Reader's theater is a style of theater in which the actors do not memorize their lines. Actors use only vocal expression to help the audience understand the story rather than visual storytelling such as sets, costumes, intricate blocking, and movement. This style of performance of literature was initially lauded because it emphasized hearing a written text as a new way to understand literature. Readers Theater is also known as Chamber Theater or Interpretive Theater. Readers Theater became popular during and following the Second World War when resources to produce plays were scarce. There are four different types of Readers Theater, each an evolution of the former and each with different attributes: Readers Theater, Free Readers Theater, Chamber Theater, and Contemporary Readers Theater. Each of these styles and manifestations of Readers Theater is still performed today.
Working from written text, such as Scripture, narratives, poetry and articles, students integrate different methods of dramatizing text and creatively build original performance pieces. Critique of their work sharpens their understanding and capacity.
Students gain practical tools for bringing the Scriptures to life through drama that greatly benefits, not only those who love drama, but also those who plan worship services. It also broadens the possibilities of script creation, allowing students to work with pre-written text rather than developing scripts out of nothing. Techniques in this course also allow for creative staging with minimal production needs.
The reading of Scripture is a cornerstone of most worship services. Unfortunately, too often it is also one of the most dead, boring aspects of the Sunday morning as the reader stumbles over names or words, or reads monotonously through a long passage. The congregation’s mind wanders, or occupies itself in reading ahead in their own Bibles, to avoid the challenge of listening to a less-than-engaging rendition of the passage. Is this what we want? This course not only helps bring Scripture to life, but gives techniques to creatively stage any literary source.
Encourages missional understanding and living through dramatizing texts that help develop deeper understanding of the word of God and how to put it into practice.
It is necessary to understand the culture and its artistic forms and languages in order to effectively contextualize the message of Christ when using drama as the tool of communication, whether it be your own context, or a cross-cultural one.
Drama is a wonderful way to explore different perspectives and relationships, and work through how to communicate in different environments and worldviews. This course encourages that dialogue across all the cultures that exist within the local church and communities through the writings that come from these cultures.
This course gives a practical framework for how to discover and create dramas from written text. Students are able to bring the skills learned into their spheres of work and ministry.
