Empty Tomb

A "Shadow Theater" Drama Workshop

Originally written by member Jaymie Derden, updated by the Rotation.org Content Team

Summary:

Students will act out the story of Jesus' burial and resurrection from behind a backlit sheet as they hear it narrated by the teacher and/or other students, using a technique known as "Shadow Theater."  This technique emphasizes action and body language, is scalable and adaptable to any age group, and requires a modest setup.

Scripture References:

Luke 24:1-12 ~ The story of the women going to the tomb and encountering the angels.

Memory Verse:
“He is not here.  He has risen!”  Luke 24:6

Supplies:

• A large white sheet hung across a staging area, approximately 6' wide and 6' high.
• A bright white light, such as a clamp light fixture with a 100 watt bulb, fixed at waist level behind the screen, with about 4' feet in front of it where the actors move behind the screen. The light casts the actors' shadows on the screen/sheet for others to view on the other side of the screen.
• A cloth or blanket that can be wrapped around the actor portraying Jesus.
• A bench to lay Jesus' body on (drape a blanket to make it look like a rock bench).
• A piece of cardboard cut in the shape of a large round stone which can be rolled away.
• Baskets for the actors to carry on their way to the tomb.
• Two bright flashlights that get shined on the fabric screen where the angels' shadows appear.
• A cellphone or video camera in the audience to record BOTH the rehearsal and the shadow play.
• See Shadow Theater helps, diagrams and supply recomendations at https://www.rotation.org/topic...ama-how-to-resources

Note: In Shadow Theater, any prop can easily be made out of cardboard. Only its shadow matters.

Lesson Plan

Opening:

Welcome the children and introduce yourself. Explain what they'll be doing today and what you hope they will learn.

Review the story of the Empty Tomb from Luke 24:1-12 using classroom Bibles, or a Bible storybook, or the video of your choices.  The Drama Script will repeat this scripture, so if you're really short on time, use the script as your scripture time. *The drama script begins with Jesus being laid in the tomb (Luke 23:50-56).

Warm Up:

In preparation for our Shadow Theater presentation of Luke 24:1-12, let's do some "body language" and posing warm ups. Remember that facial expressions won't be easily seen in this technique. You have to use your arms and legs, hands and head position.

Show me:

1. Astonished --with your entire body both as an action and a pose.
2. Afraid
3. Scared
4. Wondering (again, with your entire body)
5. Dead
6. Earthquake
7. Sad
8. Like an Angel (but without moving)
9. Running in slow motion
10. Walking and talking to each other in slow motion.
11. Telling someone else AMAZING NEWS.  Do it with action. Do it as a frozen pose.

Shadow Drama: Empty Tomb = Good News!  

• Assign roles and costumes.  One actor can perform many roles.
• Do a rehearsal behind the screen, stopping to suggest actions and poses.
• Remind them to listen carefully to the "cues" in the narration about what they are supposed to be doing.
• Remind them that their actions need to be slow and big.

Characters:

Closing:

Watch your video(s) as an audience and recap key moments in the story by complimenting actors and their actions.

Close with a prayer that we would not be "shadow disciples" but noticeable by everyone around us as believers and followers of Jesus Christ.

Script:  Empty Tomb = Good News!

Unless otherwise noted, all the text is to be read by a narrator(s). This person should be positioned close to the video camera so that their narration is clearly recorded. The narrator needs to pause for the actors to do their thing before continuing on with the narration. The narration contains many action cues in its words.

Narration:

1. It had been a terrible couple of days!
2. Jesus had been arrested on Thursday Night and been sentenced to die on a cross Friday morning.
3. That afternoon as he hung there breathing his last words,
4. the earth shook
5. and the sky grew dark
6. and then it was over.
7. His friends couldn't believe it. How could this happen? How could the Messiah be dead?
8. What about all their hopes and dreams? What about his message and power?
9. They didn't understand, and for the next two days, they hid themselves and cried with worry and anger.
10. When he died, one of the religious leaders, a man named Joseph of Arimathea who believed in Jesus, got
11. permission to take Jesus' body down from the cross,
12. wrap him in linen cloth
13. and gently lay his body in a rock tomb.
14. And as they left him there, their hearts were breaking.
15. Afraid that someone might want to steal Jesus' body and claim he came back to life, the governor ordered soldiers to put a large rock over the entrance to the tomb
16. and stand guard at the tomb.
17. And there Jesus' body lay Friday night and all day Saturday, until Sunday morning.
    
    (Turn off backlight so Jesus can leave the scene, then turn it back on when the words "But when they got there" are read.)
    
    
18. Early on Sunday morning, two women who were followers of Jesus, arrived at his tomb bringing spiced oils and more linen to make sure his body was properly prepared and show their respect.
19. But when they got there, (lights back on)
20. they found that guards had run off,
21. and the stone covering the entrance to the tomb had been rolled away.
22. Going into the tomb, they were shocked at what they saw.
23. Jesus was not there!
24. Not yet understanding what had happened, they came out of the time and stood there bewildered.
25. And that's when two angels appeared dressed in dazzling white.
26. Afraid, the women cowered in fear.
27. But the angels said to them,
28. “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’ ”
29. And suddenly, the women remembered. They remember that Jesus had taught them that he would rise from the dead.
30. So they hurried away to find the other disciples and tell them the good news.  No, GREAT NEWS!
31. And when they found them, they told them all about the empty tomb and what the angels had said.
32. Now imagine if someone had just told YOU that they had seen an empty tomb and an angel. Would you believe them?
33. So Peter went running to the tomb to see for himself.
34. And when he got to the empty tomb he went in
35. and only found the linen cloth that Jesus had been buried with -- just rolled up and sitting there.
36. And Peter sat there wondering if it were all true,
37. and at some point started feeling a growing sense of Joy filling his heart,
38. that his master was alive again, and nothing would ever be the same again.
39. So now it's your turn to enter the empty tomb, and see that Jesus is not there.
    For God has raised Jesus from the dead as a sign to us that everything Jesus said and did was true and real.
    That God sent him for the salvation of the world, and we should follow him now as our Lord.
    
    In this last section, Jesus can stand behind the screen with his disciples posing these words:
40. Though the body of Jesus has gone into heaven, his Holy Spirit lives on inside each of us,
41. Jesus calls us to be as loving and forgiving as he was,
42. Jesus calls us to continue his mission of reaching out to others
43. To bring healing, ...and teaching, and the Good News of God's forgiveness to all.

A lesson originally posted by member Jaymie Derden
and updated by the Rotation.org Content Team