A special Easter production, in support of the Central Alberta Pregnancy Care Centre’s (CAPCC) Maternity Home Capital Campaign, runs March 22nd to March 24th at the Memorial Centre.

Showtime is 7 p.m. A matinee also runs March 24th at 2:30 p.m.

This marks the fourth year for the Easter-themed cast/choir performances, with Bow The Knee telling the Easter story as seen through the eyes of a Roman centurion.

From the live music and orchestra, sets, drama, and costumes, everything comes together to tell the story in a way that grips the audience and draws them into the greatest story ever told.

“This year, we are going for the more traditional Easter story,” said Anne Waddell, executive director of the Central Alberta Pregnancy Care Centre. This year, Sharon Nielsen, who used to direct the singing Christmas tree presentation at the Alliance Church, is serving as music director and Paul Hankins is this year’s theatrical director.

The CAPCC Maternity Home is for pregnant and parenting teens and young women in Central Alberta, according to the Centre’s web site.

“The goal of the home is to provide a safe and stable environment, life and parenting skills, and healthy relationships. The expected impact is transformation to a life of stability, independence, and improved health in all areas.”

The building and development of the home has been divided into two phases as well.

Phase One details included the construction of four bedrooms with private bathrooms, a shared kitchen and common area, a shared laundry room, and 24-hour in-house support all in a secured facility.

The duration of stay is for the client’s pregnancy and until the child is six-months-old.

Phase Two has seven, one-bedroom suites where clients can transition to from Phase One.

They will be able to live there until their child is two-years-old.

During this time, residents have the opportunity to pursue individualized goals, with either an educational focus or an employment focus.

Residents are also given the opportunity to make real life changes while providing a safe and stable home for their child. The goal is for them to be able to then live independently, having finished their education and secured employment.

Waddell said funds raised this year will help cover off the expenses of the project as a whole, and there is also an anonymous donor who has agreed to match a certain amount of what is raised.

“The support of the community is awesome. It’s free to attend because of sponsorship,” she added. “We have the four performances, which sit about 700 people each, so every year we average over 2,000 people in attendance.

“The beauty of it is that we also have more than 50 volunteers involved with the choir, the drama itself and the leadership,” she explained, adding that these helpful folks are from across the community at large. “It brings the community (together) in unity to support us,” she said. “It’s also exciting to share the Easter story in a family-friendly manner.

“Before, the plays were a little more abstract – but this year, it’s with full costumes of the times and huge stage props,” she said.

“It’s been amazing – for everyone who has been involved over the years, it’s been a vision in the making,” said Waddell of the overall project. “The community has really stepped up, too,” she said, adding that the fundraising effort is more than 70 per cent realized, too. “When people hear that we are totally privately funded, it’s quite an eye-opener. When the community sees a need, they want to provide and meet a need. So it’s really community-owned.

“It’s exciting.”

Meanwhile, tickets for Bow The Knee – although free of charge – are required for the performances, and there is rushed seating.

Tickets are available at 53rd Street Music, Kennedy’s Parable (Gasoline Alley) and at the CAPCC office in Red Deer.

Tickets may also be reserved by calling 403-343-1611.