The Dramatization of Bible Stories: An experiment in the religious education of childrenLobingier, Elizabeth Miller
Philosophy
The Dramatization of Bible Stories: An experiment in the religious education of children
Lobingier, Elizabeth Miller
Children's plays; Drama in education; Religious education
The question arose as to which children should take certain parts. In
some instances several wanted to learn the part of one particular
character. They were each given the opportunity of learning it, and
then at the next meeting each acted it as best he or she could before
the group. The other children were judges and decided upon the one who
seemed to represent the character best. Whenever this method of
choosing characters has been employed there has never been any hard
feeling on the part of a child because he was not chosen. The justice
of the choice is quickly recognized when it comes in this way rather
than from the leader.
There were many little children in this club who were scarcely old
enough to learn a part or to say very much. They were easily worked
into the caravan, or they took such parts as servants in Pharaoh's
court. Each child was made to feel that one part was just as important
as another and that those who had nothing to say were very essential
elements because of their acting.
Eight or nine meetings were needed before the play was entirely
finished. The children had very simple slips for costumes which they
had been wearing at each rehearsal. Bright-colored sashes and
headdresses they brought from home. Pharaoh was more gaily dressed than
the others. The child who took the part made for himself many ornaments
from gilt paper.
Very little attention was given to stage setting, what was used was
extremely simple. A few of the older girls made designs from the
Egyptian lotus to stand around the walls of Pharaoh's palace or to be
carried by the servants. Colored illustrations of Bible stories by
Tissot were suggestive helps in these details. The ten brothers made
themselves shepherd staffs from limbs of trees. This small amount of
stage setting and costuming was used at many rehearsals and was all
that was necessary to produce the right atmosphere.
As soon as the children felt that the play represented their best
effort they invited their parents and friends and presented it before
them one Sunday afternoon at the time for the regular meeting.
It happened that a few days before the final presentation four of the
principal characters were taken ill with measles and chicken-pox. Four
others, who had not given special attention to these parts, but who had
minor parts, assumed the important roles and went straight through the
play with no trouble whatever. The audience never knew the difference
and the children thought that it was entirely natural that they should
be able to do this. The play all the way through was characterized by a
spirit of dignity and seriousness.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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