“Create a Sequel that Stands Alone”
by Sherry L. Kirton
Q
“How do you write a sequel to a script where you wouldn’t have to see the team perform the first one to understand the sequel?”
Swanner
A
What I do is have the team pray, and then have them just start acting out their characters without having a clue where they are going with it... all the while I sit by with a note pad or a recorder and silently jot down the funny things they do... it is a bit overwhelming at first, but the more they play with their characters the more in touch with them they will become and I start to see a pattern of not only goofy stuff, but of what they like to do. Here it is important to just play and be over-acting. Then we sit down together and ask several questions:
- Look at the theme: what do we want to tell the church (or the un-churched) about this topic? (sometimes one scripture verse sums it all up... I call it the Focus.)
- What will our problem be? What will our solution be? How do we get from A to B? (this is the main part of writing, but only make short notes to begin-- do not try to write the whole thing at this point... just short note the problem the characters will encounter and what the main solution is... then the three of you can work out how to shortly get from the problem to the solution. Do not add any fun stuff, yet.)
- What does my character like from the other(s)? (Here is where my character responds positively or expectantly...
- What does my character get irritated with? (Here is where your catch-phrases come in and if the character was expecting something from the 3rd question and gets something from the 4th question then you have to know how this character will switch from positive responses to a negative one... which can be really funny, or not, and really telling to the audience, or a dud.)
- What does my character want to do? (Again, more catch-phrases will emerge, but also some physical actions which are more important than the words.)
- How little can my character do to convey how I feel about the issue? (This will help each actor develop not only their facial and bodily expressions, but create a short-hand for who that character is without the catch-phrases. Add those at the end.) Take time to try this out... have one actor-at-a-time come up with a few ideas each for a positive reaction, a not-quite-right reaction, and a negative one.
It may take three sessions to get a final script banged out... but it is worth it.
What you come up with will be very powerful for outreach itself. Way too much of what the church does is for the church itself, and yet, drama is one of the most effective ways to reach the lost.
This method will enable your team to create a script that leaves out what isn’t needed and hone what is by forcing the actors to be their characters in a new situation as well as pulling out of them how they should solve the new “problem” without relying on the catch-phrases of the old script.
One more thing:
Try the Free Artistic Outreach Weekend Workshop [AOWW]
if you have any team issues already plaguing your ministry or your team is yet to be seen this workshop is for you. Just choose “drama” as the practical project and let us know about your needs so we can be of service to you and you can be of service to those who have yet to hear the Gospel in your local area.
May this be a blessing to you and those you serve,
IJN~
Sherry Kirton
the Kirton Drawn Back - Artistic Outreach and Christian Youth Ministry
http://www.kirtondrawnback.org
Please send donations to Gospel For Asia to help me support a missionary. http://www.gfa.org
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“Tip #10”
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