Silent Night: a Christmas Journey

Times Square Church posted their first feature film on Christmas Eve, and it is--in a word--charming! 

The story follows Charlie, a young man with special needs, who steps out of his comfort zone to deliver a poinsettia to a customer at the store where he works (played by Patricia Mauceri, Bull, One Life to Live, Courageous Love). Along the way he encounters others in deeper need than himself, and with the help of a couple of guardian angels who give Clarence a run for his money, Charlie blesses everyone he comes across... eventually. 

Charlie isn't the only one facing a challenge. His adopted brother Joey triggers their father's military reactions, but Tony Award winner Ben Harney plays Adam, a catalyst of reconciliation between his grandson and the man Adam entrusted to raise him. 

Click the arrow below to watch it for free, or if you're receiving this in an email, visit www.RichDrama.com/SilentNight.

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You can hear me play a Scrooge-like character in the new audio drama Unlikely Wise Man for free through December 31.

The Unlikely Wise Man

Also, this year our church will be performing it as a readers theatre piece on Christmas Eve at 7 p.m.: 

Westchester Chapel Church of the Nazarene
at The Sonesta Hotel
 66 Hale Ave
White Plains, NY 10601
(A $9 cab ride from the White Plains Metro North Station)

Here's how I first got involved with this delightful production...

One of the students from the Lamplighter Guild, Angelina SantaLucia (to the right of me, with Rachel Marley), wrote to me several weeks ago letting me know that she got a role in a radio show for a studio audience being produced by Lamplighter Theatre. I was thrilled for her!

I put it on my calendar and looked forward to hearing it. I also said a prayer that someday I'd get to perform in one of Lamplighter's live productions.

A few days later I was asked to audition for the same project! Woo hoo!

I was cast as a Scrooge-like character in this new radio show, adapted by Molly Mayo and Lamplighter president, Mark Hamby, from Bells Across the Snow by Fannie Eden. 

I play Robert Redfern, who is successful in business, but when it comes to family he says, "Love leads to loss and loneliness, and unless you’re strong enough to overcome it, it will ruin you...bankrupt you!" He develops this philosophy when his wife dies, and he blames God. He refuses invitations from his brother (played by David Sanborn, pictured here). He pushes his daughter away because she wants to marry someone who is "unable to give you the life that money can buy!"

But the Lord reaches Robert through a little girl, a lamb, a clever butler and some letters.

For the radio show, we performed it the way they did back in the '30s. We were dressed in period costumes and had minimal blocking around four mics. Foley artists created the sounds before the audience's eyes!

One of the foley artists, Oscar Corral (pictured here, adjusting the mic for his bride of three months in the booth where they met on Escape from the Eagle's Nest), also played a couple of roles, so when he "entered the house," I ran over to the foley corner and created his footsteps! It was SO MUCH FUN!!!

As we got closer to doing the radio show as a live production, the decision was made to record it as an audio drama in the sound booth to go out to radio stations around the world! This meant we skipped a rehearsal for the live version and spent time in the booth to get a studio quality sound. It was a very tight turn-around for sound designer Allen Hurley (Adventures in Audio and other Lamplighter Theatre projects) and composer John Campbell (Adventures in Audio and other Lamplighter Theatre projects). 

They finished Monday, and more than 400 radio stations have signed up to air it so far! 

Here's a preview featuring the voice of John Fornof, who has 
directed me in a number of audio dramas.

See the highlights of our year, which was actually quite full, at www.RichDrama.com/Christmas2020.

The Good Shepherd

Drawn by Melissa Thomsen.
www.MelissaJacie.com
Used by permission.

This morning I got to do a dramatic reading of Luke 2:1-21 to bring home Pastor Randy Solomon's sermon on that passage about the shepherds of Bethlehem encountering the angels. A couple of months ago I did a photo shoot for the artist Melissa Thomsen for an Advent series she's doing. She finished the drawing to the left just in time to illustrate today's service!

Pastor Jim Warren opens the service. Rachel Taylor prays over the service. 

Click the arrow below, or if you're reading this in an email you can click this link, to play the service: 

This service is available for download free on iTunes, where you can also subscribe to our podcast. Search for "Westchester Chapel" on the iTunes Store.

If you want to know more about starting a relationship with Jesus Christ visit www.WestchesterChapel.org/Salvation.

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Have a blessed Christmas!

www.RichDrama.com/Christmas2020

Gifted Hands Virtual Holiday Greeting

Joyce and I were both featured in the Gifted Hands Virtual Holiday Greeting tonight. We both talked about our connection to Gifted Hands and Dustee Hullinger, who created and sustains the ministry. Then I showed my performance of "Harvey Silverstein the Innkeeper" in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Joyce shared her performance of “The Shepherd’s Daughter” as she performed it in the Shepherd’s Cave in Bethlehem.

Click the arrow, or if you're getting this in an email, visit www.Blog.RichDrama.com (12/17). 

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Have a blessed Advent Season: www.RichDrama.com/Christmas2020.

Pray with Others, December 17

Joyce and I are leading prayers for our nation every Thursday at 12:15 pm Eastern with Intercessors for America. Here's today's prayer call... 

Click the arrow to play, or if you're getting this in an email, visit www.Blog.RichDrama.com (12/10).

 

To get reminders and a list of the articles we'll be praying over, sign up at www.RichDrama.com/Prayer.

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Have a blessed Advent Season: www.RichDrama.com/Christmas2020.

Pray with Others, December 10

Joyce and I are leading prayers for our nation every Thursday at 12:15 pm Eastern with Intercessors for America. Here's today's prayer call...

Click the arrow to play, or if you're getting this in an email, visit www.Blog.RichDrama.com (12/10).

To get reminders and a list of the articles we'll be praying over, sign up at www.RichDrama.com/Prayer.

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Have a blessed Advent Season: www.RichDrama.com/Christmas2020.

Take Courage! Despite Animosity, The Church Advances!

Joyce continues our series at Westchester Chapel on The Church Advances, teaching from Acts 21:27 - Acts 23:11 how the Lord thwarts animosity to ensure the Gospel is preached across the world.  Drama Evangelist Rich Swingle shares a section from his one-man play The Acts.  Pictured:  a view of at "Let Us Worship" protest on the National Mall in October 2020, led by Sean Feucht. More photos here.

Elizabeth J. opens with prayer.

Click the arrow below, or if you're reading this in an email you can click this link, to play the service:

 

This service is available for download free on iTunes, where you can also subscribe to our podcast. Search for "Westchester Chapel" on the iTunes Store.

If you want to know more about starting a relationship with Jesus Christ visit www.WestchesterChapel.org/Salvation.

Photo courtesy of Rich Swingle.

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Have a blessed Advent Season: 

www.RichDrama.com/Christmas2020

Wishing You Peace this Christmastime!

Joyce and I wish you blessings and peace this Advent Season and Christmas! 

Our world has never been peaceful, but it feels as chaotic as it has ever been right now.

Here's a Trevor the Treasure Seeker episode about how the Lord wants to destroy the authority that establishes chaos and bring shalom...

Click the button to play or visit www.RichDrama.com/Christmas2020.

Celebrate the peace that only the Lord Jesus Christ can give to our world.

Stay tuned for The Unlikely Wise Man, a radio drama in which I'll play Robert Redfern, a curmudgeon who finds peace in a storm of life, brought to him by a little child and a lamb.

We praise the Lord that He kept us busy despite the lockdowns. I taught and performed in 13 states this year, mostly before the first lockdown. 

Here are a few highlights:

January 

I played two London cab drivers, one posh and one with a cockney accent, for Jonathan Park episode 15. 

February

Treasure Seekers episode in Nashville.

March

Workshop for Princeton University... over video conference.

April

Played Job in a live-streamed reading of The Book of Job.

May

Released "Beyond the Imagination," excerpts from my one-man play The Acts. 

June

Taught, coached and performed in three short films at The Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp: "Hope Alert," "Interrogation," and "Thanksgiving Without."

July

Taught voice acting at The Lamplighter Guild for Creative Disciplines.

August

I preached on Acts 10:1-48 at Westchester Chapel: www.RichDrama.com/TheDreamKing.

September

Joyce and I were invited to lead prayers over current events for Intercessors for America through a program called Pray with Others Live: www.RichDrama.com/Prayer.

October

Attended premiere of It's a Life Worth Living, in which I play a radio personality interviewing the main character.

November

The Adventum 3 was released, in which I played several characters.

December

Playing Robert Redfern in the radio show The Unlikely Wise Man for Lamplighter Theatre. Sign up to get the announcement when it's ready.

Have a blessed Advent and Christmas! 

You can revisit or share this page using www.RichDrama.com/Christmas2020.

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I play the manager of the lead in The Farmer and the Belle: Saving Santa Land. Available now.

Pray with Others Live

Joyce and I are leading prayers for our nation every Tuesday at 12:15 pm Eastern. Here's today's prayer call:

To get reminders and a list of the articles we'll be praying over, sign up at www.RichDrama.com/Prayer.

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I released “Pentecost: Beyond the Imagination,” a scene from my one-man play, The Acts, at www.RichDrama.com/Pentecost.

Revelation Virtual Film Premiere

Last summer I played the role of John in the Off-Broadway production of Revelation the Musical. The producers have stitched together a full performance of it from productions over the last ten years. They recorded our Off-Broadway production after Jonathan Blair took over the role, but they found some footage of me. So I'm so blessed that they worked it in.

You can watch it by clicking the arrow below. If you're getting this in an email, visit www.RichDrama.com/RevelationTenthAnniversary.

 

 

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Registration opens Monday for the Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp, where I'll be teaching acting for film.

The Farmer and the Belle Online Premiere

Join us this Sunday! I play a small role and served as one of the NYC producers: www.RichDrama.com/TheFarmerAndTheBelle

Posted by Rich Swingle on Wednesday, November 25, 2020

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See the rest of Olympic champion Eric Liddell's Chariots of Fire story in Beyond the Chariots. Watch it online and book a live performance. 

A Season of Prayer

There's no doubt America needs prayer these days! Joyce and I are praying along with three groups on a national level:

Dutch Sheets
Jim Garlow (www.WellVersedWorld.org)

Jim’s prayers are hosted on Adam Schindler’s Facebook page
Intercessors for America (www.IFAPray.org)

We lead prayers for IFA the second and fifth Tuesdays every month at 12:15 p.m. Eastern on a program called Headline Prayer Live. We hope you'll sign up for more details and reminders at www.FreeLists.org/list/swingleifapray. Every Tuesday morning IFA sends out links to six articles on their Headline Prayer page. We'll forward that email to the list letting you know which articles Joyce and I will be covering. We'll always include a reminder of the call-in number: (667) 771-7910, then enter 2452#. It will also be live-streamed on www.IFApray.org/watch and available later on IFA's Facebook and www.HeadlinePrayer.org.

By the way, signing up for the email does not commit you to praying with us every Tuesday! We'd be delighted if you said a prayer for us as you deleted the email! 

I'm also praying over all the Broadway theatres, and you can join me: www.RichDrama.com/PrayOverBroadwayLive.

In the wee hours of December 2, Joyce and I took part in an amazing prayer initiative! It was inspired by this dream Stephen Stringer had: 

“On the morning of November 28, in a dream I saw Independence Hall and the large clock tower! [This is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.] An Angel came and stood on top of the clock tower and shouted, ‘When the clock strikes 3:00 AM, Valkyrie will fall and will not sing, if the sons of the Kingdom will pray!’ I then saw fervent prayer taking place in the night and through the night, and it caused the witchcraft and curse to bounce back to the sender!

“There was then another group of warriors awakened, clothed in battle array, who was surrounded and led by a host of angels! One of the angels declared repeatedly, ‘The Commander’s judgments are supreme!!!’ It energized the warriors and they joined in with the declaration!

“I then saw the Scales of Justice tip and became perfectly balanced!!!” 

People prayed from every state at their appointed time, starting at 12:30 Eastern. Joyce and I prayed in NYC for New York at 1am and then drove to Independence Hall in time for the 3am finale. When the bell tolled 3am a woman took this photo... 

The clouds materialized just before the bell tolled and drifted away just after. 

Someone else saw a shooting star as the bell tolled. 

Prayer warriors who were praying through the nations on the Intercessors for America prayer line reported that they also experienced that something powerful happened at 3am.

Here’s the footage of the finale:

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I play a pastor in Providence, which you can bring to your area.

Jonathan Park: The Defining Moment

I had a blast playing two cab drivers, Bobby and Alfred in Jonathan Park, Series 15.  The heros, including one played by Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp alumna, Rachel Marley, jumped in Bobby's cab. They realized they were being pursued, so they jumped out and into Alfred's cab! So much fun! Bobby had a Cockney accent, and Alfred had a posh Received Pronunciation British accent. 

We're really blessed by how Rachel carries this story as the lead. 

I'm particularly fond of this project because it explores the virtual reality world Meta (formerly known as Facebook) is creating, but uses it to expose the story of Charles Darwin and the shaky foundation of evolution. When I started college, it was as a biology major. I wanted to be a science teacher and undermine evolution in a public school. The Lord changed my course, but I've always had a passion for telling these kinds of stories. 

This was the fifth time John Fornof directed me in an audio drama, and that made it even more delightful!

It's now available!

Here's an encouraging review on Audio Theatre Central: ATC144: Review of Jonathan Park #15: The Defining Moment.

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I released “Pentecost: Beyond the Imagination,” a scene from my one-man play, The Acts, at www.RichDrama.com/Pentecost.

The Adventum, Volume 3

I was overjoyed to be work on The Adventum, Volume 3, under the direction of my friend and colleague John Fornof. I had a blast working on The Adventum 1 in San Diego, but they had planned to record this one remotely before the COVID-19 lockdown.

It's now available.

Here are the voices I performed:

Elder #1 and Camsis in "Return"
Elder #1, Hebrew Slave, Pomegranate Vendor, Baker and Camsis in  "Engage"
Camsis in "Distinction"
Camsis and Pomegranate Vendor in "Breaking Point"
Official #1 and Camsis in "Resolve"
Prisoner and Camsis in "Departure"
Official #1, Chariot Driver and Camsis in "Persuit

My main character, Camsis, was the husband of a character played by Melissa Disney, the voice of Ginger in As Told by Ginger on Nickelodeon. What a joy to work with her!

Here's an encouraging review on Audio Theatre Central: ATC148: Review of The Adventum Vol. 3 from Wise King Media.

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See the rest of Olympic champion Eric Liddell's Chariots of Fire story in Beyond the Chariots. Watch it online and book a live performance.

Embrace Christ, the Wisdom of God

This morning Joyce teaches on 1 Corinthians 1:17-2:5, differentiating between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God at Hope Community Church, also in our denomination, The Church of the Nazarene. Pastor Joe Santucci shares closing remarks.

Click the arrow below, or if you're reading this in an email you can click this link, to play the service: 

Wisdom from the world is upside down

You can hear Joyce's teaching from this morning on 1 Corinthians 1:17-2:5, differentiating between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God at Hope Community Church, also in our denomination, The Church of the Nazarene: www.Blog.RichDrama.com (11/22). #1Corinthians1, #1Corinthians2, #Wisdom

Posted by Joyce Swingle on Sunday, November 22, 2020

This service is available for download free on iTunes, where you can also subscribe to our podcast. Search for "Westchester Chapel" on the iTunes Store.

If you want to know more about starting a relationship with Jesus Christ visit www.WestchesterChapel.org/Salvation.

Photo courtesy of NicolettiPhoto.com.

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I released “Pentecost: Beyond the Imagination,” a scene from my one-man play, The Acts, at www.RichDrama.com/Pentecost.

Thanksgiving Without

Our students created this at the Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp this summer.

If you're receiving this as an email, or to share this with others, use www.RichDrama.com/ThanksgivingWithout.

 

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Registration for the Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp is about to open. Sign up to get the announcement.