Questions and Answers

Question - I have been the drama leader at my church for about 3yrs now. Through-out these few years though I have had one continuous problem that I don't know how to solve.  I don't know how to keep my teenagers excited and committed to the team.  Basically, my team fluctuates from no members to 10+ members.  Only they all seem to back out after I have assigned the parts and begin working on the program.  I don't know what to do.  I need to learn how to recruit those serious about drama and not just those looking for a social group (although I do want us to have fun).  Do you have any suggestions or advice?  I would greatly appreciate it.  Thanks.  Amy

Hi Amy,

Thanks for writing.

I'm pretty sure that I'm not going to have a "magic bullet" that is going to fix all your concerns, but I'll take a stab at it.  

First of all, I know many churches feel that "drama" is the domain of the youth.   Perhaps because the church leaders believe that "young people" are more outgoing.  Perhaps they believe that it kills two birds with one stone, (they have both an activity to work together on, and the performances can be used to make a point for one of the services).

Frankly, I believe that as a general rule of thumb, the youth are "not" the best choice for drama teams.  Why?

Well, a couple reasons.  Number one...the physical "types".  If you are looking for someone to play an old lady, it would be easier to get an old lady to play her.  Otherwise, you'll have to find a teenage girl, put wrinkles and a wig on her and turn her into an old lady.  If your goal is to give a project to the youth, fine.  If your goal is to illuminate a topic for the sermon, then you've just asked your audience to add one more thing to the list of things they "suspend disbelief" about.   

Second, it's been my experience that many young people go through a period of "I want to act, but I need to be cool".  It's very, very hard for them to "let it all hang out".  As a rule of thumb, the youth are very concerned about what their peers think.  You can tell them not to be, but they are.  I was when I was that age and you were too.  So, when they are acting, it's not always about the character, but about whether they appear to be "cool"

So, in short.  My suggestions.

If you are trying to build a drama team and up to now have always assumed that "the youth group" is the best place to get actors, I suggest you open the team up to a full range of actors.  It will give you a greater talent pool, to pull from. 
If you are trying to find projects for the youth, and a drama team is the project, then I would be more concerned about the actual sketches/plays that you choose.  Look for sketches that "speak to the youth"  Look for sketches where the characters are "cool".  I'm guessing you will want very few, (if any), bad guys..   Perhaps the youth could be involved in the choice of sketches. Perhaps the youth could be given more ownership of the project?  You know...choose the sketch, or maybe write their own?  OOOOOOOOH  Writing their own!  That's scary!

Whadayathink?

Question – I was thinking about performing a particular script, which has fairly specific set and costume specifications. However, at present it is beyond our resources (time, material, and available talent) to create them. What I was wondering is what do you think about having a narrator set up the script by describing the setting, scene, location, etc?

Frankly, I think this can be done pretty effectively, within limits.  I write a lot of sketches that work around little or no set pieces.

If your play is set in a castle and you don't have the resources to build an elaborate set.  Then I think it's a question of what you are asking your audience to "buy into". 

If your narrator says, "We take you now to a castle"

Scenario 1 -  An actor in full kingly garb complete with jeweled crown, cape, and leggings walks out and sits in elaborate throne surrounded by beautiful walls of the castle complete with footman, servants and ladies in waiting.

Scenario 2 -  An actor walks out in a crown and cape and sits in a big chair that, although modern, could be considered a throne.

Scenario 3 -  An actor walks out in jeans and a t-shirt and sits on a brown metal folding chair. 

Where's the line at which you get the most return on your "costume and set dollar"?  Know what I mean?  I would think something around "Scenario 2" would work. 

But, I also think it's a sliding scale. 

The funnier something is, the more toward "Scenario 3" you can go.

The more “drama” you’re looking for, I think you have to come pretty close to "Scenario 1".

Whadayathink?  

Question – It's tough to find enough scripts already written that say what the pastors are asking us to convey.  Help!

You're right.  It's always difficult to find scripts that cover the exact subject that the pastor wants. 

Here's an idea....?

Many churches approach the contemporary service as a "seeker" service for the "un-churched".  If that's the case for you, then one of the goals for the service might be to just have fun.  You don't ask the "new kid" in the youth group to lead the prayer.  You want that "new kid" to have fun.  You want the "new kid" to come back.  Therefore....you want the "new people" attending to have fun.  You want the "new people" to come back.  So, maybe every sketch doesn't have to follow the sermon.  Maybe some sketches are just about Christians having fun?

and....maybe the pastor could look at the sketches and pick a few topics based on the sketches that are available and build his sermon around that topic?

Ok, finally!  Here's my answer

Maybe some sketches follow the sermon topic, (because you wrote them).

Maybe some sketches follow the sermon topic, (because the pastor picked them from a group of already written sketches and built his sermon around that topic.)

Maybe some sketches are on different topics, (just because they're just fun.)

Whadayathink?  

Question - What is readers theater?

"Readers theater" is drama performed by reading from the script.  It's usually employed when there is not time to prepare for a regular performance.  I try to stay away from it, unless the plot makes sense that the characters would have a script in their hand.  One effective use of this is when the characters are writing and reading letters to each other.  Perhaps Paul is writing to the churches, and receiving letters back from them?

I recommend that you stay away from it.  So much more can be done with a 'piece' when the actor's face is not buried in the script. 

But...then again...readers theater is better than no theater.

Question - I want to take my play to a couple of local churches, but I can't move the background.  What can I do?

Well, I figure you have two options.  The first, and simplest, would be to use a sparse set.  In other words, no walls.  Just some set pieces, like a chair, a reading lamp, etc.  Keep it simple.  I do this all the time.  Just take the set pieces that you really need.  

But, if you feel you need a set, (background), then you can use "flats".  Flats are simply four foot by eight foot wooden frames with canvas or plywood covering them.  Stand them up in a row, (four feet wide and eight feet tall).  Screw them together in the back.  Then paint whatever you want on the front, (like a sunset, Mary's kitchen, whatever the play calls for.)  Now unscrew them and you have four foot sections of the kitchen.  You can haul these in someone's pickup to the next church, screw them back together, (in the same order), and "Voila!"  You have Mary's kitchen at the other church!   

Now, here's the neat part.  The show's over?  Unscrew the flats.  Load them on the pickup, take them back to your church and store them in the basement.  Don't throw them away.  They are easy to store and can be repainted and used at your next play.  Theatre groups do this all the time.  You might contact a local theatre group and ask them show you a flat and how they work.  A member of the local theatre group would be happy to help, I'm sure. 

By the way, while you're at it, make a flat or two with a door in it.  Maybe one with a window too?  You'll always be able to use them.  

Question -  I am involved in a church and have recently been assigned as the lead teacher for the 3^rd,  4^th and 5^th grade class.  I am wanting to spice up the class and the church is willing to let me have the children perform any time.  I am wanting to introduce them to drama and am looking to get sketches or something that they can do.  What are your suggestions?

Congratulations on your new assignment!  Working with children can be very rewarding.  Even as those children grow up, you’ll still have a special relationship with them. 

When thinking about performances in front of the congregation two things come to mind. 

Number one, it would probably be best to work with the minister on the sermon topic of the day.  If the minister says, “Ok, in June, the sermon topic is (fill in blank),” it’s probably going to be hard to find a script to match exactly what the minister wants to say.  (There are certainly exceptions to that rule such as Christmas, Easter, forgiveness, etc., but as a rule of thumb it seems to be best to pick the script first, unless you feel you can write the scripts.  More about that below.)

Number two, always keep your audience in mind.  If you are going to perform at a senior citizen’s home don’t perform “rap” songs.  So to, you must realize that although the kids are cute, you can only sing “Jesus Loves Me” so many times to an adult audience before the “cute” wears off.   You will want to perform sketches that your audience will want to listen to. 

I think, keeping your audience in mind, you might think about doing adults plays, (with Christian adult themes.)  This could be fun for the kids because they would get to dress up as adults, and it would easier to tie in with the pastor’s sermon point. 

You could, also do some adaptations of bible stories, but those have been done to death.

 So, here’s the way Randy Manning would attack the project.

 Step 1.            Talk to your minister and see if he’ll work with you on some sermon topics. 

Step 2.            Purchase some good script collections.  (Be careful here, there are a lot of “very poor” scripts out there.)

Step 3.            Read the scripts and pick out a few good ones that you think the kids, (and you), can handle.

Step 4.            Meet with your minister again.  Show him the script topics and see if he can work the topics into a sermon, (down the road).

Step 5.            Find someone, (with vision), willing to be in charge of costumes.  (Cute and funny costumes are half the fun)

Step 6.            Schedule a show. 

Step 7.            Contact Randy Manning with the new questions that pop up.

Question – Our church has many very large windows that are high up on the building, this lets in a LOT of light. Also, our platform is open (no curtain to lose it off to the congregation). For large productions (Easter passion play, Christmas, etc) I would go to the trouble of putting some kind of blackout on the windows (which would require a 30 foot ladder or something) and renting spots, etc. However, for small productions such as short skits or illustrated sermons it doesn't make sense to go to all that trouble.

So my question is, what is the best way to deal with beginning and ending a dramatization in that situation? I remember seeing a traveling drama troupe one time that carried no props (they just used chairs or tables available at the church) that did many short one act productions. They told the audience up front that when they were finished one of the actors would call out "curtain" to signify the act was completed.

Are there other, or better, ways to deal with this type of situation?

That's a very good question.  It shows that you are thinking like a director. 

Anyway, first of all, I am not "the final say" in anything to do with theater.  I only give out advice based on what I've experienced, reasoned out, done, seen done, etc.

Having said that, I believe that one thing any good sketch/drama/play/movie should do is take the viewer away.  In other words, we want that viewer to get into the scene, (and minimize the number of times that the viewer's mind wanders and realizes "it's only a play")

Some examples of things that can take the viewer out of the action could be...

-Someone coughing three rows behind you.

-Feedback through the sound system.

-Poor dialogue

-Someone three rows back taking a cough drop out of a noisy wrapper.

-etc.

-etc.

-etc.

Now certainly, we can't control it all.  There will be times that the viewer "steps out of the action".

But directors want to minimize it, (just as I want to minimize the number of times that you "step out of this letter"). 

My opinion?  Someone shouting, "Curtain" makes the ending too abrupt and the viewer is shocked into reality.  It's like someone dropping out of character, turning and shouting at the congregation, "It's a play!"  I wouldn't do it.

A good playwright for Christian plays, sketches, etc. should realize that only 'one out of a million' churches is going to have a stage and curtain.  Playwrights should "write in" some sort of "business" to bring the characters on stage and off stage.  (At the risk of patting myself on the back, my sketches have that.)

Now, the beginning is usually not too difficult.  In most situations the actor can simply walk on stage, (already "in character"), and begin to do what the script says the character is doing.  If the sketch starts with a someone hoeing in their garden, then have the character walk out, (again, 'in character'), maybe whistling, with a hoe in one hand, garden gloves in the other.  He stops, looks down at the garden spot, big sigh, leans the hoe against the organ, puts on the garden gloves, picks up hoe, big sigh, and starts hoeing, (then the sketch begins).  I'm sure you'll run into difficult situations where that won't work, but most times I think it will.

However, the ending, I think is more crucial.  Your characters have just finished telling a story.  You don't want that abrupt ending.  You want it to be "real" in the viewers mind.  Now we're back to the playwright.  The actors should have a way to exit gracefully.  (At the risk of patting myself on the back, my sketches have that.)

Perhaps your characters can act like they are continuing to talk about the subject, but lower their voices to a mumble, walking off, still talking. 

Now, one thing that I have to be very careful about is copyright.  I can't tell you to change anything in the script to "fix" the lack of entrances and exits.  Copyright laws say you can't change anything.  Is there going to be someone at your church service ready to "catch you" if you deviate from the script?  No.  But, from the position I sit, I have to tell you, "you can't change anything".

So I guess, my answer is...you should look for scripts that include entrance and exit "business".  (At the risk of patting myself on the back...well...you get the idea.)

Do you have a question?  I answer all questions personally, but I might put it here too!  Email your question to me at randy@randymanning.com