Putting on a Play

Lucy Moore

If you're looking for an activity involving children that builds up a sense of community, it's definitely worth considering putting on a play. There's something religious (in the broadest sense) about being part of a play: there's the honesty as you all expose your weaknesses and vulnerabilities to each other in rehearsals; the trust as you rely on each other in a stressful situation; the creative impulse as you work to put the thing together; the valuing of everyone, whether they're the main part or the most insignificant scene-shifter; the time 'wasted' together in rehearsal, just hanging out together while someone else is working; the stretching of horizons as you explore a play, of finding new gifts, of encouragement and discipline and mutual dependence; the sheer fun of the whole thing: it's all there in a production, all heightened and focused by the crisis of performing.

Someone once commented to me many years ago at a training day, 'Oh yes, I used to do drama but I grew out of the need to show off.' (Which, on reflection, is about the nastiest thing they could have found to say!) The point is that this person had completely missed the point. Some of us need to grow into drama, not out of it: we need to rediscover the place of play in ourselves, the light-heartedness combined with utter dedication to a purpose that comes in acting. Yes, there's an element of showing off, but turned on its head. This is also an expression of self-confidence as you find the courage to expose yourself to others. For many children who have been knocked about by life, it's a chance to step into the protective role of a part and shine—maybe just having the inner strength to walk on to a stage and off again. It's an opportunity to grow and to change as you work very intimately with other people. Obviously the play itself can challenge actors as well as audiences, especially as you spend so much time and effort making the words and actions of the play part of you. I can't think of any play that I've been in where I haven't learned something about others, the world or myself.

A drama group can be a 'safe place', something we all need: a place where we are encouraged and praised; a place where we can shine and achieve; a place to put aside temporarily the bits of us we don't like and take on the mantle of someone greater than ourselves, someone perhaps who lives a more exciting life or can articulate their deepest feelings, deal with situations differently from our usual bodging or who simply has lovely costumes to wear. It can be a very healing place, and you will often hear people exclaiming how so-and-so has changed so much during this play! These things are so human and so holy. For me, a drama group is a way of enabling people to come towards God at a tangent, like a cautious dog approaching a stranger.

Who?

It's easiest to do an all-adult production. (Oh yes it is!) It's hard work but straightforward to do an all-child or all-teenage production. It's hardest work of all to put on an all-age production: what time can you rehearse, when Joanne doesn't get in from the office until 6.30pm, but Jonathan needs to be in bed by 8.00pm on a school night? Joe works in Asda on a Sunday afternoon and Jodie has swimming lessons on a Saturday morning. Jerry wants a part but doesn't want the hassle of filling in a CRB form. And how will it look if Jesus is 4'3'' while Peter is 6'2''?

But if you can overcome these problems, an all-age production speaks volumes before a single word is spoken: it's so rare to see adults and children graciously working together at the same project; and valuable friendships are formed across the age-barriers that will overspill into the rest of church life. Of course you'll probably have to deal with some of your adults tutting about the behaviour of the children and some of your children moaning about the way the grown-ups can't learn the dance when it's so easy, but this is all part of learning to live together. I was humiliated recently in our production of Vicky Howie's The Earth looks forward to Christmas when we introduced some dances. The children mastered the steps within two or three rehearsals. I was still like a one-person game of Twister after three weeks. I threw myself out in the end and prompted instead.

In terms of choosing your cast, the obvious questions to ask are: do we want everyone, regardless of apparent talent, or just those who can actually act? While it's tempting to put the end product before every other consideration and to exclude everyone who doesn't meet RSC standards, what message does that send to those chosen and to those rejected? How can you find a way of imaginatively including everyone who wants to be involved even if it means compromising what you see as the perfect production? You might more usefully ask: is Hetty going to be reasonably dependable or is she likely to skive out of a rehearsal every time there's something good on the telly? Would Harry be happier onstage or backstage?

What?

Do you want to put on an overtly Christian play, such as one that tells the Easter story or deals with Christians in certain circumstances? Or do you want to put on a play without any overtly Christian theme but put it on in a Christian way? Putting on a 'Christian play' is a great way of sharing God's story and of educating both actors and audiences. (It can show up huge areas of ignorance, such as recently when our Gabriel kept insisting to the shepherds that their savoury had been born in St David's town. It seemed a shame to correct her…)

Putting on a 'secular play' can be a more accessible way into your group for people who feel threatened by Christianity. One teenager was fantastic in the production we did of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, but refused to come and perform in a second play (about Christmas) because she didn't believe in God. Another dad dropped out of the Easter play we were doing because it was 'all about God and that'. A happy middle ground is to take a parable and turn it into a play—then those who have ears will listen and those who don't will just enjoy themselves. We're planning on A Midsummer Night's Dream this summer on the grounds that it's a great play and God is in everything, not just overtly religious plays. Even for a mixed age group, it's well worth looking at plays written for primary schools and adding to them: that way you have a simple manageable script as a basis and anything you achieve by way of devised scenes, dances, raps or mimes on top of that is a bonus.

How?

Build on the strengths of your performers: we ended up with an eleven-year-old who has been dancing all her life, so we inserted several dances into a rather bland script. A 14-year-old and a 50-year-old play sax and guitar respectively, so we added a musical number around the crib. And make the most of the apparent weaknesses: Gertie is too shy to speak out loud, but she'll happily be a crowd-member wherever required, whereas your prima donnas turn up their noses at the thought of not having lines to declaim. George can only make the final week of rehearsals, but he'll make a fantastic cameo actor for the one scene where Herod is required. Gloria can only get about in an electric buggy, but how fabulous it looks when transformed into an armoured horse for the tournament. You have a budget of 23p, so how liberating not to have to worry about scenery or lighting.

In rehearsals, try to be as encouraging as you can. Try to find something to praise in every single person. These actors are putting themselves on the line for this play, so reassure them every step of the way, even if you think they don't need it. I know I go home even now when I'm in a play and worry that I'm rubbish if the director hasn't said anything to me during end-of-rehearsal 'Notes'.

When?

The secret's in the planning ahead so that you nobble the best dates before any of the other venue-users can grab them, and so that you can get publicity out well in advance. There will never be a perfect date - school discos or Bingo nights or church picnics, SATS or football tournaments will always rear their heads unexpectedly.

There's so much else to mention but you'll find the 'How To Put On A Play' practicalities in all sorts of books. While professional theatre groups like Riding Lights rightly aim for the highest quality of end product, it may not be as simple for church groups. For us putting on a play, the whole quality-control issue is complicated by this overarching need to be a Christian community. This means finding the treasure in clay pots, rather than chucking out the clay pots and only using alabaster ones. It means not snuffing out smouldering wicks but fanning them to a flame; not breaking bent reeds, but working with them on posture. It means always rejoicing in achievement and in the gifts of others, never wallowing in gossip and backstage bitchiness, and being invariably supportive, loyal, hopeful and trusting to the whole cast and crew.

So…

So go for it! Putting on a play is a life-enhancing experience and as such has to be of God, whether you're putting on a Passion play or Grease.

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