A Marionette Passion Play will be performed on Saturday, April 20, at 1:45 and 5 p.m. in a Christian coffeehouse atmosphere located at the Holy Land Christian Theater in Cackleberry Farm Antique Mall, 3375-2 Lincoln Highway East, Paradise. Joe Dunfee is the new steward and performer of the play.
The show covers the time from Jesus being brought before Pilate to the resurrection. It will run for an hour, including a 15-minute intermission. The large, professional-level marionette production features 3-foot-tall marionettes, professional voice actors, and orchestration on recording. Volunteer performers are utilized.
The performance is not geared toward young children; third grade is the lowest recommended age limit, provided the children, accompanied by their parents, can sit quietly throughout the performance.
The idea for the show was conceived in 1986 by Kenneth Kleinfelter, who ministered as "Captain Ken" in his marionette ministry based in Renovo, and his puppeteer friend Robert Knechtel, who was an accomplished marionette maker and performer, having been on television in the Buffalo, N.Y., area throughout the 1950s and '60s.
Knechtel passed away a decade ago, and Kleinfelter is unable to perform. His family decided to give the Marionette Passion Play to Dunfee of Gordonville. With the show in its new home, Dunfee has assembled a volunteer team and is seeking additional places to perform in the Lancaster County area.
There is no admission fee, but a freewill offering will be received. For more information, readers may contact Dunfee at 717-203-8670 or joe@dunfee.com.
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