A big part of making a Christian drama interesting and memorable is by having either a creative format the play is presented though, or an effective setting for the story to play out in, a creative situation that drives the story, or compelling characters to lead the story. It may be that having a super creative setting, situation and characters makes the story a little overwhelming, but having at least one of the three as a creative flare for your play will go along way to making you production memorable.
Sometimes the setting may not exist at all, just two people taking on stage. That can work but you're left with only the situation and the characters (and their dialogue and actions). Finding a setting for the drama that either complements the story (eg allows some puns, or a good through provoking punchline at the end for being in a certain setting) or refreshes the story (eg not using a stereotypical setting, but somewhere 'left-field' no ones ever seen a situation play out in before).
So, before you even write a line of dialogue, you can be creative! Once you have the format, setting, situation and characters, then comes the dialogue, costumes, props, sets and sound effects and lighting - as needed.
Below I've compiled a collection of ideas as a jumping point for coming up with a good setting, situation and characters for your Christian drama, skit or play.
Formats
This is the HOW the story or message will be presented.
Mixing up the format of a church drama makes for some real variety and creativity, and in some cases allows you to share a message with far greater impact than the traditional format of actors talking through a story on stage.
Here's some options of different drama formats:
- Characters talk/act out a story amongst themselves (stereotypical drama presentation)
- Monologue of character direct to audience
- Puppet play
- Mime synchronized to the dynamics of a music track to tell an emotional story
- External Voice over describing actions on stage, like a narrated documentary
- Commentator describing actions, like sports commentary
- Voice over which is the conscience of what character is thinking on stage
- Two narrators, fast paced short lines, bouncing of each other, and actors act and say their short lines
- TV advertisement
- YouTube tutorial
- Revealing/hiding words/letters as story unfolds
- Singing musical number
- Character/s talking on the phone
- Time travel
Settings
This is WHERE/when the action of your drama is taking place.
- Job interview
- Councilor/psychologist session
- Office cubical
- Desert, Island, Jungle, lake, rain forest, savanna
- Car, Ship, Train, Plane, Bus, Spaceship
- Airport, station, pier
- Ambulance/firetruck/police car
- Tank, battleship, submarine, fighter jet
- Alien planet
- School classroom, playground, principal's office
- Auction
- Womb
- Courtroom
- Jail cell
- Guards
- Wedding, Funeral
- Roller coaster riders
- Church
- Backyard / porch / BBQ
- Beach
- Casino
- Circus
- Stand up comedy
- Game show
- Elevator
- Factory
- Drive though
- Gym
- Funeral
- Garage
- Retirement home
- Hospital
- Nightclub / Concert
- Museum
- Movie theater
- Kitchen
- Horse riding
- Hairdresser
- Golf course
- Pirate ship
- Playground
- Science lab
- Sports game
- TV Commercial
- TV Tonight Show Interview
- YouTube tutorial video
- Zoo
Situations
This is the WHAT/WHY that is driving the action of your drama
- Lost person or object
- Rescue mission
- Accident
- Sickness
- Love story
- Crime
- Punishment
- Jealousy/revenge
- Worried
- Reminiscing
- Doing the opposite
- more: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thirty-Six_Dramatic_Situations
Character personalities
This is the WHO of the action of your drama
- Funny / pun master
- Sarcastic / pessimistic
- Tough hero / unbreakable
- Schemer / ambitious
- Lazy / tired
- Bad attitude or habits
- Worrier / Depressed
- Oblivious / Carefree
- Focused / Analytical problem solver
- Impatient
- Compassionate / motherly
- Selfish
- Rude / aggressive
- Jealous
- Accident prone
- In love
Character Development
To help the audience connect to the characters and the story being told, it can help to drop in some clues to their life situation, such as
- Have their name used early on
- Have a logical backstory with relevant details hinted at or referred to
- Communicate their personal motivation and what's lead them to it
Character roles
Characters usually play a specific role in telling a story, else they are of no importance to the story telling.. Some major roles used in storytelling include:
- Protagonist
This is the main character of the story, who the audience is most invested in. Usually a story is told from their point of view. You can have more than one protagonist, particularly if they have a common mission/part in the story. Usually the hero of the story, but could also be a villainous 'anti-hero'. - Antagonist
The villain of the story, working against the protagonist, who the audience hopes fails. - Love interest
The desire of the protagonist. Else in reverse, one who is in love with the Protagonist - Confidant
The best friend or sidekick of the protagonist, who might be the one who makes things happen - Deuteragonists
Similar to a confidants, but though close to the main character, they have their own story playing out separate to story’s main plot. - Tertiary characters
Minor characters within the story who do not necessarily link to the main storyline. - Foil
Primarily used to magnify the protagonist’s qualities, the foil is effectively the opposite of the protagonist.
Memory makers/surprises
- Sub woofer bass hits or Thunder
- Surround sound
- Spray bottles into audience
- Smoke machine
- Darkness
- Powerful Fans
- Actors planted in audience
- Actors use isles
- Break something
- Background ambient sound
- Sound effects
- Screen interaction/integration
- Audience participation
- Unexpected (but appropriate) casting
- Drench a cast member
- Plot twist (see below)
Plot Twists / Novelties
- T'was all a dream. Use this sparingly. Good for showing and then resolving a 'what if'
alternate story line that differs from what we know actually
historically happened in a story.
- Misdirect the audience. Have a setting different to the actual story, but works as an analogy - and have an obvious "Ah-Ha" moment towards the end which reveals the mirrored story and makes people realize what everything actually represented in what they just saw. e.g. A kid dropped off on a plane by the dad and an air hostess looking after them and in the end, after behaving like a child in a womb, are PPUUSSHHEDD our the door - and they were actually in a womb - not a plane!
- A second identical act is identical to the first, except now angels are visible, or a different decision is made and played out, or one word/item is changed that changes meaning second time
- Cameos of a previous character can appear in another play (eg Fathers day and Mothers day)
- Timing. Have a drama interrupt a sermon mid way. Or mid song. Or after the final word of the service. Or in the foyer as people arrive or depart.
Concepts for creating hooking serial dramas
- New element (exciting or mysterious or troublesome) added right at end of an act
- Flashbacks that reveal why people act as they do
- Multiple story lines followed at once
- Replay same timeline with parallel story several times with new angles or character detail each time
- Two simultaneous parallels stories that you think are same time and will wet but turns out they were different times in history.
- Have quests for problem solving or to to unlock Mystery
- Keep misleading/flipping a good/bad character - Double and triple cross character flipping
- Allegiance swapping
- Love interests developing but not connecting
- Missunderstandings by characters but not audience
- Multi layers revealed over time
- Anticipation/build up to specific event and have unexpected twist just as about to achieve
- Allude or hint at something but is a misdirect, and twist
- Introduce new characters later, or have onstage extras finally speak up
- Flashbacks of future events
- A secret hinted, but kept
- 3 days earlier…
- Tense music
- Hidden faces
- Keep biggest mystery a secret until the very end