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Copyright
To order / preview a Mystery Dinner Drama Script go to
Theater 4 Church.
Previews are FREE. With orders, you will receive an invoice by email
to pay with a credit card online at PayPal. Then, after payment is
received, you will receive the script as a PDF Document by email.
PLUS lots of extras to help you have the best event possible!
Copyright
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Prayer!: Start every planning time with prayer! Bathe rehearsals in prayer!! Welcome!: When your guests arrive, they enter a different world. Every actor is in costume and in character. They answer only to their stage names. Have them scattered around the room ready to interact with the guests. At first, it may be somewhat confusing to the guests, but they'll quickly catch on and enjoy "playing" along! This get acquainted period should last about 30 minutes. During this time, guests mingle, snack on appetizers, read through character descriptions, play interactive games, etc. Drinks, cups, ice should be located at a separate table to give the guests an excuse to get up and walk around and mingle a bit more. Hors d’oeuvres located on the tables are a nice way to make them feel welcome. Decorations: The look of the room should match the theme of the drama. When decorating, consider colors, back drops, table cloths, plates/napkins, centerpieces, wall decor, signs, etc. Remember to add an extra touch with thematic music in the background! Start working well in advance of the big night! Many times you can save money by making items yourself or matching prices at local stores or on the internet! Place trash cans around the room so they are easy to find! You can make them look a bit more attractive with decorative signs. Handouts: Consider making a playbill to hand each guest as they arrive. For proper etiquette, always include the author's name with the title of the script. Include information such as names of those who have helped, people that are in the cast, how the evening will flow, information about your group or your church, the plan of salvation, etc. At minimum - put character descriptions on the tables for guests to read. Also, have the “Who done it?” ballots and the itinerary on the tables. Provide pencils and paper to encourage guests to take notes. Name Tags: Everyone in the cast and all the guests should wear name tags. These help the guests to notice who each character is. Also, it's a great way for guests to interact with one another without being embarrassed for not knowing someone's name! Name tags can have fun, thematic decor on them by using stickers or printing them out on your computer using colorful pictures! Publicity: It’s crucial!! Publicize with your church at least 6 weeks in advance. Use announcement time and the bulletin but don't forget to make eye-catching handouts. Handouts can be taken and passed out to friends, family, and co-workers! Personal invitation is always the best! Some churches do a short dramatic sketch on Sunday morning that really gets people's curiosity and interest up!! Find ways to publicize outside the church as well. Hang posters in store windows, announce on the radio stations, send news releases to local papers, use an outdoor sign, etc. Consider giving away tickets to leaders who will invite additional groups of people! Well structured and formatted emails are a great way to send an invitation without pressuring people! Also, people can see important information such as date, time, place, phone numbers, attire, etc. Ticket sales: Set a ticket price by considering expenses such as: food, script, props, costumes, lighting, decorations, baby sitters, etc. Also, decide if the goal is to break even or to make money as a fundraiser. Especially the first years, there are often unexpected costs such as pots/pans or additional stage sections or new microphones, etc. Sell tickets in advance (start about 4 weeks prior) so that you can better plan the amount of food and seating you will need. When people see that tables are filling up, they'll get excited and want to purchase tickets! Naturally you should allow ticket sales at the door as well. However, these seats may be located in the back of the room. Seating: It’s best to plan table numbers in advance with a chart mapping where each table is located. Then, when you sell the tickets – mark off the number of seats. That way, you’ll know when a specific table is full. You don’t want groups to have to be separated after they arrive. Sometimes, families will purchase entire tables. In this case, label the table with their names in the centerpiece. They’ll feel extra special!! Always save at least one empty table for unexpected guests. People often think that they can bring a friend or two who will "squeeze in" at their table. It's almost impossible to eat comfortably with an extra guest especially at round tables because chairs won't fit! Do not put the actors / actresses at tables because they help with serving and mingling and can eat later! (Don't forget to set plates aside for them!) Games: To keep the evening flowing and fun, offer simple games that correspond with the theme. Have guests answer trivia questions or identify pictures/decorations around the room or guess how many fish are in a bowl, etc. Also, have everyone write their names on the back of the tickets and turn them in for a door prize! Prizes: Select prizes for your games, door prizes, winners, and the Clueless Award. Prizes should go along with the theme of the evening. They do not need to be expensive. People just like to win!! Sound: If one character has a wireless mic, then all the characters need wireless mics. There are many variations for ways to mic the various scenes. Be sure to involve your sound team early on so that sufficient plans can be made! It's very disappointing and frustrating to work so hard on memorizing lines and rehearsing when the audience can't hear!! (If needed consider borrowing or renting extra mics.) Pictures:
Don't
forget to get lots of pictures of the crowd, the cast, the cooks, etc!!
They'll be fun to look at later, post on your website, and use to
encourage people to come to next year's program! |
