"Godspell" is based on the Gospel of Saint Matthew, up to and including the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The text spares neither the good nor the bad parts of the story, and director Scott Severance was equally brave in presenting these moments with his exceptionally strong youth cast in last weekend's production at The Bell Center in Dover.

It was a large ensemble, so full of life and verve that the audience felt like we were up on stage, bursting with exuberance, too. The cast designed their own sets and costumes, which, bright and ragged, were a delightful throwback to the 1980s. I also enjoyed the set design, a trashy part of town that cleans up quickly; the idea that something that seems dangerous and bad can be transformed fully supports the script. Lighting designer Michael Turner worked subtly. Unlike many lighting designers, he isn't afraid to use shadows to emphasize a point, and their manipulation here added a haunting, ethereal quality to the show.

It's great to have the help of a good set, lighting design and costumes, but the performers themselves were so enchanting that the cast could have told the story just fine even if they were singing a cappella in a back alley. Erin Adams was a charming comedic jewel and something of a hot ticket during "Turn Back O Man"; at one point she plopped down into an older man's lap and asked innocently, "Is anyone sitting here?" William Everett Manning's sweet vocals were nearly hypnotic in "Prepare Ye The Way of the Lord" and "All Good Gifts." Dylan Schwartz-Wallach got to show off his lyrical voice, as well as his sparkling personality, during the comedic "We Beseech Thee." Courtney Smith's unearthly voice seared the soul during the first finale, "On The Willows." Liza Behrendt isn't as classically trained as some of the other singers, but she sold her feelings so well during "By My Side" that the raw emotion was just as beautiful. Chelsea Hermann was sweet and adorable during her rendition of "Day By Day," which she made special by performing it in sign language as she sang.

As Judas, Eric Baker was by turns tragic and bumblingly comedic. His voice was strong and lyrical, and he threw himself into the role with such wholeness that the audience could feel his angst when he turned Jesus in. Yet during the rest of the play, he was high-spirited and flamboyant. The contrasts created a delightfully layered performance.

Camden Brown as Jesus made a number of interesting choices that kept this oft-performed character from being ordinary. I've seen nine different productions of this show-yep, nine-and looking back, I realize that all of the other actors played Christ as either a fevered zealot or a wide-eyed innocent. Brown did neither; instead, he opted to portray Jesus as a regular guy. A simple, honest guy with a really big job to do. It made him a much more interesting character, and more easy to relate to, than any other portrayal of Jesus I've seen. Brown's Jesus didn't have to lower himself to the level of his followers because he'd been right there with them all along, making it easy for us to see why they'd follow him in the first place. Brown's voice, like Smith's, is straight from the heavens, rich, full and haunting. During the finale, Brown bore the crucifixion the way anyone would, with heartache and excruciating pain. It was so heartbreaking that many of us nearly left our seats to help him.

If the purpose of this tale is to seize the audience and transport them to a different world, director Scott Severance and his talented ensemble made sure it did.