Seekers Under Construction
[the Clown Skit of April 1, 2001 was mostly improvised, this is the broad outline]
Set:
Cross has plywood square hanging from crossarms, with an electric outlet built in, and a sign “Danger. High Voltage.” All this is covered.
Altar has dollhouse and other box covered in red construction paper on it, similar to buildings on Seekers’ new property.
Chairs are set up for communion — a few chairs in center area removed.
3 clowns enter to near altar, 1 on one side of dollhouse and 2 on other side, standing so congregation can see dollhouse, semi-facing each other:
1 clown — architect
2 clown — head of Seekers building design team
3 clown — head of Seekers financing team
Key points of ad lib dialogue:
1. Architect clown shows 1st design model — Understood Seekers is into silence and used to plain setting for worship — Quaker style.
a. 1st model is house as is — 2 clowns reject it "could stay at 2025 for that"
2. Architect clown has 2nd model of design for Seekers new home — Understood Seekers is composed of people from a variety of spiritual backgrounds, likes to be called together to pray together —
a. 2nd model has minaret and dome — looks like a mosque, and 2 clowns reject it
3. Architect clown has 3rd model — Understood Seekers is interested in art and uses a bell or chimes to center people for worship
a. 3rd model has 2 towers and steeple at crossing — looks like Notre Dame, too Catholic, too expensive and 2 clowns reject it — people would rather give funds to the AIDS ride instead of the building fund for something like this.
4. Architect clown has no other model – clowns decide Seekers may need a discernment weekend.
2 other clowns enter as contractors/workmen, loudly ready to begin demolition & construction. Make bad jokes and puns with the congregation. They lay out electrical cord around/through congregation. Plug in electric saw and electric drill in electrical cord, but no power. Finally realize that they need to plug into "the power of the cross" and tear cover off plywood, plug into outlet.
Key points of ad lib dialogue:
1. Heard that Seekers could always raise enough money, so they were ready to begin, the money would come.
2. First 3 clowns stop them — floor plans aren’t done.
Architect passes out sheets of easel paper for congregation to make floor plans for each room to the other 4 clowns
2. Clowns read out names of rooms and call forth the name of a person most likely to be the room "team leader" and post them up along the perimeter of the room. Get team leader to come to easel paper, give him/her marker, and get them to call forth team members. Each team must draw a side view, decide what furniture and show where it goes, choose décor colors, fabrics, etc. Whole congregation should be divided into teams, standing at easel papers.
Classroom
Nursery
Art Room
Theatre
Prayer
Music
Dancing
Body work
Coffee hour
Bike
(2 clowns leave to get props ready in foyer for communion.)
4. Each team leader reports back the décor of the team’s room to the rest of the congregation.
5. Clowns realize there is no worship room. Two clowns solve it by pulling out yellow and black “CAUTION” tape for everyone to hold onto, uniting room in one big circle. Clowns realize that wherever Seekers gather to worship is the worship room.
Clown wheels in cart with sign “CAUTION: UNDER CONSTRUCTION” sign in same color scheme as “CAUTION” tape. Clowns point out that the Body of Christ is always under construction.
Cart has thermos, 2 paper paint buckets, trays with small cups filled with Gatoraid . One clown takes out large heart shaped pretzel, breaks it with words of institution. Passes paint buckets of smaller heart shaped pretzels left and right to congregation.
Other clown opens the thermos and pours Gatoraid into cup with words of institution. Trays of small cups are passed to congregation left and right.
Clowns direct congregation to take seats, and clowns exit with cart.)
