Standing ovation for debut production of 'Moses'
Standing ovation for debut production of 'Moses'
15 September 2016
An eight-minute drama on the life of Moses, performed at The Salvation Army’s Boundless International Congress last year, debuted as an expanded 30-minute production at the USA Eastern Territory Messengers of Light Commissioning event in July.
The Arts Ministries’ production of Moses combined dance, music, computer–generated video, and animation, telling the story of how God used one man to lead the Israelites out of ancient Egypt. An audience of about 2500 in the Great American Hall at Hershey Park, Pennsylvania, gave the production a standing ovation. Thousands more viewed it via live stream on saconnects.org.
“Ten years ago, we could not have done Moses like we would have wanted,” says Carol Jaudes, Special Events and Arts Ministry Bureau director. “But today we created it from scratch, with directors, dancers, and creative minds straight from the Army. God is so faithful and he has continued to bring such talent from the arts community to his Church. His timing is perfect!”
With a broad smile, Jaudes said that even the costumes in Moses were all from Salvation Army Family Stores in Manhattan and in Mt Vernon, NewYork.
Ian Evans, who starred in the title role, says there are specific reasons why the biblical story of Moses can be told so well on stage.
“The life of Moses has all the ingredients for a great story,” he said. “It has pain, loss, miracles, freedom, and the best possible ending, all in the name of salvation. It’s about the message that God rescues and guides his people. To perform it was exhilarating.”
Evangeline Miller, one of the dancers and the creative arts director for the Empire State Division, added: “You don’t see this type of ministry in many other places. But The Salvation Army takes pride in it and cultivates it. It’s amazing to bring Scripture to life. We know the Word of God is alive within all of us. But everyone learns differently. So when we see it in front of our eyes, it reaches more minds, opens more hearts, and teaches in a new way.”
At the 2015 International Congress, Jaudes created and coordinated a session on the concept of social justice. To illustrate the scriptural part of the session, she chose to show Moses dramatically leading his people out of oppression. “God rescued Moses so that he could rescue others, just as God rescues us to rescue others,” Jaudes said.
Lieutenant-Colonel Kenneth Maynor, then-program secretary, was inspired by the production and thought that the life of Moses would make a great project to expand on for the future. “He was all for it, and wanted to have it as part of the Commissioning weekend,” remembers Jaudes.
The production was scripted by Jaudes; choreographed by Kathryn Higgins, Kroc Center arts liaison/dance specialist; musically composed by Joseph Skinner, audio technician; and panoramically animated by Jerome Green, motion graphics artist/post production coordinator. The production begins with the baby Moses being released by his mother into the Nile River. It ends with the adult Moses parting the Red Sea.
“We wanted the production to have striking visuals but as few lines as possible. All we needed were a few voiceovers from God, and some basic narration,” says Jaudes. “But the story itself needed to transcend language, as would any lesson from the Bible.”
Jaudes says Moses was a high point of her 16 years with The Salvation Army. “Usually after I finish a project, my mind is right on to the next thing. But this time, I constantly find myself reflecting on Moses even weeks later.”
Adapted from an article that first apppeared in SAConnects Magazine. View the Moses production HERE.
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