Sociodrama Resources

To download The Effect of Sociodrama on a Population of Men in Transitional Housing, my masters thesis from 1997. Make a suggested donation of $7:

Then click here.

For more information on Sociodrama visit the National Association of Drama Therapists site: NADT.org.

For information on Enacted Prayer, click here.

For information on Ethnodramatology go to Ethnodrama.com.

For information on Bibliodrama, visit Bibliodrama.com.

My mentor, Pat Sternberg's book on sociodrama: Sociodrama: Who's In Your Shoes?

Here's a follow-up based on the same material of one of the classes she taught at Hunter College: Theatre for Conflict Resolution

Called to the Arts

The Christians in Theatre Arts (CITA.org) National Conference is off to a great start. Carol Dilley Jaudes (a MasterWorks Festival master class instructor last year) opened by singing a beautiful artist's prayer.

Then Dr. Marcos Rivera, Sr. Pastor of the Primitive Christian Church, laid down a theological foundation for the calling to the arts.

Be the best you can be in the field to which you're called. "The fruit of your life should be excellence."

Live lives of integrity. "Your values should effect the projects you do, not the other way around."

Rich

Rich Swingle
@ the Helen Hayes Theatre
240 W 44th St, Ste 7
New York, NY 10036

Wings as Eagles

Ken Wales, the executive producer on CBS's series Christy, came out to see my performance of Beyond the Chariots here in Los Angeles on Sunday night. He wants to produce a film about the same part of Eric Liddell's life and invited me to write the screenplay. The working title is With Wings as Eagles. Please join me in praying for this project.

He recently produced Amazing Grace, the story of William Wilberforce's successful drive to abolish Britain's slave trade. Watch for it early in '07. He showed an eight minute trailer that was just phenominal.

Wilberforce's accomplishment has meant even more to me since a discovery I made while performing at Pocklington School near York, England. I performed A Clear Leading, about John Woolman, who spoke out against slavery in America 100 years before the Civil War. He spoke against slavery throughout England and died in York the same year that Wilberforce wrote his first anti-slavery essay as a student of Pocklington School. The headmaster thinks there's a high likelyhood that Wilberforce heard Woolman speak.

Wings as Eagles

Ken Wales, the executive producer on CBS's series Christy and the film Amazing Grace, came out to see my performance of Beyond the Chariots in Los Angeles. He wants to produce a film about the same part of Eric Liddell's life covered in my play, and he invited me to write the screenplay. The working title is Wings as Eagles. Please join me in praying for this project.

To follow our progress through email updates, sign up at RichDrama.com/Updates. To follow us on FaceBook, click here.

Jr. High Camper

I just performed Jonah at Alex Walker's church in Upland, CA. Alex, pictured here with his wife, Jacquie, and their son, Sam, was in my Jr. High cabin when I was a counselor at Twin Rocks Friends Camp while I was in college. Tonight I'll perform Beyond the Chariots: RichDrama.com/Itinerary.

Besides serving as music and young adults minister Alex is lead singer and song writer for the band Five O'Clock People, who produced a CD through Pamplin Records: The Nothing Venture.

Spider Man 3

They've completely transformed the theatre across from the Helen Hayes Theatre, where I keep my office, for Spider Man 3. Tomorrow at 5am it will be back to normal and ready for the History Boys, the play that's normally there.

Bob Hoover

While my brother and I were at the new Air and Space Museum (see posting from earlier this week) our tour guide ended by telling about this plane, flown by Bob Hoover, who would have been the first man to break the sound barrier if Chuck Yeager had fessed up to his injury. The guide said Hoover would take prospective buyers of the plane up, pour ice tea into a cup while rolling the plane without spilling a drop. Then he'd tell them they should buy the plane because IT handled so well.

When we told the guide our dad had flown in air shows with Hoover he gave my brother and I an extended tour.

When Dad saw the picture of Hoover's plane he wrote the following:

I was lucky enough to watch Hoover fly this plane several times. He was amazing, sometimes with one engine feathered and even both engines shut down he would do very low level aerobatics and at the last minute start the engines or even land and roll up to the crowd with the engines feathered. His energy management was unbelievable. I'd heard the stories of not spilling a cup while rolling. I watched him shut off both engines at several thousand feet, then make several passes rolling the plane and doing hammerhead turns at each end of the runway, then when you can't see how he can go any farther he landed on one wheel, turned off the runway, came up the taxiway across the ramp up to a line in front of the crowd and stopped. All this without restarting his engines. It was VERY impressive. Did you know he was flying chase in a P-80 when Yeager broke the sound barrier?

Enacted Prayer Resources

Last August I introduced Enacted Prayer to the Territorial School of Music and Gospel Arts (Click here for the report). Now they're gearing up for a meeting and are planning to use it! They've requested resources, so I've posted a couple of articles Jeff Barker, the creator of Enacted Prayer, gave me permission to share:

Enacted Prayer by Jeff Barker
Enacted Prayer Workshop by Heidi Friesen (student of Jeff Barker)

Now Jeff has written a book that has a chapter on enacted prayer and an appendix with some coaching for enactors: The Storytelling Church: Adventures in Reclaiming the Role of Story in Worship.

Immigrants Hear God's Word, In Chinese, by Conference Call

I've had a heart for reaching Chinese people since I ran a race in Guangzhou or Canton, China, in high school. This New York Times article was SO encouraging to me: Immigrants Hear God's Word, In Chinese, by Conference Call. You can read it all for free until (I believe) Sunday.

Having started a conference call prayer group of my own, I'm thrilled to see others utilyzing technology for good purposes.

Jim Hudson Taylor follow-up

In February I performed Beyond the Chariots in Hong Kong. After the performance several of us were kicking ourselves that Jim Taylor didn't say something about his experience in the concentration camp with Eric Liddell as a boy. We wished we could have used his talk to drive the message of the play home and make the impact deeper on the mostly-teen audience. When Dr. Taylor's sister, Mary Previte, did this after one of my Off-Broadway performances the impact was profound!

I just got the following note from Dr. Taylor:

I was finally able to follow up your performance at Hong Kong Mandarin Bible Church with a personal account of what Eric Liddell meant to us kids in the Weihsien concentration camp. It was amazing to see the quiet attentiveness of the young people. Thanks again for being with us.

May the Lord continue to bless your ministry.

Your brother in His service,

Jim

Taking flight

Last year my brother, Bob, and his wife, Shannon, came to NYC for a book fair (see May 05 in Archives). This year the fair was held in Washington, DC, so I arranged some performances in the area (including one at my nephew, Charlie's school. He's Joyce's sister Amy's son.)

Bob and I were able to get out to the Udvar-Hazy Air & Space Center, the new annex to the National Air & Space Museum. We took a tour, and the guide's last story was about Bob Hoover. After the crowd dispersed we told him our dad used to fly in air show's with Bob Hoover. He gave us an extra tour and showed us some planes that are the only examples of their kind in existance: pretty cool.

June 3

My friend, Chuck Neighbors, is coming to NYC.

He's offering an acting workshop and performing his one-man play, In His Steps at Theatre 315, where Roger and I had our Fire Off-Broadway run. On June 3.

Also on that date, at 7pm, our church, Westchester Chapel will be offering an arts night. I'll be performing "The Move", which was published in Handbook for Multi-Sensory Worship. There will also be dance, music, and Jim Warren, our pastor (and former creative director for MTV) will create a work of art as you watch.

Proceeds will go toward helping us move into a new building and create an art center there.

Eric Liddell's morning devotions

In Pittsburg I was thrilled to have an audience member request a copy of the prayer I led people to pray after Beyond the Chariots if they wanted to invite the Lord into their lives. I sent him to the link on the right side of RichDrama.com called "My Passion" after telling the person the words aren't as important as the state of his heart.

Then, in my morning prayers I came upon Eric Liddell's daily prayer, which I've incorporated into my own. He shared it in Manual of Christian Discipleship, a guidebook for Chinese pastors. I'm going to email it to my new friend, but I thought I'd share it with you here:

1. Have I surrendered this new day to God, and will I seek and obey the guidance of the Holy Spirit throughout its hours?

2. What have I specially to thank God for this morning?

3. Is there any sin in my life for which I should seek Christ's forgiveness and cleansing? Is there any apology or restitution to make?

4. For whom does God want me to pray this morning?

5. What bearing does this morning's Bible passage have on my life, and what does He want to do about it?

6. What does God want me to do today and how does He want me to do it?

Can I go to China with you?

I've been performing and teaching in Pittsburgh in what has been a very exciting week! I got to present in two public schools, for the Acting Up Club (a delightful kids group led by some gals that came to NYC to see BTC Off-Bway...oh, and one of their sons, who preaches on our district.), this morning I spoke at a men's breakfast (the night before I was so exhausted I asked someone if they'd be serving food at the...men's...breakfast), tomorrow I'll do a performance in the Sunday service, but the main event has been Beyond the Chariots (BTC) four nights in a row at a dessert theatre.

I really hope more churches use this model to bring my plays to their community. There have been many wonderful things that have come from doing it this way, not the least of which has been the number of visitors that we've seen, at least two of which indicated that they asked the Lord into their lives for the first time.

Another highlight was when a wee 7-year old lass came literally running up to me as soon as I was done, looked almost straight up into my face and begged, "Can I come with you to China?" I had just told them how I hope to perform BTC in Beijing during the '08 Olympics, and I was glad to tell her volunteers are welcome. Follow this blog as more details develop.

I believe there are still a few tickets left for closing night. If you're near Pittsburgh visit RichDrama.com/Itinerary for details.

Eric Liddell and John Wesley

Roger and I had a great Off-Broadway run. I'll post a more detailed report soon.

Extreme Makeover

Our pastoral team had our small group meeting right down the street from an Extreme Makeover: Home Edition project. Paulie, one of the designers, took a moment with our pastors' kids: (left to right) Jesse, Anna and Rebekah.

Tony Campolo's Compassion video

I just stumbled upon a video of Tony Campolo with his newest Compassion sponsor child. I watched the video being filmed on my trip to Honduras. Click here to see the video.

Who needs a chair lift?

Friends of my parents took this picture of them flying over Mt. Ashland in Southern Oregon. I grew up skiing there, but I never saw it from this angle!

To get the full effect you have to click on the picture or here.

See Splinter

The cast of Splinter asked Max McLean and I to give them feedback. They were great. They were tight and passionate, and I told them to each count it as a successful audition to MasterWorks (MasterWorksFestival.org).

Tonight is sold out, but there may be tickets left for closing night tomorrow, and they're free with a donation.

Program inserts now online

The program inserts for our Off-Broadway run are now online.  Dr. Jim H Taylor, III, graciously penned these as "a labor of love."  Go to http://www.weihsien-paintings.org/JamesTaylor/indexFrame.htm.  In the left column scroll to the bottom.  His foreword to the Chinese translation of Eric Liddell: Pure Gold is also well worth reading, and it is just above Beyond the Chariots in the left column.

Dr. Taylor's sister, Mary Previte, who spoke quite eloquently after my performance last Saturday also has a page on this site: https://weihsien-paintings.org/Mprevite/index.php.  

People who were there the day she spoke are quick to bring up how much they appreciated her words.  She told of her recollections from the concentration camp mentioned in the play: it's horrors but also the great things they learned from their teachers there, including Eric Liddell.  Most touching to me, was her story of Stephen Metcalf.  

Stephen was a favorite runner of "Uncle Eric's," who appointed Stephen as a helper.  Ms. Previte told how Eric taught all the students to love the Japanese, even as Christ taught his disciples to love their enemies.  Stephen grew up to be a missionary to the Japanese.  His speech at the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the camp is well worth the time: World Peace and Eric Liddell (after clicking, scroll down the left column to find his name).

Front Page news

Phil Snyder, who did the horse whinny (on MP3) for Roger's play during our Off-Broadway run, just made the front page of the Los Angeles Daily News: "The Man of a Million Voices."  It was his wife, Karen, that developed the artwork for our run, and she's also mentioned in the article.  It's great to see believing artists featured this way!

Splinter this weekend

Joyce and I are looking forward to seeing the next play at Theatre 315: Splinter (for tickets click here).  I've heard great things about it.  Here's a note from the creator, Christian Gonzalez:

We performed it at 315 last year and this year have presented it 6 times at Valley Forge, Penn State and several churches performing for a total of more than 4,500 people and the responses of audiences to the pressence of God have been overwhelming.

One man said: "I felt such an incredible presence of God. I was
overcome. I've never seen anything like this before." 

A musician from the NY Philharmonic responded: "It was like a
piece performed by the Philharmonic! It takes your breath away!" 

A college athlete explained: "I don't cry very often, but I was
overwhelmed with tears and joy. This is something everyone must
experience."

A woman wept: "These young men  women shame me with their love
for God  their discipline for excellence. This combination of
professional excellence  passion for Christ is profound. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you."

Also, many people have been saved, including 6 men at a detention center we presented for. One of the inmates said: "The whole time you were speaking I was shaking I can't explain it."

Jimmy Sites Newspaper Coverage

Jimmy Sites, who will be one of our Master Class Instructors at MasterWorks just sent the following encouraging note:

Begin forwarded message:

Last week was a good week for the ministry of Spiritual Outdoor Adventures. We were covered by the press in newspapers in Toronto, Louisville, Birnmingham, and Tennessee. If you are interested in reading any of the articles, they are posted below.



WSFA

Tennessean

Courier-Journal

The Star

Go!

Only four shows left in our Off-Broadway run, Fire Off-Broadway.

On Saturday Mary Previte will be speaking after Beyond the Chariots. A former assembly woman for the State of New Jersey, she's the great-granddaughter of Hudson Taylor, and she was with Eric Liddell in the concentration camp featured in the play.

Be sure to tell people in your church this Sunday that Eric Liddell's middle daughter Heather will be speaking after the performance that evening. If you get seven people to come with you your ticket is free: FireOffBroadway.com/Group

Thanks for all your prayers. The run is going very well.

In Christ alone,
Rich

Comments on Beyond the Chariots

If you've seen Beyond the Chariots Off-Broadway or around the world, please post a comment below.

By posting you agree that your comment can be used in other formats.

Thanks!

Comments on The Man from Aldersgate

If you've seen The Man from Aldersgate Off-Broadway or around the world, please post a comment below.

By posting you agree that your comment can be used in other formats.

Thanks!

Off the blocks

Christi-An Bennett and her family joined our church for Easter. Before they moved away she and her husband Stephen were both on the preaching line-up. One Sunday she used Eric Liddell's story as an illustration for her sermon and I was reminded that the '04 Olympics were coming up and I should get going on my 1-man play about him.

Thanks Christi-An!

Happy Easter everyone!

Roger opens The Man from Aldersgate tomorrow night: FireOffBroadway.com.

Announcement

There are two one-man plays about Church heroes playing Off-Broadway from April 17-23. Relive the incredible adventures of 1924 Olympic Gold medal winner Eric Liddell in war-torn China. Rich Swingle's new one-man play Beyond the Chariots picks up where Chariots of Fire left off. Behold Liddell's greatest race: as a missionary who conquers persecution and succeeds by turning his greatest enemy into a "Powerful Runner Who Overcomes Great Obstacles." At different times, experience the widely acclaimed performance of the life and times of John Wesley, the man who rode more than 250,000 miles to bring spiritual renewal to England and America! The Man from Aldersgate brings to life John Wesley and his dynamic ministry. In John Wesley's own words you will gain new insights into the importance of prayer, and how personal failure can teach us to trust Christ. The play has been performed over 1,300 times in 32 countries and all 50 states! 

Well lit

David Lander, our award-winning Broadway lighting designer, went through Beyond the Chariots scene by scene today. His ideas are incredible! If you've already seen the play it will be worth the price of admission just to see how David's lighting it!

Attendance

I'm getting ready to perform here in Winona Lake, and I felt myself relax about who shows up. We've been so focused about filling seats Off-Broadway so that we'll break even that it's nice to just show up and perform for who ever attends. Then it occurred to me that I should ALWAYS want as many as possible to hear the marvelous story of how God used Eric Liddell. So, draw them in, Lord!

Interview on WPEL

Roger and I did an interview on WPEL, 96.5 FM, which will air Tuesday, April 11 at 4:05 pm. The station is in Montclair, PA, in the northeast corner, and they also have translators in Binghamton, Endicott, and Sayre. Their website is WPEL.org. If you're in the area I hope you can tune in.

Rich

Rich Swingle
@ the Helen Hayes Theatre
240 W 44th St
New York, NY 10036
RichDrama.com

Winging my way to Winona Lake

I'm en route to Winona Lake, home of the MasterWorks Festival. It doesn't start until June, but they host a Second Sunday series to keep Winona Lakers entertained throughout the year. Tomorrow I'll be performing Beyond the Chariots.

On the leg to Detroit I sat next to a former runner who, like I, watched Chariots of Fire before big meets.

I'm praying that the most inspirational part (I think) of Eric Liddell's life will draw many closer to the Source of Eric's strength.

Consider inviting someone who needs to be emPowered: FireOffBroadway.com.

The "Gospel of Judas" put into perspective

The New York Times article on the 'Gospel of Judas' is their most emailed article today. Be sure to check out this balanced piece from Christianity Today: The Judas We Never Knew.

Max McLean Fire

Max McLean is performing his one-man play, The Screwtape Letters in the Salvation Army's Theatre 315, where we'll be doing our run. He graciously recorded a radio spot, which is now playing on WAWZ. Listen for it!

Rich Acts Out

Retta Blaney's article just ran in the National Catholic Reporter: "Rich Swingle acts out his ministry." If it's no longer on the front page of their website: NatCath.com click here.

Do you have some marijuana?

Roger Nelson, who's performing in our Off-Broadway run in a couple of weeks, walked into a drug store the other night to pick up some milk. A young man approached him and asked, "Do you have some marijuana?" Roger said, "No, but I have something better." Within a half an hour Roger led this young man in a prayer to receive the Lord as his personal Savior! He told Roger that he was on his way into the drug store to get enough medication to overdose. Pray that he calls Roger back after he returns from NYC.

The radio interview went well

The links below may not still connect you to the described program.

4/1
The interview went well, and you can listen to it by clicking here. For Charlie's whole hour, which includes a guy who called in and talked about the Off-Broadway run, click here.

3/31
I'm going to be interviewed tomorrow (Saturday, April 1) on WMCA 970AM. Charlie Rizzo's show Let it Grow will begin at noon EST and he's asked me to call in at 12:20. We're going to talk about our Off-Broadway run. If you're not in the area you can listen online: Click here. On the bottom right click on WMCA 970 Stream.

Also, yesterday started our radio ad campaign on WAWZ. If you happen to hear a spot we'd be grateful if you'd post a message below and let us know the day and time.

Thanks!

iTunes' first (that I've noticed) Christian freebee!

Every Tuesday iTunes puts up at least one free song. This week if you scroll to the bottom of their main page, on the left side, under Free Downloads there's a song called "Grace," and it's excellent: "I need a voice that's louder than mine...I pray for mercy only Jesus gives." Encourage iTunes to give away more of them by clicking below...

In Christ alone

Roger Nelson sent me a note which reminded me of how I first started signing things "In Christ alone, Rich."

My earliest memories of signing that way were from my first year out of seminary. I was assistant to the youth superintendent for the Friends Church's Northwest Yearly Meeting (a Quaker district). If memory serves, someone had (for the umpteenth time) said, upon hearing my first name, "Oh, can I borrow some money?" Thinking (for the umpteenth time) how ironic it was to be living just above (maybe it was just below) the poverty line and to be called "Rich" it dawned on me that I am rich...in Christ alone.

In Christ alone,
Rich

A wee Eric Liddell wannabe

I just got done rehearsing Beyond the Chariots for my performance tomorrow at The Revolution School of Worship and Technology in St. Louis (on the campus of Destiny Church). It was a bit of a dress rehearsal since some people who won't be here tomorrow watched. One of them was Judah Davis, pictured here (son of Mike and Amanda, teachers at the school). When I was done Judah walked right up onto the stage and ran in place as he'd seen me do. We tried to capture an image of it but when a camera comes out he knows he's supposed to sit down and be still. You'll just have to imagine: da dum da dee da da...

Weeping inconsolably

In Beyond the Chariots Eric Liddell's life-long friend, AP Cullen (Uncle Rooper), mentions a "seven-year old chap who was weeping inconsolably." The boy was crying as eight-year old Eric protected him from a hazing by some teens. Today I'm weeping inconsolably because the Lord stood up for me just now.

I've had bronchitis for a dozen days, and this morning I woke up without much of a voice. The plan was to perform an excerpt from Beyond the Chariots today for about 250 pastors and church leaders here in Denville, NJ. I decided to show an interview with Liddell's former student, HK Cheng, but I got several people praying for me, and my voice was miraculously restored! Keep praying, I'm not out of the woods, but in that moment I really felt the Holy Spirit carrying me. I'm still inconsolable thinking about it.

Then, the Lord gave us another miracle! After my performance the speaker, Dr. Larry McKain of New Church Specialties, leapt to his feet and said, "I've seen Roger Nelson's play about John Wesley, and I think everyone should attend!" The Nazarene leaders (Nazarenes came from Methodists who came from Wesley) have grown to love Larry all through the day. I know his words carried great weight.

If you're online now pray that many will grab our postcards and posters when it lets out at 3pm EST. Pray they bring large groups to Fire Off-Broadway!

Opening at Gateway Cathedral

I just got off the phone with Tim Mercaldo, one of the pastors at Gateway Cathedral. He watches Chariots Of Fire every year and Eric Liddell is a huge hero of his! He invited me to perform an excerpt at two of their services on March 26.

Press Release

Olympic Champion Heading Your Way!
Date/s

[Venue] will host New York film and stage actor Rich Swingle in his performance of Beyond the Chariots on [date].

Critically acclaimed actor Rich Swingle’s play takes up where the four-time Oscar-winning movie, Chariots of Fire, leaves off. In dramatic style, he chronicles the incredible adventures of 1924 Olympic Gold medal runner Eric Liddell in war-torn China. Swingle performed the play in Hong Kong, where Dr. James Hudson Taylor, III, saw it. As a boy Taylor was with Liddell in the Japanese concentration camp featured in the play. Taylor called the performance, "authentic, moving, thought provoking!"

Swingle has also performed the play Off-Broadway, in LA, Toronto (for Liddell's family), Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, during the Olympics in Beijing, Vancouver, London, and during the Youth Olympics in Singapore.

Don't miss it now that it's coming to you!

Beyond the Chariots will appear on [date and time].

For more information [website or contact info].

# # # 

True Sportsmanship

Eric Liddell's youngest daughter, Maureen, sent me the following:

Here is a story my Father would have loved and I thought you might too: True Sportsmanship.


In the research and interviews I've done with people that knew Eric Liddell, I've found that he was the kind of man this story is about.

In Christ alone,
Rich

Five years of attendance

While getting ready to perform Beyond the Chariots a while back Kathy (pictured in the white hat) gave a big wave. After the performance she told me that she and several friends (some of whom are pictured here) had come to Rock Hill Church of the Nazarene just to see my last performance there (The Revelation). They've been attending the church ever since.

Kathy Smith - white hat
Phyllis Givens - white coat
Ijoema Odema - next to Phyllis (her daughter)

A century ahead of Lincoln

I just performed A Clear Leading here in Washington, DC. The play is about John Woolman, a Quaker, who spoke against slavery 100 years before Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

There was an African-American gentleman in the audience, and after the play I told him how uncomfortable I always feel when portraying the racist characters in the play. He told me about an interview he once saw with a man who beat a slave in the mini-series Roots. The actor said it was the hardest thing he'd ever done, and when the scene was over he ran to his trailer and sobbed.

There were several in the audience yesterday that wept.

I'm glad for a play that makes people cry.

It's my prayer that through our tears we can see clearly to overcome our past and have a future of reconcilliation.

John Kirby offered to stay a second day

I just got off the phone with John Kirby, acting coach for Jim Caviezel and Narnia. He offered to stay a second day, practically doubling the benefit to MasterWorks students this summer.

Sign up while there's still room: MasterWorksFestival.org.

Please forward this to friends.

Some snow

I missed New York City's deepest snow storm on record as I was performing and teaching in TN, OR & HK. So it's actually nice to have a bit of the white stuff here in Rochester.

Hong Kong's show

Most Broadway shows start at 8pm. Every night at curtains up Hong Kong puts on a show, but it's for everyone with a view of the city. Many of the buildings are linked into a coordinated light show. It's quite an elaborate spectacle.

Honor

Yesterday we had a memorial service for a dear friend, Jim Warren, Sr. This morning in church our friend, Kenny, told us that he wanted to cut his hair to commemorate Jim's 20 year military career in which he served in three wars. Kenny couldn't decide which military cut was right, so he went with Native American military.

Great Grandson of Hudson Taylor

Dr. Jim Hudson Taylor, III, a great-grandson of the "Father of Modern Missions," was able to see Beyond the Chariots here in Hong Kong. He was a boy in the Japanese concentration camp, where Eric spent his last years. Dr. Taylor gave me some details that helped finesse the script, and he said, "Great performance--authentic, moving, thought provoking!"

A student of "Uncle" Eric

Joyce and I had the honor of meeting HK Cheng. He was a student of Eric Liddell's at the Tientsin Anglo-Chinese College, featured in my play Beyond the Chariots.

Mr. Cheng runs his own engineering firm in Hong Kong, so I asked him to reflect on the gold medalist/science teacher's greatest contribution to his life. Mr. Cheng didn't hesitate: "Christianity!"

Laughter from the 27th Floor

I was about to perform Beyond the Chariots for the Mandarin Bible Church, which meets on the 27th floor of a building on Hong Kong Island.

As I was admiring the view I discovered that the great-grandson of Hudson Taylor attends the church. Hudson Taylor is considered the Father of Modern Missions, and Jim Hudson Taylor, III, was a boy in the concentration camp where Eric Liddell was interned. Because the last part of my play takes place in that concentration camp I very much wanted him to attend, but the church secretary told me it's rare for him to be there since he's usually off speaking somewhere.

Thankfully he was able to see it. When he walked up to me, before introducing himself, he said, "It was softball. We didn't have enough room to play baseball." He and his wife invited us over, and for two hours we talked about other adjustments that needed to be made to the play and the publicity materials so we could bring it into China for the Beijing Olympics.

Blog Emailing discontinued until further notice

I'm SO sorry to have spammed you again! I've closed down email updates until I'm certain I've figured out what's wrong. Please do watch the blog (RichDrama.com/NewsBlog)because some INCREDIBLE things are happening over here in Hong Kong. You may choose to sign up for updates with a site feed reader. Click here to do that.

Now I have to run to a meeting with a gentleman who was a student of Eric Liddell's.

Walking on floodlight

We're looking through the floor of the Macau Tower.

Pray for Macau. That was the hardest day of the trip though it was our only full day of leisure. On Monday we found out that it's dubbed the Missionary Graveyard. There are more prostitutes than Christians and 40% of all workers are employed by the island nation's 40 casinos.

Now you can pray specifically when Macau comes up at TheJesusBooks.org/LighttotheNations.

Flying across the water

We're speeding by jetfoil (the commuter ferry) to Macau.

Beyond the Chariots was received well in Hong Kong, praise the Lord! The students of the International Christian School helped correct some minor inaccuracies. I was pleased to be their student after teaching three of their drama classes.

It's almost noon...

We were supposed to fly direct from LA to Hong Kong, but winds over the Polar Ice Cap this time of year often prohibit flights that long.

I had stops here each way when I ran a cross-country race in Canton, China, as a high schooler.

On that trip we got a tour of the Olympic pavilion, just as they were gearing up to host the world.

The Compassion Quadruple Sponsorship

That's the moon setting over my family's farm in Phoenix, Oregon. I left early for my double performances at Trail Christian Fellowship.

Back in Chattanooga the sun rose on an exciting new program. Compassion (RichDrama.com/Compassion) has agreed to cover tickets to our Off-Broadway run (FireOffBroadway.com) for some youth in an inner-city after school program (AbundantWatersKids.org).

For every Compassion child sponsored at one of my performances or through RichDrama.com/Compassion, Compassion will cover three tickets for Abundant Waters kids and their guardians.

If you've been thinking about sponsoring a child now's a great time to take action. Between now and April 23 sponsorship will impact four young lives. You can choose a child now. Go to RichDrama.com/Compassion.

Please leave a comment on this blog (RichDrama.com/NewsBlog) post so I know how many tickets to set aside.

I used to have time to teach drama and sociodrama (RichDrama.com) to the youth of Abundant Waters. I would send post cards from places I'd perform to my office in a Broadway theatre and address them to "A deserving student at Abundant Waters." Then I'd hand them out as rewards for good behavior. I could tell many of them had never received a post card in their life.

This partnership with Compassion allows teachers to give out Off-Broadway tickets for good behavior. Roger and I want our plays and the lives of Eric Liddell and John Wesley to inspire these young people to greatness.

Sponsor a child now: RichDrama.com/Compassion.

A most fortuitous step

I just got to perform The Acts for the Salvation Army's Candidates Seminar. What a priviledge to bring the story of God's power to these future officers (pastors).

I performed Big Fish Little Worm at this gathering three years ago, shortly after attending a Compassion artists' retreat at Michael W. Smith's ranch. While I was at the retreat I first met Jimmy Sites. Then, at the Salvation Army event of '03, I saw Jimmy's card on the step which is in the picture. I picked it up, thinking I'd dropped it, but when I returned to my office, there it was on my desk.

Last year in Honduras I ran into Jimmy again at another Compassion artists' retreat. I told him about the double card and that it was a clue to me that God might have something for us to do together. I mentioned MasterWorks to him, and he was sold on the idea of training young artists from a Christian perspective. He'll be one of our master class instructors this June!

Then, one morning he called me en route to record his radio show. He said he'd be interviewing John Kirby, the acting coach for Jim Caviezel and Narnia (among a host of others). Jimmy wanted to know if I'd like to also have John as a master class instructor at MasterWorks. John saw the vision, and he's in as well!

More on John when I get back from my trip around the world.

I'm on the runway now, and I didn't bring his bio, so I won't be able to type it in until I return from this Northern Hemisphere triangulation: NYC-Chattanooga-Medford, OR (my home town)-Hong Kong-NYC.

Eric Liddell's daughter to attend!

I just got off the phone with Eric Liddell's middle daughter, Heather. She's coming to NYC to see my play about her father on closing night, April 23. If you haven't ordered your tickets yet, you may want to get them for that night: Order Now.

Here are some other performances to consider:

Beyond the Chariots
Wednesday, April 19, at 8pm or Saturday, April 22, at 2pm

and

The Man from Aldersgate
Wednesday, April 19, at 2pm or Saturday, April 22, at 8pm

Those are the performances for which the Salvation Army will be recording our shows, and we'd love some friendly folks there.* When they're ready, I'll make them available through this blog.

I've already appologized to some of you for sending over 50 versions of the same email a bit over a week ago! I posted to the blog and left the office. By the time I got home all our inboxes were flooded. It seems to have been a fluke, but rest assurred from here on out I'll be monitoring my own inbox before leaving an internet connection. I'm glad you've chosen to stay subscribed! I appreciate your prayers and support more than I can ever express.

As a thank you I'd like to offer a free ticket to Beyond the Chariots Off-Broadway to the first person to post a comment below the other picture of this moose I posted to this blog. Leave your name, date and time of the performance you'd like to see, and your ticket will be waiting for you.

MasterWorks instructor visit to the Waodoni with Steve Saint

Jimmy Sites, one of our master class instructors this summer at MasterWorks, was able to meet the subjects of End of the Spear (#8 at the box office for it's opening weekend) in Ecuador. The office of his television program shared this note:

Greetings from the Spiritual Outdoor Adventures office. We thought you might be interested in an article from today's newspaper about the Sites' family trip to the Amazon Jungle with Steve Saint and the Waodoni Indians. If so, click on the following link and you can locate the article.

http://www.hendersonvillestarnews.com

Blessings,
The SOA Staff

The Ignition of FireOffBroadway

Brad L. Smith, the playwright of The Man from Aldersgate, has agreed to write a press release for our Off-Broadway run.

To give him some background I've written up the story of how this all got started, and I'll post it under comments below in case you're interested.

I'm also going to post quotes about Beyond the Chariots. Since the play has only been seen by eight audiences to date I would love to gather a few more comments. If you've seen Beyond the Chariots and would like a chance to be quoted (hopefully in some major periodicals) feel free to leave a quote by clicking on "comment" below.

Thanks so much!

End of the Spear and Beyond the Gates of Splendor

We're on our way back from The End of the Spear. Incredible. Twenty-four from our church experienced this powerful film. Everyone I spoke with was glad to have seen it. Cast your vote to expand to more markets by seeing it this weekend.

1/13
Eric Liddell's middle daughter, Heather, just called to let me know she wants to come down to see my play about her dad: FireOffBroadway.com.

Speaking of missionaries who died in action, tonight our church is going to screen Beyond the Gates of Splendor, a documentary about the five missionaries who were killed fifty years ago this month in Ecuador by the Waodani, the most violent society ever studied by anthropologists. Joyce and I have already experienced this powerful work. The Waorani were asked permission to do the documentary and The End of the Spear, the feature length film about the same story. They first refused, but when the son of Nate Saint (one of the missionaries who was killed) told them that telling the story would help our society live peacefully, they put everything behind the telling of the story that they could.

Nate Saint, coincidentally, was the pilot of the group, and he inspired my dad (who's still flying) with one of his acrobatic techniques.

Next weekend The End of the Spear opens in theatres across the nation. On Friday, January 20, our church is going as a group to see it. Details to follow.

Wherever you are, I hope you can encourage this kind of faith and grace-filled film by turning out in large groups on their opening weekend, on which every show's future distribution and marketing is based.

Going Deeper

There's now an article online which highlights how the Spirit moved last summer during the Territorial School of Music and Gospel Arts near Toronto. Click here to download the PDF.

For my postings on the event go to my archives for August and September.

Hotels in the area

I put this list of hotels together in spring of 2006, as we were gearing up for our Off-Broadway run that year. Price listed are from that year and distances are in relation to our venue at the time, Theatre 315 on W 47th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues:

across the street
Econo Lodge
starting at $152.99 (Call 212-246-1991 and ask if there's a better spring rate.)

.2 mi from Theatre 315
Doubletree Guest Suites
starting at $319

.2 mi from Theatre 315
Marriott Marquis
Starts at $259

1 block away from Theatre 315
The Edison
Starts at $170

about 300 yards from Theatre 315
Milford Plaza
Starts at $169

.75 mi from Theatre 315
Comfort Inn
Call 212.947.0200 Mon-Fri between 8a-4p (EST), ask for Michele or Tony, and please mention “Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC)” to receive a 10% discount off current rates. You can get the same rate just reserving through their website.
Starts at $152.10 with the discount.

1.5 mi from Theatre 315
Hephzibah House (for people involved directly in ministry)
starting at $45/person

Park Central Hotel
John Tesh and his sons stayed there recently and liked it a lot.
starting at $149

A Candle in the Window
Stay for a gift

The Markle Residence
For women only (long term)

Feel free to make your own recommendations by posting a comment below.

MasterWorks planning session

I just touched down in the South Bend, IN, airport, where the Studebaker National Museum has set up a display.

I'm en route to Winona Lake, where we'll be having our department head planning session, working performances and master classes for nine programs into five busy weeks (June 25-July 23)..

That should have posted on Saturday. Now I'm back in NYC, and the planning session went very well from my perspective: it only took six hours.

The best news is that the brochures are out, and they look fabulous! They're designed by Christi Mahan, who has stayed on as a year-round intern after being part of the theatre program last year.

If you or someone you know is interested in theatre or any of the MasterWorks programs call 888.836.2723 to request a brochure.

Happy New Year!

Joyce and I watched the ball drop from atop The Lamb's Church/ Theatre, where I was on staff and lived the first four years I was in NYC. The first year I actually went out on Times Square, packed with thousands of other sardines for hours in 20 degree temps. After all that I watched the count down on the building below the ball, thinking the ball would start to drop at zero. I was mortified to discover that the ball started to drop on 10, so I didn't see a bit of it's descent.

This year we played games until 11:55, then we went up to the roof, down went the ball, up went the fireworks, down came the confetti.

In 2005 I was blessed to bring about 180 performances or workshops to 17 states, Honduras, Israel, and Canada. Plus I got to just hang out in Nice, France. Thank you for all your prayers, and thank You, Lord, for all the planted seeds. May You water them and allow many to grow closer to You in 2006.

Light to the Nations

Pray for the whole world in five and a half minutes

The video has moved. Bookmark TheJesusbooks.org/LighttotheNations

Merry Christmas!

Joyce and I have created a Christmas gift for you.

Open it.

New Life!

The gal playing the flute is Bonnie Doyle, a MasterWorks alumna. She's now a pro! Mike Lewis joined her on guitar, playing Christmas Carols as people came in for my performance of Views of the Manger a couple of weeks ago at Grace Community Baptist Church.

Daphene Flewelling, their Executive Assistant sent the following report:

I was able to review the response cards we received after our Friday and Saturday night shows, and I’m excited to tell you that we got 14 cards that had the “I rededicated my life to Christ today” box checked, and 13 of the “I prayed to personally accept Jesus as my Savior today” box, so that’s totally exciting!

I don't think this included one woman who prayed with the pastor to receive the Lord long after they stopped collecting the cards. The octogenarian's family had been praying and fasting for years for her salvation.

Follow Me

David Lander, who will be lighting both plays in our Off-Broadway run, invited Joyce and I to see Follow Me, a modern musical telling the Christmas story. His associate, Stephen Arnold, designed the lights.

Turns out one of the co-creators is Michael Capecci, who co-produced Schoolhouse Rock Live! when I was on staff at The Lamb's Church. The live rendition of the Saturday morning classic had quite a run in the downstairs Lamb's Theatre.

He's done a fine job with Follow Me. There are two shows left. See it if you can.

On Your Mark!

Things are lining up well for our Off-Broadway "run" of Beyond the Chariots.

Roger Nelson, who's renting Theatre 315 with me, just sent his Journal of John Wesley mailing out to a few thousand folks. Please pray that they arrive without mishap and that many will give generously toward our endeavor to reach the Broadway community with the Gospel. You can download of PDF of the Journal by clicking here.

You'll notice that Roger is offering his subscribers a free ticket for every donation of $50 or more. I'd like to offer the same.

Also, if you prefer, I'd like to send you a DVD of Changing Lives: The Peter Cooper Story, a 15-minute documentary for which I performed the voice of Peter Cooper. PBS is interested in airing a longer version.

We hope you'll partner with us in this ministry endeavor. Both plays articulate the Gospel clearly and dramatically.

To make a tax-deductible donation and receive a thank you gift, click here.

Thanks!

In Christ alone,
Rich

Monthly Reminder: My itinerary can always be found at RichDrama.com/Itinerary.

The Ark of the Covenant revealed

Our pastor, Jim Warren, who used to be Creative Director at MTV, spearheaded the creation of a replica of the Ark of the Covenant.

It's about to be uncovered.

My next play will be about the Covenant, and the Ark will be a part of that production.

For now, we're going to have manna, prepared for us by our own James "Moses" Rath, a VP at Tom Cat Bakery.

A booking compliments of Peter Cooper

In September I reported that I was hired to perform the voice of inventor, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Peter Cooper, for a documentary about the man.

I just found out that he helped save Limestone College, where I performed Five Bells for 9/11! Click here to read the article.

Narnia is AMAZING!!!

Now I'm going to get back to the credits.

Worth digging out

The blizzard dumped about a foot of snow on us here in Washingtonville, NY, but the sun came out around noon, and the roads were clear enough that about 400 made it out to see Views of the Manger.

After the play Pastor Terryl of Grace Community Baptist Church summed it all up by saying that Jesus is a hitchhiker. Some of us drive on by. Others pick him up and engage in some dialogue. And then there are those of us who let him take the wheel. He invited people to do that tonight, and eight people went away with a little book called 10 First Steps for a New Christian! No Christmas gift could top that for me, but tomorrow night they're sold out. Pray with me that more will be sold out for Jesus.

Once again I was moved deeply!

This time I didn't cry onstage, which was good. "Jesus wept" isn't associated with his reading from Isaiah 61, which I was performing: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me..."

This time I was backstage. I went there at the end of communion so I could partake without making myself rushed as I was getting into costume. So I was putting Christ on as I was taking Him in. As I realized the juxtaposition I was overwhelmed.

In the moment I prayed for that kind of connection during devotions. I pray it again now.

In Christ alone,
Rich

Connection

I just performed my Christmas play, Views of the Manger, for the first time this Season at Alliance Theological Seminary, just across the Hudson. Joyce earned her Masters there, though most of her credits were at their Manhattan campus.

Because I've been so focused on prepping for BEYOND THE CHARIOTS' Off-Broadway run I'm afraid my rehearsals have been just about making sure my lines and blocking are solid. Well this morning all the weight and wonder of Christmas gave me a solid whack in the head right in the middle of my performance.

Now this happens every year: the fresh realization that the Creator of the Universe came to earth in the hay and slobber of work animals to the poorest of parents, thought by most to be moral reprobates. I always bawl like a baby when it finally hits me...every year. This year it happened on stage, and Harvey the Innkeeper was a blubbering idiot!

Let the Season begin!

Sponsor Mork!

I was a huge Mork and Mindy fan when I was growing up, and I was tickled to see that a boy named Mork is available for sponsorship through Compassion.

To sponsor Mork, click HERE.

Then select the following:

Country: Thailand
Gender: Male
Age Range: 6-9

If he's not there, someone said, "Nanoo nanoo," before you did, but there are plenty of other terrific kids who will think you're out of this world if you sponsor them.