Christian Drama as a Teaching Tool

I had a comment on my last post about "bad drama" and our quest for excellence that I want to address. The person (Dan) mentioned that sometimes drama or skits are great for making a point or illustrating something more clearly during a teaching session or sermon. He mentioned that we can't always make these things a "production" or get them perfect in every way. We can't always get professionals to do them. This is very true and I respect any effort to help communicate better or make a teaching more effective. I would put this in a category of it's own. I would never want to discourage this in the teaching or preaching world. "Go for it." Throw out a good illustration as long as it does not take away from the lesson. Get the people together, do your best and have fun. Always strive to be a better communicator or teacher. Always strive to do a better job at touching and changing lives. In the meantime, let's keep working on the Theater Arts aspect of the Christian Church and aim to master the craft.

If you are looking for a Christmas Production for this coming season, consider The Richest Man in the Valley. This Christmas Musical will be fun and very effective in communicating the Christmas message. Go now to our website at www.lightsup.org.

Christian Drama - Why I have a problem.

Perhaps with this post I'll get some discussion going, but then again I could just be typing to the wall. I have a personal problem. This may offend some people, but I need to stop worrying about that. I learned recently through another great blog site called "Stuff Christians Like" started by a guy by the name of "prodigal Jon" (age 32) that there are some great topics within Christianity that really should be discussed and flushed out, so to speak. You know, it's about getting to the heart of the matter and getting real with some of the stuff we do and think and feel and... do.

So for now, the top is Christian Drama. My theater background before becoming a Christian at age 19 was in mainstream musical theater. It was my life and passion and, one way or another, was going to be my career. When I came into "the church" I found that Christian drama meant "skits" and "human videos." And, some people will throw into that mix Christmas and Easter cantatas or pageants. No way. I'm not going there. A choir concert (with a whole lot of narration) is not theater. And pageants are great and fun for the kids and grandmas and grandpas sitting in the audience, but it's not theater.

I quickly became frustrated with bad acting, bad dialogue, bad set design, bad sound... and, well I guess this sounds so mean. I understand that budgets can really hinder weather or not a church can have good sound or sets or lighting. But, we should be writing good relevant scripts about real life situations. People really don't walk up to strangers these days and say (in a melodramatic tone) , "But don't you understand that Jesus love you and only He can change you. The Bible says, and I quote WORD FOR WORD that..." and then the actor continues to quote three or four scriptures word for word. Most teenagers (skits are usually done by teens about teens) don't get into conversations with their friends about God in the way it happens in our skits. And they usually can't quote scriptures word for word. This is just one example, but the point is that most Christian skits are these scenarios. The over dramatized way in which dialogue is delivered is another problem. The next problem is the unrealistic body language and hand jesters. [helpful tip: If you want to help your acting, take some time to watch and listen how people really talk. One exercise is to watch two people have a conversation and mute (in your mind) what they are saying and just watch what they do. ]

This is just a starter conversation, but come on folks, isn't it time to write real life stories with good plots and subplots - real life stories where God interjected the circumstances in the way they actually happen. And one more thing, if you are naturally funny then be funny, but don't try to be funny... when you're not.

At another time I want to talk about human videos. Come back.

go to www.christiantheater.com where we are trying to take Christian Drama to another level.

Photo of the Day

Well this was taken several years ago out in Death Valley, California, but it's one of my favorites. I'm certainly not a professional, but I've loved photography for years and I'm trying to get better. It is quite challenging to try and craft something we don't have any control over into a unique piece of art. Sure, we can manipulate the shutter, F-stop, ASO, etc., and a few other things using filters and such, but it's really just having an eye for what is and right in front of us and then waiting for the perfect moment. Sometimes it's just a lot of hard work and patience.

I'm working on building my own collection of my personal photos from traveling and touring. Some of my photos would never make greatness, but I think they are pretty creative. You can see them at www.lightsupmedia.com. I have many more that I'll be uploading soon from around the country. I hope you enjoy.

If your looking for a Christmas Musical, Christmas Drama, Christmas Play, Easter Musical, Easter Play or something about Billy Sunday... well go to our website at www.lightsup.org or www.lightsuptheater.com. We're just trying to take Christian theater to another level. My name is Brent Grosvenor and I hope you'll keep checking out my blog.

One more for good measure.

Memories of Christmas

I have many great memories of Christmas, but when you change the subject to "Christmas play" then one memory rises to the top. Of course, when I say "Christmas play," I mean Christmas pageant with kids dressed as shepherds and angels and hay flung all over the place.

Yes, how could anyone forget the Christmas pageant. When this is mentioned I have one basic dominating thought... and smell. Let me explain. When I was young I went to church now and then, especially when there was something going on for kids. As soon as you say Christmas play, the first thing that goes straight through my mind is a great big whiff of peanuts and oranges. Yes, peanuts and oranges. You must know what I'm talking about. If you had any connection to a church as a kid and went to, or were a part of, the Christmas production you probably have this memory. At the end of the night as we were leaving the church building our hands reached out for that free bag of candy, un-shelled peanuts and an orange just to keep it a bit healthy... I guess. That little brown bag was stuffed and I tore into as fast as I could. To me it seemed like it was the low budget free bag of candy, but it was free. And I don't even remember eating the orange, but it sure made it all smell good. Now, if I could walk out of a church around Christmas time and get a free bag of goodies I would want the low budget version because the memory is more valuable and enjoyable than anything we could stuff into a little brown bag today.

If you are looking for a Christmas play that is NOT a pageant, check out my Christmas Musical "The Richest Man in the Valley." It's more like a Broadway musical with a very relevant story people can relate to. I have a Christian Theater company. Check us out at www.lightsup.org.
You may also want to look at my new Easter Musical called "The Passion of the King." I'm currently working on a contemporary telling of "the prodigal son" story. It takes place in Las Vegas. It's entitled "The Lost Son." If you are interested in American History, Billy Sunday or revivalist take a look at "Sunday in Manhattan," the story of Billy Sunday.

Thought of the Day on Storytelling

Let's take a look at two totally different periods in time and two very different, but not so different cultures. First, two thousand years ago and the ancient world. Specifically, lets look at ancient Palestine with it's Greek influence and Roman dominance. At this time there was no electricity, or of course, Television or high-tech cinema with all of it's visual special effects. They had live theater with some sets, props, costumes and man-made sound effects. They also had excellent oral storytellers.

In this environment, Jesus, as well as his followers who would further his message worked with what people were used to. Therefore, they stood and told stories and parables. Often they would use a particular prop, such as when Jesus personally washed the feet of the disciples or when he referred to the valley of Hinnom (Gehenna), which was just south of Jerusalem; a place with a history of human sacrifice and currently used to burn refuse. He also used confrontation as a teaching opportunity, such as the near stoning of the adulterous woman or the moment when the disciples tried to keep the children away from Him.

During his own ministry, the Apostle Paul, used Greek Philosophy or sporting events to help make his point. In Acts 19 we read of how he used the backdrop of the massive temple of Artemis (a goddess the people worshiped in Ephesus). It was here that he said that " gods made with hands are no gods at all." The people feared that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be regarded as worthless and that she whom "all of Asia and the world worshiped would be dethroned from her magnificence."

The settings, the props and the colorful illustrations as examples are endless as we continue to look at the way the people of of the first century communicated and taught. Today, our culture is very similar, but the "bar" has been raised. This is why quality Christian Theater is so important. With great musical theater, amazing images thrown at us daily through Hollywood and television, we must take all of this into consideration when presenting the Christian world view and the teachings of Jesus Christ. In the use of drama today or other high tech forms of communication we must remember how far Jesus actually went to make his point and learn from the master of presentation... the master of teaching truth to a culture that doesn't care.

Please visit our website at www.lightsup.org. If you are gearing up for Christmas and want a Christmas Musical to perform, consider The Richest Man in the Valley. Or next Easter, present the new musical by Brent Grosvenor, The Passion of the King (the story of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ).