Christmas Musicals for Church
Issue link: https://read.jwpepper.com/i/317445
SET: When the play opens, the stage is set with a number of large boxes painted brown and one or two brown stepladders. The boxes are tall enough to be used as seats and sturdy enough to stand on. During the show, these pieces are rearranged to represent parts of a boat in each story. At the beginning of the show, the boxes are arranged in a curved line downstage to suggest the side of a boat and a brown ladder is placed stage center. During the opening number, when the Storytellers refer to "a couple of props," a cast member brings on a tall pole with a white, square sail attached to it and stands by the ladder. (Optional: At the same time, a second cast member brings on a brown bowsprit made of foam core or cardboard attached to a stick and holds it stage right to represent the bow of the boat. A third cast member carries on a brown rudder made of foam core or cardboard attached to a stick "tiller." He stands stage left to represent the stern of the boat.) This same configuration can be used for the boat in the Jonah story. In The Story of Paul's Shipwreck, the boxes are pushed upstage and the sides of the boat are created by the cast members themselves. A group of actors stand, holding hands to form an elongated circle or "football" shape—with one end pointing to stage right, and the other pointing stage left. Again, one cast member brings on a tall pole with a sail and plants it on the "deck" stage center. This sail is triangular and red, in contrast to the square white sail in the Jonah story. There are words on the sail: One side says "Roman Ship"; the other says "Different Roman Ship." Optional: In the original production, there was a backdrop of flats upstage. The lower half of the flats was painted dark blue with a stylized wave shape at the top to represent the sea. The upper half was painted light blue with childlike white clouds at regular intervals to represent sky. PROPS: Opening Number (The Forty Minute Tour): Two or three spray bottles filled with water Oversized book decorated as "The Sailor's Bible" Optional: Spyglass. During the opening number, when the Storytellers referred to "a couple of props," one cast member climbs to the top of the ladder with the spyglass and looks off in the distance stage right. The Story of Jonah and the Great Fish A large poster board sign that reads "STORM" Sign on a stick that reads "To Nineveh" with an arrow pointing stage left Hand drum Rectangular blue cloth approximately 48" wide and 9 ft. long—to be used as water Sign on a stick that reads "Exit to Mouth" with an arrow pointing stage right The Story of Paul's Shipwreck Guard's spear Blue pom-poms to represent the ocean in The Story of Paul's Shipwreck For Preview Only