Lawndale Baptist puts its spin
on the passion of Christ

By Diane Villano
Times Staff Writer

Years before Mel Gibson presented his 2004 film Passion of the Christ to the world, the folks at Lawndale Baptist Church were presenting their Bow the Knee at the Philadelphia Protestant Home social hall, across the street from the church, at Levick Street and Martin Mills Road.
First performed in 2000, the cast and crew of more than 70 people have been performing versions of the Lord’s passion, death and resurrection for free as an Easter offering to the community.
"The passion play is completely funded by the church [with] all costumes and props made by members of the church," said co-director Adam Buck, adding that a handful of cast and crew members belong to other churches.
Bow the Knee opens with Mary and Joseph looking for a young Jesus, who they found teaching in the temple. After they find their son, Lizette Senatore, who plays Mary, sings a moving rendition of Beautiful Hands, one of several songs in the show written by Christian composer Chris Machen.
The play continues to take the audience through different times of Jesus’ life, performing miracles, turning over money tables in the temple, his entrance into Jerusalem that Christians celebrate on Palm Sunday, to his betrayal by Judas, the last supper, his death and resurrection.
The role of Jesus is played by Vincent Senatore, who with his long, dark hair and beard, looked the part, even during rehearsal, while wearing jeans and white high-top sneakers.
Billed as a captivating musical drama, the professional production fulfills that promise.
Performances will be at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 30; 2 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 31; and 7 p.m. on Sunday, April 1. The Saturday evening performance will be interpreted for the hearing-impaired.
There is free admission with seating on a first-come, first-serve basis. The doors open 30 minutes before each performance. ••
For more information, visit Lawndalebaptistchurch.org
Reporter Diane Villano can be reached at 215-354-3036 or dvillano@phillynews.com