OUR DRAMA MINISTRY

The seeds of our church’s current Drama Ministry began at Christmas, 1990, when we began our tradition of offering a drama at our Christmas Eve Family Service each year.  These and other worship dramas have been presented by church members through the years.  Sometimes church members have even written them (including Karlene and Karla Archambeault and Lyndsey Ellis).  In 1992 and 1993, (with The Greater Southington Jewish Congregation) we brought 2 New York Off-Broadway musicals here, both written by George Fischoff (composer of such hits as 98.6).  They were Promised Land (the story of Moses) and Shepherd (the story of David).  Our own first full-length musical was a terrific summer youth musical, Celebrate the Vision, directed by newcomer, Jay-Steven Miceli.  We hired Jay in 1999 as our new Drama and Technology Coordinator.  He would be responsible for providing regular drama skits, as well as technology, at our T.G.I. Sunday: Contemporary Worship services, directing occasional coffee houses (with music and drama) for our youth, and planning and coordinating annual full-length dramas and musicals.  Crystal Sullivan offered direct our first intergenerational full-length musical, Cotton Patch Gospel (featuring the music of Harry Chapin to Clarence Jordan’s Cotton Patch Gospels).  That wonderful musical was presented twice, 1999 and 2000.  Under Jay’s leadership, we offered several other great musicals: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, A Dramatic Prayer for Christmas, A Dramatic Prayer for Good Friday, A Dramatic Prayer for Holy Saturday, An Angel Called His Name, Once on This Island, Godspell, and more.  Since Jay resigned last year, we have not had a staff person assigned to drama.  Consequently, we have very few drama skits at T.G.I. Sunday: Contemporary Worship.  We have, however, been able to continue to provide our church and community with great productions, thanks to an awe-inspiring number of volunteer hours offered not only by Jay, but by multitudes of others both within and outside of our own church family and faith community.  We have been particularly delighted to co-present some of these with our friends from The Greater Southington Jewish Congregation.  We hope you enjoy our newest musical, Children of Eden, this week.