Performing Mormonism: the Hill Cumorah Pageant As Transformational Theatrical Ritual James A

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Performing Mormonism: the Hill Cumorah Pageant As Transformational Theatrical Ritual James A Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2006 Performing Mormonism: The Hill Cumorah Pageant as Transformational Theatrical Ritual James A. Bell Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF VISUAL ARTS, THEATRE AND DANCE PERFORMING MORMONISM: THE HILL CUMORAH PAGEANT AS TRANSFORMATIONAL THEATRICAL RITUAL By JAMES A. BELL A Dissertation submitted to the School of Theatre in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Degree Awarded: Fall Semester, 2006 The members of the Committee approve the Dissertation of James A. Bell defended on October 17, 2006. Carrie Sandahl Professor Directing Dissertation Joseph K. Torgesen Outside Committee Member Mary Karen Dahl Committee Member Approved: C. Cameron Jackson, Director, School of Theatre Sally E. McRorie, Dean, College of Visual Arts, Theatre and Dance The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members. ii To my wife and family for their support and sacrifice during the long days, months, and years of this project. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to thank foremost my wife, Nancy Stephens Bell, who repeatedly assisted with proofreading this material. I also wish to thank Rodger Sorensen for making himself available, answering questions and providing details, and showing confidence in this work. Without his continued assistance, I would not have been able to complete this work. Finally, I wish to acknowledge and express gratitude to my dissertation committee chair, Dr. Carrie Sandahl for encouraging me and for being available and prompt with assistance and suggestions. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures ................................................................................................ vi Abstract ...................................................................................................... ix INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 1 SECTION I INTRODUCTION ........................................................................... 23 1. THE PILGRIM’S PROCESS .......................................................................... 28 2. THE HILL CUMORAH’S PAGEANTS......................................................... 59 3. THE WRITTEN WORD.................................................................................. 96 SECTION II INTRODUCTION.......................................................................... 141 4. BEGINNING THE PROCESS: SEPARATION, TRAINING, AND CASTING ...................................................................................................... 147 Casting ...................................................................................................... 157 5. THE LIMINAL SUB-PROCESS: RELIGIOUS TRAINING AND REHEARSAL................................................................................................ 173 Religious Training ...................................................................................... 174 Rehearsal .................................................................................................... 185 Workshop-Rehearsal or Religious Training-Rehearsal Process................. 189 6. COMPLETING THE PROCESS: PERFORMING AND REINCORPORATING THE NEW IDENTITIES ........................................ 196 Preshow .................................................................................................... 197 Pageant Performance .................................................................................. 213 Post-show and Aftermath............................................................................ 225 7. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................ 234 Beyond the Hill Cumorah Pageant............................................................. 240 APPENDICES ................................................................................................ 242 A Copyright Permission............................................................................ 242 B Human Subjects Research Approval and Sample Forms ..................... 249 C Letter Sent To Hill Cumorah Pageant Cast Members in 2000 Who Signed a Contact List ......................................................................... 255 REFERENCES ................................................................................................ 257 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH .............................................................................. 264 v LIST OF FIGURES Fig. Int.1: Mormon display at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Washington D.C., July 1999 ................................................. 2 Fig. Int.2: Original Nauvoo Temple Sunstone displayed at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Washington D.C., July 1999 ............... 3 Fig. I.1: Hill Cumorah Pageant stage designed by Eric Fielding for the 1988 renovated production .................................................................................. 24 Fig. 1.1: Palmyra area Historic Sites map............................................................ 30 Fig. 1.2: Grandin Printing Shop........................................................................... 33 Fig. 1.3: Printing press in Grandin Shop. ............................................................ 34 Fig. 1.4: Joseph Smith Log Home in 1999 .......................................................... 35 Fig. 1.5: Smith Frame House, Cooper Shop, and Barn all under construction in 2000............................................................................................. 35 Fig. 1.6: Sign at the entrance to the Sacred Grove............................................... 37 Fig. 1.7: Pathway through the Sacred Grove ....................................................... 37 Fig. 1.8: The Hill Cumorah Moroni monument overlooking the pageant light towers and at the base of the monument atop the hill ................................. 38 Fig. 1.9: The ritual process and the Mormon pilgrimage process. ...................... 46 Fig. 1.10: Summer morning in the Sacred Grove ................................................ 52 Fig. 1.11: Pilgrim family entering the Sacred Grove past an entrance sign that implies the need for reverence. ............................................................................ 53 Fig. 2.1: View of multileveled Hill Cumorah Pageant stage and seating in the bowl from the top of the Hill Cumorah. ............................................................. 85 Fig. 2.2: Rusty Terry, the actor who plays the Resurrected Savior, rehearses his entrance in the flight harness.......................................................................... 93 Fig. 3.1: Book of Mormon historical narrative structure..................................... 101 vi Fig. 3.2: Book of Mormon thematic narrative structure...................................... 101 Fig. 3.3: Pageant stories and key elements. ......................................................... 102 Fig. 3.4: Pageant text narrative structure showing the exposition. ...................... 104 Fig. 3.5: The pageant text narrative structure showing the exposition and inciting incident with the first five key elements.......................................... 109 Fig. 3.6: Lamanite Warriors ................................................................................ 110 Fig. 3.7: Abinadi burns to death........................................................................... 112 Fig. 3.8: Volcano set piece for the Hill Cumorah Pageant, 2000. ...................... 114 Fig. 3.9: Descending Savior................................................................................. 115 Fig. 3.10: A Nephite approaches the resurrected Savior, played by Rusty Terry 117 Fig. 3.11: The pageant text narrative structure through Story 9 showing the inclusion of the key elements. ......................................................... 120 Fig. 3.12: Cumorah ritual narrative...................................................................... 126 Fig. 3.13: Missionary narrative............................................................................ 128 Fig. 3.14: Combined missionary and primary pageant narratives. ...................... 128 Fig. 3.15: Missionary methodology..................................................................... 129 Fig. 3.16: Various pageant narratives with pageant stories in place.................... 131 Fig. 3.17: Narratives overlap. .............................................................................. 132 Fig. 3.18: Resulting pageant narrative. ................................................................ 133 Fig. II.1: Ritual process........................................................................................ 144 Fig. II.2: Schechner’s performance sequence and my pageant performance process. ........................................................................................... 145 Fig. 4.1: Casting as a separation process. ............................................................ 159 Fig. 4.2: 2006 Hill Cumorah Pageant Cast Application Form............................. 162 Fig. 4.3: 2007 National Outdoor Drama Combined Auditions application 1...... 163 vii Fig. 4.4: 2007 National Outdoor Drama Combined Auditions application 2...... 164 Fig. 4.5:
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