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Manitou, Man.
A hillside is transformed


The first visual evidence of the uniqueness of Oak Valley is the cross. This cross, erected on top of a hill some years ago by a youth worker in Manitou (Man.) Mennonite Brethren Church, was built by grafting the crosspiece into a live tree. Today the lit cross continues to grow and needs to be trimmed annually so that it is visible to residents driving by.


Sharing the gospel with his neighbours and business associates along with pastoring Manitou MB Church was part of John Wiebe’s daily ministry. He did this on a volunteer basis while earning his livelihood by farming. Son Arnold remembers going into town with his father and seeing him share his faith with those he met. His family inherited his love for ministry, and this has resulted in an amateur theatre presentation seen by thousands each summer.

The Wiebe family donated 80 acres of its land to Oak Valley Productions for an amphitheatre in La Riviere, Man. where, among other productions, a Passion Play is presented annually. The family felt this was a fitting memorial to their father.

Oak Valley Productions was incorporated in July 1998 to promote outdoor theatre and to encourage education and training for actors, musicians, performers and writers. It also seeks to encourage and promote Judeo–Christian and family values, ethics and morals within the theatre setting.

The passion play “The Carpenter”, written by Providence College instructor Sara Pasiciel, was first presented last summer as a means of ministering to people in the area. The response was bigger than expected; large crowds turned out each evening of the production. This year they expanded the seating area to 1000 – it’s still a “bring your own lawn chair” event – and added two evenings of performances. Total attendance was 5450, up only slightly from last year’s 5200. A number of bus tours made this a destination point as well. For next year the number of performances will be reduced to six (three each on two consecutive weekends).

“This is unifying the five churches in Manitou” as well as those in the surrounding area, say director Richard Klassen, and producer Belita Sanders. “This is something they can all agree on.”

The family, as well as the community, also get involved as actors, makeup, set production, billets, feeding the crews, ushering and being part of the board of directors. The number of volunteers is estimated at 250. The 75 actors come from as far away as Winnipeg and Steinbach, Man.; members of the 10-piece orchestra also come mainly from southern Manitoba.

Not only is Oak Valley providing entertainment and ministry; another objective is to train people in many of the fine arts. Qualified instructors give classes in theatre, voice, dance and in leadership skills. In fact, Oak Valley Productions will have an off-site classroom for Steinbach Bible College, offering a one-year performing arts/drama program. Summer internships are accredited through the College and workshops in the community offer opportunities for young people to hone their skills.


Other shows that are done by Oak Valley all have the same purpose – to provide good moral entertainment and an “outlet for people to express their creative side, a safe environment where students can pursue this [talent] in a safe place with good material”, according to Sanders and Klassen. These shows include a heritage play on Nellie McClung (a native of Manitou), “Bookmark” (on the book of Mark); “Narnia”; and “The Robe”. They also produce a medieval dinner theatre “Wedding Feast of Robin Hood”. These are performed at either the Oak Valley site in La Riviere, the Opera House in Manitou or at Steinbach Bible College.

A passion play gives an account of the suffering of Jesus Christ during the last days of His life. Using this format, “The Carpenter” tells the story through the eyes of people who did meet, or who could have met, Jesus. Narrators introduce the events and move the story along; much of the dialogue is taken directly from various versions of Scripture. Even though some of the scenes may be out of sequence from the way we normally look at the passion story, they are incorporated in a way that makes the story live.

The setting (against a hillside) uses the natural vegetation and terrain to good advantage. Various parts of the hillside become the Garden of Gethsemane, Calvary, and the Garden Tomb. Plans are being developed to plant an authentic Garden. The main stage is the city of Jerusalem, where, with slight prop changes, buildings are transformed from ordinary homes to the home of Pilate, for example. Most scene changes are integrated into the story and transitions are seamless. The live animals help create a realistic Palm Sunday scene, and the background music enhances the performance. The most griping scene of the evening is perhaps the crucifixion. It is done graphically but tastefully; the audience comes away from a performance of “The Carpenter” with a renewed sense of the suffering Jesus endured and the awful price paid for our salvation.

 – sbb

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Last modified November 9, 2001.

© 2001 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
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