The Living Last Supper

Living Last Supper at Grace Memorial Baptist Church; Gulfport, Mississippi*

I’ll be the first to admit that the special event that usually makes Easter memorable at our house is the morning discovery of baskets filled with Gold Brick eggs, chocolate bunnies, and Peeps.  That’s changed.  Biannually, Grace Memorial Baptist Church presents “The Living Last Supper,” a dramatic recreation of Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous painting.

Anthony Turner, our church music director, has fine-tuned this production over the years.  Each performance plays to a packed sanctuary, and has recently been scouted by churches looking to produce the Living Last Supper in their own towns.  Twelve men portray the twelve disciples as they ponder which of their number is the man who will betray Jesus.  The man at the center of this drama, Jesus, has been portrayed by Dale Latimer of Gulfport, since the inception of this tradition.

Dale Latimer portrays Jesus in GMBC Living Last Supper

Last year, church member, Don Hair, introduced the production while portraying the master painter, Leonardo da Vinci.  Don joined the disciples this year, by portraying James.  The show began, instead, with the late Paul Harvey’s classic “rest of the story” account of the painting’s miraculous survival following the bombing of Santa Maria delle Grazie during World War II.

When the curtain opens, it is as if you are at a museum viewing a life-sized version of the painting.  The background is an elaborate mural by artists, Mary Case and Jonathan Webber.  A long table has been set with assorted fruits and bread and dinnerware to closely mimic the painted version.  Most of the men grow beards for the occasion, and are seen in frozen positions that reflect their character’s painted counterpart.  They maintain these rigid positions for over an hour (many will tell you this is the most challenging aspect of their role), breaking the poses only when it is time for their character to come to life and reveal their role in history.

It all comes together to create a wonderful Easter worship experience.

Cast:  Jesus – Dale Latimer, Nathaniel – Steve Craig, James the Lesser – Jamie Carver, Andrew – Bud Jones, Judas – Evan Dickson, Peter – Frank Neal, John – Channing Powell, Thomas – Richard Tilley, James – Don Hair, Philip – Ashton Burge, Matthew – Larry Burns, Thaddaeus – Richard Hartfield, Simon, the Zealot – Bryan Blakeney

Soloists:  Kay Garrard and Judy Turner

Costumes:  Norma Acuff, Joan Brewer, Marie Bullen, Rachel Craig, and Doris Schouder

Sound & Lighting:  Cecil Acuff, Byron Brewer, Evan Dickson, and Butch Horning

Set & Props:  Charlotte Carver, Kay Garrard, Don Hair, and Patti Tilley

*[Special thanks to Lisa Tilley Newman for her wonderful photography:  www.tilleynewman.com]

Tags: Gulfport Mississippi, Living Last Supper