An overlooked group of people are the backbone of the Re-enactment. A great amount of work is done behind the scenes in writing the script, gathering the actors, creating the sets, costumes and props, arranging for toilets and parking on the day, maintaining the grounds, testing the sound and so on. This is all volunteer work and the many hours spent in preparation comes to fruition at 11am on Good Friday morning. Afterwards we have the cleanup, taking down the sets, washing and storing the costumes, processing of the photos and reviewing the outcomes of the day.
This short post just highlights some of the key people behind the scenes.
The Fathers at the Shrine of Our Lady of Mercy are behind the Re-enactment in full. They ensure the Monastery and grounds are ready, police contacted to assist wth the traffic on Good Friday morning, arrange for portable toilets, ensure the main facilities are all up and running and more.
They also have monthly working bees with amazing volunteers clearing branches and obstacles, ensuring the grass is maintained, dead trees removed, holes filled and more.
On the day, the Monastery Fathers and others hear hundreds of confessions of the faithful, and with the Brothers need to be ready for the overflowing church at the 3pm service.
The Narrator and Prayer leader are at every scene, filling in the gaps and leading the crowd in the prayer between the scenes. It is sometimes a challenge to get to the start of the scene, as once it is over the crowd moves and they are caught in the rush. Luckily, the new scene doesn't start until we get there!
This year a lot more of the attendees joined in the prayers while moving from scene to scene.
The sound truck requires the driver, hymn leader, and sound technician. The truck needs to be set up with the custom built frame attached to the tray, speakers attached and connected to the receivers and mixer. The driver needs to be careful of the milling crowd in front of him and being close enough to pick up the microphones and project the sound for a moving play.
The Sound technician needs to see the play and pick up the appropriate cues to turn microphones on and off, louder or softer depending on how close the microphone boom operators can get to the actors.
The hymn leader waits for the cue to start with the song after the Prayer Leader has finished her part.
This year we invested a lot of funds in a full upgrade of speakers, mixer and microphones. It all worked so much better!
The Site Manager is the glue that keeps the play together. She is responsible for all the sets and props, making sure the right bits are in the right place at the right time.
Organising for volunteer tradies to build or repair or maintain sets, while arranging for interesting items to use as props and material for updating or repairing costumes is all part of the huge job.
With other volunteers, she sews and organises the costumes too.
The microphone boom operators are at every scene, getting the microphones in place to capture the actors. The booms allow the actors to have full physical and verbal expressions. In an outdoor moving play, over acting is important. Those arms and bodies allow them to EXPRESS themselves fully!
Knowing the script, actors and scenes is critical to foretell where to stand and where to hold the microphone.
The parking and crowd management team do an amazing job, providing a framework in which 8,000 and more people can participate in the play safely.
From directing traffic to holding the ropes to keep the crowd at a safe distance ensures everyone gets to enjoy the play. There are a lot of moving parts in the play, especially during the Way of the Cross. The heavy cross falls, the Roman Soldiers and Temple Guards clash strongly with shields and bodies and the thieves try to escape with soldiers running after them.
And the Re-enactment continues with all of this happening.
The crew at the
Wingello Village Store and family provided the catering for the dress rehearsal and read-through, as well as food for the cast and crew after the play on Good Friday.
This photo is in the early hours on the Dress Rehearsal making the 80 or so sandwiches before rushing out to the Monastery to start the rehearsal.
The photographer,
Giovanni Portelli, is very difficult to capture in a photograph. He is like a ninja, continually in and out of the scenes, capturing the action so we can share it with each other.
This video is from Giovanni after the play, telling his followers about the experience, while being driven back in the buggy by another of the support crew.
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