THEATRE AS AN ART FORM Having grown up auditioning for shows and taking classes in acting, singing, and dancing, I am no stranger to the stage. The dichotomy of my life is seen in two different venues: theatre and the church. I grew up in a Christian home, and always had a love for the arts– yet the two never seemed to be able to come together in my mind. It was not until the beginning ...
Theatre is a point of contention is some Christian circles, and understandably so. It has been monopolized and drenched in culture, and that can be terrifying to approach for Christians. Christians must take a long look at Scripture and see what the Word of God has to say about theatre and its members before choosing to ignore or embrace this medium. Given that theatre is an art form, it should be engaged and examined in ...
NOT THERE YET I see a tree I see a house I see children playing Going inside and out I see sunflowers everywhere And a big scarecrow with a hat on his head And I’m not there yet But someday I’ll be And I’m not there yet But we’ll see (Lyrics by Luisa Sobral) CHARACTERS GWEN JESS CHERI ELISE JILL JUNE MAN 1 MRS. PRESTON SHELBY PASTOR ROB ACT 1 SCENE 1 The stage is set to Guinevere’s living room. Center stage there is couch, a chair and a coffee table. There is a blanket draped over the couch and also a ...
I love what the chapter “Art as an Honest Labor” says about story: “Every dramatist must learn to write stories that come from the characters and their situation,rather than starting with a theme or message and imposing it on those stories. ‘The problem with Christians,” says screenwriting teacher Bart Gavigan, ‘is that they love theme more than story.’” This I believe is the reason why so many Christian movies and plays are cheesy. We try to come ...
The arts have always played a very wishy-washy role in the church. Wait, let me rephrase that: the church has always been wishy-washy with the arts in the church. Since New Testament times art has been in and out of the church. There have been times in history in which the church led their culture in the arts, specifically drama. However, there have also been times when drama was banned from the church. Frank Burch ...
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:1, 14) These verses hold precious theological truths about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. They tell us that He was the in the beginning with God, that He was God and that as the Word of God He became flesh to dwell among us. The fullest expression of ...
Working through my perspectives on media and how different mediums should be used I’ve realized that a lot of my views come out of how I view the media being consumed by the audience. Recently I have been wrestling specifically with the differences between theatre audiences and film audiences. My own personal experience comes from being both a consumer and a producer of theatre, however in the area of film I’m pretty strictly a consumer. I ...
Drama, though defined simply as acting or doing, most often takes its form as a story that is being told by people to people. When giving a defense for the use of drama in the church and in ministry I bring up the point that Jesus used stories or parables in His earthly ministry. Recently I have been challenged that my argument is not valid since Jesus used parables because they confuse those who do ...
What is Drama? The word drama comes from a Greek word meaning “to do” or “to act”. This definition is very loose and could be stretched to mean a variety of things, but most people would classify skits, sketches or plays as drama. While this is true, the idea of ‘doing’ or ‘acting’ cannot be strictly confined to a play in the traditional sense. Ancient drama, as used by the Greeks was a ritualistic tradition that ...
In the world of the arts, the church needs to begin learning how to deal with the gritty, dark, and sinful areas of life without condemnation nor judgement but with love and acceptance. Any attempt of the Church at producing quality art needs not only those Christians who are artists to learn how to portray truth in a whole way, but also for the Church to recognize true art for true art. The Church Community, needs ...
What Marshall McLuhan has to do with Jesus Christ II Corinthians 4:7-10 “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our ...
“Leland Ryken defines art’s purpose thus: ‘the function of the arts is to heighten our awareness and perception of life by making us vicariously live it… There can be no doubt that the arts are one of the chief means by which the human race grapples with and interprets reality.‘ One way it helps us cope with life, says Ryken, is by allowing us to encounter our own problems at a safe distance, another is ...
The theatre, as a medium for communicating a message, stands unique among other methods for its raw strength and ability to provide a reflection of humanity and itʼs relation to itself and the divine. In no other place, in no other way, can art really take on the form of real life in real time. The theatre makes use of human vessels, human life, to carry meaning through story and to delve into the depths ...
y Roshelle Murray As I stood dressed in black waiting for the band to start the opening song, my eyes scanned the dimly lit auditorium. Was he there? Did he have a hang over from the previous night’s cast party? Could he finally see the Jesus that I served? “Oh Lord,” I prayed, “Please give Steve the ability to understand the dramatics of this Easter service to finally see your truth, the only truth that can ...