Taken from a pamphlet by

Jewell Ellen Smith, written in 1973,

entitled "How to Put On a Good Friday Prayer Breakfast,"

With further comments by her son, Dr.  David L. Smith, written in italics.

The many Easter and Christmas plays (some 30) written by Jewell Ellen Smith were begun as a desire to present a "Good Friday Prayer Breakfast," including a short play, at Fort Rucker, Alabama. As an Army wife and mother, she felt that the techniques she developed could be put to good use by military personnel at other posts throughout the world; she therefore wrote up her experience at performing her plays in the book "How to Put On a Good Friday Prayer Breakfast," published in 1973 by the U.S. Army Aviation Center at Fort Rucker, Alabama. As such, some of her suggestions are applicable chiefly in a military setting, however there are many valuable suggestions that may be of use to other groups performing these plays.

Putting on a Biblical play is not just a matter of getting a bunch of amateurs together to do some acting. The play should be approached in an appropriately reverent atmosphere, and should include many little items to make it an eagerly anticipated event. For instance, the plays were originally performed in the Officer's Club at Fort Rucker; thus the general environment was conducive to comfort. Included were some ceremonial touches such as a Styrofoam cross in which flowers could be imbedded in a ceremony to take place after the play, and some more practical touches such as a good meal. That said, here are some of the things she wrote.

UNWRITTEN RULES

The programs do not come precut. Nor is one year's presentation exactly like that of the year before.

However, the committee charged with program development follows an unwritten rule that the two-hour event tell of the Crucifixion and Resurrection, and Christian duty; and, that the entire occasion be a form of worship and praise.

The program may include the reading of the Scriptures, hymns, prayer, dramatizing Bible truths and stories, and giving each participant moments in which to search his own heart, and privately renew his vows to God.

Long speeches are avoided. No sermons are allowed. Dignity, simplicity, and solemnity set the mood so that Good Friday can be observed as a Holy Day--a day to remember the Cross.

A THEME IS CHOSEN

If the play chosen for performance has an overall theme, this theme can be carried over into other aspects of the event, such as in…the table decorations and through material placed in the printed program bulletin.

For example, the play titled "Hands" (q. v.) has the theme that a Christian should use his hands for God, and for his fellow man. It is ...so written that the chief action centered around a scene showing Pontius Pilate as he washed his hands of Jesus of Nazareth, even as the Jerusalem mob yelled, "Crucify him! 

Crucify him!"

For its part, the ... committee on decorations secured praying hands figurines for each table's centerpiece. These were flanked by miniature basins of plain water.

And the program development committee had printed on the program bulletin the matchless lines from Tennyson's Morte d'Arthur: 

     More things are wrought by prayer Than this world dreams of.

Wherefore, let thy voice

Rise like a fountain for me night and day.

For what are men better than sheep or goats

That nourish a blind life within the brain,

If, knowing God, they lift not hands of prayer

Both for themselves and for them who call them friends? For so the whole round earth is every way Bound by gold chains about the feet of God.

HOW TO PLAN A GOOD FRIDAY BREAKFAST PROGRAM

A.  WHO DOES WHAT

In planning such an event, the first question is how to get organized and to determine who will do what.

At Fort Rucker, the method successfully used has been this: The Chaplain Advisor already assigned to the Protestant Women of the Chapel (PWOC) becomes the project officer. The president of the PWOC either names a breakfast chairman or assumes this duty herself. These two and the director of the play work together as a team.

The Executive Board of the PWOC assumes numerous responsibilities as directed by the president. She names from the board and the membership-at-large chairmen for table decorations, menu, tickets and reservations, preparation for the cross ceremony, name tags and hospitality, costumes, stage and scenery, publicity, art work and music. These chairmen, in turn, ask for volunteer workers.

B.  WHO PAYS AND HOW MUCH

How much money to spend on the breakfast program is the second practical consideration. It can be much or it can be little. There should be serious consideration of selling tickets for the event, particularly if it is elaborate and will probably be well-attended. Another possibility is to sell tickets for the meal, but not for the play itself. This will free up precious church funds for other purposes.

Sources of expense are on printing the tickets and programs, costumes, scenery materials, and table decorations.

One place to trim cost is on the program bulletin. Commercial printing is expensive. For several years, the Fort Rucker PWOC made the program leaflets by hand. They were unusually attractive, but this became impractical when the number needed passed the 300 mark.

Individuals make private contributions to the prayer breakfast fund. And many of the participants in the play provide their own costumes and props.

Costumes bought ... are kept from year to year. The scenery, too, is used over and over again. The costumes are always simple and generally hand sewn by the costume committee. Wigs and beards are bought. They are almost a must for many of the role models in the plays are played by women.

The average costume--depending on the quality of material--costs about $6. Booklets on how to make Bible characters' costumes are readily available in Christian Bookstores. And the pictures in children's Bible story books prove an excellent source for suggestions on authentic-looking garments. Other, but more expensive sources, can be readily found on the Internet. Plugging the term "Biblical AND costume AND rental" into AltaVista (http://www.altavista.com) revealed over a million different sources for costumes! But of course these will be more expensive than something stitched by hand.

WHEN TO START WORK

It is advisable to begin work on the breakfast arrangements, if it is to be staged during Holy Week,, early in the spring. At Ft. Rucker, preliminary plans are made in January. Tryouts for the play are held the first week in February and rehearsals begin soon thereafter, depending on when Easter falls. It takes from four to six weeks of practice for the musical plays.

It has been found that before rehearsals begin, it is best to call together the whole cast and all workers involved in the play to take a look at the drama as a whole, to study its theme. This, so that each person can see just what it is that the production will say to the audience.

Later, separate practice sessions are held, scene by scene, for two weeks or ten days. After that, the entire cast comes back together to put the scenes together.

At this first meeting the dates for all rehearsals are scheduled. The costume committee also agrees to a deadline for its work to be completed. And the publicity chairman announces when pictures will be made.

It is possible to rehearse too many times. Yet, when there is a cast of some 20 to 30 people, it is practically unheard of for every person to attend every rehearsal. Each player has many other interests and responsibilities: small children, jobs, other commitments. Allowances must be made this and for the unexpected.

(It is well-remembered at Fort Rucker that one year on the day of the final dress rehearsal, Salome didn't show up because her prize hound was having pups, the 

Christ Figure was called to Washington, DC, and the Devil's grandma died!)

TABLE DECORATIONS

What is used as centerpieces [at the breakfast tables] is determined by the central theme of the play and by what flowers and other materials are available.

The tables look lovely, but not festive. Bright colors are avoided. Black, the traditional color for Good Friday, is used sparingly. Purple is acceptable. So is gold. And, white. Flowers are used. Small gleaming crosses are effective. Praying hands figurines are excellent.

In the table decorations as in every other aspect of the program, simplicity, dignity, and respect for Good Friday as a Holy Day is stressed.

THE MORNING OF THE BREAKFAST

The Good Friday Prayer Breakfast program is made to run smoothly without a break or interruption so that the total effect is one of solemnity, reverence, and quiet joy.

. . .

The host groups always with to make each guest feel welcome, but it became obvious that a receiving line is a bottleneck. So, as guests arrive, they are given name tags and ushered to the dining area and are seated at the tables. Serving the food buffet style was tried. This, too, consumed so much time that it was decided to have the plates served from the kitchen.

The president of the P.W.O.C. serves as mistress of ceremonies. The order of the printed program is given in the printed bulletin, of course. The folder also carries a 

synopsis of the scenes of the play and a conventional list of players. There is also a page devoted to naming committee chairmen and workers. This is considered sufficient public recognition so that time is not used to thank the scores of people who have worked like the proverbial Turks.