There’s an art to exploring the Canadian Badlands, where you can hunt dinosaur fossils, hike, wander amidst hoodoos and watch wildlife. You can take guided tours in nearby Dinosaur Provincial Park, but also do some digging of your own into history that’s relived in outdoors theatre.
The natural amphitheatre in the Canadian Badlands where the Badlands Passion Play is performed for six days every July is a spectacle, where art blends with nature. Explore a unique park experience where theatre explodes in an eerie, wilderness setting where dinosaurs once roamed.
It’s an outdoor theatrical event, epic in its proportions but with an intimate and moving story -- a portrayal of the life and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.
Something for Everyone
It is the natural amphitheatre with its hills and valleys and weird rocks that sometimes takes centre stage. You can enjoy the experience as a family, a couple or an adventurous individual seeking something new to do in the Badlands.
There are more than 150 actors and sometimes as many as 175, and there is a capacity for close to 2,500 audience members in the amphitheatre, which is often near full. Real horses and donkeys are used during the performances of the play.
This is not Sunday school theatre and you don’t have to be religious to enjoy the outdoor experience. There is a core group of professionals and it’s been staged for with constant refinements to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the audience.
No Detail Too Small
You sit in that natural amphitheatre and you are surrounded by the actors who are everywhere -- on the natural stage, on the constructed buildings, in the audience and atop the hills and in the valleys. There is a choir and an orchestra. Nothing is electronic, and the sound carries beautifully.
Since its inception, all aspects of the Passion Play have been meticulously researched and designed by Daniel van Heyst, professor at King's University College in Edmonton. This includes every part of the monumental set to the smallest prop piece, as well as hundreds of authentic costumes.
Artistic Director Talks the Walk
Randall Wiebe, Artistic Director for the Badlands Passion Play, takes you on a mini-tour of the play and the road leading to it.
“We stage our play in the Badlands, which is ancient and beautiful and stark,” he says. “You’ll see the ravages of time and weather on the landscape. There are eons of sediment. When you look around, you think about ancient history and an era known best for dinosaurs.”
“I have been to Israel twice and this landscape is similar to north of sea of Galilee, which is part of the history we are trying to explore here,” he adds.
Director Says Enjoy the Drive
If you’re driving through what seems to be an industrial part of Drumheller you suddenly see a sign to the left that says the Badlands Passion Play. There is a bunch of men in reflective vests. The performances are at 3 p.m. or 6 p.m. and are a little over 2.5 hours with intermission.
From the parking lot, you walk up a little trail or you can flag a golf cart to get carried up over the hill, where you are surprised by the walls of Jerusalem and the ancient village. You pass through the gates and you are suddenly in a small area with concessions and food, along with a craft shop that includes art and hand made items from the Middle East and local artists.
Step Into History
You will see people wandering around in ancient costume, and fishermen telling stories among themselves until the Romans come along. You enter the auditorium and you’ll be amazed by the size and sound of it, where there is wooden bench seating for 2,500 people and the stage takes up part of the valley, with buildings and hills behind.
As the time approaches for the play, trumpets sound and a single figure comes out on stage -- it’s Matthew the tax collector, and then there are more than 100 actors on stage. You hear strains of music from the choir and from the top of the hill above a trio of crosses, John the Baptist proclaims: “Prepare ye the way of the lord.’ From that moment on you are fully immersed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
Music Surrounds You
Musical instrumentation including timpani and trumpets were added to the production. In 2007, further changes were made to the script and music to further enhance the performance.
The natural amphitheatre is located on 30 acres of private property. More than 500 volunteers from across western Canada participate to help stage the Passion Play. Approximately 200 of these people camp on site and make volunteering part of their summer vacation experience.
Take a Bow
Attractions Canada honored the Passion Play in 1999 with the designation of Alberta’s Top Cultural Attraction. In 2000, the American Bus Association named it One of North America’s Top 100 Events. Its theatrical contribution as one of the
world’s noted Passion Plays has been written up in academic literature.