We sometimes create "On the Spot News Reports" and "You Are There" skits based on the scripture reading in our Drama Workshop.

Having a "reporter" is a great way to get into the characters' heads and get the kids talking back and forth without a script getting in the way.  Our reporter is sometimes an adult or helper, but often we'll use an astute student and let them see what they can come up with.

The initial lesson activity might be, "If you could ask Moses any question, what would you ask him?"  And then ask Moses about a number of events in the story and his life, such as, "how did you feel when.... Pharoah said no, you got to talk with God on Mt Sinai,  the people made the golden calf, the people complained, you got to see the Promised Land," (etc)

Some example stock interview questions:

• Tell us your story...
• What did you think when...
• What did it feel like when you...
• If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently...
• What would you like young people today to know about you and your message?

Sometimes we'll split into two or three small groups or pairs and let EACH of them record their own version of the interview or event. Seeing several "Marys" or "Moses'" do an interview is fun.

We've also done a variation of this interview" idea we call "To Tell the Truth Gameshows" where two players are not Moses but pretend they are, and one is and must answer as close as possible to the story's truth/details. The "celebrities" who are doing the guessing each come up with their own questions about the story.

FYI:
We've been recording our Drama Workshop lessons from the start. In the older groups, letting the kids run the camera.

The shepherds help out with the younger kids. Sometimes we have a prepared script (such as an on the spot news report) and sometimes we just give them a concept and let them run with it. What usually comes out is not the quality to show on a Sunday morning in adult worship, but the kids get a real kick out of seeing their performance, and they have a chance to talk to the workshop leader about what they have done, what they could have done, what the next group could do, what they left out...and on and on and on.

So far, our youngest kids have turned out to be the best actors. They are scheduled into the Drama Workshop the last week of the rotation, which means they really know the story well by then. Brenda