An inside look at the Hill Cumorah Pageant

Local residents can get an inside look at the annual Hill Cumorah Pageant at a free seminar on Wednesday, July 18, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Finger Lakes Community College.

The pageant is an outdoor theatrical presentation depicting selected stories from the Book of Mormon and the founding of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Performances begin at 9:15 p.m. on July 13, 14, and 17 to 21 at the pageant grounds on Route 21 in the town of Manchester, just north of the Thruway.

Visitors are welcome to attend all or part of the FLCC seminar, to be held in Stage 14 on the second floor of the FLCC Student Center, 3325 Marvin Sands Drive, Canandaigua. The agenda is as follows:

• 4 to 4:50 p.m.: “Putting on the Hill Cumorah Pageant.” Dwight Schwendiman, president of the Hill Cumorah Pageant, and pageant director Brent Hanson of St. George, Utah, will explain the logistics of putting on a show with 750 participants from throughout the world with a one-week preparation period.
• 5 to 5:50 p.m.: “Why Participate in a Pageant?” Members of the cast will take part in a panel discussion about their experiences playing important figures in the church’s story.
• 5:50 to 6:10 p.m.: Dinner break. The Finger Lakes Café, adjacent to Stage 14, will be open until 7 p.m. Food may be purchased and brought back to Stage 14.
• 6:10 to 7 p.m.: “Why a Pageant in Palmyra, N.Y.?” Jack Christianson, president of the Rochester Mission, will give an overview of the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

All seminar attendees will receive passes to VIP seating at the July 18 pageant. The free Hill Cumorah seminar is a partnership of the pageant, FLCC and the FLCC Association. The Association is a not-for-profit organization that operates student services at FLCC, including the 356-bed College Suites residence hall. About 160 members of the Hill Cumorah cast and crew from outside the region will stay at College Suites this summer.