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Last Supper Easter Play

“The Last Supper” Returns to the Robinson Grand

Celebrate the Easter season with a night at the “Last Supper.” Middleville Baptist Church and the Union Baptist Association will present a live portrayal of “The Last Supper” to commemorate this Biblical event during Holy Week. There is no cost for admission. The play is scheduled for Palm Sunday, April 13, at 6 p.m. at the Robinson Grand Performing Arts Center, located at 444 W. Pike Street, Clarksburg, WV, 26301. Doors open at 5 p.m. No ticket is required to attend the performance; open seating is available. The Chosen twelve disciples dine with “Jesus” and discover one of them will betray him in this special ministry event. Men from several local churches come together to take on the roles, as they step back in time and into the shoes of the twelve disciples and Jesus. “Most people know the story of Jesus’ crucifixion, but they don’t know what happened to his chosen 12 apostles,” said Director Jennifer Biller. “Each one’s story is poignant and inspirational, and this play showcases not only Jesus’ sacrifice but theirs as well.” For those curious about the fate of the disciples, the play addresses each of their martyrdoms, based on historical and Biblical facts. Their stories are powerful and often leave the audience stunned, Biller said. Last year, the church decided to move the play to the Robinson Grand Performing Arts Center, to reach a larger audience. This year, they are hoping to attract a large crowd again. The mission is the same: get the message of the Gospel into the community, said Middleville Baptist Pastor Paul Boyles, who plays Simon the Zealot in the play. “For non-Christians, who may not understand the religious meaning of Easter, we invite you to come join us and hear this story,” Boyles said. “For Christians, this is an evening to rejoice in Jesus’ resurrection from the grave and the promise of His return.” The church does not accept donations for the event because it is its ministry outreach for the Easter season, Boyles said. The cast of men who portray the disciples is as diverse as the disciples themselves and work hard to respectfully portray each one, Biller said. The men come from several different churches in the Union Baptist Association. “We have two civil engineers, an accountant—who ironically plays tax collector Matthew — a lawyer, a mason, several pastors, a couple retirees, and more,” Biller said. “No one does this for any other reason than having a passion to minister this way. It’s a lot of time and effort, and many of them do it on top of full-time jobs, dad responsibilities, coaching extra-curriculars, and pastoring.” The production dates back to 1953 to a church in Virginia that did the portrayal based upon Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting of “The Last Supper.” Da Vinci had said his painting depicted the moment after Jesus told his apostles that one of them would betray him. Da Vinci had hoped to capture the moment where each one would be asking, “Lord is it I?” Since 1953, the play has been presented by many groups across the nation.