Centre Hall church brings DaVinci painting to life

CENTRE HALL — On Good Friday, March 25, several members of Calvary Bible Church, located north of Centre Hall along Route 144, brought Leonardo DaVinci’s “The Last Supper” and the story it tells to life in a stunningly realistic reenactment.

Even those who don’t know much about the world of art are almost certainly familiar with DaVinci’s famous painting, a large piece that covers an end wall of the dining hall at the monastery of Santa Maria del Grazie in Milan, Italy, and has been seen and admired by millions over the centuries. DaVinci began working on it in 1495 and took several years to complete it. It depicts the Last Supper of Jesus and his disciples in an upper room in Jerusalem on the eve of Jesus’ crucifixion, and it specifically portrays the reaction given by each disciple when Jesus announced that one of them would betray him. All 12 disciples show different reactions to the news, showing various degrees of shock and anger.

The curtain opened on Act I at Calvary Bible Church with the characters seated around a large table, striking the poses of their counterparts from the painting. The floodlighted set, built by church members, was quite realistic and lent a professional, theatrical look to the production. The players were all clad in full period costumes, and most had beards.

In turn, each acting disciple addressed the audience in soliloquy, giving biographical information and describing his actions as an apostle after the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Especially moving was the testimony of Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Jesus, played by the church’s pastor, Rick Gilbaugh. Audience members could easily see and hear Judas’ agony and remorse for what he had done for 30 pieces of silver.

In the next act, the Last Supper — the origin of the Christian sacrament of Holy Communion — was skillfully reenacted by the players. When Jesus, portrayed by Tim Kalmbach, revealed that one of the 12 would betray him, the actors reacted with shock and disbelief.

For the final act, a video was shown which graphically depicted Jesus’ crucifixion, then Ken Gore, clad in full Roman soldier armor and carrying a sword, took the stage portraying a Roman centurion who had guarded Jesus as he died on the cross.

“I had a paralyzing sense of sorrow,” the centurion said Gore, who has a degree in writing, wrote his own soliloquy, based on his historical and scriptural research.

The evening ended with a benediction and prayer, followed by refreshments in the church social hall.

Gilbaugh said a church he had served in Westport, Mass., performed a Last Supper play years ago, and when he came to Calvary he decided to present it here. Gilbaugh’s wife, Kim Marie, directed the performance, which is in its 10th year.