To Nativity and Beyond - Christmas Plays and Other Dramas for All-age Audiences PDF Download

Author: Donna Vann
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781739144906
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Author: Keith Hewitt
Publisher: CSS Publishing
ISBN: 0788024833
Category : Drama
Languages : en
Pages : 106

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Book Description
Everyone knows the nativity story -- the inn, the stable, and all the rest. If your traditional Christmas pageant has become a bit stale and you want to give it new life, this collection of engaging plays is sure to fit your needs. Keith Hewitt gives the usual narrative a modern treatment by adapting characters and settings from four popular television series (Blue's Clues, CSI, Cops, and Trading Spaces) and transferring them to the events in Bethlehem. By twisting the lens a little to change the focus, these sketches tell how common people are affected by incredible events. Audiences will love these entertaining programs, and they'll have fun watching the characters as they learn a valuable lesson. All four plays are specifically designed to be produced in churches, and can be easily staged by congregations of almost any size. There are roles suitable for a range of ages from kindergarten through adult, allowing you to involve the whole congregation in the production. "Ewe's Clues" is intended primarily for younger children (although adults and older children will also enjoy it) and has a running time of approximately 30 minutes. "Cops: Bethlehem," "CSI: Bethlehem," and "Trading Spaces: Bethlehem" each have a running time of approximately 45 minutes, and are designed for older audiences (though children will get something out of them as well). Keith Hewitt is a youth leader at Wilmot United Methodist Church in Wilmot, Wisconsin, and in his "day job" is a quality analyst. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay.

Author: David M. Allison
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780788027970
Category : Drama
Languages : en
Pages : 30

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His story changed the world: Jesus -- born to Mary and Joseph, worshiped as Savior by the Magi and the shepherds who had found him through divine guidance. We do not dispute the significance of their part in Jesus' story. We marvel at their obedience. We sing songs recounting their trust and their faith. But if we dare allow ourselves to peer just a bit deeper into the pages of scripture, extending just beyond the edges of the nativity story, we find the embodiment of patience and faithfulness -- Simeon and Anna, a prophet and a prophetess, who waited for the arrival of the Messiah with an unwavering expectation. It is a story that reminds us that a hope placed in God does not disappoint. In seven scenes, "The Promise Fulfilled" presents a simple drama, intertwining the familiar details of the Christmas story with the steadfast hope of Simeon and Anna. Drawing upon the gospel accounts of Matthew and Luke and using extended scripture readings, "The Promise Fulfilled" invites cast and audience members to marvel at the events surrounding Christ's birth, taking us into the expected while challenging us to look beyond the well-told storyline found within the walls of the nativity. Simple to learn and powerful to present, this short drama will allow youth groups and adult drama teams to develop a rich understanding of the events leading up to Christ's birth. Easily adaptable for Bible studies and children's lessons, "The Promise Fulfilled" offers a fresh perspective to a story that has been changing hearts for over 2,000 years, ushering us into the Advent season with a subtle and powerful proclamation: a transformed world requires an enduring faithfulness anchored in Christian love. Twelve copies of this play are needed for production and copy privileges are included. This is David Allison's first book with CSS Publishing. Pastor Allison received his master of ministry degree from Mount Vernon Nazarene University. Currently Allison is head pastor at Havens Corners Church. He has also been bi-vocational and youth pastor at Havens Corners Church. Allison is married to Karla and they have one grown son. Some of David's interests are golf, chess, and landscaping.

Author: Keith Hewitt
Publisher: CSS Publishing Company
ISBN: 9780788026416
Category : Drama
Languages : en
Pages : 142

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Keith Hewitt is back with a second volume of cleverly developed nativity dramas in which he adapts biblical stories to popular television programs. In the same way Jesus communicated in a context that people of his time could relate to, Hewitt presents four sharp-witted takeoffs on something our culture can really relate to -- TV. The humorous yet reverent treatments of these biblical narratives will hold people's attention and breathe new life into traditional nativity texts. All four plays are specifically designed to be produced in churches, and can be easily staged by congregations of almost any size. Props are simple and easy to find. The four plays in this second volume are: "A Night for News" -- Taken from a CNN (Caesar News Network) news broadcast "Bethlehem Blues" -- A takeoff of the popular 80s police drama, Hill Street Blues "Two-And-A-Half Wise Men" -- A parody of the CBS sitcom Two-And-A-Half Men "Dirty Jobs: Bethlehem" -- An adaptation of Mike Rowe's Discovery Channel show Dirty Jobs Keith Hewitt in his new book of dramas based on the Nativity stories once again shows that he knows how to reach an audience... by taking a biblical story, wrapping a modern TV program around it, and "letting it fly." His use of parody of popular TV shows to tell the biblical stories puts a human face on some timeless truths. -- Jim Rowlette Retired Pastor Wilmot United Methodist Church Keith Hewitt is a youth leader at Wilmot United Methodist Church in Wilmot, Wisconsin, and in his "day job" is a quality analyst. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. Keith's first television inspired dramas book is NaTiVity Dramas: Four Nontraditional Christmas Plays for All Ages (CSS Publishing, 2007). Hewitt is also a regular contributor to the online service StoryShare (www.sermonsuite.com).

Author: Robert Hugh Benson
Publisher: e-artnow
ISBN:
Category : Drama
Languages : en
Pages : 79

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A Mystery Play in Honour of the Nativity of our Lord is a dramatic work about the miracle of Christmas, with the goal of furthering the devotion to the Nativity of the Christ. The play is written in verse and it celebrates the birth of the Lord, telling of the miracle of the Nativity and revealing the Christmas mystery.

Author: Maggie Lawrence
Publisher: I E Clark
ISBN: 9780886803919
Category : Christmas plays
Languages : en
Pages : 52

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Author: Keith Hewitt
Publisher: CSS Publishing Company
ISBN: 9780788026959
Category : Drama
Languages : en
Pages : 192

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Book Description
Keith Hewitt is back with a third volume of clever nativity dramas in which he adapts biblical Christmas stories to popular television programs. In the same way Jesus communicated in a context that people of his time could relate to, Hewitt presents four sharp-witted takeoffs on something our culture can "really" relate to -- TV. The humorous treatments of these biblical narratives will hold people's attention and breathe new life into traditional nativity texts. All four plays are specifically designed to be produced in churches and can be easily staged by congregations of almost any size. Props are simple and easy to find. The four plays in this third volume are popular television shows from right now: "Psyched in Bethlehem" (45 minutes) "Everybody Loves Joseph" (45 minutes) "Big Bang Bethlehem" (50 minutes) "Burned in Bethlehem" (40 minutes) "These dramas are delightful and bring a down-to-earth perspective, drawing on everyday life experiences through various television shows. It is a pleasure to see someone bring a refreshing aspect of God's message through creative mediums such as these. "Pastor Dan Verdegan Wilmot United Methodist Church "We have been doing Keith Hewitt's plays for two years now. I love them, and I want to encourage him to keep writing the plays. Our church family loves them but more importantly we have been able to get people from the community in so that we can share God's word with them. "Robin Miller Director of Spirited Players of Queensbury UMC Queensbury, New York Keith Hewitt is the pastor at Parkview United Methodist Church in Turtle Lake, Wisconsin, and a former Sunday school teacher and youth leader. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. Keith's first two television inspired drama books are" NaTiVity Dramas: Four Nontraditional Christmas Plays for All Ages "(CSS Publishing, 2007) and "NaTiVity Dramas: The Second Season" (CSS Publishing, 2009). Hewitt is also a regular contributor to the online service "StoryShare" (www.sermonsuite.com).

Author: Nancy Funk
Publisher: CSS Publishing Company
ISBN: 9780895366955
Category : Christmas plays
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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"The Lost Feeling of Christmas" echoes themes from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol to the extent that a grumpy senior citizen is forced, through a confrontive dream, to come to terms with what the time of Christ's nativity is really all about. The messenger who speaks most forcefully to him is, of all things, his cat. "A Lot of Christmas Love" speaks to a world where poverty and broken families are too painfully in evidence. A family has suffered the disappearance of husband and father. Those who are left to help mother and children cope find their relationships are strained, particularly as the Christmas season comes again. Like God, who comes disguised at Christmastime, this play includes a visit from a stranger in extraordinary dress. These two Christmas plays combine traditional biblical content from the Christmas cycle of stories with contemporary life. Each is a full program, taking approximately one hour to produce, and each involves a wide spectrum of participants from the congregation, including one or more choirs or singing groups. Those who purchase this two-play set will have a pair of excellent Christmas dramas from which to choose, both created by a professor of theatre arts at Penn State University at Mount Altos, Pennsylvania. Nancy Funk received the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Boston University and Master of Arts degree from the University of Iowa. Currently pursuing the PhD degree at New York University, she is Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts at Pennsylvania State University, Mount Alto Campus. She and her daughter Jhondra live in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, where the two plays in this book were presented, having been commissioned for use in Lutheran and Methodist congregations. Having worked as director and producer for television drama and commercial work on both public and commercial network television, she is well qualified to combine insights of a secular age with the abiding truths of scripture.

Author: Erik Santiago
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781973715962
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 58

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Great Christmas plays for church are hard to find! After years of looking and producing some pretty average stuff we took to writing our own. We're not sure if they're great, but a groundswell of churches around the world have requested them at this point, so we've tried make it easy to get these three one acts written for churches. They are short, ranging from 5-15 minutes and have cast sizes from two to eight people. No Ordinary Baby - two friends of Mary and Joseph wrestle with the news of Mary's "illegitimate" pregnancy. Jacob the cynic and Rebecca the ever-hopeful dreamer, grapple with the possibilities of God coming to earth. Audiences will think, engage, question and laugh in this sweet comedy that wrestles with questions that have lingered since the birth of Jesus. The Three Somewhat Wise Men - This comedic one act opens with a short narration, "Countless generations know the famous story of 'The Three Wise Men' - the three kings of the Orient who traveled so far to Bethlehem to meet the new-born savior Jesus Christ. But few people know that, according to the Bible, they did not reach the child until he was some two to three years old. Even lesser known is that...they had a few hiccups along the way. So, we invite you to travel with us back in time as we thoughtfully consider, well, what took them so long? Although our account is apocryphal, we think you will find it enlightening." This fun exploration of these endearing characters will inject some humor into your Christmas program. You can cast the 'seasoned saints' from among you or youth with the classic beards askew to give it a twist of your own. The Winning Nativity - slightly obsessive Amy is determined to win a nativity contest with a slightly disimpassioned cast. That may be a generous characterization and all the more problematic since Amy is determined to impress her childhood idol, the one and only Venecio Capaldi. In a variation on the classic nativity play, complete with hapless sheep and self-absorbed teen playing Mary, this little piece is meant to reinvent this tried and true staple of the Christmas program and give us some things to chew on. All of these plays can provide a great platform for a sermon or other elements of a church Christmas program. They have been used by churches from Vietnam to Sweden and Ohio to Southern California.

Author: Frank Ramirez
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780788024856
Category : Drama
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Drama can be a wonderful tool for presenting spiritual truths in a fresh and creative way. Come All Ye Faithful is a valuable resource for churches seeking new methods for presenting the joyous message of Advent and Christmas. From an insightful allegory illuminating the symbolism of the Advent wreath to mice depicting the nativity scene in whimsical verse, this resource will appeal to any dramatic preference. These plays can be used by congregations of almost any size, with only minimal props and costuming required. Copy privileges are included. The plays featured in this volume are: - The Living Advent Wreath -- a musical allegory depicting a pilgrim's journey to discover the true meaning of Advent as revealed through the Advent Wreath (sheet music is included). - The Mouse Christmas -- a lighthearted children's play written in rhyming verse. - The Ad Vent Wheat -- a humorous children's play offering a slightly altered view of the Christmas message. Each of these plays will help congregations capture anew the true joy of the Advent and Christmas season. Frank Ramirez is the pastor of Everett Church of the Brethren in Everett, Pennsylvania. A graduate of the University of LaVerne and Bethany Theological Seminary, Ramirez is the author of numerous books, articles, and short stories. His CSS titles include Gabriel's Horn, The Christmas Star, The Bee Attitudes, Partners in Healing, He Took a Towel, Coming Home, Lectionary Worship Aids, and A Call to Worship.