My Twitter Rehearsal
Here's an excerpt from tonight's rehearsal for our Thursday night performance of Christmas: A Twitter Reenactment. Read from the bottom up:
Overwhelming positive response
After screening A Christmas Snow at our church, Westchester Chapel, there were so many positive comments. One woman said she thought it would just be a sweet little Christmas film, but didn't expect it to be so powerful. Another woman went through the cast list saying she identified with so many of the characters for very specific reasons. But the one that really blew me away was a man who shared that his wife asked him to leave, and after he honored her request and moved out, she told their daughters that he had abandoned them. He's giving copies of A Christmas Snow to both of his girls and--as the film inspires--hopes to reconcile with them this Christmas.
These are my closing remarks after the screening...
This mini-message is available for download on iTunes, where you can also subscribe to our podcast. Search for "Rich and Joyce Swingle" in the iTunes Store, or click here.
These are my closing remarks after the screening...
This mini-message is available for download on iTunes, where you can also subscribe to our podcast. Search for "Rich and Joyce Swingle" in the iTunes Store, or click here.
Pawn's Move Trailer
Pawn's Move, in which I play Sheriff Hanson, has just posted their first trailer...
Merry Noelle
I just received the following note and artwork from the daughter of some long-time friends. I was so encouraged by it, especially since Noelle hasn't seen me perform in years!
Cut for a cause
I had a mini-MasterWorks reunion at Rockefeller Plaza with Patricia Mauceri and Kayla Winston, cut her hair to donate it for wigs for Cancer patients who have lost their hair, in honor of her father who is fighting against it now.
The Shepherd King
Pastor Joyce Swingle launches the Coming King sermon series, preaching on Isaiah 40:9-11.
Closing comments by Bill Huisman, closing prayer by Pastor Jim Warren.
This sermon is available for download on iTunes, where you can also subscribe to our podcast. Search for "Westchester Chapel" on the iTunes Store.
Our church's sermon's are now going to be on iTunes
I finally figured out how to put our church's sermon's on iTunes. To find Joyce's sermons and those by other members of our pastoral team click here or search for Westchester Chapel in the iTunes Store. While you're there, sign up for the podcast, which you can do by dragging the following chicklet into iTunes.
Subscribe in a reader
Subscribe in a reader
The Trial
Joyce and I loved The Trial. It was cast by Beverly Holloway, who used scenes from the film to coach our MasterWorks students for on-camera auditions, so it was great to see those scenes fully produced.
A Christmas Snow in the NYC area
A Christmas Snow, a new film with themes of forgiveness and reconciliation will be on four channels in December, and I got permission to offer free screenings in White Plains and Manhattan. I play the role of Claud, a French chef in an Italian restaurant in Tulsa, Oklahoma (RichDrama.com/AChristmasSnow). Hope you can join the fun:
December 4, 6:30pm
Screening of A Christmas Snow
Westchester Chapel
White Plains, NY
WestchesterChapel.org
No charge, but DVDs will be available for sale.
December 22, 8pm
Screening of A Christmas Snow
Manhattan Plaza
400 W 43rd St
New York, NY
No charge
(This date is subject to change or cancelation. Check itinerary.richdrama.com before attending.)
We'll run a separate soundtrack for the blind and visually impaired at both showings. Please bring your own headphones.
The film will also be shown on several TV channels across the US. Click here for listings.
Click here to order a copy.
Have a wonderful Christmas Season.
Christmas: a Twitter Reenactment
I performed the roles of Joseph and Melchior in Christmas: A Twitter Reenactment. The story was told through dialogue and inner thoughts of the characters expressed through tweets on Twitter.
Though the performance is finished you can still read our tweets: Twitter.com/#!/cf_narrator/catr.
If we follow that star we may find ourselves looking into the very face of G_d. #CaTR
This page is available at RichDrama.com/ChristmasTwitter.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Performed at the Thanksgiving Eve Service at Westchester Chapel (http://WestchesterChapel.org), November 24, 2010, by Rich and Joyce Swingle.
Written by Rebecca Phillips
© Copyright 2004 by Rebecca Phillips
Made available by the Eastern Territorial Arts Ministries (TAM) Bureau
Posted by permission
A Christmas Snow for the visually impared and blind
For our screening of A Christmas Snow at Westchester Chapel we'll be offering an alternate audio track for visually impaired and blind audience members. Jim Stovall, who has written The Ultimate Gift and a novel based on A Christmas Snow, and who is visually impaired himself, has a team at the Emmy Award-winning Narrative Television Network that has created this track.
The film will be screened on December 4 at 6:30pm at Westchester Chapel, 214 Central Avenue in White Plains, New York.
Please bring your own earphones.
The film will be screened on December 4 at 6:30pm at Westchester Chapel, 214 Central Avenue in White Plains, New York.
Please bring your own earphones.
We loved A Christmas Snow!
I'm sobbing! Joyce and I LOVED A Christmas Snow. I'm so thrilled to have been a small part of such a high-quality project.
Tracy J Trost did a phenomenal job directing! There were so many beautiful little touches.
Catherine Stewart, Anthony Tyler Quinn and Muse Watson were each so embedded in their characters, and Cameron ten Napel blew my mind with her talent!
God of Hope book now available
I just got the following note from the writer of God of Hope, a project for which I've recorded the voice of The Apostle Paul for the audio book and will perform the same role for an upcoming DVD...
The God of Hope book is now available at Amazon.com. The e-book and study guide will be available as soon as possible. The music only CD/MP3 and audio book with music CD/MP3 will hopefully be available before Thanksgiving. The video DVD will be made available during Easter of 2011.
The website www.GodOfHope.net is operational. Here you may listen to the indroduction to God of Hope (3 minutes) and Doubting Thomas tell his story (30 minutes). A five minute preview of Doubting Thomas telling his story is available by clicking here. In addition, at the website you may go to GodOfHope.net/blog and read "Your Stories", and go to Facebook and Twitter for daily" Stop and Think" quotes and thoughts. Guest speakers include Dr. Mark D. Roberts, Rev. Ben Patterson, Dr. Ian Pitt-Watson, Dr. J. Davis Illingworth, Abraham Lincoln, Sojourner Truth, Martin Luther King, Winston Churchill, Mother Teresa and more to be added.
According to Fast Stats Hospital Utilization report it is expected that 35 million patients will be addmitted to US hospitals this year staying an average of 4.8 days. We have been leaving copies of God of Hope in hospital waiting areas, cancer wards, burn centers, cardiac wards and pediactric wards, etc. We would ask you to consider doing the same.
Please invite others to visit www.GodOfHope.net. Our prayer: Touch the lives of 650 million people around the world over the next ten years- one heart at a time.
Be positive, patient, persistent. Trust God and pray always.
Listen to your heart.
Thank you again for all your help and support. JDI
A Christmas Snow at Westchester Chapel
To see a trailer for the film and an on-set interview with Rich and the director, Tracy Trost, visit RichDrama.com/AChristmasSnow.
There is no charge, but DVDs of A Christmas Snow will be available for stocking stuffers.
A Christmas Snow and the Holy Land
A Christmas Snow, the film in which I play Claud, a French chef in an Italian restaurant in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is now available on DVD. Watch a trailer, see an interview with me and the director, and order a copy for yourself (they also make great Christmas gifts) at RichDrama.com/AChristmasSnow.
And if you're looking for a live telling of the Christmas story at your church or organization (I performed it for staff at a Christmas luncheon once), I'd love to bring Views of the Manger to your community this Christmas Season: RichDrama.com/ViewsoftheManger. One of the Wise Men narrates the greatest story ever told.
And then join us in the land where that story took place...
And if you're looking for a live telling of the Christmas story at your church or organization (I performed it for staff at a Christmas luncheon once), I'd love to bring Views of the Manger to your community this Christmas Season: RichDrama.com/ViewsoftheManger. One of the Wise Men narrates the greatest story ever told.
And then join us in the land where that story took place...
CITA to the Nations: JORDAN/ISRAEL
***Information Webinar***
Title: CITA to the Nations: Jordan and Israel
Time: Thursday, November 18th at 9:00pm Eastern
Listening Method: Phone + Web Simulcast
To attend, visit: CITA.org/HolyLandWebinar
The tour leaders are Rich Swingle and Kim Messer. Rich has performed and taught on five continents and 21 nations, including two previous trips to Israel. Kim worked as Product Line Manager for Lillenas Publishing Company for nine years before becoming a freelance consultant and writer. Read their full bios on our Board page.
LOCATION: Jordan and Israel
DATE AND LENGTH OF TOUR: May 16-25, 2011 (10 days/9 nights)
COST: $1,690 per person. Divided into multiple payments.
*INCLUDES: Ground transportation in Jordan and Israel, some meals, accommodations, and entry fees to ALL sightseeing and performance arrangements.
* DOES NOT INCLUDE AIR. CONTACT HARMONY INTERNATIONAL DIRECTLY FOR MORE DETAILS (www.HarmonyInternational.com/activetour-Jordan-CITA.htm)
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Working side-by-side with Jordanian students who share your passion for drama in an effort to share (teaching drama workshops, partnering with local churches, and helping to organize the drama facilities of the Amman Baptist Schools)
- Performances (teaching performances in and around Amman, Jordan; possible combined teaching performances with Jordanian students; possible ministry with students from Bethlehem Baptist College)
WHAT WE WILL SEE:
- THE BAPTISMAL SITE OF JESUS CHRIST!
- MT. NEBO - THE VERY MOUNTAIN WHERE GOD SHOWED MOSES THE PROMISED LAND
- THE SEA OF GALILEE INCLUDING THE MT. OF BEATITUDES, CAESAREA PHILIPPI, JORDAN RIVER AND MORE
- THE WESTERN (WAILING) WALL IN THE OLD CITY OF JERUSALEM AS WELL AS THE VIA DOLOROSA, GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE, AND MEANINGFUL COMMUNION AT THE GARDEN TOMB.
For more information, visit the CITA.org/HolyLand page.
Click here to download a poster, and put it up at your church and school.
Click here to download a poster, and put it up at your church and school.
Jordan/Israel Webinar
CITA to the Nations: JORDAN/ISRAEL
***Information Webinar***
Title: CITA to the Nations: Jordan and Israel
Time: Thursday, November 18th at 9:00pm Eastern
Listening Method: Phone + Web Simulcast
To attend, visit: CITA.org/HolyLandWebinar
The tour leaders are Rich Swingle and Kim Messer. Rich has performed and taught on five continents and 21 nations, including two previous trips to Israel. Kim worked as Product Line Manager for Lillenas Publishing Company for nine years before becoming a freelance consultant and writer. Read their full bios on our Board page.
LOCATION: Jordan and Israel
DATE AND LENGTH OF TOUR: May 16-25, 2011 (10 days/9 nights)
COST: $1,690 per person. Divided into multiple payments.
*INCLUDES: Ground transportation in Jordan and Israel, some meals, accommodations, and entry fees to ALL sightseeing and performance arrangements.
* DOES NOT INCLUDE AIR. CONTACT HARMONY INTERNATIONAL DIRECTLY FOR MORE DETAILS (www.HarmonyInternational.com/activetour-Jordan-CITA.htm)
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Working side-by-side with Jordanian students who share your passion for drama in an effort to share (teaching drama workshops, partnering with local churches, and helping to organize the drama facilities of the Amman Baptist Schools)
- Performances (teaching performances in and around Amman, Jordan; possible combined teaching performances with Jordanian students; possible ministry with students from Bethlehem Baptist College)
WHAT WE WILL SEE:
- THE BAPTISMAL SITE OF JESUS CHRIST!
- MT. NEBO - THE VERY MOUNTAIN WHERE GOD SHOWED MOSES THE PROMISED LAND
- THE SEA OF GALILEE INCLUDING THE MT. OF BEATITUDES, CAESAREA PHILIPPI, JORDAN RIVER AND MORE
- THE WESTERN (WAILING) WALL IN THE OLD CITY OF JERUSALEM AS WELL AS THE VIA DOLOROSA, GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE, AND MEANINGFUL COMMUNION AT THE GARDEN TOMB.
For more information, visit the CITA.org/HolyLand page.
Click here to download a poster, and put it up at your church and school.
Click here to download a poster, and put it up at your church and school.
Clifford Miller, PhD., December 3, 1916 - October 29, 2010
I've had many wonderful mentors over the years, but I can't think of a single person who inspired more of who I am today than my Grandpa Miller.
I got nothing from him genetically. He married Grandma who lost her first husband when Mom was three months old.
When I was three years old he published his doctoral thesis and dedicated it to Ricky. He and Grandma were the only ones who ever called me that, but even when I grew older I was still Rick to him. That dedication did so much to empower me throughout my formative years.
So did his stories of life on the mission field. He taught high school at the Rift Valley Academy in Kenya, where Mom and Aunt Jeri attended for almost five years, from 1948 to 1952. He also traveled extensively through Europe. After returning from the mission field he taught history at what is now Southern Oregon State University. There he continued to jog on their track until his doctor urged him to turn to walking. Until last year he would walk an hour outside just about every day, and when his doctor asked him not to leave the building he turned to a stationary bike.
So now I perform historical plays that minister to people all over the world, and one of the protagonists is an Olympic runner.
I'm so grateful that I got to thank him for all of that about an hour before his death. My folks called from his room, so I thanked him and prayed with him, praising the Lord with him that he was trusting Jesus to cover his sins and enabling him to live forever in his presence.
I got nothing from him genetically. He married Grandma who lost her first husband when Mom was three months old.
When I was three years old he published his doctoral thesis and dedicated it to Ricky. He and Grandma were the only ones who ever called me that, but even when I grew older I was still Rick to him. That dedication did so much to empower me throughout my formative years.
So did his stories of life on the mission field. He taught high school at the Rift Valley Academy in Kenya, where Mom and Aunt Jeri attended for almost five years, from 1948 to 1952. He also traveled extensively through Europe. After returning from the mission field he taught history at what is now Southern Oregon State University. There he continued to jog on their track until his doctor urged him to turn to walking. Until last year he would walk an hour outside just about every day, and when his doctor asked him not to leave the building he turned to a stationary bike.
So now I perform historical plays that minister to people all over the world, and one of the protagonists is an Olympic runner.
I'm so grateful that I got to thank him for all of that about an hour before his death. My folks called from his room, so I thanked him and prayed with him, praising the Lord with him that he was trusting Jesus to cover his sins and enabling him to live forever in his presence.
The Source of Love
I saw The Source of Love, a film produced by Donald Leow who directed For the Glory, in which I played the soccer coach. I was so moved by The Source of Love, which takes place in one of my favorite cities, Hong Kong. It tells the story of a family struggling with very real issues, showing the very real answer in a compelling way.
My bride came to the Lord through a presentation in a restaurant with silverware and salt and pepper shakers, so the creative use of folded and cut paper was truly heartwarming for me.
There is some violence, but no profanity. It deals with an out of wedlock pregnancy but nothing of a sexual nature is portrayed.
My bride came to the Lord through a presentation in a restaurant with silverware and salt and pepper shakers, so the creative use of folded and cut paper was truly heartwarming for me.
There is some violence, but no profanity. It deals with an out of wedlock pregnancy but nothing of a sexual nature is portrayed.
Student Paper on Rich Swingle
Addi Musen, a student at North Greenville University interviewed me for this paper, which she's agreed to share.
Audition and Career Management
Interview with Rich Swingle
Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to interview Rich Swingle and ask him a few questions concerning acting, auditioning, and finding jobs. Rich is an actor and performance teacher predominantly known for his one-man shows, including “Beyond the Chariots” in which he depicts the life of runner Eric Liddell. He has been invited to perform and lead drama workshops in 21 nations all over the world. Back in the United States, Mr. Swingle is the Director of Theatre at the Masterworks Festival – a Christian music and theatre summer intensive program.
The first question that I asked Mr. Swingle was, “What all is a part of your job description?” He explained, “I write my own one-man plays, perform them and other work for stage, film, etc, direct others in performances, teach acting and presentation skills. I also wrote the first draft of a documentary on Eric Liddell and am working on a screen play that tells the rest of the Chariots of Fire story.”
It is evident that Mr. Swingle has a very full schedule. It made me curious to how he first got into the “business”. He answered this question by saying, “In 1994 I was asked to move someone's belongings across country and I set up performances along the way with a friend. The next summer another friend asked if I wanted to travel with him when he moved to Seattle to work as managing director of Taproot Theatre Co. We set up performances along the way and the first friend joined me for performances on the return trip. When I came back I decided that I'd do it full-time since my room and board was covered by work I did where I was living.” I asked him how he went about getting jobs when he was first beginning. He wrote, “I made a lot of cold calls in those early days, calling up churches in denominations in which I had and was currently involved or I thought would benefit from my performances.”
Mr. Swingle also wrote about some of the parts of his job that he enjoys the most. He explained that he enjoys everything that he does, particularly performing his one-man shows, but that he is not able to make money consistently by performing. He is thankful for the related work, such as teaching and directing, to provide a living.
One question I asked him was how he personally prepared for auditions. His answer is as follows: “I've landed 4 out of 4 films for which I've auditioned this year. I brought Bev Holloway out to the MasterWorks Festival, where I direct the theatre program. (Beverly Holloway has been working as an independent Casting Director for over 15 years) I listened intensely to her advice and put it into practice. I think that one of the things that has helped me land the jobs is that I really put my all into each audition and I auditioned for every role that I thought I could do. That way, they were able to see that I have range.”
While Mr. Swingle did not give specific examples of how he prepared for auditions, his philosophy of being completely dedicated to every audition was a great piece of advice for me. I also learned that I should not limit myself to only auditioning for a specific type of character, but I should try out for any role that I believe is in my power to play.
I am often curious about working with secular companies and how to deal with conflict if any arises. I questioned Mr. Swingle about this. His answer challenged me. He wrote, “All of my work coaching presentation skills is with secular organizations. Also, many projects that I've worked on have been secular. I've had to walk away from some auditions, but in the long run I believe that I've earned the respect of each of those that were involved.”
I was inspired by his witness to step out of my comfort zone and to go wherever God leads me. I am also learning that I must stand up for my beliefs in the face of adversity, just like Mr. Swingle did when he had to walk away from the audition for whatever reason. He further explained that he wrote a letter of apology to the casting directors for wasting their time by not asking more questions about the audition beforehand. Mr. Swingle informed me that there are different ways to deal with uncomfortable situations or conflicts like that. He told me about his friend, “a fellow Christian actor said that his strategy is to just give the audition his best and, if he gets a call back, just says he isn't available. I think that's a personal call that may need to be made for each situation”. This was great advice and I trust that God will give me the wisdom to deal with conflict in a way that is respectful, professional, and most importantly, pleasing to Him.
I have had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Rich Swingle on two occasions when I was in high school. He was a very dynamic and engaging performer and also a very wise teacher. At that time, I had a lot of uncertainty about what I wanted to do with my life. It was very inspirational to see Mr. Swingle, a great man of faith, working professionally with theatre all over the world! He was one of the main factors in my decision to study theatre. I could see his passion for the theatre and his determination to reach the lost and I wanted to be a part of it as well.
(Thanks again for your help, Rich. I look forward to seeing you again next semester! - Addi)
Laying carpet
He casts a long shadow
I got to tour the new theatre complex at North Greenville University, where I'll perform in March. It was designed by Dr. Dale Savidge, who runs the department, executive directs CITA, founded the MasterWorks theatre department (http://RichDrama.com/MWF), and works as my booking agent. His contributions to my life and career are innumerable.
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