Tips for producing quality creative church dramas: step-by-step

Starting out creating christian dramas plays and skits can be a daunting thought. And to be honest, without much thought put into on can be counter productive to the church service. But done well, will bring both enlightenment to audience members (who may never had received such via a sermon), and also brings blessings to those involved in the productions, where they may not have skills useful to, or be included in, any other part of the church.

The more you create Christian skits, the more people you will discover who can help in particular areas, and the easier and more creative your plays will be over time. I've compiled a bunch of pages to help the beginner, or even seasoned, church drama producer make productions that will reach people's hearts.

Below is a step-by-step suggestion guide on how to produce a church drama or skit, with some of these steps including links to pages with more in depth information

Preparation: 

1. Receive a call to produce a drama (Don't panic - get excited!)
2. Get the full brief (to aid getting the best result the quickest)
3. Brainstorm the format and setting that you'll tell your story with
4. Pitch the best concepts to the 'client', (if their input is important)
5. Write the story line
6. Share the draft with the 'client', (if their input is important)
7. Proof, edit, polish, elevate the script
8. Find a cast
9. Share the script with the cast, and tips for line learning, nerve negating, and acting advice
   
10. Create, compile or commission others for, props, costumes, graphics and sound effects, if needed
11. Organize a rehearsal(s) with cast,
    

Performance day: 

1. Have all sound files/slides to AV team
2. Pickup mics from AV team
3. Inform AV and Video team any unusual or important action points they need to get right.
4. Make sure all your cast are there and know when and where to meet
5. Pray with your cast: "not for our glory, but Your glory"
6. Present the story to the audience!
   

Afterwards: 

1. Consider what didn't go to plan and what can be done next time to avoid that
2. Graciously accept praise (and constructive criticism)  
3. Thank God for his leading, the opportunity to serve, and that one or more have been lead closer to Him having experienced your performance 

Tips for Collecting a Breif for a Christian Drama Script

Here's a set of questions that will help lead to the most effective script for the occasion. The early questions are essential, but many are simply to know what options we have to take things to the next level. 

Tips for Styles and Settings and Situations - Writing Christian Dramas, Skits and Plays

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.

Tips for Writing Christian Dramas, Skits and Plays

Here are some tips on things to consider to end up with a high quality Christian Drama:

• Brief. Find out as much as you can about the theme your drama is meant to service. (see our list of questions) The goal of drama is not entertainment, though is shouldn't be dis-interesting, but is to communicate a concept, and that is usually the same as the sermon of the day. If someone asks for a drama, never just present something irrelevant.
• Research. If doing a script about a Bible story, it's very easy to think we know the story, but often there are myths and variations in the casual re-telling of well known Bible stories. Make sure you go back to the Bible and get a refresher on exactly what is written. To some degree minor facts being wrong won't matter, especially considering you're probably creating an imagined set of actions and dialogue, but in getting facts right you not only help teach the actual story, but the scholars in the room will be less distracted without seeing common misconceptions shared. So, while the overall message is the most important part of your script, getting key facts rights is what can take your script to a higher level.
  

Tips for Casting Christian Dramas, Skits and Plays

Here's a collection of tips to consider when casting for Christian dramas and skits.

Talent Discovery

Try to involve new cast though the year you've never tried before. This not only gets more people involved but also acts like a secret audition for when you have a larger more important role in the future - you can picture who is capable of such role, having seen them in action before.

Auditions

Auditions are probably a daunting thought for most church members but might be needed to know if someone is going to be able to bring the character to life as needed. However, a subtle way to hold auditions or tryouts is to cast the people you think might be good for a significant drama in a smaller skit earlier - and see how they perform without them knowing they are actually auditioning for a larger part in the future!

Tips For Remembering Lines

Well, you can Google for yourself methods of remembering lines, but let me share how we operate to perhaps ease any stress regarding the daunting aspect of learning lines for christian dramas.

1. Your words  
   Usually the lines in scripts are opened to some interpretation. While care was taken to get the words in the script right, generally they do not have to be stuck to word for word - as long as you keep the sentiment of the original lines and flow of the dialogue, all is fine. Adding jokes may or may not be appropriate, and some words may be written as critical references to other parts to the script, so always check first if you have changes in mind - it may add or detract from the message and you don't know it.
   
   
2. Promptings
   There are ways you can hide scripts, or get promptings, during a presentation, but use it as security - not in replacement of learning lines. Just mention it to the director.
   
   • Props written into the script that hide the script: like a newspaper, clipboard, or mobile phone or inside a box. 
   • A computer screen facing you that can be glanced at. 
   • Someone sitting at the base of the stage to call out key words
   • An ear piece and someone prompting you
   Just avoid reading out the lines while you act. See them or get prompted, and then look away and act them while not reading at them.
   
   

Tips for dealing with nerves for Christian actors and performers

Be it acting, performing a musical item, taking the sermon or even giving the scripture reading, nerves can strike for many (most) when 'up the front' at church. These four tips are what calms me down and refocuses me.

1. It's not about you!
   The first, and biggest, thing to remember for church dramas, or any on-stage activity at church, is that the performance isn't about the performer.
   Each drama is performed for the sole purpose of communicating a message that ties in with the day's theme. It's ALL about the message of the day and, ultimately, for God's glory - not yours.
   It's never about how well it's performed or in efforts to gain personal accolade or to further a career. While we want to perform our best to aid the communication of the message, it's ultimately all for the glory of God, not our own. Perhaps God's the one who should be nervous???
   So If you're nervous about how 'you'll look/perform', don't be, it's not about you!
   
   

Tips for Acting in Christian Dramas, Skits and Plays

Here's some tips on how to be the mist effective Christian drama actor for drama's and skits at church:

Tips for creating drama sound FX, background ambient effects and backing tracks

Adding audio to your Christian drama productions can really take the presentation to the next level.
It's the equivalent of good costumes making your play come alive.

And it's not as hard as it... sounds.

Tips for Rehersing Christian Dramas, Skits and Plays

Here's some tips to help your drama practice rehearsals go smoothly and get the most out of your cast and production.

Tips for Christian MC / hosting / welcome / interviewing

If MC'ing an event, or delivering a welcome or interview, here's some tips"

Christian Drama Honour

Pathfinder Christian Drama honor scripts!

See:

• www.gcyouthministries.org/honor/christian-drama/ 
• wiki.pathfindersonline.org/w/AY_Honors/Christian_Drama

 

Here are some scripts I wrote specifically for completing the Christian Drama Honour, designed for a large group of Pathfinders where it's unknown exactly how many kids you'll have to act on the day, but all can be included:

• Bible Heroes 2.oh [a science fiction themed look at the Bible hero's power coming from God]

• Leaving Slavery...Again [Skit for a large group of kids about Moses, Pharaoh, the plagues and crossing the Red Sea]

Some additional scripts which have a reasonable number of cast, that can be generally adapted to the number of kids you have on the day, all generally contributing a few moments of their own each, include:

• Tough Job

• Compassionisation

• Joseph Forgives

 

 Note: there are also Puppets Pathfinder honors out there! 

Is Drama Appropriate in Church?

If done thoughtfully - DEFINITELY!

It may well be the only form of communication some will come to understand a concept!

Dramas should not be uses just for entertainment in a church setting, and should be respectful not to distract the people in the audience who came to worship God from doing so. 

Any drama should be prepared and presented to enhance the theme of the day and be dedicated to the glory of God and helping others to see his love!

We're aware Ellen G White had some things to say about 'drama' in the church. Here's a good look at the issue through the eyes of the White Estate to put her words into context. Click here and also here

How to be Creative

You can be creative. ANYONE can be creative!
I am often asked where my creativity comes from, and occasionally for advice on how to be creative.

To answer this I wrote a chapter titled "Creatively Changing Light Bulbs - Creativity and Problem Solving" in the book Manifest: Our Call to Faithful Creativity , which was launched at the Manifest Creative Arts Festival (where I won the writing competition in it's inaugural year).This chapter was also turned into a workshop in the General Conference's Accent Magazine - which I'll share below.

 

Practicing Creativity / Creativity and Problem Solving

Got creativity?

How many creatives does it take to change a light bulb? (The answer a little later on.) Everyone is creative. God made us that way. Believing you have little creative ability probably comes either from a misunderstanding of what creativity is, or not realising there’s methodical steps that can lead to creative results.  Some are so effortlessly creative it’s hard to comprehend how they arrive at such an outside the square result. However, these ‘creative geniuses’ are usually following, often subconsciously, the steps we’ll soon look at. This means anyone can potentially reach such radical creativity if they just knew how.