Weihnachten

Weihnachten (Christmas) is coming, and we’ve got two 10-minute slots for an “Appropriate Christmas drama” on Christmas Eve, and possibly outdoor theatre on the 10^th in the Waldweihnacht. Traditionally this is when we go off into the forest with the children and sing carols at a big campfire, but there is a possibility of being able to have a theatre element with several cameos on the route to gradually tell a story, a style of outdoor theatre known as a ‘Journey’. The public will be guided from the village down to the forest by different characters, and will meet other people on the way. Some give new information; others have to be convinced of the group’s intentions. This will be a whole new challenge for the team because it could require some improvisation, there will be no amplification whatsoever, and we will have to deal with a lot of unknowns in the woods that could change without warning on the day.

Christmas Eve drama will be much less complex technically; we will be back in familiar territory and working for 10 minutes at a time. The challenge for the team will be to stay focused after the tension of the journey and not let the quality of their work slide, especially as they will have a bare two weeks to move from one to the other.

After the bombastic “Professor Ohnelieb” style, which will continue in the “Journey” we will be going for a complete change on Christmas Eve. The theatre will be quieter, more serious, and hopefully much deeper, possibly with another video playing to reinforce the message. I’m hoping to pull away a lot of elements so we can focus on a very simple empty stage and to make the message clear, although of course this puts a greater focus on the skill of the actors themselves to keep things moving. At the moment our pastor is interested in the announcement of Gabriel to Mary, especially that a sword would cut through her, and the link that was made to the cross even before Jesus’ birth.

How all this happens will be decided on Wednesday when we meet as a theatre team. on one hand We've had a lot of positive feedback on "Professor Ohnelieb" and gained a lot of trust. One comment from a member of the church council was that the team "Has gone beyond church drama" which was one of my aims. We'd like to build on this trust. On the other hand if we do the “Journey” and the Christmas celebration it will represent a lot of work for me and the team, just when families will be wanting to see more of them and schools will be finishing their term.

I’ll get back to you on that… Prayer and comments are welcome as always.