STEP INTO THE STORY
Exploring Bible Stories by Voicing the Characters

In this experiential activity, participants imagine themselves inside a Bible story and then speak a few lines as one of the characters. The drama-based exercise helps people engage with the story more deeply.

Instructions:

• Choose a Biblical Story: Select a short, vivid passage from the Bible that includes a clear setting, characters, and some form of conflict, transformation, or dialogue. (Examples: the healing of Bartimaeus, the woman at the well, Zacchaeus, the prodigal son, etc.)

• Set the Scene: Briefly introduce the story and the idea of placing oneself within it. Explain that participants will imagine themselves as a character in the scene—either one of the named figures or someone they invent who might have been there (a bystander, a family member, a skeptic, etc.).

• Read the Story Aloud: Read the story slowly and clearly. Consider reading it twice—once for familiarity, and again to allow deeper immersion and imaginative engagement.

• Time for Reflection: Give participants a minute or two of quiet to choose a character and imagine what that person might have felt, thought, or said in response to the events of the story.

• Speak from the Character: Invite participants, one at a time, to stand and speak a short monologue—one to three sentences—in the voice of their chosen character. They should begin speaking without identifying who they are. 

  For example: “I didn’t think anyone like him would look twice at a man like me. But he saw me. Really saw me” or “I was furious. Who does he think he is, forgiving sins like that?”

• Debrief and Discussion (Optional): After everyone who wants to has spoken, you can invite a group discussion.

  • What stood out to you in what others said?

  • Did anyone’s imagined perspective give you a new insight into the story?

  • How does this change the way you read this passage?

Guidelines:
Encourage honesty, creativity, and respectful listening.

Avoid having anyone take on the voice of Jesus, to keep the exercise grounded in discipleship and observation rather than a divine perspective.

Remind participants that there are not right answers—this is about exploration and discovery.

MORE DRAMA BASED ACTIVITIES FOR EXPLORING THE BIBLE:
AUDIENCE CUE CARDS - A storytelling technique using cue cards for audience response and participation
BIBLICAL SLIDE SHOW - An activity for groups to present Bible stories in the form of frozen scenes or tableaux
PSALMS IN MOTION - A collaborative group activity that interprets psalms through improvised expressive movement

© 2025, Friends of the Groom Theater Company

Activities and techniques in the Friends of the Groom Theater Company Resource Center are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.
The Resource Center is designed to assist churches, organizations, and individuals
with creative worship and Christian Education.
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