AD100 PeRfOrMiNg ArTs AsS 1

THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 2006
First Assignment: Due September 5
(second night of class we'll be discussing it)

After reading the Forward and Chapter 1 & 2 of DRAMA MINISTRY, by Steve Pederson, comment by quoting a passage that made you say, "YES! I AGREE!" or "OH, I never thought of it like that." (at least 1 sentence)

I quote from Chapter 1, "Drama, [some people]... argue, shouldn't be part of a traditional worship experience because at the core, worship and entertainment are antithetical." This statement made me say "I never thought of it like that."

Then, respond to at least 4 of the following questions:
You can copy and paste this section below into your "comment" and edit from there, or first copy and paste into a word processing document on your computer to be placed as a comment when you've finished and saved your work on your computer.

CHAPTER 1

1. What did you learn about the history of theatre & the church. Would you like to know more about it?

I learnt that drama in the church is not a new happening. It began as early as in the tenth century, when short dramatic scenes were used in the mass of the Roman Catholic Church. As this means of art gradually developed, it even extended beyond the church whilst the church still exerted its control over the bulk of theatre into the sixteenth century.

However, the relationship between the church and theatre was not all smooth going as the church often struggled with the increasing secularity of drama and made attempts to quell its activities.

I would surely love to know more about the history and the church as i agree with Pederson that much of the church today is once again embracing the value of drama as I am a fervent believer of drama being an immensely powerful tool of communication to transform lives. It also has the ability to stir emotions, evoke responses and unlock the creative mind.


2. After reading this chapeter, what are your thoughts about "entertainment" in the church?


3. Do you have a personal example of the power of drama to break down personal defenses? Tell us about it.

Yes, I do. I shall share a personal example from a different perspective. Pederson shares his example of his friend(s) identifying with a certain role in the drama and hence, remembering a part of his life that he had "covered up". Instead I will tell of how this drama impacted our team who were the performers.

In this sketch, the main character walks into town with her daddy while she heard a commotion going on nearby. She wonders why the man that her daddy said he loved is being stoned and mocked at. At the end, she kneels by the cross and witnesses that man's death and understands that she is the reason that He must die. (The title of the song we used is "Why?" by Nicole Nordeman)

After the performance ended, our team gathered in a circle at the back stage and most of us were weeping. We held hands and began to pray for each other and thanking Jesus for dying on the cross for us. It was an emotional time of praising and loving the Lord together. We were once again flooded by the greatness of Jesus' love for us and filled with reverence for Him because He bore our pain and shed His blood in order that we might be forgiven.

I hope that this is also an example or the power of drama to break down defences. There are more instances but i thought i'd share this as it is the most recent encounter.

4. Do you feel that most believers are vulnerable and seeking to understand God and themselves when worshipping at church? What can be done to break down our defenses and get our whole selves more fully involved in worship?

5. Why does Willow Creek Community Church use contemporary sketches rather than Biblical sketches? Have you ever seen a sketch in worship that didn't "share the gospel?" What are your opinions about the Willow Creek philosophy?

CHAPTER 2

6. Do you agree that drama seems the "easiest" of the arts. Why?

No, i do not agree. I vividly recall my first attempt at playing a small role for one of the dramas in church. I only had to recite a few lines in one of our sketches. Not only did my whole body tense up, so did my lips. The words which i thought i had memorized didn't come out. Subsequently during rehearsals, whenever i concentrated on the words, the feelings didn't show and vice versa. It did not seem as easy as it looked.

Secondly, I concur with Pederson that the biggest obstacle to raise the quality of drama is the “lack of skilled leadership”. Being passionate about a something does not equate to being able to do it. Sometimes, watching another person act, sing, dance or direct may paint a false image that it is easy to do. Skilled leadership in a sense also means exercising much prayer and wisdom to carefully discern a person’s ability to take charge of the drama ministry. Without a capable leader and good guidance, even ‘world-class’ actors become of little significance.

Thidly, in comparison with the rest of the arts, all are challenging in their own ways but to label drama as the "easiest" of the arts is not at all justifiable. Let us compare singing and drama. The basic skills such as relaxation, concentration, imagination, memorization and observation are arguably present in both the art. However, I believe that memorization of words would be a lot simpler if you put a melody or rhythm to it, hence i can say that singing has a slight advantage over drama in this case, making it an "easier" art in a sense.

7. What happens to the audience when watching a well done drama. Why?

8. Have you ever sought feedback or critique of your dramatic work? Did it help you?How?

Yes. I usually present my idea and concept of the drama to more experienced people for feedback before i embark on it and gather the resources required. At each rehearsal, there would always be a debrief among the team before our final closing prayer for the same purpose. Finally, after the drama is finished, we would seek feedback from friends, families and other audiences.

Objective criticism collected will always be put to good use and i share the same thoughts as Pederson that "we end up learning more about the craft of drama when comments area less than positive." Most of the time, we just have to be prepared for comments that are not pleasant to the ears.

It helps me to be more confident of myself and my team's ability when positive comments are given, and at the same time, it constantly reminds me of the need to keep myself humble and recognize my areas of weaknesses. It might be due to the probability that rehearsal times were too short, or it could also be a communication problem between members that stifled our teamwork. Another common possibility is the fact that we did not give enough priority to prayer, both individually and cohesively and hence we were not united and strong spiritually.

Well, from there, we moved on.

Why do people resist or not seek feedback?

I quote Pederson, "Too often, I fear, our pride and insecurity get in the way, becoming hindrances to hearing and accepting valid critique." It is evident that there is a certain amount of pride in each one of us. We do not want to be put down because we are sensitive beings, it will hurt our pride. In another sense, we do not have or are not being taught to exercise grace when receiving not so positive feedback. It seems as if the world has programmed our mind to think negatively of such criticisms. At worst, if criticism that is given is hard and harsh, it crushes our self-image and causes us to think lowly of ourselves.

The saying goes, 'once bitten, twice shy.' These bad experiences could have contributed to the resistances people fence up.

Complete this sentence: "A critique session is helpful only when you come away with some understanding of the craft of drama ."


9. What does Steve Pederson mean by "Abusing the Art Form"?


10. How does the author describe Melodrama?

11. Do you agree that churches "hide" from the downside of life? Would you say that most churches are "addicted to playing it safe." What has been your personal experience with this?

12. What is your opinion of the "Less is More" concept?