About Us
What's unique about Silver Lamp Press musicals?
Our musicals were written because we couldn’t find what we were looking for when we shopped for Christian musicals for children and youth.
We wanted...
Strong Biblical content. If our children and youth are going to invest time memorizing catchy songs, why not incorporate Bible verses to hide God’s Word in their hearts? And for those shows that tell a Bible story, let’s keep as much Biblical detail as we can; the students will remember what they have acted out. Rather than turning Bible stories into something “cutesy,” we wanted to keep our shows firmly grounded in God’s truth. For shows that don’t tell a specific Bible story, we still wanted them deeply rooted in Biblical theology.
Strong musical content. The musicals we saw were geared either toward younger elementary or middle and high school students; we wanted musicals which would be accessible for fourth graders, yet still engaging for middle schoolers. Our goal was to challenge them with interesting melodies, harmonies, and lyrics. We recently added musicals for high school students.
Now that we’ve been creating these shows for years - and have been delighted to see children and young adults who can still sing our songs years later - we want to share our work with the broader community of believers. That’s why Silver Lamp Press was born. We will continue to add content as we share shows from the last two decades, and as we keep creating more brand new shows. Please join our e-mail list so you can see when we add new shows!
Types of Musicals
We have written two types of shows:
Riser Musicals. Our “riser musicals” are meant for kids in upper elementary through middle school (4th-8th grade). These are designed to have the kids on the risers, with the scenes being acted out on the stage in between songs. These shows work great at churches, Christian schools, or Christian camps, keeping all the kids involved by having them sing all the songs on the risers, even when they’re not acting in scenes. This format allows flexibility, so that these shows can be produced using a small cast (15 – 20 kids) or with a larger group. These shows are written for Soprano and Alto voices. You may need to make adjustments for older boys whose voices are changing. Hand motions for the chorus and limited choreography in certain scenes are encouraged, but optional. Show length is 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Musical Theater Shows. Our one-act musicals, also appropriate at churches and Christian camps or schools, are meant for groups of 15 – 30 high school students. Most sections with harmony are for SAB or SATB. Stronger singing and acting skills are necessary for these shows than for our riser musicals. The shows are about 1 hour in length.
Our Team
Marlene Olmsted is a life-long resident of Washington state. She has used her music degree (University of Washington, BA, ’80) in many years of teaching piano and flute, directing church choir, occasionally playing in school or community theater pit orchestras, and writing/directing Bible-based youth musicals. She believes the musicals are a powerful tool for worship and scripture memory, and she prays that you will be able to use them to bring glory to the Lord.
Julie Theophanes teaches choir and community theater classes in Oregon. She has a bachelor’s degree from Multnomah University, where she studied Bible and journalism. She has been writing musicals for more than 15 years, and she draws upon her piano and violin background as she composes music. Each summer she delights in helping children and teens perform shows at Shiloh Bible Camp in Washington. She and her husband enjoy ballroom dancing, escape rooms, and their three amazing children.
Eric Olmsted is an electrical engineer in Washington state, having graduated from Seattle Pacific University in 2013. He is a frequent song leader for his church, selecting songs, playing guitar, and leading singing. He also plays violin and has performed in school orchestras all through college, pit orchestras for musicals, weddings, and various other gigs. He has participated in many musicals, learning elements of acting, dancing, and singing in a musical theater setting. He started writing musicals with Marlene Olmsted and Julie Theophanes when they began to do longer musicals for an older cast.