Pope John Paul II's hometown prepares for his canonization with theater

KRAKOW , Poland, April 3 (UPI) -- Krakow, Poland, where Pope John Paul II served as archbishop, is preparing for his Apr. 27 canonization as a Catholic saint with a play about him.

Among other celebrations, solemn and festive, the musical play Karol Wojtyla: the True Story will have its premiere in Krakow’s Juliusz Slowacki Theater this week before moving to Warsaw for two performances.

The work features three actors, playing the pope as a nine-year-old boy, a 20-year-old embroiled in World War II, and as the pope at age 50.

“Every sentence I speak is a volcano of emotions for me,” said actor Virgilio Brancaccio, who plays Wojtyla as a young man, “but the idea is not to tell the story of a great pope. It’s the story of a young man who dealt with destiny with dignity.”

The two-hour play is directed by Duccio Forzano. The score was written by Noa, an Israeli pop star who performed before John Paul II in 1994.

Commemorative masses noting the death of the pope, Apr. 2, 2005, are taking place across Poland, and most notably in Krakow, this week.

[Thenews.pl]