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For a FREE PREVIEW of any of
the scripts -
Complete the short Preview Form with your
name, organization's name, and email. Select
the name of the script(s) you would like to
preview. Then you will be emailed 3 PDF
documents: A portion of the script for you
to understand the flow, a list of characters to
determine if you have the right people to fill
the cast, and a suggested schedule.
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READ ABOUT PLAYWRIGHT
NANCY WALKE BOND |
TO ORDER:
Complete the short
Order Form. Choose to
pay by credit card OR Request an email
invoice to pay by check. When payment is
received the script will be emailed to you
as a PDF document. Plus, numerous graphics
and documents will be emailed to help with presenting
the best event possible! Because scripts can be
previewed - all orders are non-refundable.
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What are the benefits of putting in the hard work to
present a mystery dinner theater? |
1 -
Most of the work is extremely fun. People are able to share wonderful talents in new and
creative ways. Many times individuals discover gifts they never knew they had. Acting ability is unearthed, secret chefs emerge,
savvy decorators appear, skillful prop makers come forth,
. . .
2 -
The cast grows very close to one another and creates a unique
and special bond.
3 -
All the guests have a fabulous time and continue to talk about it
for weeks and weeks!
4 -
The community, who may be hesitant to attend church on Sunday
mornings, is introduced to your church and the fabulous members.
5 - Clean, fun entertainment and
laughter is provided to a community that needs a break from hard times.
6
- New
possibilities are achieved from money raised since numerous
groups proclaim these mystery dinner theaters as their best
fundraisers ever!
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What makes these scripts from Theater 4 Church the right choice
for us? |
Each script is written with both the cast and the audience in
mind. The audience will
observe a strong plot line with unexpected twists and turns
experienced by believable characters. These guests will be rewarded for their ingenious skills
of game play and deductive reasoning.
And of course, the audience will enjoy the bonus table
games and conspiring with others.
The cast will have characters to portray with depth and with
whom they can resonate. Producers find budget friendly sets and costumes. Decorators will enjoy the creative themes.
Directors will discover scripts where words do not need
to be edited. Even the
integrity of temptation is taken into consideration by not
including awkward scenes for non-married
couples to portray.
Through a great deal of personal experience and also from my
listening to others’ comments, these scripts successfully
provide a balance between character action and clue-giving
dialogue, audience involvement and length of the evening, parts
for brand new actors and seasoned professionals, exciting themes
and budget limitations, . . .
Another great benefit is that there will be no additional items
for you to be pressured to purchase. Each script includes everything you’ll need to have the
most spectacular event possible.
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How long are the mystery dinner theater drama scripts - just the
acting part? |
Each
of the full length scripts is about one hour in total:
First, an opening scene will last about 10 minutes. Following dinner, another 40-45 minutes for the main
acting part where the crime occurs.
Then, after the audience returns their ballots guessing
who is guilty, a final scene is presented that lasts about 10
minutes.
Naturally, these times are estimates.
Each church or organization will have different timing
depending on the amount of audience involvement, stage size,
nervous or experienced actors, setting up scenes, etc.
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How long does a typical evening last? |
A
tightly scheduled event
can
be accomplished in 2 hours. A more laid-back evening
could last up to 3 hours.
The presentation of the drama is one hour. The additional
time beyond the drama includes fun time finding seats, mingling
between audience and characters, playing games, eating a
delicious meal, guessing who's guilty, ...
Shorter events can be accomplished by having only dessert
and/or appetizers.
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Are any of these scripts
comedies? |
YES! They are all
extremely fun and waiting for your unique cast to create a
spectacular event!
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Which script is the easiest? |
The least difficult full length script is
Suspect Hollywood by
Nancy Bond. Because most
of the cast is imitating famous characters, they can quickly get
into the roles. Then,
much of the time characters are holding a script to audition which
creates fewer lines to memorize.
Of course, the next year's presentation is always easier because
of experience.
If your event is close at hand, then the easiest option is to do
a mini-mystery.
Currently the cast of the three mini mysteries are geared toward
youth, young twenties, or youth and their parents.
Read more at
Mini-Mysteries.
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What kind of message do the mystery dramas have? |
As a Christian, my beliefs will naturally come out in each
script - general ideas like importance of family, love,
forgiveness, trust, etc. However, there is no pushy type of moral in the scripts. Since the dramas are already thematic mysteries, the plot
is involved in making people look guilty and giving clues to the
audience to solve the crime.
Then, if you choose, you are given options such as “The Greatest
Mystery in History” which will segue the mystery theme with the
mystery of why any person would choose to reject Jesus Christ.
Plus, I believe one of the strongest messages of the
evening will be how people treat others who attend the event –
especially strangers.
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have
love for one another.
John 13:35 (NAS)
Read More:
The
Message
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Are these mystery plays suitable for organizations that are NOT
religious like schools or community groups? |
Absolutely Yes!
Hundreds of groups have thoroughly enjoyed using these mystery
dinners because they are clean-cut and family friendly. There is no need to edit out cuss words, foul language,
embarrassing situations, awkward inuendos, ...
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What if our church is concerned about presenting a mystery
script that contains a murder? |
There are several scripts to choose from that are crimes
of theft or sabotage and not murder:
Sabotage on “The Ultimate
Server”; The Conundrum on the Crackerjack Cruise; New York
Dreams; Who's Cookin'?; The Hawaiian Heist; Missing Greenbacks;
THe Circus Charade; and The Case of the Sinister Senior Sabotage
And in Suspect Hollywood,
Murder at Mikes, and
Wrangle at Red Mountain
Ranch the murders are/can be attempted murder.
(Though in Wrangle
at Red Mountain Ranch there are gunfights acted out in the
Old West Scene.)
If you do choose to present a “murder mystery” you can
be sure that nothing even close to being gruesome will ever be
shown. And the murders
are not glorified.
Rather, they are shown as terrible choices with consequences.
Sometimes, we need to be reminded that when life gets
difficult, we are all tempted to react in the wrong way.
Yet, God is there to see us through.
No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man;
and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond
what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way
of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.
I Corinthians 10:13 (NAS)
Read More:
Why a Murder in the Church?
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How is dinner integrated into presenting the play? |
Feed your hungry, paying guests appetizers as they arrive.
Then at your stated start time, your host encourages everyone to
be seated and turn their chairs to face the stage. The first scene is presented. This
10 minute scene will introduce all the characters and get the
audience speculating about what’s going to happen next, who they
like and don’t like, what crime they think will occur, who they
think seems suspicious . . .
Next, as dinner is served, the cast mingles with the guests while
they eat and discuss their thoughts.
After dinner, the main portion of the script is presented and a
crime occurs.
Dessert is served as each audience member makes a final decision
about who is guilty and turns in their ballots. The final scene is presented which will identify the
guilty person. The
cast takes a bow and the host returns to announce the evening’s
winners.
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What if we have never done anything like this before? |
You can do this!
1 - Allow yourself time to plan and practice.
2 - Pick a script that is not too difficult.
3 - Involve several team members who have specific areas that
he/she is willing to lead. (Food,
Advertising, Tickets, Decorating, ...)
Read more:
Guidelines for Hosting a
Mystery
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What is the most common food to serve? |
Definitely spaghetti! It
must be the least expensive and easiest to feed to a crowd
because it is frequently found on the dinner theater menu.
There
are some highly delicious options out there including lasagna,
chicken, hamburgers, turkey, meatloaf, …
The
most common side dish:
Green beans
I
recommend considering the theme of the script when planning the
menu.
Many
churches save money on dessert by having volunteers bring the
sweet treats.
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What is a typical price for each ticket? |
It depends on your target audience. Probably the price I see the most often is $15 per
ticket. The highest cost
I’ve seen is $30 which was for a fundraiser.
(For this price
the food, set, and the acting must be amazing!)
I
have also seen tickets as low $5 where the church served hot
dogs and chips like at the movies.
(The script was
“movie” based “Suspect Hollywood.”)
With
today’s economy there are many people that will
struggle with prices higher than $10 – which is actually a
great deal because going to a movie costs more than that!
Naturally,
charging children a smaller amount helps families a lot.
Offer
free or inexpensive childcare and suggest a "Date Night" for
couples. (This idea helps free up paid seats if a
fundraiser.)
And
if it’s a fundraiser, you could have “Gold Circle” seating which
is up front and costs more than other tables.
Another fundraiser idea is to sell clues to audience members for
some fabulous donated prize to be given to the “Sleuth of the
Night”.
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How many people normally attend? |
If
you do advance advertising, you can sell as many tickets as you
have chairs available! Start advertising at least 8 weeks out to give people a
chance to put it on their calendars.
The
most common number of attendees per night that I see is about
100 – 150.
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How do we get a free preview? |
Select the “PREVIEW” link at the top of the page. Complete the short Preview Form with your name, church
name, and email. Check the name of the script you would like to
preview. Then, you will be emailed three PDF documents: A
portion of the script for you to understand the flow, a list of
characters to determine if you have the right people to fill the
cast, and a suggested schedule.
When you have made your decision about ordering, the preview
material is to be deleted from your computer.
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How many scripts can we preview? |
You
may preview up to 3 scripts. Trying to read through any more than that will make the
decision too confusing.
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What does the cost of $125 include? |
You will be emailed a fun, quality script. Many of the scripts have more than one option for
endings.
Plus, there are numerous extra documents for you to use in
creating the best event possible.
Get it all started with set up suggestions and schedules.
Advertising helps include various size logos, handouts,
and letter size posters. There is help with decorating such as table numbers and signs. And lots of helpful documents to give the audience
including ballots, playbills, itineraries, table games, crime
solution ballots, character descriptions, and the Greatest
Mystery in History handout which shares the plan of salvation in
a creative way.
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Once we order, how long does it take to receive the script by
email? |
You
will receive the script within 24 hours of M-F business days.
If ordered on Saturday, then there is a good chance you will
receive the script that day or Monday at the latest. Sundays are my day of rest and no business is done on
that day.
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How many copies of the script are we allowed print? |
You may print as many scripts as needed
for actors, directors, lighting, sound, stage hands, etc.
Copies should be numbered and catalogued as to who gets which
one. After the
production is complete,
ALL copies are to be collected and stored together in a
single file (to use again
one day with royalties) or destroyed together.
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How many performances are we permitted to have? |
You
may have up to 3 performances at the SAME VENUE within one year
of your first presentation. Additional performances will require a royalty payment of
$35 per performance.
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What kind of changes can we make? |
NO deletions, alterations, or changes of any kind are allowed
unless directly authorized by the author. The title of the play shall not be changed. Character names shall not be changed.
Heart,
soul, research, and HARD WORK is crafted into these scripts!
If an organization makes
naïve, unapproved changes it can destroy diligent efforts to
create flow, consistency, personalities, clues, foreshadowing,
and/or believability.
I
DO realize that sometimes there are circumstances when
changes are needed for specific situations.
I am very open to this need. To request permission, please email Nancy Bond PRIOR
to making or practicing the desired changes to ask for
permission.
Now,
I DO want you to add fun interjections and short
ad lib lines that continue in the spirit of the drama and keep
it flowing in a natural way.
And staging may be done to best fit the needs of your
organization.
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Is it legal to videotape the production? |
No.
You must get permission to record the production. Please email me and let me know exactly who and what the
video would be used for.
I will reply by email to let you know if that will or
will not be acceptable.
I understand that most churches simply want to have a video for
their own enjoyment and fun memories.
But if you video your production and put it on You Tube, that’s
like going to a movie and recording it. Other people see the ending! And there are some churches that will not be able to see
beyond what has already been done and make their production
better and/or unique.
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What happens if I order and I do not receive all of the
documents? |
Please
check spam or junk folders because with the many attachments,
emails can look like spam to filtering programs.
After
opening the emails take a moment to scroll down through all the
attachments. There will
be so many helpful documents that you will need to
SCROLL.
Also, read the email since it will provide vital
information. SAVE the documents
to a file folder on your computer so that you can look through
them more easily.
If
you still feel that something is missing, then please email
right away. I will
be happy to help you find the resolution. Or call
614-266-2638.
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What is the history of Stuff 4 Church? |
Fulfilling a dream is not necessarily a quick process.
But through God’s leading and support from my husband,
family, friends, and other Christians I’m getting closer now.
There is an appointed time for everything.
And there is a time for every event under heaven.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NAS)
The beginning of Stuff 4 Church
goes back to May of 2000 when I purchased my first domain name. (Ouch – domain
names were $125!) Finally by February 2002, I had created a
website to sell Children’s Church lessons and short drama
sketches. I printed
my own business cards to pass out at a Creative Ministries
Festival near Dayton, OH. Unfortunately, I was so busy helping with the conference
that I only gave away a handful of those original cards.
So, a year later, I was even more motivated. I had to create a new website because someone else bought
the .com name and I switched to
www.stuff4church.org. That year I had been contracted to lead the 2003 Creative
Ministries Conference, which was close by in Grove City, OH. At the conference, I talked to a friend, Rick Shoemaker,
who served as a pastor. He was very excited for me to sell his three mystery
dinner theater scripts on my website along with my dramas,
lessons, and lists of free church goods.
In July 2003, I sold several quarters of Children’s Church
Lessons and also the first mystery dinner theater. I really enjoyed electronically meeting people across the
country who were serving in various denominations. Several of those people were especially encouraging to
me.
Since
my goal was to begin my own business without going into debt, I
continued to work a part time job as an administrative assistant
at Barney Corporation in Columbus, OH. While at this job, I learned a great deal including web
design, database encoding, and graphic editing in Adobe
Photoshop. These
experiences enabled me to achieve many of my goals at Stuff 4
Church.
Then, in November 2003, I was let go because the company was
downsizing. Though the
news was hard to hear, I know it was God’s perfect timing. As I searched for my next part time job, I was able to
use the extra time to write. I wrote my very first mystery dinner theater script,
The Case of the Sinister
Senior Sabotage.
This script was written for youth because there are so many
youth groups that thoroughly enjoy acting. Also, several churches had been requesting a script that
did not involve a murder. The first sale was very soon after posting the script in
March of 2004.
Later in August of 2004, I was able to find a new job teaching
math as an adjunct at Columbus State Community College.
The job was ideal for me and I never would have found it
if I had not lost my other job.
In the meantime, I began working on my second mystery dinner
theater script, Suspect
Hollywood. In
January 2005, I posted the script on the website and it
immediately began selling. My husband suggested that we present
Suspect Hollywood at
our church. At first I
was hesitant. Our church
averaged about 125 people each week and we met in a high school. And yet I knew that with God, all things are possible. We practiced at my house and in a community room at the
public library. A church
nearby loaned us their gym for the performance. The April event was fantastic!
It was amazing how all the cast members and the people in
the audience had such a great time.
Having the opportunity to present this script was invaluable. It helped me tweak the drama in all the right places. Plus, I realized the types of documents that
organizations need in order to stage a successful event.
My church also presented the next group of dinner theaters that
I wrote from 2006 - 2010:
The Conundrum on
the Crackerjack Cruise, Murder at Mike’s, Sabotage on ‘The
Ultimate Server’, and
Wrangle at Red Mountain Ranch. Each year, both the cast and the audience had a fabulous
time. I continued to
learn how to write better scripts that are ideal for this
atmosphere.
During this time I began teaching at the Creative Ministries
Conferences in KY. Through this awesome experience, I was inspired to invent the
“mini mystery”. These
scripts made the workshops so much fun and have provided
excellent “starter” material for dinner theater newbies.
Because my husband and I had moved to Ohio as church planters in
1997, my writing time has often been limited. Especially during the summer of 2007 when over 200
volunteers emerged in Galloway with a group called “The Church
Builders of Texas” to build our first church building. Yet, the time was a huge blessing in so many ways and I
knew a time would come when I could focus more on writing and
this business.
Then in August of 2010, through God’s guidance, my husband and I
moved back to our hometown in Atlanta to be near our families.
I decided it was time to concentrate my efforts on this
business. For quite a
while I had wanted to create a new website that focused on the
theater scripts that I write. After several months of working and tweaking, Theater 4
Church became a reality in August 2011.
I wanted to share this brief history to encourage other
Christians to:
1) Continue seeking the
dreams you know God has placed in your heart.
Delight yourself in the
Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4 (NAS)
2) Encourage others in their pursuits because you may be the
spark they need to continue their journey.
Therefore encourage one
another and build up one another, just as you are also doing.
I Thessalonians 5:11 (NAS)
3) Trust God and his perfect timing.
He has made everything appropriate in
its time.
He has also set eternity in
their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which
God has done from the beginning even to the end.
I know that there is nothing
better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s
lifetime; moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good
in all his labor – it is the gift of God.
I know that everything God does
will remain forever; there is nothing to take from it, for God
has so worked that men should fear Him.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 – 14 (NAS)
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