When Loren Covarrubias’s brother died a couple years ago, he saw the pain his mother went through and felt inspired to write the play ‘The Passion of Mary: The crucifixion through a mother’s eyes.?
‘We know how God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, yet we also can’t relate to God making a sacrifice because as human beings it doesn’t quite hit the same way,? said Covarrubias, pastor of Mount Zion Church.. ‘But when you look at it through Mary’s perspective and the sacrifice she made, it was much more like what we would do, with the feelings and the thoughts that she would have in relationship to this (the crucifixion), so, I bent the play around showing Mary’s personal side and so that you could relate to a mother’s pain and the loss of her son.?
Sereena Chiapelli plays Mary as a little girl.
‘I really like doing it and I think it’s going to be a ministry to other people, so they will know God better,? Chiapelli said. ‘The best part of the play is when I get to boss my brothers around.?
Covarrubias’s daughter Ashley plays the young 20-year-old Mary, who gives birth to Jesus in a stable. Ashley say’s she likes the modern twist the play gives to Mary.
‘It’s not just about the Virgin Mary and her little baby that she had, it’s about she’s in a stinky barn, she is not feeling good and when she finds out she is pregnant she is nervous about how her fianc? is going to feel,? she said. ‘If you think about nowadays if I was engaged and I’m like ‘Oh by the way I’m pregnant.? I don’t think he would be too happy about it. I like bringing that aspect of it into the play because it helps people relate better to Mary.?
Rachael Crockett plays Mary from Jesus’s first miracle to his crucifiction. Carson said she loves how the play gives Mary’s perspective.
‘Pastor Loren really captured a different side of it, being the love that she has, the promises she was given and just for a real mom to see her real child dying and how she feels afterwards. Then seeing he was raised (from the dead) and was so happy because that was something else she was promised and that God fulfilled all the promises that he gave her,? she said. ‘It’s really cool to play that because the feelings are real and I believe that it really happened.?
The play was directed by Diana Stafford.
‘I think this is an amazing production. Pastor Loren is very anointed,? she said. ‘I feel blessed to be working with this crew in this building, with all of this equipment to be able to bring this Passion of Mary to life and I think many people are going to come in and be very touched.?
The Passion of Mary will be performed at Mt. Zion Church, 4900 Maybee Road, Clarkston by the Mt. Zion Theatre Company in the new start of the art sanctuary Thursday through Sunday, April 9-12, 7:30 p.m.; matinee, Good Friday, April 10, 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 each in advance or $12 the day of performance. Call 248-409-1120 for more information or to order tickets.