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H.M.S. Productions, directed by Jeani Coleman, is the drama ministry
of the Harvester Presbyterian Church in Springfield, Virginia.
H.M.S. Productions has produced eight plays, two showcases of Christian
drama sketches, and some seasonal skits.
The showcase of drama sketches, H.M.S. debut in November,
1999, was presented in a cheesecake and coffeehouse atmosphere.
Seven humorous sketches written by Steve Coleman were presented,
ranging from themes such as a person’s search for God to a modern
day application of Psalm 1. In Know Way, a professor tries
to convince a traveler that all roads lead to Fairfax. Another
skit had two law school graduates compare their new found jobs,
one with a firm who fights for justice and the other with "Wicked,
Sinners and Mockers," a firm which knows how to party.
The first play, in the spring of 2000, was a one-act by Lawrence
Ensco. Night Watch is the story of the guards who stood
watch over Jesus tomb.
The next play, a full-length play
written by Jeannette Clift George (who portrayed Corrie Ten Boom in The
Hiding Place), was O' Little Town of Bagels, Teacakes and
Hamburger Buns. Presented at Christmas 2000, this is a wonderful
love story of a widower who visits the bakery in Palestine, Texas,
where he and his now deceased wife came every ten years on their
anniversary.
In the Spring of 2001, H.M.S. presented Who is
this Man? by David Dunlap, a one-act play about a family of
Pharisees and Saducees set during the time of Jesus crucifixion.
In 2002, C. S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
came to life.
In the spring of 2003 H.M.S. presented the powerful
and funny family drama by Paul McCusker. Family Outings is
a poignant dramatic comedy about family relationships and friends, with
a depth of focus that touches the many facets of being a family in the
closing years of the 20th and beginning of the 21st centuries.
In December, 2003, the worst kids in town put on The
Best Christmas Pageant Ever in Barbara Robinson's hilarious
play.
In May, 2005, "The Judgment Seat" by Texas playwright
C.R. "Pappy" Houck depicted men, women and children immediately after
their moment of death standing before God to be judged. They recounted
their life choices in dialogue with the disembodied voice of God. Some
were ushered by angels into glory where others were dragged by demons
into the pit of Hell.
In December, 2006, "The Missing Jesus" told the stories of
hurting people experiencing the love of Jesus as they "saw" the 'baby Jesus'
that was missing from the Trinity Church's nativity scene.
In June, 2007, "Real Life.... Real Solutions" was a showcase
of relevant dramas and skits for everyday life! The short plays addressed
topics such as dependency and addiction through the hilarious skit "The Wrap
Group" where individuals gathered at their monthly meeting to deal with their
addiction to "Bubble Wrap" to a drama which addressed a strained marriage
dealing with communication issues in "Will you Listen." We saw a group of
pre-teen friends become enemies from the poison of gossip and malicious
pranks in "Gaggle of Gossips." The showcase opened with Adam and Eve and
original sin in the Garden of Eden and ended with high schoolers struggling
with pregnancy. The evening of dramas touched every audience member
somewhere as they watched the show in a relaxed coffee house setting with
coffee provided by "The Daily Grind."
At Christmas 2007, "From God and a Woman" was produced from an original
script by Deacon, Steve Coleman. This script was based on the genealogy of
Jesus through the women of the Bible. It was portrayed through a picture
story book read to a young girl by her aunt. The pictures from the book
came alive through the character of the Biblical women appearing in a life
size screen on stage and interacting with the young girl.
What separates H.M.S. Productions from other church productions
is Jeani's belief that the heart of the play is not in the
technical aspects as much as it is in the quality of acting. "If
I can train my actors to stand alone without the added dimension
of a great set, costumes and props, then I know I have a successful
play. Although I must admit, we have had some pretty impressive sets!"
Jeani, an experienced actress and director of 25 years,
spends the majority of production time training her actors, pushing,
pulling and tweaking them until "they get it just right and grow
into their characters." Once she has this in place, then she puts
her energy into the technical dimension. These attributes combined
with Gods blessing produce plays worth coming back to see
as well as touching lives.
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