Short, Easy-to-Do Plays for Young People

by Judy and Jerry Brown.

My wife and I have been teachers longer than we have been married, which is over thirty years now. During that time we have worked with children of different ages, backgrounds, and abilities. Our lessons have run the gamut from securely traditional to surprisingly new and innovative. But through it all, one of the most effective and lasting teaching tools has been dramatic storytelling in all its various forms.

When our own children were small, we were asked to become a part of The Carpenter's Children, an early Sunday morning television program sponsored by the Richland Hills Church of Christ. In order to capture the attention of anyone, child or adult, who might tune in, we invented a series of characters who would "connect" to people on more than one level.

Simon and Sara Beth,

brother and sister, formed the core of these characters and served as the main storytellers. They were designed to be both innocent and wise. As a fourth-grader, Simon could interact with his first-grade sister, Sara Beth, in situations easily recognized by young children. At the same time, their questions and answers reflect the concerns and understanding of older children and adults.

Simon and Sara Beth plays often included other puppets or people for variety, for contrast, and to appeal to other age groups. Grandfather, for example, was a favorite who sometimes received fan mail of his own from adults. Sometimes, due to the speed and precision needed to produce a program that was recorded live in one continuous take, it was necessary to recruit a last-minute substitute puppet or person to complete the cast. Either way, it was always challenging and surprisingly, fun!

in this first volume were taken from the original television scripts and are short, fast-paced, and flexible. By the way, students love to perform these plays themselves so don't feel that only adults can be the performers. Our own nine-year-old worked a puppet named Patrick who became a fast friend of Simon and Sara Beth. Soon, he was writing and performing his own scripts. Also, younger children often want to perform their own version of the play that adults or older children have just presented to them. All of these levels of participation are excellent ways to learn the important spiritual lessons of life. We believe all of us are teachers all of the time. Living the Christian life is what teachers like to call a continuum, a logical and natural pathway. The wonderful thing about the Divine Continuum is that it leads to life everlasting. The Simon and Sara Beth plays reflect the human need to see simple and direct applications of spiritual values such as: Worship God, Live His Word, and Help Others. We can use them as Jesus used parables; as stepping stones in the most important continuum of all.

In Christian Love, Jerry and Judy Brown