Joshua and the Stones of Remembrance

Trevor the Treasure Seeker reflects on Joshua leading the people of Israel across the Jordan River.

 

You can watch other episodes of Treasure Seekers at www.RichDrama.com/TreasureSeekers.

 

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

Freedom: William Bradford and the American Pilgrims

A blessed Thanksgiving, everyone! 

Brinkman Adventures has made both volumes of their audio drama, Freedom: William Bradford and the American Pilgrims available. 

We love that they show how clearly the Pilgrims were motivated by the desire to worship the Lord according to Scripture and not the dictates of men, how they dedicated America to the spreading of the Gospel, and how they address the concerns of those trying to tear down our history, showing how flawed people did the best they could under extraordinary circumstances. 

I asked the director, Ian Bultman, to explain how he got the idea for the project, and he wrote:

We started this after meeting some Christians who run the Jenny Interpretive Center while visiting Plymouth. They planted the idea to do an episode as 2020 was the 400th anniversary. Because Jenny was a ministry, I saw them as missionaries to American and felt they fit our format perfectly.  Soon I realized this wasn't about the Jenny, it was about Bradford and the Pilgrims. The story hits on so many things we are dealing with today in America. Freedom of conscience and freedom to practice our faith unhindered by government; race relations; how to deal with a society that treats us unjustly; suffering for/with Christ; loving our enemies; a pandemic. In hindsight I really see God's hand leading us to this project three years ago before everything that's happened in the US.  I see this as a reminder to America of it's roots and heritage. A warning to those who wish to go back to tyranny. And a reminder to the church how to live in troubling times.  Freedom was going to be two or three episodes. As I studied and wrote, it kept growing. At one point I was stressing over the length and sensed the Lord say 'tell the story and don't worry about how many episodes it will take. So at that point I did just that. There was only one 3 minute portion I wasn't able to tell due to space (we'll be including it on CD as an easter egg bonus track).  

Here's his prayer:

Lord, as the intercessors across this country listen, encourage their hearts and faith through the faith and actions of these Pilgrim Fathers who now stand among the cloud of witnesses.   May each listening be reminded that they too are pilgrims, strangers in a foreign land, serving as ambassadors for You with the Good News that each may be reconciled to you through the blood of Jesus.  Help us find ways to get this story circulated across the country this year and may it ultimately be pleasing to you and bring glory to Your name. In your Son's name, amen

In Part 1 I play the roles of Charles Deane (introduced at 8:27 in Disc 1, track 1) and Richard Clyfton (introduced at 2:01 in Disc 1, track 2).

In Part 2 I play Samoset and an unnamed Native American.

Click here to download the audio drama or order the CDs.

I wrote about this and two other Pilgrim projects I've worked on for www.HeadlinePrayer.org: "Pilgrims Past, Future… and Present."

  

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In Mayflower II we play a couple in the not-so-distant future who host an illegal Bible study that uses Scripture that's been deleted from the government-approved version. Rich's character is an engineer working on the Mayflower II, a spacecraft built to take believers to Mars, the only place left for religious freedom... or is it?

Treasure Seekers and other projects for Children

Joyce and I just ran into a woman from the UK with an adorable child who just couldn't stay awake! It was the fourth time in three days that I wished I had one URL for all the children's projects in which I've performed, so I jotted down this URL before it was created: www.RichDrama.com/ForChildren.

Now it works, but I realized I have a number of Treasure Seeker episodes, and I need to pack for my flight to Ft. Worth tomorrow so I'm ready to teach at the Content 19 Actors Boot Camp! So I'll add the Treasure Seekers episodes later, but for now, you can find most of them at www.WestchesterChapel.org/TreasureSeekers.

I pray they'll keep your child awake! :-)

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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.

The Mountain Contest

I'm so pleased with the final edit of "The Mountain Contest!" It's the latest episode on Airship Genesis, and I got to reprise my role as Elijah! 

For about 20 years I've been doing a short play about Elijah called "Prophet of Fear" (www.RichDrama.com/ShortPieces). In 2005 I got to perform it on Mt. Carmel, where the Airship Genesis story also takes place. 

You can hear it now for free by clicking here.

Stay tuned for information on the release of their upcoming mobile game in which I'll reprise another role, John the Baptist: www.RichDrama.com/AirshipGenesis.

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I Dreamed I Was Free tells the story of Quaker abolitionist John Woolman, who spoke against slavery a century before our Civil War.

John the Baptist in Airship Genesis Mobile Game

That's from the Airship Genesis Mobile Game, and recently I performed the voice of John the Baptist for it.

It was pretty cool, because in 2011 I got to play him baptising Jesus... about 100m from a church dedicated to that event!

The day after I played John the Baptist for the mobile game I was reading through Farm Boy on Times Square, the journal I kept when I first arrived in NYC in 1993, and found this entry:

When John the Baptist came to prepare the way for Christ, he was a voice, crying in the wilderness.  He was for them, a modern-day prophet.  The people related to that image.  It was familiar.  Society in NYC, and in America in general, is so individualistic, that it seems to me personal messages are the only ones received well.

The mobile game is quite fun and challenging! My "scene" is on level 11.

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I Dreamed I Was Free tells the story of Quaker abolitionist John Woolman, who spoke against slavery a century before our Civil War.

Lamplighter Theatre

Crystal Van Artsdalen, Rebekah Stought,
Rachel Marley and Morgan Fairbanks
have been my students at MasterWorks
 and The Rocky Mountain Christian
Filmmakers Camp.

I played several roles and served as Afghan accent coach in the audio dramas Escape from the Eagle's Nest and The Giant Killer for Lamplighter Theatre, part of Lamplighter Ministries (www.Lamplighter.net).

Both shows were broadcast on over 1600 radio stations in 30 nations.

The Giant Killer is now available, and on that page you can hear my voice in the Behind the Scenes Recordings at 19 seconds and 1:23.

Escape from the Eagle's Nest is also available. You can see and hear my contributions in the video below...

Both stories are based on books by A.L.O.E., which stands for A Lady of England. It was the pseudonym she used to get those and many other books published in the 1800s.

In the booth with Israel Oyelumade,
Rachel Marley and David Sanborn.

After I was cast as a cook (to perform the role, not to actually prepare food), I was asked to recommend someone who could play an Afghan who grows from a little girl into a married woman. I recommended some of my students, and they chose Rachel Marley. Besides being my student numerous times she was on our performing arts team in Sochi during the 2014 Olympics. What a delight to work with her and have several scenes together.

A few weeks after they cast Rachel, producer John Fornof told me there were visa issues. They used to record in London, so that's where all their contacts are. John’s US contacts are union actors. He asked if I could get the word out to my nonunion contacts in case the visas did not come through since just about everyone besides Rachel and I were coming from the UK. This was the first time they invited people to watch the process, so dozens of observers were signed up, coming to Mt. Morris, NY, from as far as North Dakota.

Nathan "Nato" Jacobson and I have
been a part of four films together.

I sent out about 350 emails to students and colleagues who turned in 189 auditions. John and executive producer Mark Hamby said they had perfect peace about the situation and were sure the visas would come through but if not, God would provide. When the final word came that the visas were denied John and team went through all the auditions in two days, normally a two-week process! The casts were announced on Friday and Saturday and we began recording on Monday!

Garry Nation and I (who share three
film credits) got to play giant brothers:
He was Sloth, and I was Selfishness.

The only one from the UK was Israel Oyelumade, who volunteered his time to bypass the need for a visa! Before I performed Beyond the Chariots for the community he shared how the Lord had led him to play Jesus in a massive Passion play. It was done outdoors with 300 actors.

I was delighted that Lamplighter Theatre cast four of my students, and that I got to perform with colleagues from numerous films. My friend David Sanborn was cast in twelve of the 17 roles for which he auditioned, and then he picked up others along the way.

Working with so many great friends in and of itself made it one of my favorite weeks, but the highlight came through a new friend, Akmal. Patrick Powell the director of Escape from the Eagle's Nest found him on an internet search. Akmal lived his first twelve years in Southern Afghanistan, where the story takes place! He translated passages from The Sermon on the Mount, Revelation and Isaiah into Pashto, and then he came up with a tune inspired by music from his homeland and recorded himself singing the Scripture while he played keyboards underneath it.

John Fornof and I in London where
he directed me in The Dragon and
the Raven.

Our director for Escape from
the Eagle's Nest, Patrick Powell,

is one of a very small number

of actors who have performed

St. John in Exile by Dean Jones.

David Sanborn sang the Scriptures with our friend's tune, then he led the rest of the cast humming the tune. We were portraying the Afghanis who began by shouting down the foreigner. Then, as they were hearing words of life in their heart language, sung with a familiar tune they quieted down, and slowly started to join, humming the tune. I got to direct small groups who joined as the Scripture moved along. Once all of them had joined in, something extraordinary occurred. As had happened when he was singing the Pashto translation, David became overwhelmed with what was happening. We were all touched at a very deep level, so much so that everyone observing, including the director, were weeping. Executive Producer Mark Hamby compared it to the tongues of fire that fell on the disciples at Pentecost (Acts 2)!

I'm so thrilled with how it turned out!

Throughout production there were Lamplighter Live students observing the process and jumping into the group scenes!

Here's the story of how it all came together:

Below you can hear my voice at :02, 1:03, where I'm performing with two former students, and see my "sword fight" at 1:05.


Below you can hear me at :25.

Indescribable

I played Frederick Lehman in the film Indescribable, which tells how my character and his kids wrote the hymn "The Love of God". I'm the Papa to nine children, and my beloved bride, Joyce, played the Mama beautifully.

I also got to coach the man playing Rabbi Lazer on his Hebrew.

It was chosen as a semi-finalist for the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival (SAICFF), where it was screened in February 2013. There it also won runner up for best original score. It also won second place over all and best direction at the Gloryreelz Film Festival in May 2013.

Order your copy at IndescribableTheMovie.com.

Indescribable Official Movie Trailer from Indescribable The Movie on Vimeo.

It was 106 F outside this "packing
plant" in Bryan, TX. When they
closed the doors,  turned off the fans
and cranked up the lights it had to
be over 120!
Copyright Thorn Crown Project,
photo by Rebekah E. Cook

I played Fredrick Lehman, who was
a pastor, hymn writer, and founder
of Nazarene Publishing House.
Copyright Thorn Crown Project,
photo by Rebekah E. Cook

Joyce and I play parents (or in-laws, or future in-laws, or grandparents)
to them all.
Copyright Thorn Crown Project, photo by Rebekah E. Cook

The Beginners Bible Video Series

Rich Swingle has provided several voices for The Beginners Bible video series. This series, produced by Sony Wonder and Jumbo Pictures, is taken from the popular children’s Bible entitled The Beginners Bible.

Rich provided the following voices for this project:

The Story of Creation
• Adam
• The Serpent

The Story of Noah's Ark
• Shem
• Villager

The Story of Moses
• Pharoah
• Slave Master
• Young Moses
• Advisor to Pharaoh

The Story of David and Goliath
• Shammah
• Hebrew Soldiers
• Philistine Soldiers

The Nativity
• Second Shepherd
• Third Wise Man
• Advisor to Herod
• Centurion
• Villager

The Story of Easter
• Jesus
• John
• Pharisee

Jordan Hubacz was First Assistant Director on "There," a short film produced and directed by two of Rich's students at the Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp. Jordan shared how he grew up hearing Rich's characters in The Beginners Bible videos.