EPHRATA, Pa. - Godspell is an offbeat, modernistic, somewhat free-spirited look at the Gospel according to St. Matthew, and it s sure to entertain. That s what director Jody Reppert said about the show, now on stage at Ephrata Performing Arts Center. It s a great, high-energy show that I think everyone walks away from feeling like they ve had a great experience, Reppert said.

Godspell, which debuted off-Broadway in 1971, became a movie in 1973 and went to Broadway in 1976, is a series of parables mainly taken from the Gospel of Matthew, and is interspersed with a variety of modern music set primarily to lyrics from traditional hymns. The show culminates with the crucifixion. But it s anything but a straightforward look at the Bible. It s the ensemble show of ensemble shows, Reppert said.

The structure of Godspell allows a director and cast to take liberties throughout the production. Reppert, who directed the show twice before, likes that spontaneity. The script is basically a guideline, he said. Throughout the rehearsal process, we ve tossed around improvisation and ideas on how to do things, trying to figure out what works and what doesn t and what draws on the strengths of the cast members. And no two productions come out the same. Each show is so different, Reppert said.

But with each show, the cast always seems to be drawn together because the show is so much about building a community and everybody supporting each other. All 10 cast members never leave the stage, so the show is exhausting and I think that serves to bond them together. Reppert, who has directed The Crucible and A Man Of No Importance at EPAC, said the theater s thrust stage, with the audience seated on three sides, is well suited for Godspell. This is the perfect space for it, Reppert said.