Sunday, November 30, 2008

'Reader's Theater Activity'

Reader's Theater Activity is an activity in the Bible as Reader program. Either the teacher or the students can compose the play. There is an example in the Noah Plan Reading Curriculum Guide on page 146. I thought you might like to see another example we have done in our family (The spacing is off because I did this in Word, and it doesn't seem to be transferring well. I hope it helps anyway):
David’s Lament

Scene 1: The Amalekite informs David of the death of Saul and David then David laments the death of Saul and Jonathan.

David sits studying the Books of the Law. A man enters breathless.

David: What brings you here?

The Amalekite: I’ve just escaped from the camp of Israel.

David: (Anxiously) So what happened? What’s the news?

The Amalekite: The Israelites have fled the battlefield leaving a lot of their dead comrades
behind. And Saul and Jonathan are dead.

David: How do you know for sure that Saul and Jonathan are dead?

The Amalekite: I just happened by Mount Gilboa and came on Saul, badly wounded and leaning
on his spear, with enemy chariots and horsemen bearing down hard on him. He
looked behind him, saw me, and called me to him.

‘Yes sir,” I said, ‘at your service.’ He asked me who I was, and I told him,

‘I’m an Amalekite.’

‘Come here,’ he said, ‘and put me out of my misery, I’m nearly dead already my
life hangs on.’

So I did what he asked—I killed him. I knew he wouldn’t last much longer
anyway. I removed his royal headband and bracelet, and have brought them to
my master. Here they are. (He hands the royal headband and bracelet to David)

(In lament, David rips his clothes to ribbons. All the men with him do the same [except for the Amalekite])

David: (to the Amalekite) Who are you anyway?

The Amalekite: I’m from an immigrant family—an Amalekite.

David: Do you mean to say that you weren’t afraid to up and kill GOD’s anointed king?
(to a soldier) Strike him dead! (The soldier strikes him and the Amalekite falls
dead to the floor.)

You asked for it. You sealed your death sentence when you said you killed
GOD’s anointed king.
David: I order that everyone in the Land of Judah learn to use the bow as Jonathan did and the
song that I now sing I order that everyone in the land of Judah learn by heart:

Oh, oh Gazelles of Israel, struck down on your hills,
The might warriors—fallen, fallen!
Don’t announce it in the city of Gath,
Don’t post the news in the streets of Ashkelon.
Don’t give those coarse Philistine girls
One more excuse for a drunken party!
No more dew or rain for you, hills of Gilboa,
And not a drop from springs and wells,
For there the warriors’ shields were dragged through the mud.
Saul’s shield left there to rot.

Jonathan’s bow was bold—
The bigger they were the harder they fell.
Saul’s sword was fearless—
Once out of the scabbard, nothing could stop it.

Saul and Jonathan—beloved, beautiful!
Together in life, together in death.
Swifter than plummeting eagles,
Stronger than proud lions.

Women of Israel, weep for Saul.
He dressed you in finest cottons and silks,
Spared no expense in making you elegant.
The mighty warriors—fallen, fallen
In the middle of the fight!
Jonathan—struck down on your hills!

O my dear brother Jonathan,
I’m crushed by your death.
Your friendship was a miracle-wonder,
Love far exceeding anything I’ve known—
Or ever hope to know.

The mighty warriors—fallen, fallen.
And the arms of war broken to bits.


[Taken from: Peterson (2003), The message: Remix: The Bible in contemporary language. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.