PONTIUS PILATE: The Lost Gospel
An intimate theatrical event at Ojai Exchange, April 3 and 4.
Performed by Maxwell Caulfield
By Michael Punter
April 3-4
About this solo play:
“PONTIUS PILATE: The Lost Gospel” is set in 36 AD. Pontius Pilate — former Prefect of Judea, soldier of Rome, and the man who sentenced Jesus of Nazareth to death — has been summoned back to Rome to account for his governance. What follows is not a political defense. It is a confession. A reckoning. And, ultimately, a gospel told in his own words. Punter’s writing moves between the epic and the intimate — tracing Pilate’s life from the battlefields of Germania to the fractious streets of Jerusalem, and to the singular encounter with a “peculiar rabbi from Nazareth” that would define him forever. Part thriller, part memoir, part moral reckoning, the play asks what it means to be a man of conscience in a world that rewards brutality.
Performance Dates:
Friday, April 3 & Saturday, April 4, 2026
6:00 PM · Refreshments served
Performance: 7:00 PM
Where:
The Ojai Exchange,
616 Pearl Street, Ojai.
About Maxwell Caulfield
Maxwell Caulfield is one of the most accomplished actors of his generation, with a career spanning Broadway, Hollywood, and the West End. A resident of Ojai, Caulfield brings this production home as a gift to the community he lives in, donating his performances as a benefit for OPAT. His portrayal of Pontius Pilate has drawn praise for its intelligence, psychological depth, and commanding stage presence.
About the Playwright:
Michael Punter
Michael Punter is a celebrated British playwright whose work is known for its precise, muscular language and its fearless engagement with history and moral complexity.
“PONTIUS PILATE: The Lost Gospel”draws on primary historical sources including the Gospels, the works of Josephus and Philo, and Ann Wroe’s biography Pilate: The Biography of an Invented Man. The play has received acclaim at performances across the United States.