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We have filled 8 of 10 named cast positions for Godspell including the lead role of Jesus. Call 530-575-7420 for new times.
About godspell
The Director: The Rev. Philip Wiehe
I am a 75-year-old retired Episcopal priest and have lived here in Hendersonville for over ten years. My first experience of theater was in a Christmas pageant when I was 5 years old. This event was held in a 1500-seat auditorium with an orchestra, choir, and a cast of over 100 men and boys. I remember the hair rising on the back of my neck when torchbearers for the Three Kings entered the darkened space to ethereal notes high in the violins. That was also my first “God moment.” I have been a lifetime recreating that moment for others.
I had a gifted drama teacher in grade school who knew how to teach and encourage play. We improvised stories around props and costumes, acted them out, and performed them for our parents. In middle school and high school, I started out backstage with lighting and then stage managing, acting, directing, and producing in that order. In college I led the drama club, mostly producing and directing as well as taking basic courses in theater arts. While I was aiming for a career in the theater or possibly film, I felt “the call” to ministry. I was keen on social justice and my church was involved with the Civil Rights movement and protesting the War in Viet Nam. I embarked on the journey toward ordained ministry by enrolling at Yale Divinity School for the M. Div. degree and tacked on an additional year studying and performing liturgical drama.
Rather than several pages of titles of plays I have directed, written or produced, I will describe the rest my theatrical journey that includes one act and full-length plays, musicals, and an opera. Scripts have covered secular and religious themes; casts range from amateur to semi-professional, with performances held in proscenium theaters, black boxes, church sanctuaries, and on the street. Many of the titles would be obscure, but some are not: I have directed Waiting for Godot (Beckett), Murder in the Cathedral (Eliot). Noye’s Fludde (Britten) – these last two with pro and semi-pro casts.
In every play I have directed since I entered ministry fifty years ago, I have made a point of building ensemble productions. Even when there were paid actors in lead roles, I insisted on a team approach from rehearsal to performance. Initially I did this as a practical matter of good technique for working with a cast consisting of people who are just starting to know each other. Now I see this as central to my approach to the theater that goes back to that “God moment” in the Christmas pageant. For me the best art in any medium is transformational. In performance art, all performers must be on “the same page of the script” – an orchestra, cast, or corps de ballet.
The notion that a good play can be transformational was driven into me in high school. The school drama coach directed Our Town when I was in the eleventh grade, and I was deeply moved by this script and production. This was my first time as stage manager (backstage – not the role) and I was pleased to be part of a team offering a play that always offers a high-level perspective on what it means to be human in a vast universe. I wanted to do more of that. And I have.
The Concept
The original concept for Godspell fifty years ago was the story of Jesus gathering a group of young adult disciples set in a gritty urban landscape, and it has has worked well for decades. I would like to bend that a bit. For this production the cast will be inter-generational; senior adults will be residents in a senior living center while young and middle-aged adults are workers in the center or perhaps visitors. The setting will be the Physical Therapy area of the center with various pieces of exercise equipment, including a Pilates ball or two, an exercise bike, a set of stairs, and a ramp with rails. At least one member of the cast is wheelchair bound, perhaps one uses a walker. The key concept is having half of the cast be people who were in their teens when Godspell first became a “thing.” We know the music! I have assembled a top-of-the -line music director, design team, most of the cast and band members, and the start of a fundraising team. We are poised to proceed into 2026.
cast and musicians
Jesus: Joff Masukawa
John the Baptist/Judas: Bud Murphy
The Eight
The ensemble that interacts with Jesus and tells the stories and parables (in alphabetical order):
Joe Fishleigh
Nolleen Kelly
Krista Mosser
Kim Nelson
Kathy Norrow
Bob Pompeo
Shae Savoy
+ 1 more!
Additional Chorus and Swing
TBD
The Band
Keyboards: Deb Bridges
Lead Guitar: Doug Woofter
Bass: Philip Correll
Percussion: John Barrett
and special guests
PRODUCTION TEAM
Music Director: Deb Bridges
Assistant Producer: Lonnee Rey
Assistant Producer: Lonnee Rey
Assistant Producer: Lonnee Rey
Assistant Producer: Lonnee Rey
Assistant Producer: Lonnee Rey
Choreography: Sarah Emery
Assistant Producer: Lonnee Rey
Designer: Linda McFadden
Stage Manager: Ritch Yount
Set Construction: Tom Cramer
Set Construction: Tom Cramer
Set Construction: Tom Cramer
Audio: Alan Phillips
Audio: Alan Phillips
Audio: Alan Phillips
donors, sponsors, Program ads
Donors
Donor Levels & Benefits
FRIEND — $50
Listing in the program under “Friends of Godspell”
SUPPORTER — $100
Listing in program
Priority ticket access (1 week early)
PATRON — $250
Listing in program
1 complimentary ticket
Priority ticket access
BENEFACTOR — $500
Listing in program (in bold)
2 complimentary tickets
Priority access
ANGEL — $1,000
Premium listing
4 complimentary tickets
Special posted recognition
PRODUCER’S CIRCLE — $2,500+
Top-tier listing
6 complimentary tickets
Recognition every night
Optional half-page ad
Invitation to final dress rehearsal
Sponsors
Corporate Sponsors & Vendor Partners
TITLE SPONSOR — $5,000+
Full-page ad (inside front or back cover)
Logo on all marketing
Onsite signage
Stage recognition nightly
Vendor exclusivity (if applicable)
8 complimentary tickets
GOLD SPONSOR — $2,500
Full-page ad
Logo on website & social media Stage recognition opening night 6 tickets
SILVER SPONSOR — $1,000
Half-page ad
Logo in program sponsor section 4 tickets
BRONZE SPONSOR — $500
Quarter-page ad
2 tickets
Program Ads
Program Ads
Program Ads
(sizes and rates not final)
FULL PAGE — $250
7.25" × 6.75"
2 tickets
HALF PAGE — $150
7.25" × 3.25"
1 ticket
QUARTER PAGE — $75
3.5" × 3.25"
Logo Placement:
Vector file or 300 DPI PNG recommended
All ads appear in our 8.5" × 7" program using a clean, modern layout.
HOW TO MAKE A DONATION
DONORS AND CORPORATE SPONSORS
There are two paths for payments to PilgrimQuests for donors, corporate sposors, and block ticket buyers:
- Send a check payable to PilgrimQuests LLC to PilgrimQuests, 3676 Laurel Park Highway, Laurel Park, NC 28739. We will then process your payment through Fractured Atlas (see #2).
- Pay by credit or debit card, or ACH to Fractured Atlas online. Fractured Atlas is a 501(c)3 organization endorsed by the North Carolina Arts Council as a gateway for tax deductible donations to artists and arts organizations. The service fee is 8% which the donor or PilgrimQuests can pay. Visit our Fractured Atlas page to donate now. You may choose to pay the service fee for which we will be doubly grateful.
The box office will open in March with other options.
