VALDOSTA – Christian Guest knows playing Jesus is a huge responsibility.
“It kind of weighed heavy on me,” said the 22-year-old singer playing Christ in Park Avenue Church’s “The Carpenter of Nazareth” opening later this month. “Dane (Boruff) was the first person I saw playing Jesus so it was like Dane was Jesus. I thought of the people who see ‘The Carpenter’ for the first time this year would see me as Jesus so that weighed on me.”
Boruff played Jesus in the past few Easter productions at Park Avenue. He played Jesus last year in the first presentation of “The Carpenter of Nazareth: A Story of Hope for the World” and in the last couple of productions of “The Promise.”
Boruff told church officials several months ago that family commitments would keep him from playing Jesus this year, said Kathy Wright, music director for Park Avenue Church and “The Carpenter.”
Wright and Boruff reached out to Guest to play Jesus. Guest plays in the praise band — and, Wright said with a laugh, he has a head full of long hair.
Though Guest agreed to the role and has been rehearsing, the responsibility weighed him down. Boruff spoke to Guest about playing Jesus.
“He asked me, ‘Do you not feel worthy? None of us are,’” Guest said, recounting the conversation. “The thing to remember is trying to be like Jesus and that’s how we are called to live our lives.”
Boruff also walked Guest through his stage directions and has been there to help Guest prepare for the role.
Guest played an angel last year in “The Carpenter.”
Robert Hatton has been playing roles in the Park Avenue productions for years. In “The Carpenter,” he plays Joseph of Arimathea but he also performed in the “Carpenter” precursors – “The Promises” led for two decades by Reese Nelson and “God Hath Provided the Lamb,” developed by the late Jim Perry which ran from the late 1980s through the early 2000s.
Hatton said he moved to Valdosta in 1994 and joined the church in 1996. He’s been in every Park Avenue production since.
Hatton said he often encounters folks who say they saw a Park Avenue production in the past.
“If you saw it 10 years ago, you haven’t seen what we’re doing now,” he said. “There are changes every year. Something different every year.”
Though the story of Jesus is often referred to as the “Greatest Story Ever Told,” and is possibly the best known story in the world, Park Avenue felt the need to revamp the production last year.
Following Reese Nelson’s retirement, Wright, who has been with the church since 2014, continued “The Promise” for a few years prior to and after the COVID-19 pandemic, which shut down the show in 2020 and 2021. The church wanted a new direction for the production – something similar to when Nelson moved the production from “God Hath Provided the Lamb” to “The Promise.”
Patrick Carlson, a South Georgia-based author and illustrator, penned “The Carpenter of Nazareth,” a new take on the passion play.
But even audiences who watched “The Carpenter” last year will find a new “Carpenter” this year, Wright said. There are new songs, revised scenes and the 2024 production features a large choir with 43 members.
Jamie Bone, associate pastor, returns as director of “The Carpenter.”
Each year, dozens of church members return to present the annual Easter play that transforms the South Georgia sanctuary into the Middle Eastern world of the Bible.
Reese Nelson and wife Carole Nelson continue participating in the production. Nelson said he enjoys being part of the choir without having the responsibility of directing the performance.
Cast: Scott Dowse, Evan Creamer, Sawyer Moore, Robert Hatton, Katie Beth Day, Liam Dazey, Dalton Drocea, Christian Guest, Ben Mackey, William Whitesell, Grant Barry, Raymond Greer, Jacob Bell, Adam Cowart, Andy Harrison, Wayne Veal, Roger Mullican, Darel Rayburn, Mark Perry, Tom Brown, Shannon Hicks, Finley Dove, Kim Hatton, Gus Walters, Jason Dove, Dustin Presley, Daniel Day, Jason Dove, Noah Drocea, Dylan Presley, Chris Thigpen, Joey Wisenbaker, Maci Weathers, Jake Dorsey, Drew Covington, Randy Hicks, Darrell Presley, Dalton Drocea, Tony Phillips, Jared Koebble, Wesley Marshall, Bekah Pitts, Lauren Plair, Dawn Brown, Anna Beth Barry, Catherine Alday, Tom Brown, Maggie Barry, Juliana Allen, Lou Anne Cannon, Mae Cook, Sophia Allen, Cheryl Collett, Addyson Dorsey, Caroline Barnes, Debbie Cowart, Mary Grace Fricks, Smith Barnes, Julie Cowart, Margaret Perry, Claire Barry, Heather Croft, Medley Perry, Leah Barry, Devin Daugherty, Caroline Smothers, Ellie Cowart, Cary Dowse, Emma Kate Cowart, Charles Eidson, Hansen Cowart, Janice Evans, Julia Cowart, Brenda Freeman, Liam Dazey, Lynn Hall, Finley Dove, Heather Halter, Brooklyn Garrett, Wanda Halter, Kaimon Greer, Kim Hatton, Vera Huckaby, Ally Hicks, Catie Lynn Kautzman, Shannon Hicks, Mae Lincoln, Alfred Hiers, Davis Moore, Kaye Hunt, Sawyer Moore, David Jones, Derek Presley, Laura Jones, Stella Roberson, Rusty Jones, Emily Roberts, Pat LeFiles, Dawson Talley, Emily Mortonson, Peyton Talley, Carole Nelson, William Temples, Reese Nelson, Carson Tillman, Bekah Pitts, Madeline Tomlinson, Darel Rayburn, Maci Weathers, Mica Renfroe, Will Whitesell, Alicia Roberson, Kaylen Wisenbaker, Jim Rinehart, Korie Smith, Laura Smith, Jonathan Sumner, Sarah Talley, Debbie Tubbs, Abby Waller, Cindy Waller, Trista Wisenbaker, Dave Young, Becky Mullican, Stan Posey.
Ministry Team: Kathy Wright, music director/keyboard; Jamie Bone, drama director/stage manager; Jessie Dorsey, Jennie Eidson, Pati Ruane, assistant director/assistant stage manager; Laine Bellinger, pianist; Lauren Harris, organist; Cesar Garcia, percussion; Eddy Castellanos, violin; Heather Dorsey, angel coordinator; Patrick Carlson, art design; Lynn Yost, children coordinator; Rebecca Brice, Heather Halter, Mary Scott Lincoln, Becky Mullican, costumes; Debbie Towson, greeters coordinator; Melody Belflower, Jesus’ makeup; Jack Cook, lighting design; Jack Cook, Tommy McNeal, Kevin Ruane, Kenneth Strickland, lighting design; Beth Owens, makeup coordinator; Elton Cowart, meals coordinator; Jessica Presley, photographer; Lindsey Moore, nursery coordinator; Terry Hiers, Matt Dorsey and volunteers, sets/setup; Jessie Dorsey and volunteers, sets/stage decoration; Morgan Croft, producer; John Halter, audio; Zach Daw, sound effects; Kendall Cook, camera; Leggett Lovan, broadcast audio; Victoria Mooneyham, website.
“The Carpenter of Nazareth: A Story of Hope for the World” is scheduled to play 2 p.m. Saturday, March 23; 10 a.m. & 7 p.m. Sunday, March 24; 7 p.m., March 25, 26, Park Avenue Church, 100 E. Park Ave. Admission: Free. More information: Call (229) 242-3562 or visit ParkAvenue.church. Churches bringing several members are asked to call in advance to accommodate seating.