May 2021: With the news of the Catholic Parishes in Southington merging, there are questions. One of which is, what will happen to the St. Thomas Passion Play?
Yes, a building, which we call a church, is closing, but people are the real Church of Jesus, not buildings. We, the people, the Church, are going nowhere. Together we will create a vibrant parish family. A parish that still has the same mission, to go out and spread the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, change is coming, but we will still be the same family with the same goal, to produce a theatrical offering of the gospel to spread the message of God.
April 2021: We are living through an unprecedented time. The past year has challenged all of us in so many ways. For over four decades, our community's Passion Play has been there, year after year as our Lenten Prayer and Celebration of Jesus' ultimate sacrifice for all of us. This virtual Passion Play is the culmination of a community that has dedicated themselves to sharing their Lenten Prayer and spreading the Good News. "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them" --Matthew 18:20
Our offering this year is titled St. Thomas Church Virtual Passion Play Through the Years 2021 and can be found on Youtube or by clicking the link below.
St Thomas Parish
Passion Play Mission Statement
We are a community of people from various places, walks of life, and religious expressions of Christian faith who gather under the auspices of Saint Thomas Parish to reenact the Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through the “Passion Play”.
Our goal is to build the Christian community of Southington through the gathering of prayer, by producing a theatrical offering of thanksgiving to God by using our talents for His Glory and for the sake of the Gospel.
We wish to accomplish this by offering a safe, dignified, respectful and loving community. All who wish to participate in this prayer are welcome. No one will be judged for where they are in their walk with the Lord. We discriminate against no one. We value all aspects of participation, and every sacrifice made to our common goal. We do not offer our identities in either our public literature or to the media.
We seek to offer a true and heart-filled prayer to God in thanks for the offering of His Son, as well as the blessing of community through the Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit.
It is very exciting that so many people return year after year to participate in what we refer to as Our Lenten Prayer. We value the participation of young and old. You give the performance a very special quality and your presence is a blessing to all of us. We need to maintain a “What Would Jesus Do?” attitude throughout the rehearsal process. We all need to be patient with one another and remember the focus of this production – Jesus Christ. This is not a talent show or a stepping-stone to Broadway. It’s a prayer. Working together, we can all keep this experience a positive and prayerful one.
The following guidelines are to insure your safety, and the enjoyment of all those involved.
Adult Chorus: No audition required. You must be at least in the 8th grade. You must sign up by the second rehearsal no new members will be accepted after this date. Chorus members are expected to participate in all adult chorus rehearsals on Wednesday nights from 7pm to approximately 8:30pm. Expect entire cast, chorus and crew rehearsals to run longer. After 3 unexcused absents you will be dropped from the chorus.
Pit Chorus: Must audition. To participate in the adult auditions you must be at least in the 9th grade. Pit chorus has a separate rehearsal day to be announced by the Pit director.
Adult Cast: Must audition. To participate in the adult auditions you must be at least in the 9th grade. Cast rehearsals are on Thursday evenings from 7pm to approximately 9:00pm. Expect entire cast, chorus and crew rehearsals to run longer. Adult cast members are encouraged to participate in all adult chorus rehearsals on Wednesday nights.
Youth Cast: Must audition. There is a separate youth audition. Check the schedule for the date.
Ticket policy: Tickets will be available to the cast and chorus 2 weeks before they are available to the general public. When you first order tickets there is a limit of ten for a single cast member or 20 for a family (2 or more). After tickets are released to the public you will be able to get more tickets.
Picture taking policy: Pictures may be taken during rehearsals including tech and dress rehearsal or after the presentation. No pictures can be taken during the presentations.