The Place of Drama in a Classical Christian Education

The Place of Drama in a Classical Christian Education 

by Esther Vandiver

Drama. Is there a place for drama in a Christian classical school? There are dangers that often come packaged with a drama department. Do we mindlessly perform works that are useless, senseless, or ungodly? Do we allow immodest dress, speech, or actions in order to portray real life? Or do we use Christian drama that is often milk-toast and boring at best or flippant or sacrilegious at worst? Do we look at all the damage done by the entertainment industry, all the ruined lives of the ‘stars’, all the fantasy-turned-tragedy in today’s world and refuse to take part in the fray? Do we recognize the great temptation to pride that the field of drama offers its participants and write it off as too dangerous to pursue?

Or. . . do we recognize that God Himself tells stories to communicate truth effectively. Do we pay attention to the way He does it in His Scriptures? Do we understand the power that is innate in drama and pray that God help us to use it fully for His glory? Do we decide to measure every action, every word, every idea by His standards? Do we determine to write plays or movies that truly reflect truth rather than just being called “Christian” because they mention God? Do we stress to our students our incredible dependence on God as we try to make stories come alive in people’s hearts? Are we willing to possibly fail in our first attempts as we learn from our mistakes and to grow stronger in our understanding of how to communicate in this realm effectively?