Sight & Sound Theatres – Valerie's Voice

“For such a time as this” is, to me, the mantra of the book of Esther, in the Bible. The phrase means we are in this moment, at this time, for a reason…for such a time as this. I have stated this phrase several times over the years, in different situations.

I was excited to have the opportunity to go see the play Queen Esther at the magnificent Sight & Sound Theater, near Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

In front of the Sight & Sound Theatre in Pennsylvania,.

This theater performs Biblical plays in an amazing venue using extensive set designs and costumes, and professional actors/actresses, with wonderful music and singing. We always plan to attend a production at this 2,000 seat theater when we visit Pennsylvania. They opened another theatre in Branson, Missouri in 2008, and we have seen a few productions there also.

The theater was started by Glen Esheleman, a former member of the church where Gary grew up in Lancaster County. He initially started out by showing nature photographs set to beautiful music in a surround-sound setting. I remember going to one of these first productions called, The Living Waters, back in the 70’s. The theater is still in the family, and has grown into the successful and grand venue it is today.

Although Glen has retired, his family is still involved in the theater.

We enjoyed the tale of Queen Esther, along with our brother and sister-in law, and our friends from New Hampshire. It lived up to the theater’s reputation…a grand production of one story from the Bible. Afterwards, we went out for dinner at a small Amish-run diner for a delicious meal. It was a delightful afternoon/evening.

While in Pennsylvania, visiting my husband’s family, we often take in a show at the Sight & Sound Theatre in near-by Lancaster.

The founder of Sight & Sound Theatre, Glen Eshelman, grew up on a dairy farm and attended the same country church that my husband attended in his childhood. Glen started painting landscapes when he was a boy and then started taking photographs to paint and then photography became his passion.

This passion prompted Glen to start showing nature slides set to music, to church groups, and this is how Sight & Sound began back in 1964.

The Thursday night performance we attended was sold out. Wednesday night was our first choice when we ordered tickets before we left on our trip, but that performance was already sold out. The theater holds 2,000 seats.

Today the theaters (there are two: one in Lancaster PA, and one in Branson MO which opened in 2008) feature full-length Biblical story productions with professional actors and actresses, outstanding costumes, professional musicians, live animals, all performed with realistic time-period backdrops and props on a 300-foot panoramic stage. The performances are so elaborate they continually perform the same show for a year. It is difficult for me to describe the brilliance of these productions.

It was unbelievable how believable they made the water look on stage. The disciples were in an actual boat on stage…and the wind was blowing throughout the audience in their seats. Throughout the performance animals were on stage and in the aisles, and doves flew overhead.

This year we saw the production Jesus. I love this description from the brochure:

“What you are about to experience is not a history lesson on the most famous person ever to walk the earth. It is not even necessarily a story of Jesus’ life. It’s a story of Jesus’ love, which we believe, is life.”

The production was over-the-top wonderful.

Click on this link to learn more about this incredible theater experience.