Microphones or Megaphones…you decide.

Well, that depends on several things.  Your church, the congregation, the acoustics of the room, etc.  We've all attended in the past, (and will again), the typical "Christmas program" where the show stops while the "shepherd" walks over to the microphone and recites his or her line.  

There's only one thing that bugs me more than that.  Not being able to hear.  In other words, the only thing worse than the show stopping while the Shepard walks over to the microphone to say his line would be the Shepard “not” walking over to the microphone to say his line. 

Rule  -  Nothing will work if the people can't hear. 

Rule  -  Nothing is funny if the people can't hear. 

Rule  -  No issues will be illuminated if the people can't hear. 

Are you seeing a "pattern" here? 

So...if your church needs them, and can swing the cost, I recommend wireless lapel microphones, (they clip on your clothing somewhere under your chin.) 

Suggestion  -  I recommend the VHF wireless lapel microphones.  Buy them from a reputable music store near you with the condition that if you run into any interference with the frequency you choose, you can take that one back and get one with a different frequency.  If you buy the UHF, you won’t have that frequency issue, but they will cost about four times as much. 

I also recommend that if you "mike" one character, you should try to "mike" them all.  If there is a big difference in sound coming from the characters, the audience will be thinking about that and not the play.

If you can't buy the wireless microphones, then how about a series of microphones on stands in front of the acting area?  But they need to pick up sound in a large area around the "mike" so your actors don't need to be directly in front of the "mike" in order to be heard.  Go to a good music store and grab a "knowledgeable" salesperson by the ear.  You want microphone that will pick up the sound in a large area around the microphone.  But be warned, they can pick up other noises too.  So make sure that salesperson knows their "stuff".      

If you don't have the budget for "mikes" right now, coach your actors on projection (being really loud).  Practice it. Your actors need to be loud, but still use the normal conversation voice.  You don't want your actors to sound like they are shouting.

Rule of thumb - When you are on stage, you can't talk too loud.

Oh, and by the way.  Don’t use megaphones unless you are doing a cheerleader sketch.

It's just my opinion,

In Him,

Randy