VARIOUS OPTIONS FOR BOOKING OUR PROGRAMS

OPTION 1:  SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP

It is difficult to get most churches to cooperate on any community-wide, inter-church endeavors on Sunday mornings.  That is thoroughly understandable.  Most of our plays are designed simple enough to be set up and performed for single church services for their Sunday morning worship.

OPTION 2:  SUNDAY EVENING ACROSS TOWN

As noted on our Calendar page, we can perform some of our plays on a Sunday morning, strike the set, travel within a 30-minute range, set up again, and be back on stage for an evening presentation at 6:00, or 7:00 p.m. at another area church.   It is a lot of work, and a mad scramble, but it can be exciting!

OPTION 3:  SUNDAY EVENING ENCORE

A newer Option we have found successful in the past several years is the Sunday Evening Encore, where the Host Church allows us to leave our sets in place and invite other churches in the area to gather for a community-wide, inter-church outreach.   That way we can reach many more souls in a singe road trip.  Here are some factors to bear in mind.

  • When you contact DDM for a booking, you consider including other churches in our area..
  • We can provide DVD movie-style trailers to each participating church to help promote the event.
  • It is our goal to acknowledge, during the curtain call, every pastor and church present .
  • This kind of cooperation makes it possible for churches to share the mileage expense.

OPTION 4:  FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY EVENINGS

In recent months we have begun seeking to book time slots other than Sunday mornings.  We have discovered most churches are so fully scheduled, it is rare they have a free Sunday morning for booking outside events. like our dramas.  As one local pastor told Alan, "Call me about a Friday evening and I'll book you in a heartbeat."

Another reason for focussing on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings is the fact that two of our plays are so elaborate, it now takes a full day for set up, and a half day for rehearsal.  When I Am Free, for example, requires a team of at least 10-12 performers and crew, we are planning to book a series of performances for each set up.  That could include combinations of Friday evening, Saturday matinee, Saturday evening, Sunday matinee and Sunday evening.  WOW, WHAT AN OPPORTUNITY!

PRIME SEASONAL EVENTS -- Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas

This is one of the most difficult subjects to discuss.  Please, as you begin to read this article, don't stop until you discover some of the positive alternatives offered below.

Most churches want to book us for the Prime Holiday seasons.  We have always sought to maintain two important goals: 

  • To reach as many people as possible at every performance, especially during the holidays.
  • To serve as many churches as possible, no matter how small, with excellence and our best effort.

It is during the prime holidays that these two goals seam to come into conflict.  Larger churches have their drama teams; smaller churches need us, and are oftenthe first to request Christmas and Easter.  With this in mind, our Board of Directors has discussed setting a target minimum of 250+ for the Prime Holidays.

Smaller churches please read on.   It is still possible for us to bring one of our dramas to your area during the holiday seasons. 

It was noted that, as an alternate plan, we encourage smaller churches to consider booking a Sunday evening while we are in their area, and seeking to promote a maximum attendance by sponsoring an inter-church event.  We will do our part to help promote such events by sending DVD trailers to area churches, encouraging them to participate.

Or, we could set up and perform in your church on Sunday morning, and do an Encore presentatin in your church, inviting other area churches to participate.  The main thing we would ask is that you and we do all we can to promote the event and secure a full house.  The result could be excitine!