Christmas Musicals for Church
Issue link: http://read.jwpepper.com/i/519438
Judean robe with a cloth belt and mantle. Stick with earth tones and forgo white; you do not want to imply that Luke is an angel. Corrie ten Boom, Rev. James, and Cailtin are all dressed in contemporary attire. None of the characters – histori- cal or contemporary – should wear hats or headpieces as these might partially ob- scure their faces. Staging Notes The most important staging principle you'll need to establish in your production of In His Presence is the entrance and exit of the "literary characters." Ideally, these characters can be discovered already writing at their desks by bringing up a fo- cused light. In the same way, when their short scene has concluded, the light can dim out. However, if this lighting option isn't available to you, then these charac- ters can make slow "in-character" entrances and exits. You will need to time these entrances so that the characters are in place and actually writing when their dia- logue begins. You will also want to carefully rehearse the overlapping dialogue that happens each time a literary character "takes over" as Kyle reads. The script currently indi- cates the overlapping dialogue with parenthesis, but you may wish to shorten or length these sequences as needed. Many characters engage in the dramatic convention of speaking-aloud-as-they- write; this allows the audience to hear what is being written. Advise your actors that they only need to mime writing for the first line or two of dialogue. After that, the convention is set and they are free to stop writing and look up and speak natu- rally to the audience. You should also insist that your actors memorize their lines; they shouldn't write their lines on their writing papers and appear to be reading. You should be able to find ample information online concerning how to sign Helen Keller's sentence using American Sign Language. You should also quickly check out how to execute the salute that is given to an officer in the Army. Finally, de- cide among your actors if Montgomery, Wesley and ten Boom are going to attempt Scottish, English and Dutch accents, respectively. If so, guide them to appropriate online tutorials and work with them for authenticity. The accents aren't mandatory, of course, but one principle is critical: either all three characters do them, or no one does them. Consistency is of utmost importance. Adding Media Although the dramatic script In His Presence was created to be presented as stand- alone musical theatre, you may certainly enhance your presentation with addi- tional media. You can also add photos or portraits of the various historical characters portrayed. In addition, the actual text of the book excerpts, letters, and Scripture that is quoted in the production can appear on the screen. A special pro- jection should be Caitlin's original crayon drawing of "JOY!" 131 For Preview Only