The following dramas are based on true stories of real, but ordinary people, whom God chose to use in some unusual ways. They are a glimpse into world history and how God has been at work through people, to bring His kingdom and Good News here on earth.
Why are these stories important? To quote the Christian theologian, J.I. Packer: “It has often been said, if we will not learn from history, we sentence ourselves to repeat its mistakes. This is supremely true of Christian history, which shows us the conflict of God’s word with the world, in and through the lives of His servants and sets before us the possibilities of living for God that had never before entered our minds.” Forward to “131 Christians Everyone Should Know”
Join Deanna as she dramatizes the lives of ordinary people who served an extraordinary God. Each play has been carefully researched and written to hold true to the history of the time and the mark each person made for Jesus Christ in their world.
Let their stories encourage you in your own God-given purpose as you watch them deny themselves and follow Him.
You will find Posters and Bulletin Inserts to facilitate the promoting of these dramas by going to my MEDIA page. Also feel free to call or email churches on my CALENDAR page for references.
Impossible Faith: Corrie ten Boom
“No pit is so deep that Christ is not deeper still.” Betsie ten Boom 
In May of 1940 the Netherlands was invaded and occupied by Hitler’s forces in WWII. Jews were arrested and deported to extermination camps throughout Germany. Active resistance to the Nazis was carried out by a small minority of the population which grew larger as the war continued. Ordinary but courageous civilians joined what was known as the Dutch Underground and were instrumental in helping Jews escape to freedom; many paying with their lives.
The country was liberated on May 5, 1945 after the German forces surrendered to the Canadian forces. By this time, however, over six million Jews had been murdered throughout Europe, along with millions of others deemed a political threat or racially inferior.
Follow Deanna as she portrays the story of Corrie ten Boom (1892-1983), who, along with her sister, Betsie, find themselves in one of Hitler’s extermination camps. They were part of the Underground and now must pay with their lives. Can Corrie’s faith in Christ help her find true peace, hope and love in the face of unimaginable hardships?
Fortunately an anchor during those dark times was a little bible they had smuggled into the prison.
Impossible Faith is a drama that takes the audience on a roller coaster of emotions that challenges them to trust God, even in their darkest struggles as they watch Corrie find peace in a living hope. Length: 40 minutes (Doesn’t include a 2 minute DVD of Corrie at 80 years)
Note: Based on the book The Hiding Place and used with permission by John Sherrill, co-author with Corrie ten Boom.
“Deanna has the incredible gift that draws you in until you become a part of the history she portrays. In the prison (Lethbridge Correctional Center) she captivates the women with her dramas of Christian heroes and has won many hearts to Christ.”
Pastor Julie Kissick, Streets Alive Mission, Lethbridge, AB
He’s Alive: The Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
“Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.” John 20:1 NIV
Early Sunday morning Mary Magdalene, a follower of Jesus, discovers her Lord’s empty tomb. She is desperate to know who could have taken His body away but as she looks inside she discovers two angels who ask her, “Why are you looking in a tomb for someone who is alive. He is not here because he has risen from the dead!” Confused she turns to see a man who she thinks tends the garden. She asks him, “Sir, if you have taken away my Lord’s body, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Imagine her surprise when she discovers Jesus, who was crucified three days before, is alive!
So begins this drama that relates the amazing life, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth as seen through the eyes of a woman whose life was changed forever by the Son of God. As she follows Him she is transformed as she watches Him heal blind beggars, feed the five thousand, teach the multitudes, train twelve unlikely disciples, confront the religious and be betrayed by one of the twelve. But in everything Jesus did He was completely submitted to His Father’s will, even to His death on the cross. As Mary recounts the events of the past few years she begins to realize that God had a plan in sending His Son, a plan bigger than anything she could ever imagine. Length: 40 minutes
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 NIV
“A wonderful performance delivered with passion and conviction – and very well received by our congregation.”
Pastor Tim Huebert, Worship Ministry Leader, Westwood Mennonite Church, Prince George, BC
A Light in the Darkness: Elizabeth Fry
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden…In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matt 5:14 & 16 NIV
These verses describe the story of Elizabeth Fry (1780-1845) and her friends who weren’t afraid to shine the light of Christ behind the cold stone walls of Newgate Prison in London, England during the first part of the 19th Century.
Newgate was a notorious place where hardened felons rubbed shoulders with mere debtors. Drinking, gambling, prostituting and fighting were common behavior, especially in the women’s portion. It was a cold, dark place, morally and spiritually for the 300 women and their children who were imprisoned there. Their behavior was so wanton that John Howard (prison reformer) said there was no hope for them.
But Mrs. Fry knew that the power of the gospel to transform lives combined with practical help would go a long way in changing conditions for the women at Newgate.
A school was started for the children (within the prison) with the help of friends. Soon they were teaching the women to read and write, training them in honest skills and reading the Bible to them daily. The change was so great that it began attracting the attention of government officials, high society and even Queen Victoria herself. For many years Mrs. Fry traveled to other cities and countries sharing her methods of rehabilitation. www.elizabethfry.ab.ca
A Light in the Darkness is a story of redemption and the power of the cross to change a life. It is also a drama that challenges the church to make a difference in the world around them. And that good works combined with the good news of Jesus Christ will bring light into the darkness. Length: 40 minutes
“Deanna’s humorous and poignant presentation of Elizabeth Fry’s faith and the way it moved her to speak and act for the marginalized of society was tremendously well-received. Acting Up! has blessed our community of faith as we explore how we, too, can engage with the practical needs of our community and city.”
Pastors Doug Schroeder and John Estabrooks, Crossroads Community Church, Calgary, AB
Ordinary to Extraordinary: Gladys Aylward
“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary 
men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” Acts 4:13 NIV
This is the story of an English parlor maid, Gladys Aylward (1902-1970), who became a famous missionary to China without the help of any mission agency. Gladys saw herself as pretty ordinary and frustrated because she felt she never quite fit in. One day she was at a church meeting that challenged people to dedicate their lives to God’s service, however that might look. She did and the adventure began.
She found herself traveling half-way around the world by every mode imaginable (even a muletrain); nearly kidnapped and sent off to Siberia; smuggled into China; running an inn; getting a job as a Foot Inspector; stopping a prison riot; becoming a spy for the Chinese; rescuing orphans and preaching the gospel. No, there was nothing ordinary about Gladys Aylward or the God she served. Length: 40 minutes
“Deanna has shared her dramatic abilities with our church family on several occasions. Each time she was both professional and prayerful in her presentation. God has equipped Deanna with a winsome gift in portraying characters who communicate God’s timeless tale of mercy and grace.”
Pastor Brent Miller, College Drive Community Church (Mennonite Brethren) Lethbridge, AB
An Orphan’s Christmas: George and Mary Muller
In the 1800′s orphans posed a real problem on the streets of Bristol and throughout England, for that matter. With no one to care for them their only options for survival were the workhouses which were often run by greedy and cruel managers (imagine Oliver Twist); factories which worked them mercilessly with twelve hour days or the streets where they begged, stole or worse.
A young German by the name of George Muller (1805-1898) was called to Bristol to pastor a church, along with his English wife, Mary (1790-1870). They felt directed by God to start an orphan house that was rather unusual for its time. It was both free and sustained solely by prayer and trust in a faithful God.
Starting with one orphan house at #6 Wilson Street they persevered in prayer and God proved faithful. They eventually built five buildings, housing up to 300 orphans each, just outside the city, at Ashley Downs. They are still standing to this day but are now a college and private residences. Over the 117 years of their existence the Muller homes provided safety, care and spiritual instruction to almost 18,000 of England’s orphans. www.mullers.org
“If I, a poor man, simply by prayer and faith obtained, without asking any individual, the finances for establishing and carrying on an orphan house, this might strengthen the faith of the children of God. It would also be a testimony to the unconverted of the reality of the things of God.” George Muller
An Orphan’s Christmas tells a bit of the Muller’s story from the perspective of a former street orphan who now works in one of the orphan homes. It’s Christmas Day and there is not enough food in the pantry or money for Christmas dinner but Cady Murphy is not worried for over the past forty years she has learned from the Muller’s how to trust God for the impossible. Length: 45 minutes
“The play gave our visitors (Christmas banquet) a look into the grace of God on a person’s life. It was enjoyable and touched hearts as we learned unknown information on a hero of the faith.”
Pastor Eve Bassett, Abundant Life Ministry, Edmonton, AB