Acts of faith; Playing Jesus can be the role of a lifetime for those who tackle it

By: RUTH MARVIN WEBSTER - Staff Writer | Saturday, April 7, 2007 8:10 PM PDT ∞

I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ---- John 14:6.

Those immortal words, proclaimed at the audition, landed Carlsbad resident David Ellenstein the role of Jesus Christ in the inaugural production of "The Glory of Easter" at the Crystal Cathedral.

"One of the most unique experiences I've ever had as an actor," he said of the role he played 20 years ago. "Crucified twice daily, lugging the cross, the lashings, ascending onto the cross with the music, clouds of dry ice and swirling green light. It was over the top."

Today is Easter, the culmination of Holy Week for millions of Christians. During this season, churches recall the trial, crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some churches simply read the Bible story; others produce plays.

To play the title role of Jesus Christ is, at the very least, unforgettable, say local actors. And for some, it can be life-changing.

Many actors who have played Christ don't necessarily sport long hair and beard when they're offstage, but they all do seem to have a certain look ---- soulful brown eyes, tall stature and aquiline nose.

Ellenstein said he was cast at the last minute when the producers realized they would need more than one Jesus for the dozens of performances scheduled.

And he remains certain to this day that if he hadn't had the beard and the long brown hair when he auditioned he wouldn't have gotten the job, as there was not enough time for hair extensions or to grow a beard.

Charles Grindstaff, now 28, was cast in the lead role of an Easter play done by parishioners at the Lighthouse Christian Church in Oceanside, partly because of his beard.

"When I auditioned I had facial hair, long brown hair," he said. "I went the traditional route." Since he had done some acting in high school, he said, he had no problem learning the lines, approaching it, he said, like any other role. "Pretty much every line of mine was a quote from the Bible, and since I am a Christian, I knew the biblical accounts."

A physical resemblance to Jesus Christ led to a part on Broadway for Vista resident Eric Kunze too. Born and raised in the Catholic faith, Kunze traveled with the national tour of "Jesus Christ Superstar" for 11 years. He said he had just left the Broadway show "Miss Saigon" and was living in New York when a director approached him and said he would love for Kunze to play Jesus ---- no doubt because of the physical resemblance, but also because of his strong tenor voice.

"I was shaking in my boots because I hadn't done anything like that before," he said. "I had to learn my way through it for the first few productions." After a while, he said, the role started to fit with his body and his voice. "Eight times a week, hanging from the cross and getting 39 lashes, it is physically and vocally very demanding."

So just how do you prepare to play the part of the person Christians believe to be the Son of God, whether in a local church pageant or a national touring production?

First and foremost, said Kunze, he wanted to make his character believable to audiences. "My biggest goal was to make him a real flesh-and-blood man and take the iconic Jesus out of their minds," he said. "You already have the sandals and the robe you are throwing at them, but this Jesus is flawed. He is not perfect."

Even a minister needs preparation. The Rev. Paul Blax performed the role of Jesus in the House of Prayer Lutheran Church in Escondido's production of "The Living Last Supper" on Holy Thursday. "It's a non-speaking role," he explained. "The only role in this is to do the functions, to break the matzo and put it away to celebrate the Passover and to wash the disciples' feet."

In an interview before his performance Thursday, Blax said that all of the performers would wear street clothes in this modern version of the Last Supper, and he expected that he would too, with his collar.

"I haven't really thought too much about it (the preparation for the role). I will pray about it and let the spirit move me." Certainly, the look of compassion should come easily. "These people know that I love them already," he said.

Ellenstein, a professional actor since childhood, said he approached the role intending to be as open, exposed and giving as he could to the other actors and to the audience. "I was in a great state of mind for the whole show, but it was emotionally draining, and it's not because the play was that long at only one hour and 25 minutes."

A benevolent demeanor also worked for Carlsbad resident Rick Henry, who played Jesus at the beginning of his professional career, both in "Godspell" and "Jesus Christ Superstar." He said he was chosen because he is "very Jesus-like."

"I am very warm and loving, and people like being around me," he said. "So it was an easy thing for me to do."

Henry said that the role of Jesus in "Superstar" is much more demanding than in "Godspell." "It is emotionally exhausting, because from the moment the play starts, it is all about conflict," he said. "It's physically exhausting, and it is also so vocally demanding," he said.

But he also said that playing the role gave him a sense of power. "To have all that attention and adoration ---- but I didn't feel not worthy," he said. "I always felt I was destined to play that, and the power came from my belief in God."

Born and raised a Midwestern Lutheran, Henry said he studied and read Scripture to prepare. He said playing both roles made him feel closer to the character of Christ. "I am not positive about what I believe ---- whether Christ was the son of God or if he was just a really good man ---- but I do believe that you have to believe in God to play the role," he said.

In the 1997 Hollywood film, "The Gospel of Matthew," the role of Jesus was played by Southern California actor Bruce Marchiano. A born-again Christian, Marchiano joined a drama ministry that was traveling to Australia when a South African director, looking for a more realistic-looking Jesus, cast him for his film.

"I gave my life to Jesus two years before the film," said Marchiano in an e-mail interview, "but to pour myself into an understanding of Jesus as I had to do for the film took me to depths of love for Jesus I never imagined. I like to say I went into the film as actor who loved Jesus as my Lord and Savior, but came out of it a man in love with Jesus who just happened to be an actor. Yes, my love for him went from 10 to 10 million and hopefully still going." Marchiano now has his own ministry in North Hollywood.

"Of course, the most Jesus-revealing experience was hanging on the cross," Marchiano wrote. "After that day of filming, I wrote in my journal, 'Everyone should hang on a cross for 30 seconds; their life would never be the same. To begin to catch a tiny glimpse of the length he went to for you and me. All I can say is 'wow.'"

For Ellenstein, the role did not really have an effect on his religious convictions because in the end, it is still acting. But he did notice people treated him differently when he was playing Jesus. "There were those who would try to convert me," he said, adding that the other actor who played Jesus in the same production actually had his wallet stolen during one performance. "And people would talk to me about their dreams and about their beliefs or just thank me for bringing others the words of Christ."

But he said he didn't let the fans' adoration go to his head. "I don't think I thought about it once. There isn't room for that when you are playing Jesus. But I did learn valuable lessons about myself and being good, which I have carried through my life," he said.

Contact staff writer Ruth Marvin Webster at (760) 740-3527 or rwebster@nctimes.com.

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