Large-scale theater production of Jesus’ life and death to draw huge crowds during Lent

“The Thorn” is a live-action theatrical performance depicting Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection that features a cast of more than 40 performers, including aerialists, dancers, actors, and musicians, and combines choreography, music, and state-of-the-art visuals to create an experience that immerses the audience in the story of Jesus. / Credit: The Thorn

Denver, Colo., Feb 23, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

A live-action theatrical performance depicting Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection is selling out mainstream venues across the United States as it begins its spring tour visiting 25 cities before Easter. 

Originally created as a play for youth at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, “The Thorn” has grown into a large-scale production featuring a cast of more than 40 including aerialists, dancers, actors, and musicians. It combines choreography, music, and state-of-the-art visuals to create an experience that immerses the audience in the story of Jesus.

John Bolin, the creator of “The Thorn,” moved to Colorado Springs in 1997 and was asked to volunteer as a youth pastor at New Life Church. 

“I wasn’t trained as a preacher. My background was in marketing and entertainment but not really in church work,” he told CNA in an interview. “Instead of preaching sermons, we would do what I called back then ‘illustrated sermons.’ So it would involve music and video and choreography and things that I knew would keep young people’s attention.”

"The Thorn" is a live-action theatrical performance depicting Jesus' life, death, and resurrection that features a cast of more than 40 performers, including aerialists, dancers, actors, and musicians, and combines choreography, music, and state-of-the-art visuals to create an experience that immerses the audience in the story of Jesus. Credit: The Thorn

One evening during youth group, a 16-year-old girl went up to Bolin crying and holding out her arms. There were visible cut marks on her arms where she had been self-harming. Bolin looked at the young girl and told her: “You don’t have to do that because I believe Jesus did that for you 2,000 years ago.”

It was then that he decided at the following week’s youth group meeting to do an illustrated sermon that portrayed two things: “the price that Jesus paid for us, so that we could identify with his suffering and know that he identifies with our suffering,” he shared, and also: “I wanted to show what I call the spiritual battle for the choices, destiny, identity, and calling of young people. That they know that God has a call in their life, but the enemy, I believe, also wants to steal, kill, and destroy God’s best plan for them.”

That performance for 200 high school students in 1997 was the first of many times “The Thorn” would take the stage. Despite it being what Bolin called “horrible” in terms of costumes, makeup, and production, he said, “I believe God was there and 200 high school students were deeply moved and touched and felt God’s love present with them.”

The pastor of the church asked Bolin if the show could be performed for Easter, and for the next 10 years, “The Thorn” was performed as an annual Easter tradition in Colorado Springs with thousands of people attending every year.

“Even early on, we were attracting Protestants, Catholics, believers, seekers, agnostics that would come because it was such a different way of communicating and showing the Gospel story that people came from all over the place to experience it,” he recalled.

From there, the show became an independent production and began to travel the country performing in large evangelical churches. And then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and it was forced to stop.

Feeling discouraged in 2021, Bolin had the idea of trying to get “The Thorn” into movie theaters. Thanks to the help of some industry connections, Bolin was able to partner with Fathom Events and in March 2023 “The Thorn” was released in theaters across the country.

"The Thorn" is a live-action theatrical performance depicting Jesus' life, death, and resurrection that features a cast of more than 40 performers, including aerialists, dancers, actors, and musicians, and combines choreography, music, and state-of-the-art visuals to create an experience that immerses the audience in the story of Jesus. Credit: The Thorn

While it played in theaters, Bolin thought that one final tour should take part alongside the theatrical run. He reached out to the pastors of churches that had previously hosted the live performance to ask if they’d be interested in hosting one last time, but, to his surprise, they all said no.

“I honestly think God was at work in that,” he said. “So then my wife and I thought, ‘Well, what do we do? We feel like there’s one more live tour in us, but these churches don’t want us.’ And I felt like God said, ‘Go where I would go,’ which is in the middle of the marketplace, in the middle of the public square.”

It was then that Bolin felt called to look into getting the show in performing art centers, “where you’re not in a particular church or anything like that but instead you go to the public square in these performing art centers and present the Gospel.”

“So my wife and I took a huge risk. We actually took out a half-million-dollar loan. And we knew that if it didn’t work, we would have to sell our house,” Bolin shared. “That’s the true story behind the story. We knew [the risk] and we agreed to it. We prayed about it and said, we believe in the story enough. We’re going to try it.”

The husband-and-wife duo went to work booking 10 venues in different cities and promoting the show themselves. They sold out in nearly all 10 cities. 

“That was the beginning of a new chapter and what we see as a miracle,” Bolin said. 

Now they’re taking part in their largest tour yet with performances leading up to Easter, April 20, in 25 cities including Los Angeles; Austin, Texas; Atlanta; Baltimore; and Charlotte, North Carolina, among others. And for the first time, “The Thorn” will be performed in Spanish in six cities — Los Angeles; Fresno, California; San Diego; El Paso and Grand Prairie, Texas; and Reading, Pennsylvania.  

Bolin said he hopes those who attend a show during the spring tour will leave seeing “Jesus in a way they never have before. I hope that they can feel connected to him in a way they never have before.”

“I want people to leave knowing that it’s not just a God that’s way out there but that he knows your story, he knows your name.”