“Death of the Messiah” A Passion Play

As the theater lights are dimmed, she stands in front of the faithful cast and crew, with her hands clasped and her eyes closed.

This intimate interaction between director Therese Hidalgo and the Passion Play local troupe, begins the last dress rehearsal before they’re set to perform live. She reminds each actor that the character they are portraying is important, not only to the production, but more so to the audience.

Hidalgo has directed the Passion Play, “Death of the Messiah,” for 25 years with the Companions of Jesus of New Mexico, an inter-dominational troupe of performers and crew members. The play is a dramatic presentation depicting the Passion of Jesus Christ — His trial, His suffering, His crucification and His ultimate resurrection.

This production of the “Death of the Messiah” has become a community cultural event over the past 26 years, creating inspiration and reminding the faithful of what Jesus did for humanity.

For the actor who is portraying Jesus Christ, he’s been involved in the production since nearly the beginning. As the son of the director, Chris Hidalgo understands what he needs to bring to his character, and what it means to those watching from the audience. This is the second year he has portrayed the son of God.

“It means a lot to me because it brings the community together,” Chris Hidalgo said of the Passion Play. “It means a lot to me personally as well because it’s something I’ve been a part of since I was a teenager.”

Hidalgo has been involved as a crew or cast member since he was in middle school, and now is able to share the same experiences with his own children.

“We’re lucky to be able to spread the word of God through the community as well as with our family,” he said.

“Death of the Messiah” is a drama filled with a lot of emotion, a lot of history and a lot of passion. For the actors and the crew, being able to bring the Passion of Jesus Christ to life for the audience is an honor. For Chris, the most poignant scene for him is the Last Supper.

“I try and put myself in that situation where Jesus is around his family and friends — knowing for the last time,” he said.

“Seeing the representation in the flesh can rejuvenate faith of feeling in God,” is why Hidalgo says people should come see the play.

PHOTOS: 2025 Passion Play "Death of the Messiah"

Derrick Garley and his wife, Rebecca, had never seen the local Passion Play before, but decided this would be the year they would participate.

Derrick portrays Apostle Andrew, while Rebecca portrays two roles, Mariam and a disciple.

“We were mayordomos for San Clemente Catholic Church (in Los Lunas), and we really like to stay involved in the church, and we heard about the play that’s been going on for 26 years,” Derrick said. “We know someone who has been involved for a long time and they asked us if we wanted to be a part of it, and we’ve enjoyed every minute of it.”

As a first-time actor, Rebecca said she was a little nervous the first time on stage but, as a school teacher, she’s used to getting up in front of an audience.

“It’s an honor to bring our faith and let everyone know there’s a higher power,” she said. “All you have to do is pray and He will give you whatever you need — not always what you want, but what you need. We want to help the community understand that and have fun at the same time.”

While the Garleys have seen different adaptations of Passion Plays, they were surprised at the dedication of the local production company and are happy to be a part of it.

“God willing, we’ll do this again,” Derrick said.

Pam Costa, the production’s technical director, has been on the board of directors of Companions of Jesus of New Mexico since 2018. As the technical director, Costa is in charge of the sound and lights.

Along with programming the music for “Death of the Messiah,” Costa took on an additional role this year with the new LED lighting system the production purchased.

Prior to this year, the different venues would provide the lighting for the Passion Play, but with some fundraising efforts, they were able to purchase their own. Also prior to this year, Costa had no experience dealing with the play’s lighting.

“I had to learn the program, and then learn the lights,” Costa said. “That was a learning experience.”

Costa had many years of experience running the sound board at her church, Christian Life Fellowship, and it was a natural fit for her to use her talent and skill in the local production of “Death of the Messiah.”

While the play has evolved over the years — including the cast and crew — Costa says it still brings a tear to her eye when she watches Longinus, the repentant soldier, sob after Jesus is crucified and taken down from the cross.

“I sit back there and try and remember what I have to do next,” Costa said. “But it gets me every year.”

Costa said the troupe becomes like family throughout the rehearsal season and, at times, things can go wrong on stage.

“Some years, there are hilarious glitches,” she said. “When my son, Frank, portrayed Jesus, we couldn’t keep his wig on, so he came out with just a skull cap. We had one guy who really messed up his lines and got flustered. He was supposed to defend Jesus, and he forgot what he was supposed to say, so he just said, ‘It’s Jesus, man!’”

Everyone involved in Companions of Jesus of New Mexico are volunteers, from the director and the technical director to the cast and crew. Therese Hidalgo said she actively recruits every year because sometimes there’s not enough people and they will have to play two and even three roles.

“It’s a lot of work,” she said. “A lot of my strength comes from my husband, Miguel. It took him a while to get started, but we end up pushing each other.”

The seasoned director says when she first thought about joining the production a quarter of a century ago, she remembers sitting in church and looking over at a statue of the Pietà (depicting the Blessed Virgin Mary cradling the mortal body of Jesus Christ after his descent from the cross).

“I’m a mother of three sons, and I remember thinking, ‘Wow, how could she have done that? How could she have held her dead son in her arms?’ That got me spiritually motivated to do this,” Therese Hidalgo said. “That scene is very important to me; not knowing I would be one of those mothers.”

She recalls going to her first rehearsal, meeting with the cast, the crew and the faithful. The recently-retired nurse said she was all in from the beginning and it’s just flourished ever since.

Hidalgo also has an active board who understands the importance of Passion Play, she said, and has found people who take pride in their individual roles and responsibilities.

“We welcome everyone! People come for different purposes. Some come to support their family, but some come as a tradition,” she said. “They look forward to it every year. People know it, depend on it and cherish it.

“They come to be reminded about their relationship with Jesus. We forget that he took all of our sins.”