A set of links to useful articles and essays on various aspects of drama/theatre, both in the church and outside.
(Dramatix does not necessarily endorse any of the comments in these articles - the links are simply provided as a helpful resource.)
Primary Areas of The Playwriting Seminars:
Content : Story & Themes, Characters www.vcu.edu/artweb/playwriting/content.html
Film : The Screenwriting Craft vs. Playwriting www.vcu.edu/artweb/playwriting/film.html
Screenwriting Software : A quick guide to what's essential nowadays when you write for film and television -- and sometimes helpful for playwrights. www.vcu.edu/artweb/playwriting/software.html
Structure : The -wright of The Playwright's Craft. www.vcu.edu/artweb/playwriting/structure.html
Working : Writing Techniques, Rewriting & Editing. www.vcu.edu/artweb/playwriting/working.html
Format : For Manuscripts & More Interesting Things. www.vcu.edu/artweb/playwriting/format.html
Business : Submitting Scripts, Copyright, Royalties, & Resources. www.vcu.edu/artweb/playwriting/resources.html
Prejudice Against the Theatre : An essay outlining the historical roots of Christian prejudice against the theatre. A scholarly essay. www.fa.mtu.edu/~dlbruch/prejudice.html
What is good Christian drama? By Dramatix co-ordinator John McNeil. Click here to read.
The Nature of Theatre : Essay introducing theatre and its relationship to religion. www.danillitphil.com/nature.html
Of Pain, Connection, and Process : The need for pain in spiritual connection. www.danillitphil.com/pain.html
Definitions and Spellings : Basic definitions and spellings. www.danillitphil.com/define.html
Experience of Witnessing : Theatre as a witnessing agent to people. www.danillitphil.com/exper.html
Why do drama? A quick overview of the history of drama, its place in the church, and some of the requirements. Click here to read.
Self Indulgence and Grand Ideas. www.prostar.com/web/rjlee/f030398.htm
Outreach or Inreach? www.prostar.com/web/rjlee/f120597.htm
Just say no to bad drama in church: http://www.creativeministry.com/articles/21
Playback Theatre : Playback Theatre is an improvisational performance-art form based on true stories told by the audience. A summary from articles written by Playback companies.
A Calling to the Stage: Actor's Edition. This 150-page book is available without charge, and is distributed in Adobe Acrobat format (PDF), for the user to download and print out locally. This book is geared for the individual (Christian) amateur actor, and is meant to be a handbook to guide them through the complete rehearsal/performance process. A simple registration is required, but the book is free. http://dlampel.com/regforma.php
The companion volume to the Actor's Edition is nearing completion, and should be available some time around the middle of this year. A Calling to the Stage: Director's Edition includes everything in the Actor's Edition, but has additional chapters specific to the director of Christian drama. Currently, "pre-publication" chapters are available at our Download Center, for those who would like to sample portions of this new volume. When the new book is completed, it will be available for free download, much as the Actor's Edition. The Pre-publication chapters can be accessed at http://dlampel.com/pafiledb3/pafiledb.php?action=category&id=15
Ok, What's With All This Christian Drama Stuff www.prostar.com/web/rjlee/f112897.htm
Basic drama terminology and techniques : http://anona.com/Drama/dramatips.html
Getting Started www.ticon.net/~dramaman/howto013.html
How can I do drama when we don't have a drama team or any actors? One answer is to use still photographs and PowerPoint.
Share Your Gift www.prostar.com/web/rjlee/f121297.htm
Preparing to "do Christian drama" : http://www.dramashare.org/manual.html
Low team morale: http://dramashare.org/manual.html
Theatre as a Method for Worship : Theatre as a way to witness. www.danillitphil.com/meth.html
Theatre as Part of the Worship Service : Theatre as worship. www.danillitphil.com/part.html
Introducing Theatre as Worship : Introducing theatre as worship to the congregation. www.danillitphil.com/into.html
Conflict : Conflict in theatre as worship. www.danillitphil.com/conflict.html
The We Can Do Anything Fish Kingdom : "Children's" story about conflict. www.danillitphil.com/fish.html
How Theatre Happens : Who does what. www.danillitphil.com/how.html
Directing Theatre : The basic directing steps. www.danillitphil.com/base.html
Directing for Reunions and Congregations : A more detailed essay on directing for church. www.danillitphil.com/detail.html
Tips for the Director : Thoughts about directors and directing as a way to witness. www.danillitphil.com/tips.html
Directing for Stage and Screen. saultyouththeatre.tripod.com/direct.htm
An actor contract : Ever had trouble with lack of commitment among your actors? http://www.dramashare.org/manual.html
How to copyright your scripts : Applies principally to United States authors.
Why Copyright ? : In which the author explodes a few myths, and explains a simple (and cheap) method to protect copyright.
Getting Scripts : About agreements and copyright laws. www.danillitphil.com/get.html
Copyright : www.prostar.com/web/rjlee/f010998.htm
Where to begin? if you want to write a play? From proper play format to learning the craft. www.teleport.com/~cdeemer/Nuts.html
Marketing your script, tips on getting it read by the right people. www.teleport.com/~cdeemer/Nuts.html
Scriptwriting www.heartistry.org/pages/Scriptwriting.html
Script Analysis saultyouththeatre.tripod.com/script.htm
Whaddya Mean The Script Ain't Right? www.prostar.com/web/rjlee/f010398.htm
Slice of life dramas : www.carey.ac.nz/drama/Essays/sliceoflife.html
Improve your writing : Over 200 pages of articles designed to help anyone improve their general and writing and editing skills. www.write101.com
Acting with impact : www.heartistry.org/pages/ActorsArticle.htm
The Rehearsal Process: Rules for actors : saultyouththeatre.tripod.com/rehearse.htm
The actor and the director relationship : saultyouththeatre.tripod.com/exhort.htm
Characterisation : saultyouththeatre.tripod.com/charac.htm
Acting Workshop Online : All aspects of acting are covered here.
How to portray suicide, or other highly emotional parts. By Dramatix co-ordinator John McNeil.
Not necessarily Christian BUT very much acting. The ABWAG style of acting is what we all need to become better actors. You are not you. You are the character! http://www.abwag.com
Costuming in the Theatre : Some really practical tips for costuming plays from Donna Gordon, who has a passion for sewing.
Tim & Tanya Chartier Mime Workshop : A subset of the Dramashare site, with teaching on mime. http://www.dramashare.org/mime/
Thoughts on clowning from Tim & Tanya Chartier. http://www.dramashare.org/cart/clown.html
Using puppetry www.sagecraft.com/puppetry/using/index.html
Puppetry Traditions Around the World http://www.sagecraft.com/puppetry/traditions/index.html
How to Make Shadow Puppets http://www2.worldbook.com/students/cybercamp_index.asp
What is Readers Theatre : www.aaronshep.com/rt/whatis.html
Readers Theatre : www.loiswalker.com/catalog/teach.html
The Improv Page : a clearing house for information about improvisation.
How to Make Shadow Puppets http://www2.worldbook.com/students/cybercamp_index.asp
http://asia.yahoo.com/arts/performing_arts/puppetry/shadow_theatre/
http://edservices.aea7.k12.ia.us/edtech/teacherpages/bheitzman/resources.html
Arts on the Move : a set of resources for teachers of drama in school.