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane.&#8217; </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_passion1_faa.jpg</photo1><caption1>The angel Gabriel, portrayed by 15-year-old Bernice May, holds out a chalice to Jesus, portrayed by Richard Wisniewski, in a scene from &#8216;Portraits of the Passion,&#8217; to be presented at St. John the Baptist Church in Larksville. This scene is based Giambattista Tiepolo&#8217;s painting of &#8216;Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane.&#8217; </caption1><photoCredit1>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_passion2_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Playwright the Rev. Gerald Gurka offers stage direction to Richard Huey IV, who portrays Caiaphas, and Richard Wisniewski, who portrays Jesus in the passion play. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_passion2_faa.jpg</photo2><caption2>Playwright the Rev. Gerald Gurka offers stage direction to Richard Huey IV, who portrays Caiaphas, and Richard Wisniewski, who portrays Jesus in the passion play. </caption2><photoCredit2>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Famous artwork inspires play at local church</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p><strong>By Mary Therese Biebel</strong></p><p>mbiebel@civitasmedia.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong><strong>IF YOU GO</p><p><strong><strong>What: </strong></strong>&#8216;Portraits of the Passion,&#8217; a new Easter play by the Rev. Gerald J. Gurka</p><p><strong>When:</strong> 7:30 p.m. March 27, followed by refreshments</p><p><strong>Where:</strong> St. John the Baptist Church, 126 Nesbitt St., Larksville.</p><p><strong>Admission:</strong> Free</p><p><strong>Info:</strong> 570-779-9620.</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mary Therese Biebel at 570-991-6109 or Twitter@BiebelMT.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

‘Portraits of the Passion’ — Artwork inspires play at local church