An American non-Jewish stage director is presenting two Passion Plays in Jerusalem and Bethlehem, as a special attraction for Christian pilgrims. Francisco de Araujo and a cast of 200 is alternating nightly between an 800-seat amphitheatre on Mount Zion, where the passion and crucifixion of Jesus is enacted, and a site in Beit Sahur near Bethlehem, where the Christmas story is retold.
The scripts of the two presentations have been carefully edited to avoid offense to Jews, the producers say. They say they have the written support of Jerusalem Mayor Teddy Kollek and the tacit agreement of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, as well as support from the Ministry of Tourism.
De Araujo brought with him 10 actors to play the major roles, including that of Jesus, and has hired about 180 local residents, including Jews, Arabs and American tourists to play the supporting roles.
Financing for the project was raised by the Globus Travel Agency of New York, which has a branch in Israel. About $1 million was raised from evangelical churches and sources in the U.S. The two passion plays involve recitation of Biblical texts from the New Testament, with a sound and light show from taped music. The producers say they hope to perform to packed audiences for three months, from August through October.
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