At six-months of age Elijah Townsend has already had a starring role in a theatrical production.
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The son of Nathaniel and Stephanie of Simcoe, Elijah played the lead role of Baby Jesus in the Calvary Pentecostal Church production of Bethlehem Live.
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Other than a few gurgles and soft cries, Elijah had very little to say about the production.
Not so his mother Stephanie.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Stephanie said. “It’s a great way to tell the Christmas story and bring people together for a couple of evenings.
“This is our first time participating in this and we’re really enjoying it.”
For Stephanie and Elijah, the production was a family affair. While Elijah was being cared for by Gregory Garcia and Mckinley Mungal in their roles as Joseph and Mary, Stephanie and Nathaniel were in the bread house.
They welcomed guests and served small slices of bread cooked over a fire. Their two other children, Ainsley and Shiloh, spent the evening playing in the reconstructed Town of Bethlehem.
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The church has been putting on the production, which brings hundreds of people to the church property on Ireland Road, for about five years. Many of the visitors, an estimated 600 to 700, come from out of town.
“We get people from Brantford, Hamilton, Tillsonburg and as far away as Toronto,” Pastor Jay Black said. “People come here, have dinner, enjoy Bethlehem Live and then go to enjoy Simcoe Panorama.
“This event has become part of the community.”
Black said Bethlehem Live is an opportunity for people to experience the First Christmas. The event is an interactive, outdoor production that includes live animals, camp fires, Christmas carols in the church lobby, angels, crafts for kids, Roman soldiers and a short skit.
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The Town of Bethlehem includes close to 20 small buildings as well as a pen for the sheep and shepherds.
Organizers send groups of people on the short trek every 15 minutes but visitors can take their time walking through the grounds.
The first night of the two-night event was held Dec. 8 and the second evening was held Saturday night. Between 60 to 70 people from the church participate in the event by playing a role or helping set up the buildings.
Tyler and Ruth Wain of Waterford brought their son Micah for the Friday night production.
“It’s great weather and great acting and we really enjoyed all of the elements of the production,” Tyler said. “I really enjoyed the acting.”
The family attended last year’s event during snow and cold weather, so Friday night’s weather was balmy.
“Micah is a year older and so he’s now at an age where he can appreciate it and enjoy it,” Ruth said. “It’s a really nice way to spend an evening.”
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