His Company Christian Drama

His Company Christian Drama: It's Here! The new edition of our Book!

2011-07-28T17:40:23Z

It's Here!

Dear His Company subscriber,

We are pleased to announce publication of a new, updated edition of our popular book on Christian drama, A Calling to the Stage: Performing with Excellence for the Lord. We are currently releasing the Director's version only; the Actor's version will be released soon.

Even if you already have a copy of the first edition of this guide to producing Christian drama, you will want to download this updated and expanded second edition.

Here's why...

The original was published eight years ago. This edition has been updated to reflect our changing times, changing church paradigms, and economic inflation.
A number of color photographs have been added, illustrating lighting equipment and costumes.
A new Emphasis has been added in Part Four which contains the journal of a brand new actor experiencing the His Company rehearsal and performance techniques for the first time.
More and improved explanatory graphics.
A deeper, more detailed Table of Contents,
and the book is now Indexed!
330 pages of helpful, inspiring information for the believing director and actor.

As before, the book may be printed in either color or black and white--and is best used in printed form. But with the new, interactive Table of Contents and Index (clickable references), the book becomes even more useful as an in-computer reference, as well.

A Comparison of the two Editions

Previous	New

A Calling to the Stage is a book for those involved in Christian drama—be they directors of an independent group, an actor in the local church, or the music minister who seasonally directs actors in his or her musicals.

There is no charge for either version: both books are immediately available for downloading, in their entirety.

A Calling to the Stage is published in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) form. This means that you download the file(s) to your local hard drive, then print them out on your own printer. The free Adobe Acrobat Reader is necessary for printing or viewing the files. If you do not already have it, visit the Adobe web site to obtain your free copy.

Both books are copyrighted, so when printing them for your use, please keep all pages—and especially the copyright page—together.

Philosophy Behind the Separate Versions

The Director's Version contains all chapters in all four Parts:

Part One: The His Company Way
Part Two: A Director's Guide
Part Three: An Actor's Guide
Part Four: The Next Level

The Actor's Version does not include Part Two, two chapters from Part One, and two chapters from Part Four. Of course, anyone is free to download either edition, but the idea is that the local director would download both editions, print the Director's for himself, and print multiple copies of the Actor's for those in his drama group. Indeed, the Actor's Edition makes an excellent manual for the director to use in training those in his or her group.

Again, the second edition of the Actor's Version will be published shortly. For now, we leave the first edition in place.

To download this new edition, visit our Books page.

As always, there is no charge for any of our resources. Use them to God's glory, and the edification of His church.

His Company Christian Drama: A New Sketch on Grace!

2011-01-04T15:14:43Z

A Brand New Sketch!

Dear His Company subscriber,

Now that everything Christmas has now been stowed away, it is time to be planning for the coming year. And we have a new sketch that you can use year-round.

There is nothing more universal to the protestant church than God's grace through Christ Jesus, and we are pleased to offer you a brand new sketch that illustrates His grace and mercy in a dramatic way.

Mr. Smith is at the end of his rope. An inveterate gambler and drunk, he is now out of money and out of hope. An incorrigible reprobate, he has reduced his wife and kids to a state of poverty. He is at his end. There is now nothing left for him. Mr. Smith is approached by a woman he believes to be an enforcer for the man to whom he owes more money than he can ever repay. Miss Jones is a stern and unflinching presence—but she is not there to punish Mr. Smith, but to offer him a hope and future far more valuable to him than anything he can imagine.

None of That Matters is a modern fable about God's grace. No matter what or who we are, no matter what we have done in the past, and no matter what we might do tomorrow, His grace is sufficient. This sketch was written to illustrate a Sunday morning message on Romans 4:1-12, but it will work just as well for any occasion in which the concept of God�s grace, through Christ, needs to be illustrated.

Click on the script thumbnail, above, to visit the None of That Matters page at our web site. There you can read more about this sketch, and download either a plain text review copy of the script, and/or a performance PDF.

And while you are visiting our web site, be sure to check out our devotional resources, as well. Click on the tabs on our front page for our weekly devotional, Reflections by the Pond, our free Ministry/Greeting Cards, and our vast Archives.

As always, there is no charge for any of our resources. Use them to God's glory, and the edification of His church.

Big News from His Company: July 8, 2009

2010-07-08T12:56:00Z

Big News!

Dear His Company subscriber,

Our promised web site renovation is now accomplished, and we think you will be pleased by the improvements. Everything is now more centralized, and—a big plus for those who use our dramatic scripts—the content has been organized so that everything you need for any resource is found on one page

We haven't moved. The address remains the same: http://dlampel.com And the front door to all our Christian drama is the "His Company" tab near the top of our main page.

New Search Engine

Type in any search string to return a list of scripts and other resources that meet that criteria. Similar to common internet search engines, a portion of text is displayed for each item, along with the title and link to the page.

Centralized Script Information

On each script page is all the information you need, and at the bottom of the page you will find the direct download links for that script—no more branching out to a download center. If you wish to read the entire script before downloading it, just left-click on the link to display it in your browser.

Leave Your Mark

Those who register at our web site may leave comments at the bottom of all resource pages. Other benefits of registering include

Use of a "printer-friendly" option for pages.
Use of Advanced Search option.
Process of contacting us is easier and more automated.

(Note: Registering at our web site is separate from subscribing to this newsletter list.)

Drop us a Line

Contacting us is easy and secure. Just click on the "Contact Us" link in the menu. It is not necessary to register to do this, but registering does streamline the process a bit.

It's a Big Place

And while you are there grabbing something for the stage, be sure to check out the improvements we have made to our devotional resources and ministry cards. Just as in the drama area, everything has been reorganized into a "book" form, meaning it is much easier to browse through all our resources. And when you find something that interests you, just click on the one link to read or download. There is more use of descriptive thumbnails, and, with our current devotional, Reflections by the Pond, you can now conveniently read each issue on-line.

We invite you to come check it all out. Be sure to register and post your comments anywhere at the site. And we welcome your thoughts about the new web site; just use the "Contact Us" link and drop us a line.

His Company Christian Drama News: June 22, 2010

2010-06-22T16:36:52Z

The Latest News

We have several things to bring to your attention in this news release. So let's get right to it.

New Christmas Scripts

In January we published our two brand new Christmas scripts—one musical, one non-musical—and at the time we promised we would remind you about them this summer. It's not too early for you to be planning your Christmas productions, so here's the scoop on these new resources.

Please note: For those of you new to His Company, our web site and free resources, understand that we do not write music—nor do we sell it. This new musical resource is like all the rest we have written: we have taken a published, commercial choral book, and have written a brand new dramatic story that works with it. Our script is free, but the choral books, Trax, etc., must be obtained from the publisher through your normal channels.

The Story

One person who has remained skeptical about the things of God is Naomi, who runs the house where the aged apostle John rents a room. The tiny island of Patmos—to which John has been exiled—is where they live, and the absentminded apostle and his feisty landlady mix it up on an almost daily basis.

One day, however, Naomi presents John with an opportunity to tell her the story about an impossible birth that happened so long ago in the town of Bethlehem—and the miraculous life that followed.
(from the set-up narration)

As with most of our scripts, this story is not a comedy, per se, but there are moments of humor—such as in the beginning of the first scene:

                               John
        (as he moves about his room looking for something)
That woman will be the end of me yet! Where did she put it this
time? How am I to get anything done!
             (stopping; looking around; impatiently)
A man has only so many years—and I've already overstayed my
welcome.
             (frustrated; with a growling crescendo)
Na-o-mi!
                  (waiting; now louder, sharper)
Naomi!

Enter Naomi, a woman of middle years. She is wiping her wet hands
on her apron.

                              Naomi
                           (irritably)
What is it now, John?

                               John
                         (darkly patient)
One would imagine that upon payment for one's room, one could
have reasonable expectation of privacy—that one's landlady would
respect one's possessions during her infrequent cleanings.

                              Naomi
So now it's my cleaning.

                               John
                            (sharply)
Don't change the subject.

                              Naomi
                     (she's been here before)
Whatever it is you can't find—I didn't touch it.

                               John
A-ha! So you admit it.

                              Naomi
No wonder they threw you out of your last place.

                               John
                     (after a beat; stiffly)
That charge was never proven.

                              Naomi
And to think I took pity on you.

                               John
                             (simply)
I just want to know where you put it.

                              Naomi
                        (beginning simply,
         then with greater intensity the next two lines)
What?

                               John
I can't get any work done without it.

                              Naomi
What?

                               John
I won't hold it against you. Just tell me where.

                              Naomi
What?!

                               John
     (suddenly forgetting what he was talking about; flatly)
What.

                              Naomi
   (after a long sigh; as if speaking to a child; rhythmically)
Tell me what you were doing when you couldn't find it.

                               John
                            (thinking)
Writing. I need to finish my letter.
                        (pause; irritably)
Stylus. Can't find my stylus.

Naomi, with a sigh, removes the stylus from John's ear and hands
it to him.

                               John
               (staring at the stylus in his hand)
Who put that there?

The Musical: Glorious Impossible

This script has been written to work in conjunction with the choral book Glorious Impossible, published by Word Music with easier arrangements. Here are ordering and attribution details:
Glorious Impossible features the songs of Keith and Kristyn Getty, Michael W. Smith, Stuart Townend, and Babbit Mason. Created and arranged by Tom Fettke. Orchestrated by Camp Kirkland. Published by Simply Word (Word Music). Release Date: May 2009.

Companion Materials

Choral Book	0 80689 43417 4
Compact Disc	0 80689 78922 9
CD Trax (Split)	0 80689 82612 2
Practice Trax	0 80689 65102 1
Studio Orchestration (CD-ROM)	0 80689 45567 4
Bulk CDs (10 pak)	0 80689 71772 7
Accompaniment DVD	0 80689 42009 2

For pricing, more information, and ordering visit this page at the Word Music web site.

The One-act play: An Impossible Life

For those of you who would prefer the non-musical version of this story, we offer An Impossible Life, a 30-minute one-act. The story and lines are identical, but all references to music cues and song titles have been removed.

This Digital Age

For the first time, in these two scripts we include high-resolution photos of the set and props used in the inaugural production. These are included, of course, as suggestions only, but you may find the detailed images and descriptions of the required props helpful in planning your production.

The Links

Just in case you haven't yet clicked on the imbedded links, here they are again:

Musical: Glorious Impossible
One-act: An Impossible Life

Our New Web Site

We are putting the finishing touches on our brand new web site—which, Lord willing, will be rolled out in a few weeks. We think you will find it a more streamlined, informative, and visually pleasing site, including the following improvements:

Reading about and downloading our His Company scripts will require fewer clicks
A more sophisticated, full text search engine included
Register to easily add your comments
Easier and more descriptive devotional archives

Until then we apologize, again, for the existing search engine being down. All scripts remain available from our Download Center.

If you have any questions or comments about anything in this newsletter, we encourage you to use our "Contact Us" link—below, or at our web site. And remember: We do not charge for any of our resources. All are free to download and use without fee or royalty.

News from the Writings of David S. Lampel

2010-02-23T16:57:40Z

New "Pastor Encouragement" Cards Now Available

Dear Subscriber,

This writer has a profound respect for those God has called to shepherd His flocks. Pastors carry a heavy, sometimes thankless burden, and they are worthy of our support.

So it is with joy that we offer two new lines of ministry cards for your use. The illustrations below are representative samples of two of the eight new cards (showing some of the content, not the actual card layout).

All of our cards are in both print and e-mail versions (both versions are included in the ZIP file you download). To see these new cards, as well as all our cards, visit our Ministry/Greeting Cards page. Click on the "Pastors" link to download these new cards.

We cannot promise a regular time schedule for new releases of cards, but do check back once in a while, since there will, indeed, be more to come.

Thank you for your interest. Remember, we do not charge for any of our resources. All are free to download and use without cost.

We appreciate you.

His Company Christian Drama: January 9, 2010

2010-01-09T11:20:27Z

Two Brand New Christmas Scripts

We are pleased to announce the publication of two new Christmas scripts—one musical, one non-musical—from His Company. Christmas? Aren't we too late for that—or at least w-a-y too early?

Our latest musical resource was commissioned by Martensdale Community Church, in Martensdale, Iowa, and produced for the first time just this last Christmas. Since the script was still being written after rehearsals had already begun, there was no way we could release it in time for this last Christmas season.

But instead of holding onto it until later in 2010, we wanted to get it out right away for your consideration. Why? Because the shelf-life of Christian choral literature is terribly short, and who knows how long the choral books for this musical will still be available. Our advice to you is to look it over right away, and if you think you would like to use it next Christmas, order the choral materials as soon as possible. We have included ordering details below.

The Story

As with most of our scripts, this story is not a comedy, per se, but there are moments of humor—such as in the beginning of the first scene:

                               John
        (as he moves about his room looking for something)
That woman will be the end of me yet! Where did she put it this
time? How am I to get anything done!
             (stopping; looking around; impatiently)
A man has only so many years—and I've already overstayed my
welcome.
             (frustrated; with a growling crescendo)
Na-o-mi!
                  (waiting; now louder, sharper)
Naomi!

Enter Naomi, a woman of middle years. She is wiping her wet hands
on her apron.

                              Naomi
                           (irritably)
What is it now, John?

                               John
                         (darkly patient)
One would imagine that upon payment for one's room, one could
have reasonable expectation of privacy—that one's landlady would
respect one's possessions during her infrequent cleanings.

                              Naomi
So now it's my cleaning.

                               John
                            (sharply)
Don't change the subject.

                              Naomi
                     (she's been here before)
Whatever it is you can't find—I didn't touch it.

                               John
A-ha! So you admit it.

                              Naomi
No wonder they threw you out of your last place.

                               John
                     (after a beat; stiffly)
That charge was never proven.

                              Naomi
And to think I took pity on you.

                               John
                             (simply)
I just want to know where you put it.

                              Naomi
                        (beginning simply,
         then with greater intensity the next two lines)
What?

                               John
I can't get any work done without it.

                              Naomi
What?

                               John
I won't hold it against you. Just tell me where.

                              Naomi
What?!

                               John
     (suddenly forgetting what he was talking about; flatly)
What.

                              Naomi
   (after a long sigh; as if speaking to a child; rhythmically)
Tell me what you were doing when you couldn't find it.

                               John
                            (thinking)
Writing. I need to finish my letter.
                        (pause; irritably)
Stylus. Can't find my stylus.

Naomi, with a sigh, removes the stylus from John's ear and hands
it to him.

                               John
               (staring at the stylus in his hand)
Who put that there?

The Musical: Glorious Impossible

Companion Materials

Choral Book	0 80689 43417 4
Compact Disc	0 80689 78922 9
CD Trax (Split)	0 80689 82612 2
Practice Trax	0 80689 65102 1
Studio Orchestration (CD-ROM)	0 80689 45567 4
Bulk CDs (10 pak)	0 80689 71772 7
Accompaniment DVD	0 80689 42009 2

For pricing, more information, and ordering visit this page at the Word Music web site.

The One-act play: An Impossible Life

This Digital Age

The Links

Just in case you haven't yet clicked on the imbedded links, here they are again:

Musical: Glorious Impossible
One-act: An Impossible Life

If you have any questions or comments about either of these script we encourage you to use our "Contact Us" link—below, or at our web site. And remember: We do not charge for any of our resources. All are free to download and use without fee or royalty.

His Company Christian Drama

His Company Christian Drama: It's Here! The new edition of our Book!

Previous

New

His Company Christian Drama: A New Sketch on Grace!

Big News from His Company: July 8, 2009

His Company Christian Drama News: June 22, 2010

News from the Writings of David S. Lampel

His Company Christian Drama: January 9, 2010