Over the First Hump

Getting the Easter drama choir music together and passed out is usually the first big hump of Easter drama planning to climb over (did this Wednesday).  The second big hump is the Kick Off Meeting (did this tonight).  Both are a culmination of LOTS of time consuming information-gathering and planning.  The fact that I had both of these in the same week is unusual - - I was behind on getting the choir music together - - so tonight I feel like I've reached the summit of a really big hill.  I can breathe a big sigh of relief because I have a slight reprieve.

Of course there are still many deadlines on the horizon.  Promotional letters, fliers, and posters have to be written and designed and printed, but first priority is to get the script done.  I'll begin that first thing tomorrow morning. 

This is an exciting task.  I'll take all the pieces that God's given me so far (songs, scene selections, narrators, etc.) and start weaving them all together. 

Step 1 - Edit the sound tracks, both the choral songs and the underscores, so I can get a feel for the timing of a scene.  Choral sound tracks come in multiple sections;  one song may have 9 different tracks.  I have to glue all of these together in a song editing program, and then shorten the song, or add to it, or whatever to make it work for a scene.

Step 2 - Search the Scriptures and write narrations and scenes out. 

Step 3 - Edit the music and the narrations and the acting even more so they fit all together (many times this means propping a CD player on my shoulder and "walking through" scenes in the empty sanctuary to get the timing of a narration or the timing of a scene just right). 

Step 4 - Add the technical prompts to the script (lighting, sound).

Then I PRAY PRAY PRAY that I've remembered everything before I make copies of the script for everyone!