PAWNEE ROCK — A sunrise pageant is planned for Easter morning at the Pawnee Rock State Historic Site.  The pageant starts at 7 a.m. on Sunday, March 31, Elaine Mull reports.
The pageant is best enjoyed by arriving early with lawn chairs and blankets, Mull said.  
A hush falls on everyone as the choir begins to sing, “Holy, Holy, Holy!” A stranger appears dressed in modern clothes. Struggling with the veracity of the Easter Story, the stranger says, “If one could only know that all these things once happened.”  
Everyone is then drawn into the story as the actors sweep back the curtain of the years and invite all to walk in the way of the cross.
For the setting the audience is seated with their backs to the rising sun. The sun slowly brightens the face of the Rock where the actors, garbed in elaborate period costumes, move about. Traditional hymns and contemporary music strengthen the story as it culminates in “Christ the Lord is Risen Today,” sung by all.
The Easter pageant, “The Way of the Cross,” has been performed at historic Pawnee Rock for 76 years with it now being presented only on the odd numbered years.  
Some actors have kept their same parts for many years. New musical numbers for the choir and some solos are added each year.  
Choir rehearsals will be held at 4 p.m. on  two Sundays, March 17 and 24, at Pawnee Rock New Jerusalem Church, 300 Santa Fe Ave. Choir robes are provided.  
For more information, call Mull at 620-285-1360.