Guidelines for Participating in Impromptu Bible Reader’s Theater:

Individual participants will be assigned to teams of 2-6 members, consisting of participants from different congregations. These teammates will work together to vocally and physically “perform” a passage of Scripture. These guidelines must be followed.

• Participants must be in the convention room at least 5 minutes before the scheduled starting time for the event.
• Each team will be made up of 2-6 individuals. Teams will consist of participants from various congregations. There shall not be more than 2 individuals from the same congregation on each team.
• All teams will be selected prior to the convention by the Impromptu Bible Reader’s Theater event director. However, individuals will not know which congregation they are presenting with until 15 minutes before presenting their passage of Scripture.
• After teams have been established, the event director will assign a passage of Scripture to each team. Teams will then have fifteen minutes to work together and coordinate the reading of the assigned passage.
• Teams will each have a maximum of five minutes and a minimum of three minutes to perform.
• The art of Impromptu Bible Reader’s Theater is to be able to create a story with voice and sound. The object is to develop an imaginary picture in the mind of the audience members. In Reader’s Theater it is the performer’s job to work with team members and use each member’s creativity to come up with a way to portray the Scripture so that it captivates the audience. It is important for each participant to respect, honor, and understand the Scripture passage, so the team is able to paint a picture of the story to the audience. With the unique art of Reader’s Theater props are not allowed, so each team must ask, “how can we portray scripture using only our voices, facial expression, and hand movements?” Some ideas could be changing voice tones, placing team members around the room, having each member of the team read a certain character or use sound effects. There are quite a few creative ideas that each team will develop as the Scripture is read and the question, “How can I captivate my audience?” is answered.

 

Judging Criteria:

Impromptu Bible Reader’s Theater teams will be evaluated at the LTCSW Convention by three judges.

• Performances will be evaluated using using a 100-point scoring system.
  1. (35 Points) Voices: Are the voices interesting? Do the voices keep the audience interested in the Scripture reading?
  2. (5 Points) Appearance: Is the dress appropriate for the event? Is anyone chewing gum or is anyone wearing a hat or sunglasses?
  3. (5 Points) Movement: Are the movements necessary? Do the movements help create the story in your mind?
  4. (15 Points) Facial Expression: Are the expressions appropriate for the passage being read? Are the participants involved in the presentation during their non-speaking moments?
  5. (40 Points) Overall Effect: Does it seem like the team has worked well together and have they created a story for you to remember? Does the team perform the reading with the proper reverence and respect for the Scriptures?
• An award rating will be assigned based on the point average among the three judges.
• As a general rule, awards will be assigned accordingly: GOLD, 95-100 points; SILVER, 85-94 points; BRONZE, 70-84 points; and NO AWARD, 0-69 points.
• The event director reserves the discretion to assign the final award.
• Awards for Impromptu Bible Reader’s Theater will be presented to the individual participants of the team.

 

Resources:

What are some ways to prepare for participation in Impromptu Bible Reader’s Theater?

• Resources are available on the Internet. Consult our LTCSW links page.
• Practice dramatic Scripture reading with friends.
• Think of creative ways to interest the audience with Scripture.
• Listen to the sample audio story of Jonah in the Belly of a Fish.
• Listen to radio drama and dramatic stories on tape or CD.