HowardTHESIS

STAGING THE CROSS:

A STUDY OF CHRISTIAN THEATRICAL

PERFORMANCE PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH

A Thesis

Presented to

The Faculty of the Department of Television, Radio, Film, and Theatre

San José State University

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

Master of Arts

Emily Catherine Howard

December 2008

ABSTRACT

STAGING THE CROSS:

A STUDY OF CHRISTIAN THEATRICAL

PERFORMANCE PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH

by Emily Catherine Howard

This thesis focuses on Christian theatrical performance programs for youth exclusively those at Assemblies of God churches in California’s Central Valley. It analyzes common features of programs for youths in grades six through 12, and it examines how the programs are organized, how they function, and more specifically, what types of performances are presented and how often they are presented.

The researcher produces a narrative of survey information and analyzes similarities and differences of ten AG performance programs. Results of this research generated correlations to California Arts Education sources, such as California’s Visual and Performing Arts standards, California Department of Education’s Visual and Performing Arts Framework, and the Educational Theatre Association. These correlations suggest churches are inadvertently validating the standards, thus providing scholarship another evidential corroboration to justify additional reform in theatre education.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES

I. INTRODUCTION

A. Significance

B. Terminology

C. Methodology

II. LITERATURE REVIEW

A. California Educational Standards for Youth Performance Programs

B. Additional Secular Sources for Theatre Performance Programs

for Youth

C. The Scholarly World and Christian Drama

D. Drama Ministry Sources

III. FINDINGS – REPORT OF SURVEY RESULTS

A. Narrative of Survey Results

B. Trends and Common Identifying Features

IV. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

V. APPENDICES

A. Appendix A – Permission Mailer/E-mail

B. Appendix B – 2^nd Attempt E-mail

C. Appendix C – 2^nd Attempt E-mail Attachment

E. Appendix E – Survey Questions

F. Appendix F – SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE script example: Wolverines

G. Appendix G – SKIT GUYS script example: Piece of a Peace

H. Appendix H – CHURCH #9 script example: TYCO

VI. BIBLIOGRAPHY

100

102

107

113

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