Tetelestai 2000 Season
|
Cast List
- Nahum - Natalie Beal
- Isaiah - Lisa Stechschulte
- Zechariah - Raechel Ratliff
- Dave Fullen
- Judas - Matt Fullen
- Peter - Mike Sartori
- Andrew - Matt Paisley
- James - Christina Loscocco
- John - Andrew Borden
- Matthew - Lisa Stechschulte
- Philip - Emily Howard
- Simon - John Stechschulte
- Thomas - Natalie Beal
- Mary, Mother of Jesus - Sandy Nagy
- Mary Magdalene - Alissa Cook
- Mary Cleophas - Tina Kemp
- Salome - Raechel Ratliff
- Joanna - Sarah Williams
- Martha - Sarah Stanley
- Caiaphas - Joe Long
- Annas - Phil Nagy
- Alexander - Ryan Marshall
- Johannes - Chris Mowery
- Jeribai - Kristen Weis
- Nimrod - Heather McLennan
- Phineas - Charlie Manch
- Pilate - Kit Nagy
- Claudia - Angie Gilliam
- Ashley Adams
- Brittany Allen
- Ashley Arend
- Anne Armstrong
- Kurt Beard
- Ray Belfrage
- Amanda Blake
- Andrea Carillo
- Shelley Chaffin
- Michael Chesbrough
- Patty Clark
- Leah Cushman
- Jenna Dalbey
- Andy Dodson
- Abby Fullen
- Jason Fullen
- Hannah Gilliam
- Maggie Gilliam
- Cassie Glass
- Lindsay Hargrove
- Ellie Hattery
- Dustin Heveron
- Jen Holt
- Andrew Horton
- Evan Horton
- Jason Kientz
- Christopher King
- Jeremy King
- Nathan King
- Erin Lawson
- Isaac Ligocki
- Don Long
- Isaac Mann
- Gregg McClure
- Emily Nagy
- Martha Nagy
- Tim Nagy
- Jenny Rader
- Mindi Reed
- Jessica Scott
- Zach Sikora
- Jessica Shera
- Courtney Sims
- Lizzie Smeenk
- Emily Strouse
- Andrew Tornow
- Liz Wendorff
- Samantha West
- Aaron White
Prophets
Jesus
Apostles
Women
Sadducees
Pharisees
Romans
Chorus
Back to Top
Staff
- Producer - Laura Fullen
- Asst. Producer - Lisa King
- Director - Joel Nagy
- Music Director - Russ Nagy
- Technical Directors - Dave King & Roy Gilliam
- Stage Manager - Lorli Nagy
- Set Manager - Don Long
- Costumes - Judy Long
- Props - Angie Gilliam
- Make-Up - Sandy Nagy
- Publicity - Julie Paisley
- Cast Child Care - Lisa Cory & Christina Riddle
- Printing - Nancy Sloan
- Logo Design - Jim Zangmeister
Back to Top
News Articles
'Tetelestai' hitting boards for 26th Easter season
By Roberta Pierce
March 29, 2000
Contrary to the show's name, it's far from over for Tetelestai.
Tetelestai, the Greek word for "it is finished," is also the name of a contemporary musical that tells the story of the last week fo the life of Jesus Christ, from Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday.
When Russ and Joel Nagy wrote and produced their play 26 years ago for members of the youth group at Upper Arlington Lutheran Church, they never dreamed it would last for more than one season. But in 2000, Tetelestai has already been performed several times in Florida, and now the cast is gearing up for this weekend, where they will take the stage at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Church of the Resurrection, 6300 E. Dublin-Granville Road, in New Albany.
"We hadn't intended this to be a long-term project," Joel Nagy said. "The fact that we're still doing it is more than a little surprising."
In 1974 Joel Nagy had just graduated from Dartmouth University with a degree in theatre and joined the staff of the Upper Arlington Lutheran Church, which was looking for a way to get its young people more involved in their faith.
"At that point, ... they were not all that interested in participating in things that adults were involved in," Joel Nagy said. "I propsed to the others that we could write a musical passion play and take it on the road."
Joel Nagy contacted his brother, Russ, who was studying music at the University of Cincinnati, to help him write Tetelestai. It was so well-received the first year that other area churches began to invite the cast to perform on their stages, Joel Nagy said.
In addition, members of the cast told other young adults about it, and soon high schoolers from around the area wanted to participate, he said. Continued interest in the play led to an annual touring group.
Today, the cast of Tetelestai consists of approximately 60 high school students and 25 members of the church staff and their families, according to church spokeswoman Julie Paisley. Also, members of a Catholic church in Cleveland started a Tetelestai touring group of their own in 1980, she said.
The Nagy brothers directed the actors and music of Tetelestai for the first 10 to 15 years and semi-retired from the show in the late 1980s, but came back for Tetelestai's 25th Anniversary last year. A pleasant surprise for both was that Dave Fullen, who first portrayed Jesus Christ in the play, also returned to the role, they said.
This year, the trio is back once again. The 2000 production marks even more of a family occasion for the three men.
Joel Nagy's son, Kit, a senior at Upper Arlington High School, is playing Pontius Pilate this year. Russ Nagy's son Phil, a senior at Hilliard Davidson High School, plays the high priest Annas, who conspires with the Romans to have Jesus crucified. Both men also have younger children in the play as well.
Fullen's son Matt, a junior at Hilliard Davidson High School, squares off against his father as Judas the Betrayer.
Tetelestai continues to attract invitations and audiences year after year, its creators said. While the show is similar to Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar, both wirtten around the same time as Tetelestai, Russ Nagy said the more well-known plays end at the death of Jesus, two days before the story's natural completion.
"If you don't have a resurrecetion, you don't have a story. If you're just going to tell the life and death of Jesus, there's no point to it," he said.
By including the resurrection, Russ Nagy said Tetelestai goes a step further than other shows. Both brothers believe that the full story of Jesus Christ is what brings people into the theater.
"The impact for us all is, while we know the story very well from a factual standpoint, there's an emotional and very psychological impact of seeing it portrayed. There's no graphic violence, but we don't downplay the physical dimensions of suffering either. There is a crucifixion, and there is a flogging, and when you reat it it's one thing, but when you see it, it's something else," Joel Nagy said.
"It never ceases to amaze us how it really affects people," his brother said. "The music and styles may change, but the story hasn't changed in 2000 years."
Tetelestai will finish the season with a week of performances at 7 p.m. April 13-19 at the Upper Arlington Lutheran Church at Mill Run, 3500 Mill Run Drive.
Back to Top
Tour Shows
- Orlando, FL - March 29 - St. John Lutheran Church
- New Albany, OH - March 31, April 1 - Church of the Resurrection
Back to Top
Home Shows
- Columbus, OH - April 13-19 - Upper Arlington Lutheran Church
