Accolade Award-winning actor Shevrado Oliver will take on the role of Jesus in the Easter Sunday staging of The Rope and The Cross, appearing opposite Jerry Benzwick as Judas Iscariot.
The one-night-only Gala production of the late playwright Easton Lee’s religious epic will be presented at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center (JPAC) in Jamaica, Queens, on Sunday, April 5 at 7 p.m. A complimentary Caribbean cuisine Easter reception, courtesy of The Door Restaurant, will precede the performance at 5:30 p.m.
Oliver and Benzwick are joined by two-time Audelco Award nominee Dianne Dixon and veteran Jamaican-born actress Fleurette Harris. The quartet joins previously announced performers Oliver Samuels and Zay Harding for the staged reading concert event, produced and directed by Broadway World Award winner David Heron.
Set in both rural Jamaica and ancient Jerusalem, The Rope and The Cross reimagines the events surrounding Christ’s passion through a distinctly Caribbean lens. Lee’s work portrays Jesus and Judas as modern-day Jamaican men determined to challenge injustice and push for societal reform, only to face fierce resistance from authorities intent on preserving the status quo.
Oliver, notably born on Christmas Day, steps into the pivotal role of Jesus. He is best known for his performance in the television production From Yard, currently streaming on Tubi, and earned a 2024 Accolade Award for Best Actor for his lead role in the suspense thriller Behind Closed Doors. His television credits also include the Jamaican series Thicker Than Water. In 2025, he made his New York stage debut in Heron’s silver anniversary production of Love and Marriage and New York City. His Jamaican theatre credits include Just Like Girls and Marriage Bizniz.
Benzwick portrays Judas Iscariot, a figure whose perspective takes center stage in Lee’s retelling. He was most recently seen in Heron’s production of Dominican playwright Alwin Bully’s McBee, a Caribbean adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Under Bully’s direction, Benzwick earned a Jamaican Actor Boy Award nomination for Best Actor for his performance in Thomas Southerne’s Oroonoko while studying at the Jamaica School of Drama. His stage work spans Jamaica and the United States, with credits including God’s Way and Single Entry, along with film appearances in Nothing But Ghosts and The Last Britons. He is also co-founder of Kriswick Talent Scouting and Promotion and a former national rugby player for Team Jamaica.
Dixon takes on the role of the Mother of Judas, a fictional character created by Lee. She has received Audelco nominations for Excellence in Black Theatre Off-Broadway for her performances in Jamaica and Dinner at The Manse. Her recent credits include Mama Decemba for Banana Boat Productions, McBee, and the Brazilian drama Goodbye Doctor Off-Broadway at ART/New York. On screen, she has appeared in the Emmy Award-winning television series We Are New York and in the films RURI and Victims.
Harris returns to the stage after several years away, playing Mary, Mother of Jesus. Prior to immigrating to the United States, she performed in several of Jamaica’s national pantomimes and in productions such as A Raisin in the Sun, The Tempest, Antigone, The Crucible and For Colored Girls. Her film credits include Club Paradise and Klash.
Heron, who previously directed Dixon and Harris in the 2019 40th anniversary production of The Rope and The Cross, said he is pleased to reunite with the cast.
“There is always a real feeling of comfort and family when you rehire exceptional actors time and again, and so I’m very happy to have Shevrado, Jerry, Dianne and Fleurette in the company of The Rope and The Cross, 2026 edition,” Heron said, noting that their presence will make the production “an incredibly powerful Easter event.”
Final casting will be announced shortly.
The Rope and The Cross is presented in association with the Jamaica Tourist Board, Mesidor PLLC, Results Promo and Marketing, The Door Restaurant and IMC Media.
Tickets are available online via Eventbrite, with Early Easter Special discounts on sale through Tuesday, February 24. The box office information line is 646-533-7021.
The Jamaica Performing Arts Center is located at 153-10 Jamaica Avenue in Jamaica, New York.
