Reflections on the impact of SonRise

Written by: Anaya Parker

Editor’s Note: This reflection article is written in first person in order to better capture the author’s personal experience with SonRise.

I remember sitting in awe, watching the angel dancing and Jesus rising from the grave. The scene was all the more powerful after watching Jesus go through Jerusalem in triumph and then suffer on the cross. Never before had I felt so captivated by the story of Jesus’ death. 

It’s been over 10 years since that first SonRise Resurrection Pageant made an impact on my mind and heart, but I still remember the day vividly. Over the years, I have performed various roles within the pageant, including Miriam, Salome, Mary Magdalene and others. My excitement rises throughout the year in anticipation of this springtime ritual. 

SonRise was first produced on April 6, 1996, and has continued to grow every Easter weekend since then. The cast includes hundreds of volunteers from Southern Adventist University, Collegedale Academy, surrounding Adventist churches and the community. Many of the individuals involved have participated in SonRise for years.

While the spotlight is on the main actors, the show depends heavily on other recruits, who work behind the scenes and as part of the dynamic crowds. They serve as flag-bearers to guide the visiting pilgrims, distribute water, set up and take down props, run audio visual (AV) and much more. Without the vital coordination and contribution of hundreds of volunteers who are working in the background, SonRise couldn’t continue.

This will be Southern alumnus Alexis Dewey’s 11th year of involvement in SonRise. She started acting in the marketplace as an early teen and is now in her second year as the casting director. SonRise has always been important to Dewey, who says the event touched her at a young age. 

“I was really young when I first went to SonRise, and for me, it was always very real,” Dewey said. “It was not a play. It was not a re-enactment. I thought that I was watching Jesus die for me. 
And so it was always so impactful from the get-go.”

Within SonRise is a combination of long-time participants and first-timers. Local residents may have been involved in the pageant for as long as they can remember, but there is a variety of experience. Some actors have grown up attending SonRise but not participating. Others have only heard of SonRise, and their first experience of the event will be as they act within it. Ava-Caroline Schmidt, a freshman mass communications major, is playing the part of Salome for her first year acting in SonRise.

“I’ve grown up coming to Tennessee and watching SonRise,” said Schmidt. “I’ve had people I love and look up to be in SonRise, and now I get to experience the same feeling that they all have. It’s amazing that I get to fulfill one of my childhood dreams of actually being in the show and witnessing to people who may have seen this pageant many times, or maybe it’s for the first time. Regardless, I get to tell the greatest story known to man: the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.” 

The pageant’s meaning has always been significant for those attending, but the people involved are just as impacted. Other incentives exist for students to participate in SonRise, such as enrichment credit offered for attending practices. Additionally, individuals can participate in a variety of scenes without auditions. 

Those who want non-speaking roles can be part of the opening, while others who seek speaking roles can portray mobsters at Pilate’s Hall and Crucifixion. Men to be disciples and soldiers are always in demand. No matter a person’s comfort level with public speaking, there are many options for involvement. 

“The people on the stage make up the least amount of the people who are helping [with] SonRise,” Dewey said. 

If you or someone you know is interested in being involved in this year’s production, please email sonrisecasting@southern.edu for more information.