Tomorrow evening, April 15, I'll be opening my final show at Christian Academy of Indiana as theater director. Being the dad of a 2 and 3 year old, I've become increasingly home sick on rehearsal nights, and I'm ready to take a year or two off just to go home and be Daddy after work.
We're doing Annie this spring, the 10th show and 3rd musical since I took over as drama director. As the end approaches, I've spent some time reflecting on the last 5 years. Thus far, we've had 2 outstanding plays, several good ones, a few good ones, and two stinkers. If I had to rank them, this is how they would shake out.
9. Pygmalion - A disaster all the way. Some good performances by a few cast members, held back by absences due to winter colds and flu and canceled rehearsals due to snow days. It also didn't help that no one had ever heard of Pygmalion.
8. Harvey - My second show, produced in a mere six weeks. The core actors I've worked with were still pretty green - freshmen and sophomores - and the shortened schedule weakened the show as well. Could have been better with another two weeks of prep.
7. The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood - My first play. Sophomoric, amateur, but funny as could be. We milked every joke we could out of the already funny script. Some very talented seniors in that cast along with 8th and 9th graders who would shine in future years.
6. Get Smart - A fun and funny show that saw a lot of young talent getting their first crack at the stage. All in all a solid show. We even re-shot the opening credits from the TV show to play before curtain.
5. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - Our first musical. Funny show with solid acting, but musically weak. It was a huge challenge for the students, and our largest audience to date.
4. A Midsummer Night's Dream - My second time directing Shakespeare's most beloved comedy. The students struggled with some of the language, and there were ad-libs and dropped lines all over the place. But the physical comedy and creative use of music carried the show.
3. Schoolhouse Rock - Musical #2 and the first all middle school production. Kids who had been relegated to one line roles got their first real taste of playing leads, and they rose to the occasion. Blew Pygmalion off the stage.
2. The Cinderella Complex - I originally looked at this script as a possible middle school show, but after reading it, I gave it to the high school. This is a very funny twist on Cinderella, and it ended up being the swan song for this year's senior class, as only two seniors stuck around to do Annie. A seasoned cast turned in the best ensemble performance since the #1 show on this list.
1. Our Town - This is the only straight drama we did during my tenure, and the kids put on their best performance ever. Strong seniors in this show, with great supporting performances from the juniors on down to the sixth graders. The script demanded a lot of the actors, and the actors rose to the occasion. It's the proudest I've ever been of any school play.
It's two weeks until Easter. If you're headed for Sermon Spice to find an Easter weekend video, I have a suggestion you might enjoy.
A few observations on the show, mostly from a theater arts POV.
About 15 years ago, my friend Laura Gary and I formed a spin off from the Northside Dramamaniacs drama team called Craving Chaos. We only did a few gigs, but one of the plays that came out of that time is a short piece about a little girl and her clever Sunday School teacher, written for a teacher appreciation banquet.
SONshine Theater in Indianapolis will soon be presenting a new production of Laura Goes to Sunday School. If you're in the area, you can learn more about SONshine and get information on performances at their website, www.sonshinetheater.net
The script is included as part of the kids skit collection available at The Righteous Insanity Web Store
Got an email from what looks like a great source for authentic Biblical costumes. No bathrobes here, this is the good stuff, esp. if you're looking at a large church show or a film production. Here's a link if you'd like to check it out:
For those regular readers, I apologize for the long gap. Kids were sick, then I was sick, then I was out of town, off to my first ever Wrestlemania after 25 years of dreaming about it. I'll write more on that in the future, I'm sure, but I will say this: for me, the WWE live is more fun than any sporting event, concert, or other live attraction than I have ever experienced. And yes, I have been to an NFL game - Cowboys and Eagles in the old Texas Stadium. This was more fun even than that!
But you don't want to hear from me. You want a new script. This one was written with video in mind, but a little tweaking and you could put it on stage just as easily. Enjoy.
Consequence-Free Evangelism
By John Cosper
CHARACTERS
Nathan, Meredith, and Alan – Shy believers resistant toward evangelism
Angela – A tract person
Ted – A bumper sticker guy
Dan – A tattoo guy
Nathan and Meredith are sitting at a conference table.
NATHAN: Pastor Rick's done it again. He wants us all to be "Ambassadors for Christ." How are we going to skirt around this one?
MEREDITH: I can't tell people about Jesus. That's just not who I am.
NATHAN: You? What about me? I'm up for re-election in the fall. You think this city wants to re-elect a Jesus Freak as their coroner?
Alan is standing by the window, looking out.
ALAN: Meredith, Dr. Baker, please calm down. No one in this room wants to tell anyone about Jesus. (he turns to them) And no one is going to tell anyone about Jesus either.
NATHAN: What do you mean? Pastor Rick said--
ALAN: I know what Pastor Rick said. But there are alternatives for those who are shy; those who have careers at stake; and those who simply don't want to.
MEREDITH: Well, you going to tell us?
ALAN: No. But I've invited three people here to tell us how they made a loophole in the system.
Alan walks to the door and opens it.
ALAN: Send the first one in, please.
Alan sits down as Angela enters.
MEREDITH: (whispering) What's going on?
ALAN: Just listen.
ANGELA: Hello, everyone. I'm Angela Kratz, and I'm with Secret Jesus.
NATHAN: Did you say, Secret Jesus?
ANGELA: That's right. Secret Jesus. We're the people who spread the life changing message of Jesus far and wide... without ever saying a word.
MEREDITH: That's impossible.
ANGELA: Is it?
Meredith looks down. There's a tract in front of her.
MEREDITH: Hey, what's this?
ANGELA: It's called a tract, and it's our secret weapon. We buy these by the truckload, and then we deposit them everywhere we go. Bathrooms, gas stations, restaurants, any place public. And no one ever sees us.
NATHAN: But how can you possibly do that without anyone seeing you?
ANGELA: Look down.
Nathan looks down. All of a sudden, there's a tract in front of him too.
NATHAN: Wow, how did you do that?
ANGELA: (with a wink) That's Secret Jesus.
Scene changes. Ted is standing in front of the group with an open briefcase.
TED: I'm Ted the bumper sticker guy. There is no better time or place to share your faith than when your driving, and bumper stickers are the perfect vehicle - forgive the pun - for sharing the gospel. Choose from witty bumpers like "God is My Co-Pilot," fire and brimstone messages like "Turn or Burn," or something more abstract.
He holds up a sticker of an Ichthus fish.
MEREDITH: Looks simple and easy.
NATHAN: Yeah, but what if you get mad at someone in traffic?
Close up of Ted with an awkward, embarrassed expression. Sound effects of tires squealing, cars crashing, and garbled road rage yelling echo, as if he's remembering them. Ted gathers his bumper stickers and leaves.
Scene changes. Dan is standing in front of the group.
DAN: My name is Dan Buford Wainwright Hunter, founder of St. Peter's Drive-Thru Communion and Tattoo Station. We believe the best way to share God's word is not to tell it, but to wear it.
NATHAN: How?
DAN: Like this.
Dan takes his shirt off. His body is tattooed with the entire Bible. (Note: shoot him from the neck up from behind and you don't have to do anything to him - unless you have an actor with a lot of patience.) Alan gets up for a closer look.
ALAN: This is amazing! Is this the whole Bible?
DAN: This is just the New Testament. (he turns) Here's the Old Testament. The Catholic Books are down on my calves.
ALAN: Incredible. You can hide it any time you need just by putting your shirt on. What do you think, guys?
MEREDITH: I think it looks incredibly painful.
DAN: It was. But when you consider what Christ went through on the cross, is it so much to ask that we experience a little pain?
NATHAN: That's a good point. That's a very good point.
Nathan gets up to leave.
MEREDITH: Nate, where are you going?
NATHAN: I'm going to do what God wants me to do.
MEREDITH: You're not really going to go out there, are you?
Nathan walks out of the room.
MEREDITH: What about your re-election?
ALAN: (pointing) Does that verse really say you should not tattoo your body?
Fade Out.
I'm an award-winning writer and a director of drama, film, and fiction and the founder of Righteous Insanity..
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