Campus Ministries presents “The Prince of Egypt”
Students make live-action film adaptation a reality
Earlier this semester, Union College chaplain, David Kabanje, and several students brainstormed Union’s first drama production in several years. “I was really excited to have theater come back to Union,” said Ellie Britain, a freshman business administration major and co-director of the production. “The opportunity to go back and be part of theater again and then bring in so many friends and so many friendly faces to create something that ultimately, the campus loved and that the alumni loved … was a really special opportunity.”
The team behind the gigantic production included: vocalists, actors, makeup and costume artists, directors and audio/visual technicians, who all spent months completing the project, a live-action adaptation of the 1998 animated musical drama film, The Prince of Egypt from DreamWorks. Work behind the scenes included hours of custom costume design, scene writing, choreography rehearsals and more.
As Kabanje took the microphone on opening night to welcome a waiting audience, students and alumni who were visiting for Homecoming Weekend sat in suspense as the first act began. Emma Bermeo, a sophomore graphic design major, narrated the play; portraying Ellen White, a major change that added nostalgia to the production.
The play started softly but as the music built, so did the drama, and with one drum beat, the audience looked to the rear of the building in shock as the Egyptian taskmasters drove the Israelites to the stage. Action didn’t stop as Jochebed soon entered the scene, hiding from the Egyptians as she found a place in the river, made of costumed actors, to hide the baby Moses. The story progressed as Moses ran from Egypt and then met God in the burning bush. He then returned to Egypt to meet Pharaoh, who would not let the Israelites go. However, at the command of God, the double doors at each side of the sanctuary opened, revealing nine of the 10 plagues personified. The audience sat on the edge of their seats as the plagues crept their way up the aisles and then ran down to throw Pharaoh’s servants around as he argued with Moses. Eventually, they made way for the final plague, Death, as he came forward to kill Pharaoh’s son. Afterwards, the Israelites made their way out of the sanctuary through the water, which had returned from earlier. Pharaoh pursued, but the water returned and chased him and his servants backstage.
In closing, Ellen White repeated the words of the classic song, “When You Believe” from the film. The cast, directors and crew returned to the stage to sing it together as they lit the Sabbath candle.
“It was stressful at times,” Britain said, “I was worried about it, but it turned out really, really well and I’m really happy and really proud of everyone that was a part of it.”
By: Charles Metz