Drama ministry team spreads the gospel across the East Coast

With a trailer full of costumes and a bus full of students, the King’s Players Drama Ministry has always been on its way to share powerful performances that present the gospel to a multitude of audiences.

The ministry team allows students of all majors to participate in different productions and travel up and down the East Coast, sharing the Good News through its performances. Whether one is acting or managing sound, they all play a part in reaching people for the gospel.

“We are just acting,” Alexa Stubblefield said. “We are doing something fun for us, but it is so impactful, and it is so good to be able to share the gospel through that.”

Currently, Stubblefield is a senior at Liberty University and is studying American Sign Language with minors in theatre arts and family and consumer sciences. This semester marks Stubblefield’s first time as an actress for the King’s Players. Although Stubblefield is new to the King’s Players, she has been developing her acting skills since she was 8 years old.

“I love being characters that are different and have a story and a background and the ones that are struggling with stuff,” Stubblefield said. “That is what people relate to.”

Stubblefield has found great community within her team and has been able to gain many opportunities through participating with the drama ministry. From playing several roles to setting up the set, each of the students play a lot of different parts in order to make the productions come together.

Comprised of four total teams, two of which are primarily students, the King’s Players performs several different plays each year. This semester, the student teams are performing “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” “Light in the Darkness” and “Which Way.” Both teams are putting on their rendition of “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” and the other two plays are split between the two teams.

Their piece titled “Which Way” is about 10 people in purgatory who discuss details about their life with each other. “Light in the Darkness” takes several true stories and blends them into one piece about the struggles of a teenage girl dealing with drugs, alcohol, sexual purity, bullying and comparison.

Stubblefield is in one of the productions of “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” where she alternates between playing Lucy or Mrs. Beaver. She also acts in “Light in the Darkness” and runs the lights backstage.

“‘Light in the Darkness’ has been so impactful for so many people,” Stubblefield said. “It is so powerful. It is a really hard show because there are so many hard subjects, but it is something that people need to hear and that people can relate to with the struggles that they go through.”

The teams take these productions to local audiences on the road as they present their plays to nursing homes, schools, youth groups and children’s homes.

In the 63 years of its ministry, the group has also had the opportunity to perform at jails, churches and the Festival of Entertainment in Seattle, Washington. The drama ministry’s current director, David Allison, has been leading the theater group since 1977.

The group will continue to showcase its productions next semester. Some of the King’s Players’ upcoming plays include a musical of Jesus’ life as well as a student-written play titled “Undignified,” which delves into the biblical story of David through Michal’s perspective. For more information regarding the details of the drama ministry’s latest plays, contact Allison at dallison@liberty.edu.

Norman is a feature reporter for the Liberty Champion