[lesmisroxmysox]

So for those of you who have done this before, how did you do the crucifixion scene? As in, the emotions that were shown.

Tonight was only our 3rd practice for the show (though they've all been VERY long practices), and already most of us were crying softly at the end. Our director didnt say anything, but I've heard from other people that its not supposed to be that way.

What do you guys think?

[DramaRobin2002]

I think it really depends on what your director wants. Our staging was very close to the movie, using the idea that the fence was an electric fence. After Jesus was tied to the fence, we all ran to it, filling in on either side of him. During the electric guitar sections, we shook and threw ourselves at the fence and screamed and yelled and cried like we were all not only in emotional pain but physical pain. When each section ended and Jesus began his solos- "Oh God, I'm bleeding.", etc- we fell silent expect for the sound of soft crying from a few cast members. Like the calm before the storm, almost. As the song went one, each section like that we progressively became more exhausted, more hurt, more drained. By "Oh God, you're dead.", most of us were just slumped against the fence, completely devestated. We always raised our heads to sing to Jesus but they were lowered after the last "Oh God you're dead." Then there was complete silence until Lamar's voice came in with, "Long live God." He sang it once by himself and one by one the rest of the cast began to look up at him finally all joining in. As a performer, it was a really powerful moment for me. Some of our girls got so into it that they actually had bruises down the enter side of their bodies from throwing themselves onto the fence.

That is by no means the only way. I'm sure there are plenty of other people here who can give other examples. I think the only way you can really mess up the Finale is by having the cast show no emotion at all.

[mizzie]

Our production also used the "Electric Fence" idea. During the instrumental/electric guitar solo (our guitarist was amazing....HE almost made me cry) we'd all start thrashing against the fence or the space at Jesus' feet. We'd do it totally silently, but try to shake the fence as much as possible. People actually asked us if there were people shaking the fence from behind it. Something interesting/accidental that people also liked was that while we were shaking the fence, the red ribbons around Jesus' wrists fell off at exactly the same time. People told us, in tears, that "It represented his willingness to be there." Of course, his glasses would also fly at us, and I think that gave the mistake away.

[Baker]

We had really a limited budget, and we were in a church so we couldn't screw anything into the floor or make drastic sets because the sets had to removed for church on the Sundays during the performances. So we had this light-up cross thing... It's hard to explain, there are a pictures below. It was covered with gauze for most of the show, and then after I (Judas) had taken off Joanne and Robin's make up, they went up and took off the gauze. Then I took Jesus up to the cross, pretended I was putting his arms up really roughly, and tied them with the red ribbons, but I didn't actually tie them to the cross. Then he did the whole pain bit and we cried and sobbed and everything. We didn't stay put on the ground though, we moved around the stage... So some people would go up and try to touch him, and then they'd fall to the ground, sobbing... and I tried to go back up and untie him, but I couldn't get within three feet of him... And at one point Joanne would get really mad at me and push me off the stage.

Oh, and some fun symbolism I did. For most of the show I wore a Batman T-shirt and a blue button-up shirt... well, when I ran out at the end after Jesus revealed that I would betray him, I took off the blue shirt onstage and threw it to the side, and then ran down the aisle and out the back of the theatre. When I came back in, I was wearing a red button-up shirt and the red ribbons. So after the first set of, "I'm bleeding"s, I got really mad at myself and threw off the red shirt.

Also, since you asked, our cast was extremely emotional even the very first time we did the crucifixion. Most of us have some sort of faith and we're a very close-knit group of friends, even before doing the show, so that might be a part of it... but I don't think there's anything wrong with being emotional. Of course, we did the show in less than a month, so there wasn't time for us to get worn out from the emotional power of the crucifixion. If you're doing the show over the course of two or three months, I could see how it would be draining.



The big thing with the orange gauze on it in the background is the cross. You can also see me, standing below the steps on ground level, with the blue shirt.



There you can see the cross lit-up and me (now in the red shirt) tying the ribbons.

[Buff Daddy]

We had an wire fence on a raised platform at the back of the set with steps leading up to it. Jesus was lead up by the chorus and tied to the fence.

How the cast reacted was up to them. Some cried (they couldn't help it!!) others shouted at the chorus asking why they were crucifying him or begging for him to be taken down, others just sat stunned at what was happening.

Buff

[MsDivaKate]

Ours was similiar to the production that mentioned the fence. Jesus was crucified against the fence and the apostles (and ensemble members as we had 20 or so extra chorus people) were grasping at the fence and thrashing throughout it.

However we were NOT allowed to cry at all or make any real noise. Which was sad because a few of the girls in our production were quite religious and always got worked up at this point. But our director had a quote we still remember years later "No crying...Jesus is DYING!". Which made no sense, but he was completely crazy.

[recantha]

Our set was a multi-level steel deck with a vertical ladder going from a 3ft up to an 8ft level. We crucified Jesus on the ladder. (Oh, our show had 50 people in it). I had some of the chorus as the guards who arrested Jesus. They then crucified him with red ribbons. Two of the guards then removed their identification, faced upstage on either side of Jesus and outstretched their arms. == Three people being crucified as per New Testament.

I simply had the disciples go closer for the first part of the finale. Then, they couldn't look and strode away (downstage) away from Jesus. Then, for the last 'you're dead', they held the note for as long as possible and sunk to their knees when they were out of breath.

I asked for anguish on their faces and they got very emotional. There were tears as they carried him down from the cross.

They then laid him dead centre-mid with his hands across his chest.
They then sung Long Live God. As they reached the end of the fourth time through, Jesus rose and a light in the footlights uplit him, casting a massive shadow. He then touched the disciples on the shoulder, causing them to sing Prepare Ye.

[broadwaylizzard06]

God, I loved the crucifixion scene... it was so emotional.
our Jesus stood on a platform in the center and the 8 were sitting or standing in sporadic places on the stage, some comforting others. nearly everyone was sobbing... there were no rules as to if we could cry or not.
[img]http://udayton.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30340503&op=1&o=all&view=all&subj=2204742541&aid=-1&id=50900235[/img]
[img]http://udayton.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30049871&op=1&o=all&view=all&subj=2204742541&aid=-1&id=1434480289[/img]
[img]http://udayton.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30049869&op=1&o=all&view=all&subj=2204742541&aid=-1&id=1434480289[/img]

ok I dont know if that worked

[broadwaylizzard06]

dang it didnt. how do you post pictures?

[Rumblepurr]

[rock_musicals]

interesting!

[Robinflamingo]

[Eponine Poe]

We didn't have much funds at all, last time I did it, so we just painted a backdrop, and the girl playing Jesus stood on a box. (I felt sorry for her, she had to hold her arms in the air for a looong time) We did a sort of writhing thing at her feet, screaming and such, during the instrumental, and there were a couple girls who did a dance.

[MHoward]

I directed Godspell last year (and am beginning rehearsals now for Godspell 2007) and had the same concerns about the finale. I decided to extend the crucifixtion by adding Sations of the Cross. I had the entire finale music repeated. At each sections I would have Jesus play out a station of the cross.

I picked several stations including Jesus is condemned, the sourging, Veronica wipes the face of Jesus; Crowning of throns, the wailing women. Each station was proceeded by a blackout. For example, during the scourging, cast members in black cloaks ran across the stage and whipped Jesus with their open hands that were dipped in theatrical blood. I used four people, two coming from each side, adding to 40 lashes). For the keen observer, the stations recreated the sign of the cross.

At each station when the spot light came up we created a still life or tableaux. The light is very dim and the we will be using a fog machine this year.

Once the stations are done, there is a black out and we hear the nailing to the cross, in full blackout. When the lights come back up, Jesus is on the cross, battered, bloody, and beaten with only his torn white pant. He sings and I have the cast n different levels. I have a male playing John the Beloved and a woman playing Mary, mother of Jesus. They are at the foot of the cross. Veronica asends the steps at this poitn as well.

Once the cast sings "Oh God You're Dead" there is silence other than minimal weeping from the cast. OUt of the darkness of the theater, a young girl about 8 years old dressed in all white begins to walk down the aisle singing "Long live God". She continues to sing by herself until she reaches the stage , comes up on stage and then up onto the platform with the cross at which time she touches Mary's shoulder. Mary then begins to sing"Long live God" and is eventually joined by the other cast members.

The cast members then take Jesus off the cross and lift them on their shoulders and pause at thecenter steps leading to the audience. At the drum / cymbil crash during Prepare Ye/Long Live God. the cast raises JEsus above their heads and walks down the center steps and down the center aisle of the theater. As the last chord of the show begins to dissipate from the air, the cross is lit with a back light to symbolize the ressurection.

It was very effective. I hope this helps.

M