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Your Church, Nov/Dec 1999
Dramatize Your
Worship
Resources to help you start a drama ministry
Drama works. "It
helps people drop their defenses, and it tears down walls for both Christians
and non Christians," says Steve Pederson, director of drama at Willow Creek
Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois. His church is a leader today
in showing how to use drama in worship.
You don't have to be a megachurch to use drama, however. Each year the
75-member Arvada Church of the Nazarene in Colorado puts on a large Christmas
production complete with lights, sets, and costumes. "It is a great bonding
time for our people," says Cindy Price. "And it's an effective ministry
that brings people from all over Denver to see a show. Otherwise they might
not come to church."
Price wrote last year's drama, which involved 15-20 people and included
a winter wonderland set complete with snowman, sleighs that glided down the
aisle, and a snowball fight in the sanctuary.
Drama on a Budget
When you start a drama program, keep it simple, Price suggests. "A couple
of actors with no costumes and just a couple of props can do a seven- or
eight-minute sketch," she says. Total costs for Arvada Church's drama
were $500. Prop and costume materials were borrowed or donated from thrift
stores. All the actors were recruited from the congregation.
Pederson's book Drama Ministry (Zondervan, $20) is helpful for
starting a program. It includes a list of re sources and a CD that demonstrates
directing techniques.
Places Everyone
You don't need much space to do drama. Willow Creek reduces its 50-foot
stage down to a 12-by-12-foot space in which to do sketches. You could move
your pulpit to clear enough space.
Portable stage equipment would also work. Steeldeck (877-60-STAGE) offers
a modular staging and riser system. The same units can create flat stages,
ramps, and seating risers. A basic 4-by-8-foot unit costs $495.
Drama helps people drop
their defenses. It tears
down walls for both
Christians and nonChristians
Staging Concepts (800-337-5339) manufactures portable stage equipment that
includes stages, seating risers, ADA accessible seating, pit fillers, custom
applications, and raised flooring. Costs vary depending on size and function.
What's My Line?
If you're looking for scripts, you might try:
• Drama for Worship, by Curt Cloninger (Standard Publishing,
800-543-1353, $20). Each volume has eight reproducible scripts (4-8 minutes
each) that involve one to seven characters. Longer scripts are available.
Call 770-622-0334 or try
www.curtcloninger.com.
• Sunday Morning Live from Willow Creek Church comes in several
volumes, each containing six sketches. For longer sketches, try
www.willowcreek.org. Royalty fees
apply.
• Lilleanas Publishing (800-877-0700) offers scripts.
• The Return to the Corral, a musical comedy that reaches out
to people who no longer attend church, is available from Christ the King
Church of Riverbank, California (209-869-1075), for $25, which includes a
reproducible script and video.
• Networking. Exchange scripts or drama equipment with other
churches through Christians in Theater Arts (864-271-2116). The national
organization equips and supports Christians in the theater arts.
Lights, Camera, Action
Many drama ministers feel inadequate about the technical side of drama. Bill
Jenkins, who teaches technical theater at Virginia-Union University in Richmond,
Virginia, suggests they pick up a college textbook on set dressing, costuming,
and lighting. Jenkins also recommends resources such as Entertainment Design
(www.etecnyc.net) or Stage
Directions (800-362-6765).
Some basic equipment you'll need for a drama ministry:
• Wireless microphones
• A good quality mixer with plenty of inputs
• A full-range sound system that will accurately reproduce music and
speech
• Lights that pinpoint actors rather than project a wash of light across
the stage.
If you plan to do a lot of drama, Doug Hood, general manager of Custom Sound
Designs in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, suggests adding:
• Specialized wireless microphones. These are important when you have
several performers close to each other on stage. They're available from
companies such as Azden, Sony, Electro-Voice, and Audio-Technica.
• Specialized lighting and controls. Joystick-controlled lights, such
as the Elipscan, can light an actor walking from the back of the church to
the front.
• Subwoofer systems. With a properly calibrated audio system, a subwoofer
can make dropping a Styrofoam stone sound like it weighs 2,000 pounds.
• Digital effects processors from companies such as Alesis, Behringer,
Sony, Digitech, and TC Electronics can add depth to a soloist's voice
or make an actor's voice sound like the voice of God.
Build for Drama
If your church is building or remodeling, talk to a theatrical consultant.
Advice on simple things, such as making sure that doorways are large enough
to get scenery through, may prevent costly alterations later.
You should also choose technical systems that will grow with your ministry,
says David Schraffenberger, general manager of Production Advantage Inc.
"Stay consistent within fixtures and dimming manufacturers to in sure compatible
performance," he says. Choose theatrical lighting rather than industrial,
and check to make sure plugs work with equipment that you buy.
Tips on Cost
Price isn't the only consideration in buying drama equipment. As Hood
says, "The lowest price is not always the best value." He recommends talking
to a professional AV company and allowing it to design a system that meets
your needs now as well as in the future. Other tips:
Use it. Justify new lighting by using it to spotlight the pastor and
brighten the choir. Share audio equipment and costs with musical groups in
church.
Buy in bulk. Whenever possible, buy equipment and supplies in quantity.
Don't be afraid to ask for price breaks.
Save on installation. Buy a portable system that doesn't have
to be installed permanently. The Bose 402 speaker, for example, is lightweight
but has great sound. "Versatile small speakers on stands, a small mixer,
and a power-amp pack are components you will use anyway," says Schraffenberger.
"This will allow you to set up a decent system, then take it with you."
Order ahead. "It's very frustrating to work with a customer on
staying within a budget only to see the shipping bill equal the bill for
the supplies because we had to ship at the last minute," Schraffenberger
says. Churches should plan ahead to avoid costly overnight delivery services.
Buy just what you need. Don't worry if you can't afford
all the latest equipment for your drama ministry. "You need a lot money to
have a spectacle, but not to have quality," Jenkins says. If you don't
have all the latest equipment, be creative and act like you do!
Jennifer Schuchmann is business director for Art Within,
a professional Christian theater company in Atlanta, Georgia.
KidStuf at North Point
Church
Multimedia drama makes church exciting for kids and adults
at North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia. "KidStuf is a Nickelodeon
or Lion King approach to church," says Colette Taylor, who directs
the program.
Actors work on a portable stage by Wenger (800-733-0393), which includes
several 4-by-8-foot pieces snapped together and covered with carpet to reduce
noise. A brick and stucco wall unit with stairs suggests a basement clubhouse.
Acoustical paneling reduces the noise level accented by the church's
high ceiling and tile floor. Black theater curtains hang backstage to disguise
walls and hide actors until their entrances. A separate curtain drops in
front of the set if the room is needed for other purposes.
Scaffolding towers and platforms frame the stage. Each tower holds a 4-by-6-foot
screen, a projector, and assorted speakers. As actors tell stories, illustrations
are projected onto the screens. One video camera films the kids as they sing
along with the lyrics projected onto the screens. Technicians wearing headsets,
actors with wireless mics, and singers with handheld mics are connected to
a 36-channel soundboard. Lighting, which includes four I-beams with scrollers
and theater lights is completely computerized.
Copyright © 1999 by the author or Christianity Today International/Your
Church Magazine. Click here
for reprint information on Your Church.
November/December 1999, Vol. 45, No. 6, Page 32
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