A Bible Story Comes to Life on Stage and on the Big Screen

In 1976, when Glenn Eshelman traded his life as a dairy farmer in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to follow his calling of bringing the gospel to life, even the trusty Old Farmer’s Almanac couldn’t predict the success he and his wife Shirley—as founders of Sight & Sound—would find producing entertainment with a purpose.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of “Noah”—the first show to take the stage at Sight & Sound’s current state-of-the-art theater in Lancaster, which features a 300-foot wrap-around panoramic stage and the space to house sets four stories tall—a September production of “Noah” will be captured on film to roll out in theaters the week of Sept. 18.

“We know that not everyone is going to be able to come visit us at one of our two locations,” explained Katie Miller, Eshelman’s granddaughter and Sight & Sound’s Director of Brand Development, in a recent interview with The Epoch Times.

Miller explained their innovative idea to reach more people with “the messages of these stories” through a filming of “Noah” on stage.

Recorded in front of a live audience, “Noah Live!” is a new production of the “Noah” tale that takes audiences on board one of the world’s best-known voyages.

With a catastrophic storm on its way, Noah is given a monumental task: build a boat big enough to save his family from a flood that will cover the entire earth. But as Noah endeavors to live faithfully in the midst of an increasingly chaotic world, can he trust that God’s promises run deeper than the rising waters around him?

Any “Noah” production, naturally, is going to require a lot of animals, and Miller is “grateful to be right in the middle of farm country,” to keep them happy.

“We have over 40 acres that includes vast pasture land that they are in when they’re not on stage,” said Miller.

“We have three different teams that care for the animals. We have a caretaking team that cares for their daily needs. We have a trainer team that helps them learn their tricks and their patterns for the upcoming shows. And then we have a handler team that’s actually with them on stage, dressed in costume, making sure they’re always safe and right where they need to be.”

Getting the Good Word Out

From those early days, Eshelman’s vision of spreading the Bible’s message through storytelling productions has expanded from one stage in Lancaster to a second theater in Branson, Missouri, in 2008.

“It really is our second home,” said Miller of the near identical Sight & Sound theater that is currently showing a production of “David.”

“We love being a part of the thriving entertainment community that’s there in the Midwest.”

Their newest ventures include an online streaming platform that has a global virtual audience from over 175 countries, and a leap into the filmmaking world with their first full-length feature, “I Heard the Bells,” which debuted in theaters in December 2022.

“It was a learning experience,” said Miller about that venture.

“But honestly, we were so overwhelmed with the response that what was supposed to be a four-day special event in movie theaters turned into a full six-week run. We were so grateful.”

All eyes are on their upcoming second feature.

“We really just can’t wait,” said Miller of their next movie, “A Great Awakening,” that is planned for a spring 2026 release.

The movie, she explained, “will tell the story of George Whitefield and Ben Franklin, who were unlikely friends during the First Great Awakening, which led to the revolution. It’s a story that many people are not super familiar with, and we’re really excited to tell it.”

It’s a Family Affair

The constant through all this growth for Sight & Sound is that their core mission of spreading the Bible’s message has stayed true. And just like Sight & Sound at its heart has remained a family business, with new generations of the Eshelman family, the same is true for their audience members.

The visitors, who come from all 50 states and 75 to 100 countries, often come back year after year, bringing the next generation of family members into the fandom.

“One of the things that’s risen to the top with ‘Noah’ being in its 30th anniversary this year, is so many families reaching out to us saying, ‘I came to Noah as a kid and now I’m bringing my children,’ or ‘I remember my grandparents bringing me and now I’m bringing my grandkids,’” Miller said.

“We feel very humbled by it to realize that Sight & Sound at times gets the opportunity to be a part of these special memories that these families are making together.”

What does Miller, having worked in the family business since she started on stage as a child and worked her way through concessions, ticketing, ushering, backstage, etc., think makes these Sight & Sound biblical productions so special?

“One of the things we are most passionate about is being able to transport audiences back in time into the heart of the story,” she replied.

“The thing that we hear [from audience members is], ‘I felt like I was there… It’s happening all around me. I saw myself reflected in this character or that character and left feeling hopeful for my own life, that if God was present for them, he’s present for me.’ And that’s what our hope is. I think that’s why people feel so connected. It’s not us. We always say, ‘These stories have been changing lives for thousands of years. We just get the opportunity to tell them.’”