Alex Slitz/Daily News Sarah Abell, of Bowling Green, along with other actors line up in the sanctuary before rehearsal for "39 Hours" an Easter pageant presented by Rich Pond Baptist Church. Tickets for the "39 Hours" are free and show times are this Thursday thru Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 10 a.m.

Music minister Jim Krutza stood on the stage in the dimly lit sanctuary of Rich Pond Baptist Church on Tuesday evening, giving last-minute instructions to the cast and crew of the upcoming Easter pageant as they began their final dress rehearsal.

“I know the crucifixion is a hard scene,” Krutza said. “You don’t even want to practice it. But when the time comes, I want you to really put yourself into it.”

He told them to read passages in the Bible telling of the crucifixion and to put themselves in the positions of those living during the time who did not like Jesus, then to come up with a couple of lines they can yell as part of the angry crowd.

Moving onto the extended stage where the cross is located, Krutza had more advice.

“Remember, we can’t drop Jesus.”

When putting on a large-scale Easter production, there is much to consider, from lights and lines to choreography and costumes. But the main goal of the annual event at Rich Pond isn’t simply to put on an impressive musical.

“All that is to tell the story of the Gospel,” Krutza said, “to tell the story of Jesus.”

This year, the church is telling the story through a pageant titled “39 Hours.”

“The title basically describes the time from the death of Jesus Friday until he rose from the grave Sunday morning,” Krutza explained. The pageant tells the story of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ through the voices of three who were there at the time: Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus and Mary Magdalene. The story begins just after the crucifixion and is told through scenes happening during the 39 hours as well as flashbacks.

Krutza writes the scripts for the Easter pageants each year and the church will usually do a production for two or three years. This is the first year for “39 Hours.”

Krutza has been music and worship pastor at Rich Pond for 25 years and that longevity has helped him build the music program to what it is today. When the church built the new sanctuary in the mid-1990s, it did so with theatrical performances in mind. There is a removable choir loft, a large stage and stage lighting.

“You’re able to build on what you have,” he said.

And he credits the church members with being very talented and dedicated.

“They really love what they do,” Krutza said.

Chris Seufer of Bowling Green is playing Jesus in the Easter pageant for the second time.

“It’s hard to play him,” Seufer said. “You’re trying to portray the crucifixion and I know he was up there for me. … It’s a great thing for people to come and see.”

Leigh Anderson of Bowling Green is Mary Magdalene in the production, a role she finds challenging as well.

“Mary has demons cast out of her by Jesus,” Anderson said, “and it’s a big change for her.”

Several children are also involved in the pageant.

Julia Forsythe, 9, has been in the Rich Pond Easter production since she was 8 months old.

“It’s fun,” Julia said. “It’s a really good play.”

Her mother, Donna Forsythe of Bowling Green, has been part of the production for several years.

“It’s community. It’s the Gospel presented as a family,” she said.

Last year, the church didn’t do its normal full-scale production and Forsythe said it just wasn’t the same.

“If we don’t do it, it’s just not Easter,” she said.

Wanda Sollinger of Bowling Green has also been involved in the Easter pageant for many years, but she does her work behind the scenes – she’s in charge of costumes.

“We started really small,” she recalled. As it’s grown, she’s made more and more costumes, amassing quite a collection that is reused and added to each year.

The pageant has grown in size and reach over the years, becoming more and more popular and well attended.

This year’s performances will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and at 10 a.m. Sunday. Tickets are free, but reservations are required for all but the Sunday performance.

— For tickets and more information, visit the church’s website at www.richpond.org or call 842-2593.