To Be…Or Not?

We’ve started rehearsing for two one-act plays that will be a part of our Sunday services, and it’s been so fun!  There’s a lot that I love about this:  a great cast of dedicated and talented actors,  lots of comedy and movement in the script, a new take on the Christmas story… But one of the most exciting things is a chance to do a very different kind of drama.  These are morality plays, and two things about them set them apart from the drama we usually do:  The characters are archetypes (individuals that represent a whole concept or type of person) and their main purpose is to teach people about theological truths.

So, for instance, the main characters in the first one are Man, Hell, Pride, and Gabriel.  Instead of portraying an instance of a person struggling with their pride, we get to hear Pride telling Man how great he is, and convincing him his soul is worthless.   Usually the skits that we use in church encourage identification with the character, in the hopes that we will see ourselves there, and will laugh at ourselves, or see the futility of our own thinking.  These one-acts lift our gaze a bit to see a bigger reality – the interaction of God and humans, the power of pride on a heavenly scale.

Another difference is the stylized language we usually see in our dramas.  These plays use blank verse, which is beautiful and meaningful, but a little harder to follow than the dialogue that we are used to.  The interesting thing is that at the same time, there is a lot of slapstick action on stage – heads cracking together, people being stuffed into bags – almost lowbrow humor!

Although the church has been using drama for centuries (Morality  plays originated in the middle ages and were an attempt by the church to educate illiterate people about theology), it has been a neglected worship aid in the last few.  I am grateful to be able to use it again, and I think these two plays are going to be a great way to see a different way that they can be helpful to us as we make passionate followers of Christ.