26 May 2021

Qualities of a Good Christian Play

A good Christian play, apart from the obvious theme and message, needs to have certain other qualities to entice the audience and arouse interest in them. Play scripts shouldn’t be monotonous or tinged in monochrome. Audience appreciates different shades that remind them of their everyday life and its struggles and dilemmas. There are a few characteristic traits that connect all good Christian plays, written for churches, theatres and school groups.

Soaked in family values

Christian drama scripts usually have family values at their core. Whether it is the relation between husband and wife or parents and children, there are strong family ties at the heart of the play. There are drama scripts that can be used to perform even at community theatres where the audience appreciates sound family values and emotions.

Tailor-made for specific audiences

It is not always possible for play scripts to satisfy everyone. One size doesn’t fit all. Good Christian plays on the contrary are tailor-made towards a target audience and are written to carry the message to its specific audiences. That is why certain drama scripts cater to gender restrictions, age restrictions and restrictions of cast, subjects touched or even length. Christian plays are not necessarily drenched only in family or emotional drama. There is a touch of mystery, drama and comedy as well to keep the audiences engrossed through the 60 – 90 minutes that it usually lasts for.

Everyday choices across true Christian principles

This is the defining aspect of Christian plays. The playwrights have a thorough understanding of Christian principles and try to elucidate it through the challenges faced by the characters and the choices they take. The script is highlighted by the tough situations and problems faced by the characters and how they wade through it without really breaching their Christian principles. If anything, the play scripts focus on how the best of people struggle in life and how they can still come out with flying colors without really sacrificing their principles. A very vital attribute of the script also lies in how dear ones offer strong support and courage to the individuals to help them see through the tough situation.

For specific events

Given that the drama scripts are staged generally during holidays, a lot of scripts also cover Easter and Christmas or use Christian heroes and the story of their faith. A very recurrent theme in Christian plays is history. Apart from historical stories like that of Abigail Adams, there are Biblical plays too, like the story of Esther. These are perfect for dinner theaters organized during Christmas festivals or holidays. Short stories, scripts on shepherds and the three Magi, fantasy stories woven with Christian characters, etc. are also commonly on offer.

Interchangeable roles

Quite a few Christian plays use characters which are interchangeable. In other words, to tailor the play to the audiences, the characters can be either male or female. Some plays also try to dig out insights from classic Christmas stories and elucidate it to the audiences, targeting children and teens.

You can visit us at www.christianplaywright.org for more information. 

Shalom (Peace)