Once the youth drama program is up and running, don't be surprised if one day you get a phone call from the Children's minister.

"Hey, (insert your name here), I saw that skit you guys did at youth the other night. Awesome. You guys are really great. Do you think you could maybe do a skit for the kids some time?"

Why not? Drama is visual, it's different. It helps keep the kids' attention and can break up the monotony of the average children's worship. (Of course, if children's worship at your church is like it is at my church, you can hardly call it average, and monotony is not a problem!)

This is probably stating the obvious, but it's still an important point. If you're ever called upon to perform for children, you have to bear in mind an audience of children is completely different from an audience of teenagers. Two characteristics distinguish a children's audience:

(1) Children need to have the message told to them. Only in rare instances will a set-up skit work with a younger audience. A skit like "Jilted", for example, would never work. Younger children would miss the parallel between Jesus and a marital relationship, and probably miss out on Jesus' identity as well.

The plot, characters, and theme must be as concrete as possible. Leave no loose ends and no unanswered questions. If you were to hold a discussion after the performance, you would want the kids to be able to identify the characters, the conflict, and the right (or wrong) solution to the conflict.

(2) The younger the group, the shorter the attention span. The skit needs to be fast-paced and to the point. You also want a skit that is VISUAL. Clever dialogue and witty one-liners will never impress a six-year old like a well-timed pratfall. Unique costumes and large props can also enhance the experience for the young audience.

The characters need to be vivid, active, and energetic. If the actors hold back or give a low-key performance, they are likely to lose the audience quickly. Keep your performances bright, up-tempo, and lively.

"What I Like About Church" premiered at the 1995 Midwest Kids Krusade and later opened the children's worship at the 1995 North American Christian Convention. Over six hundred kids were in the audience for that performance! It's page and a half length is ideal (though we have used much longer scripts with more action to keep their little eyes busy). However, the simplicity of its message communicates directly to the children, and the occasional "over-their-heads" humor keeps the "grown-ups" entertained as well.

The skit requires a bright, active actress to fill the role of Erin. She needs to sound kid-like, but still understandable. The Cindy Brady-lisp are cute only if we understand what she's saying. She should be dressed in a "baby doll" dress and might hold a teddy bear or whatever cute and fuzzy companoin happens to be popular. As for the band, try to copy their look as best as you can to help the kids recognize them. Also, make their "singing" sequence as lively as possible- lots of jumping, choreography, flashing lights, and the like. Make it a big bang to recapture the attention of anyone who's drifting away.

While we're on the subject, I'll mention a word about recurring characters. One of the reasons for the longevity of Saturday Night Live has been the use of recurring characters. The Coneheads, Wayne and Garth, Ed Grimley, the Spartan Cheerleaders, Mary Catherine Gallagher, and the Church Lady have all played a major role in the show's success. Each character or set of characters has a unique set of quirks, behaviors, and catch phrases which makes them special and endears them to the audience.

We've used a few recurring characters, with limited success. Erin (who also appears in "How Big Is God?" and "King David and the Kid") was by far the most successful. Dr. Hairball and Dr. Lipschtick, the Screwball Scientists, have appeared in six skits, including "Evolution Convolution" and "Sports Illuminated."

One of the keys to recurring characters is to have the same actors and actresses play the role each time. We were never successful in this with Hairball and Lipschtick so they never became recognizable figures. Erin's routines have fared much better with numerous actresses, probably because of the universal appeal of little girl monologues created by Carol Burnett, Lily Tomlin, and Gilda Radner.

The fun part of recurring characters is that they give the performers a role that is uniquely theirs, something other people recognize and enjoy. The important thing for you as the director is to assess the talents in your group, then create or select the characters you use accordingly. Don't just assign these characters randomly. Make sure the character matches the personality and abilities of the actor. And most of all, make them special!

The Hairball and Lipschtick skits and other children's scripts listed here are available to order on the skits page of the drama catalog. You can also order a collection of children's skits called Dramapalooza from the books page.

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