
DATE: Thursday, November 6, 1997            TAG: 9711060067

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E4   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY REBECCA MYERS CUTCHINS, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   74 lines

PASSION PLAY READIED FOR WORLD TOUR

BEFORE HEADING overseas to Israel and Russia, ``The Man Called Jesus'' first will test the waters locally with a free performance at Willett Hall in Portsmouth.

The passion play, usually presented at Easter by Kempsville Presbyterian Church, recently has begun touring internationally.

But it will be brought to Willett Hall at 7:30 p.m. Friday by 14 Portsmouth and Chesapeake churches, which agreed to underwrite the show's expenses.

``For people who are a little bit hesitant to go to a church, this is an opportunity in a public facility to hear the story and the message of Jesus,'' said the Rev. Philip J. Parker of Calvary Baptist Church.

In ``The Man Called Jesus,'' the life and story of Christ is re-enacted from birth to resurrection using three multimedia screens, special effects, and authentic Hebrew dancing and costumes.

``The production itself is really high tech,'' said Edie Wasserberg, producer of the Willett Hall show. ``It's really visually stimulating.''

The Rev. Joel Palser, pastor of Liberty New Testament Church in Portsmouth, came up with the idea to bring the play to Willett Hall as a cooperative venture among several churches.

``I was a part of this production a couple of years ago, and we sold out 14 shows of 1,000 people each,'' Palser said. ``People all enjoy a passion play, the pageantry of it. . . . It's not a preaching service or some kind of hard sell. That's why I expect a full house.''

The play has been such an enormous success in Hampton Roads - seen by more than 100,000 people since it began in 1985 - that organizers formed a non-profit international ministry last year to take the show on the road.

It has been performed in the closed Islamic nation of Turkey and in Murmansk, Russia. It will travel to Israel later this month. After Thanksgiving, the play will be taken for two weeks to St. Petersburg, Russia.

Port Norfolk residents Jean Bohnhoff and her husband, Scott, will take time off from work to travel with the show. Jean Bohnhoff, who volunteers with the ministry, is the production's prop master. Scott Bohnhoff will play Jesus.

The couple first saw the play three years ago, and ``the Bible came alive,'' Jean Bohnhoff said. ``It was as if I was right there 2,000 years ago walking with Jesus.''

Future venues include Nigeria, China, Hong Kong, India and the Philippines.

``Our mission is twofold,'' Jean Bohnhoff explained. ``We use our drama and music and dance to teach the world about the life of Jesus, about who he was. But we also go into other countries, and we'll teach them how to do the play.''

The script is available in English, Turkish and Russian. A team of directors travels with the ministry to teach costuming, makeup, dance routines, sound and lighting.

``It's kind of a neat twist,'' said Wasserberg, who also serves as the group's director of development. ``It's not just performing and leaving but actually leaving something behind.'' ILLUSTRATION: FILE PHOTO

The Last Supper is one of many scenes that will be presented in

``The Man Called Jesus'' at Willett Hall on Friday.

Graphic

WANT TO GO?

What: ``The Man Called Jesus''

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

Where: Willett Hall, 3701 Willett Drive, Portsmouth

Admission: Free

Information: 579-5884

Participating churches: Liberty New Testament, Churchland

Assembly of God, Calvary Baptist, Western Branch Community and

Fairwood Agape Baptist, all of Portsmouth; West Norfolk Baptist,