Living Last Supper

April 4 & 5, 2007

What a fantastic way to start off the Easter Celebration!  For the fourth year, The Lakeway Church  presented Ernest K. Emurian's Living Last Supper Wednesday and Thursday, April 4 and 5.  Our presentation of this drama is now a beloved tradition in the Lake Travis area. 

The play takes place in the Upper Room; the set is based on Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting of The Last Supper.  Emurian said of his script:  “I studied da Vinci and his inspiring picture and then proceeded to write the soliloquies for the Twelve Apostles as they might have expressed themselves immediately after hearing the Master say, ‘One of you will betray me,’ whereupon each man had cried out, ‘Lord, is it I?’  This was the moment Leonardo said he wished to capture in his picture.” 

The drama had its premier presentation Portsmouth, Virginia, on Palm Sunday night, 1954.  In July 1969, The Last Supper was presented for 6,000 people in the Music Hall of Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana, as the closing worship service of the National Quadrennial Conference of Methodist Men.  Since its publication, the play has been presented by many different groups in all sections of the nation, and has been a source of inspiration to the many thousands who have seen it in person as well as over numerous television stations during Holy Week.

Once again, Lakeway’s own playwright, Sue Wright, directed the thirteen men portraying Jesus and His twelve disciples as they took the audience back in time to the night before Jesus’ crucifixion when He shared the “last supper” with them. 

The cast of the 2007 production was as follows:

                        Andrew:                   Dave DeOme

                        Bartholomew:         Jose Garcia

                        James the Major:    Frank Crone

                        James the Minor:    Max Henry

                        Jesus:                      Joe Pribyl

                        John:                        Larry Smith

                        Judas:                      Thomas Pollock

                        Matthew:                  Jim Grose

                        Peter:                       Bill Dickson

                        Philip:                       Kevin Kendricks (Austin Christian Fellowship)

                        Simon:                      Jerry Hietpas (Emmaus)

                        Thaddeus:               Dabney Cauley

                        Thomas:                   Rodney Gamble

                        Narrator:                   Peter Gomes

  The music this year was provided by Nancy Nichols, with Becky Clark as soloist.

See photos below for scenes from this year's production.

Many churches throughout the country have been searching for this script.  It was very difficult for us to find that first year!  It is our understanding that the author, Ernest K. Emurian specifically did NOT copyright the script so that it could be performed often and easily shared.  What a ministry he created!   If you would like a copy of the script, please contact Nancy Keetch at nancy@lakewaychurch.net.   I have sent the script all over the US, Europe - even Beijing and Jordan!  It is truly a powerful addition to the Easter Season!

 

 

Scenes from this year's production.  Click on each photo to enlarge.