With the world fallen into sin and scandal, God had it in mind to send a Great Flood, a flood so cataclysmic that it would cover the entire earth. All of creation –- humans and animals -– would be destroyed in the ruinous flood; all, that is, except for Noah and his family.
Noah was a righteous man who, although surrounded by miscreants who elevated their own desires above God's law, remained firm in his resolve to obey his Creator. Because of Noah's faithfulness, God preserved Noah's life and the lives of his family members.
God instructed Noah to build an Ark –- a large seagoing vessel, large enough to hold Noah and his family, as well as two of each species of animal which God had created.
Sight & Sound Studios has for 30 years offered the story of NOAH, drawn from the seventh chapter of the Book of Genesis, on stage at their theater in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
During this 30th anniversary year, the stage show is nearly sold out; and so in 2025, they are bringing the drama to an even wider audience – offering it on the big screen in theaters across America.
Move fast -- the film version, NOAH Live! is only in theaters until Thursday, Sept. 24.
Animals and Other Challenges
One hundred animals running around on the stage. Another 100 animatronic animals inside the Ark. Fake “water” simulating a great flood.
These are but some of the challenges faced by Sight & Sound's producers in creating the stage play Noah. Add to that the four-story stage set, and the elaborate costuming: Nearly 350 costumes were required for the cast wardrobe, and the gorilla and orangutan costumes were created by hand, with each hair on the animals' backs individually punched into the fabric.
Katie Miller, director of brand development for Sight & Sound Studios, talked recently about those and other challenges faced by the creative team.
“All of the animals in the show,” she admitted, “add an extra level of complexity. But the trainers do a great job!
"Because of their careful training, the animals are the most consistent part of the show: They know where they're going, they know what they're doing. They know they have a treat waiting for them at the other side of the stage or in the Ark. They know their job!
"So every day, as the handlers bring them in, we see them run toward the Ark. It's a really fun experience, and we get to watch it every day! They're so well cared for, and they're an integral part of the Sight & Sound family.”
Miller added that the skunks are “deskunked," and, she said, "They're so adorable! They come running up into the Ark all by themselves!"
And Miller offered a secret which, she confided, has not been shared in many places: Moviegoers this week will be treated to a behind-the-scenes video showing what it takes to train the animals.
“I got to see it last night,” Miller said, “and it's so cute. It includes a video feature on how they trained the skunks.”
A Passion for Biblical Truth
Miller shared the team's passion for telling the Lord's story, and their commitment to sharing God's message.
“One of the things that we love to do,” Miller said, “and that we feel really passionate about doing, is seeking the Lord for what message He wants to have come through the story we're telling on stage.”
“In the case of Noah,” Miller reported, “the writers want to stay true to the story as recounted in the Scriptures –- but there's a lot that we just don't know. For example, we don't really know what happened in the nearly 100 years it took him to build the Ark. And we don't really know what life was like for the days upon days that they were on the Ark.”
It's important, Miller believed, for people to understand that just as Noah was faithful to God, God was faithful to Noah.
“It really is,” she said, “a story of beautiful faithfulness, woven through the entire show. Just as God was faithful to Noah, so is He faithful to us in our lives today.”
Positive Response from Audiences
Audience response to Noah, as to other Sight & Sound productions, has been enthusiastic.
“One of my favorite things,” Miller said, “...is when we get letters saying things like, 'My husband won't come to church with me, but he'll come to the play!' or 'My neighbor won't come to church, but he'll come to see Sight & Sound.'”
She added that one wonderful woman from the Northeast had sent a photo of all the kids who live in her cul de sac, gathered on blankets and lawn chairs and watching one of Sight & Sound's films on a big screen.
“For her,” Miller said, “it's an evangelistic tool. For us, it's our heart and our hope to equip and inspire the church –- 'the church' meaning those of us who, through our daily lives, are talking to others around us.”
How to See NOAH Live! in Theaters This Week
Noah will air in more than 1,000 theaters across America until September 24. After that, Miller said, it will eventually come to their streaming platform, Sight & Sound TV.
Find a theater near you and purchase tickets at noahevent.com.
Image: Sight & Sound Theaters
Kathy Schiffer writes regularly for the National Catholic Register and Catholic World Report, and for other Catholic publications, including Evangelization and Culture, Crisis Magazine, Aleteia, Zenit, the Michigan Catholic, and Legatus Magazine. She’s worked for Catholic and other Christian ministries since 1988, as radio producer, director of special events, and media-relations coordinator.
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