Early in the summer, Mom asked me if our family would be interested in participating in the San Juan Pageant. They were looking for some people to play pioneer families in the play. I told her we'd think about it because we had a really busy summer ahead. After our Welch reunion and Trek she asked again and said they really needed some help, so I told her we'd do it, even if Curtis couldn't or didn't want to.
The pageant is a small-scale type of program like the Manti pageant or the Nauvoo pageant. A play with a religious story, ours are related to our LDS faith. I'd seen the San Juan pageant a few years ago for the first time, when we first moved here, but I don't think it had been performed since then. It is not done every year.
We didn't have to go to any practices or anything, just show up in pioneer garb and get directions and that's it. We were supposed to be in 3 performances, but the first night we had a cast dinner and small rehearsal and then the skies opened up. They ended up canceling that performance. So that left us with two to do. Curtis decided to go ahead and come those two nights. Sadie was with us the first night but the last night she had a babysitting job which is why she is not in any pictures.
We simply had to pull a handcart up and out of a ravine and slowly across the meadow at a certain point. Then towards the end we could dress as angels in white and climb up onto the rocks behind the meadow for the closing scene.
I'm glad we took this opportunity to be involved. Every other single participant was from Blanding so we felt a bit out of place, but it was good. I have such a love and reverence for the pioneers and loved being able to portray them in this program. I also have a love for the Book of Mormon and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is what this program was about, using the culture of the people of this area as the background. I hope hearts were touched and testimonies sparked or strengthened by watching and participating in it.
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my little pioneer family
The boys sure didn't like wearing "Sunday clothes" I told them they were pioneer clothes |
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| hanging out on the bridge before the pageant started. |
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| Those are the rocks that were climbed and stood on for the final scene. |
They had some stations set up for visitors to come try some pioneer skills/crafts prior to the start of each show. The missionaries from the Bluff Fort helped a lot with this, which is why I think Mom got us involved. There was butter churning, candle-making, games, and a photo opp.
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| Curtis was very into the butter churning. |
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| The boys loved the candle making |
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| Hannah |
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| Curtis |
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Soren
Look at those eyes! |
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