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Show 9 Elaborate Cumorah Pageant To Open Soon at Historic Site The to allow for Sabbath Day worship and Monday family home evenings The pageant is Derformed on five presentation of the colorful, outdoor Hill Cumorah Pageant. "Americas Witness for Christ, will bo performed July 23 and 24 and July Called the nations "most elaborate the religious spectacle, pageant has been directed by Dr. Harold 1. Hansen of Provo, Utah, since its inception in 1937. With some 600 in the cast and about 50 technical assistants, the massive production, which involves 25 hillside stages, portrays the rise and fall of an ancient American civilization and fea tures the appearance of Jesus Christ to His followers in the New World The performances start at 9pm r after a taped concert by the Tabernacle Choir. There is no charge for seating or for parking. The seating area will accommodate some 15,000. and there arc large grassy sections roped off for the many thousands who bring their own folding lavn chairs The Hill Cumorah is four miles south of Fdhiijia, .r. Route 21, two miles north of Interchange No. 43 on the New York State Thruway at Manchester. There is traditionally no performance on Sunday and Monday evenings 1976 major stages and 20 secondary stages on the broad western slope of Hill Cumorah where, in 1832, the Prophet Joseph Smith was led by an angel to find the golden plates, which tell the story of the civilization founded in the New World by a band of Israelites 600 years before Christ. Dr. Hansen plans a brief salute to the American founding fathers as part of a brief Bicentennial prelude to the actual pageant performance. With elaborate costumes, kaleidoscopic lighting, a five-tracstereophonic sound system, electrifying music and aefinn moving from stage to stage over the hill, the COO performers reenact the saga of the ancient Ameri can civilization. The story involves the flight of a small group of Israelites from Palestine to the New World to escape the destruction of Jerusalem, and tells of the flourishing early days, the building of splendid cities and temples, the leadership of w'ise kings and the devotion to the belief in the coming of Christ 27-3- 1 Church-sponsore- d one-hou- Cumorah Pageant portrays the leadership of wise kings in an ancient American civilization. PALMYRA, N Y The Hill The pageant also portrays the tumultuous days of tragedy, when evil kings led their people away from the teachings of the Lord; the martyrdom of prophets; and the destruction of an entire city by the Lord for the wickedness of its inhabitants. The climax of the pageant comes when Jesus, after His crucifixion and resurrection in Jerusalem, comes to minister for a period to his other sheep" in the New World. .After om 1,000 years of recurring periods of peace and troubles, the civilization is finally doomed by a fratricidal war in which the followers of the Lord engage in a last great battle with a faction of people who have turned against the Ixird and fled into a life ol paganism and savagery in the wilderness. The huge cast, as well as the technical staff of the pageant, is made up of volunteers who pay their own expenses to the pageant and during its run as a labor of love for the Church. More than young men and women in the cast are missionaries serving in New York. The rest of the cast includes Church members of the area and LDS students from various colleges Costumes Develop Mood in Manfi Pageant By BRUCE JENNINGS MANTI, UTAH The half million spectators who ha e watched the Mormon Miracle Pageant present its moving narrative on Temple Hill in Manti have left the scene committee. That committee has several machines available for its use and seven or eight women are now making the costumes. They are skilled seamstres scs who contribute their sendees, often after the days work is done, Sister Nnffer said. The sewing committee is now mak ing 12 gowns of sheer metallic knit, costing about $38 each for materials, for the performers in the dance of the Ncphite women. They are also making eight gowns of silver metallic cloth, at a cos! of about $30 each, for the perfor mers in the temple dance. enlightened, touched, often inspired without, perhaps, comprehending the many elements that form the total production The extraneous elements include feeding, parking, seating and then sending salolv away the throngs who often travel long distances for this experience One of the basic elements that contributes to the production is costuming the cast of 400 it is an almost year-lonprocess." Phyllis Carpenter, costume chairman, explained "We pay careful attention to the many little details." Sister Carpenter stressed "Me feel that costuming is an important part of the production. It contributes importantly to the beauty and authenticity of each scene. It also contributes to our overall goal for the a standard of entire production excellence. "We want every jierformer completely costumed m every particular," she said. "This includes what some might consider unimportant items like icwils and flowers They can then take " special pride in their role Mary, one of the lead parts in the pageant, has three costume changes In the New England scene, as a young girl he is dressed m a velveteen and lace gown She next apjiears in pioneei attne. wearing a bonnet and cape In the final scene sht is attired in a beautiful white gown with a sheei overskirt and a long, sheer, white cloak g "Me have about 300 costumes in the permanent wardrobe. This wardrobe has been built up over the years. Each year we replace some items in the collection and add others. "The wardrobe requires constant maintenance repairs and alterations, cleaning and pressing, replacements and additions." the costume chairman continued "We are now in the piocess of constructing 50 new costumes for the li76 production, which opens July 8 The business of making costumes L an involved process, she said "First we do the research, going to history books paintings and other sources, because we want the costumes to be as authentic as (xissible Then we design the costunii s. often making our own patterns, select and order the mateiials and proceed from there to construct the garments JoAnn Peterson and Lou Uonne of the sewing Nutter are f ? - CHURCH WEEK ENDING JULY 3, The Prophet Joseph Smith is rep by two pel formers who appear VM-nte- 1 976 Church News Correspondent alternate nights and so each is dressed in a rich brown velveteen frock coat and trousers tailored by members of the costume committee. One of the more dramatic episodes in the pageant portrays the final battle between the Nephites, led by Captain Moroni, and the Lamanites, headed by Zerahemnah. on The 22 Nephite warriors in the scene are dressed in elaborate suits of armor Several years ago Sister Carpenter const meted the original suit of paper macho over cardboard. That first suit has been used as a mold. The present suit consists of breast plates and back plates made of fibre glass poured into the mold and helmets, arm guards and leg guards made of a plastic material The edges are trimmed with an electric saw The swords arc carved from aspen The 21 Lamamte warriors wear costumes based on a painting by a l.attcr-daSaint artirt. The head bands are made of fabric, the arm bands, with painted Indian designs, of plastic The wrapped skirts arc trimmed with bright colored fringe The warriors carry knives and swords shaHd from aspen. Captain Moroni and Zerahemnah Wi ;ir even more laboratc costumes that signify then rank y Bccau.se of the energy wilh which the 11 wan nils enact (his scene," the lead seamstress said, "These costumes ' require repairs after almost Among the ytlier performers yvho appear in now costumes are zo New w ill England women. They will wear velveteen suits in brfght jewel tones. Costuming involves more than research, design and construction. Sister Carpenter said. It also involves maintenance, record keeping and store keeping. Bruce and Betty Johnson, maintenance make sure that each costume is cleaned, repaired if necessary, and pressed after the dress rehearsal and at least once during the season. Some costumes require daily attention. M'ardrolre mistress Carol Lowry records each costume as it is cheeked out before each performance and cheeked in at its conclusion. Shirlcne Olsen is in charge of a committee that makes up the players and dancers before each performance. Tami Cox and several assistants are responsible for the hairdos of the Nephite women each night. I suppose about 90 people are involved in costuming. Sister Carpenter said. "They are volunteers and I call s their efforts dedication. I know they feel that they are doing their part to help create what has been for so many thousands a deeply moving, spiritual experience. That feeling of sharing has to be their reward. The final weeks of preparation foi behind-the-scene- this summer's Moimoii Miracle Pageant are now under way. Macksene Rux is again serving as director and II. Morgan Dyreng is general chairman. The firs' performance is July 8, and others are scheduled July 9 and 10 and We are again preparing for July audiences that we think will total more than 100,000, the general chairman 13-1- said . . |