Setting the Stage for Drama
by Aaron Reynolds
posted 3/03/2006
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Think about the last time you were emotionally moved. Think about the last time you literally laughed out loud. Chances are that it was during a movie, TV show, or maybe a theatre experience. This is the power of drama. It elicits emotion. It stays with you. Whether it's funny or serious, drama reaches deep within, past the mind, to the heart and the soul. It speaks equally to adults and kids alike. And children's ministries can employ drama to change the way kids think and feel about Jesus.
As I talk to children's ministers, the question often comes up: "How do I start doing drama in my ministry?" My reaction is always the same: "Slowly." Rushing into drama quickly and unprepared can be a big mistake producing big frustrations.
Drama can quickly become overwhelming. So keep the enthusiasm, but build your drama ministry slowly and intentionally. Before you decide to stage Holy Week for Kindergarten through fifth graders (complete with costumes, set, and a life-size cross), explore some simpler methods that allow you to discover the power of drama and how different methods fit into your ministry. One such method is the "presentational" style.
The Simple Power of Presentation
In a presentational style, an actor might play the role of a narrator or storyteller. You don't play a "character" in the way you normally think of, and you acknowledge the audience and their presence. This is a great method to start with because a troop of actors isn't needed, and can involve the audience (which engages the kids directly). Here are some examples:
ยจ Instant Lesson—Just Add Kids
I teach a lesson on David and Goliath in Promiseland using this tool. Five kids are brought up front to be Israelites, five other kids to be Philistines, one kid to be Goliath and one to be David. The Israelites and the Philistines receive cheap plastic swords and go to opposite ends of the stage. The Philistines are instructed that whenever I say "Philistines" and point to them, they should rattle their swords mightily and shout, "We are the best!" The Israelites' role is to angrily shake their swords and growl whenever they are mentioned in the story. The would-be Goliath is put on a box for height and equipped with a rubber warrior's helmet and spear, and told that when his name is mentioned he should give his mightiest evil laugh. David is dressed in shepherd's regalia, complete with crook and sling. His job is to just stand where I put him as I navigate him through the story and the battlefield now created on stage. I then narrate the story of David and Goliath, stopping periodically to incorporate the two armies and the giant, while maneuvering David through his paces. I even swing his arm for him, sling and all, in the final scene that culminates in the death of the mammoth Philistine warrior.
This lesson is inevitably hilarious because the kids on stage always bring their own special flavor to the roles. But don't be thrown by that. Let the laughs fall where they may, and you'll find on the other side that the kids know the story cold.
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