Leaving Jerusalem - From the couch to the pew.

Drama is a total event. In otherwords it utilizes all aspects of the audience's senses. This is good, yet has it's challenges. The most powerful sense is not one of the physical five, but a mental one - imagination. We want the audience to be transported to a place of suspended belief. While there we want them to be free to examine what they see and compare it to their lives. This comparason is the key to awaking their soul to God's plan for them. If they identify with the characters on stage we can guide them through to what they should or should not do. It is so essential that each element of the evening contributes to that goal.

Unfortunately, we often neglect aspects of the evening that may end up having a negative effect on that goal. Below is a list of things to think about. It takes the visitor from their home to their car to the church to the pew. Each moment gives you the opportunity to create the atmosphere of change - or create a feeling of "why'd I bother."

1) Be sure your guests know what time the drama starts and how to get to the church. Any advertising must have this information boldly.

  a) How many times are people late and we hear, “well, I wasn’t sure how to get there.”
  b) If they are guests of non-performers teach your church to meet them at some common place and follow them to the church. Better yet, the church member should chauffeur them.
  c) For guests of performers, assign someone to do this task for you.
  d) As a last resort, be sure the guest has a simple, understandable map with the time of the performance on it.

2) Preferred parking must be created for the guests.
  a) Don’t let performers or church members hog the closest spots.
  b) Have escorts with umbrellas in inclement weather.
  c) The first contact by a church member should be OUTSIDE the door of the church.
    i) This lets the guest know where to go.
    ii) Obviously, in the dead of winter this is not feasible.

3) The foyer sets the stage.
  a) NO performer should be seen before performance time!
    i) It is so tempting to run upstairs to greet your guests or to say ‘hi’ to your friends. DO NOT ALLOW THIS! This is SO disruptive to the dramatic process.
    ii) Also, do not allow friends and family of performers to sneak downstairs to talk. Place a guard – seriously.
    iii) The audience deserves to view the performers as their characters. When you allow them to appear outside of the performance environment in costume, then the joy of discovery is lost. There is no ‘surprise’ and belief is not suspended.
  b) Decorate the foyer.
    i) Pictures of the current and/or past performance.
    ii) Create a feeling comparable to the set
    iii) If you are performing “No Room” the foyer could be a wayside oasis.
    iv) If you are performing “The Throne” the foyer could be the antechamber of Herod’s throne room
  c) The ushers and greeters may be in costume. What’s the difference between an usher and a greeter?
    i) Usher: Acts as a servant by taking guests to chairs, preventing squabbling children from getting out of hand. They control the environment off of the stage.
    ii) Greeter: Acts as a friend to everyone. Hands out programs, gets guest cards filled out and turned in, show the way to the bathroom and nursery.
4) Upon entering the auditorium the guests must be allowed to assimilate the environment.
  a) No one is to be seen going on the platform! – actors, directors or technicians.
  b) No one is to be seen going across the platform!
  c) No one is to be seen peeking out at the audience from the platform!
  d) No one is to be seen … you get the picture.
  e) Let the audience absorb the atmosphere. Let them begin their journey from reality to belief!
  f) (This idea also applies to the intermission)

Keeping these concepts in mind will help your production in it's true goal - Altar Calls!