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    At the Foot of the Cross: Easter Dramatic Readings
    At the Foot of the Cross: Easter Dramatic Readings
    At the Foot of the Cross: Easter Dramatic Readings
    Ebook95 pages1 hour

    At the Foot of the Cross: Easter Dramatic Readings

    By Barbara Dan

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    About this ebook

    Besides portraying traditional biblical characters known to have been present during Jesus crucifixion, author Barbara Dan has combined her skills as playwright and her knowledge of the Bible to recapture the emotional impact of His sacrifice on the cross for todays audiences. These skits may be used as a lead-in for sermons, special musical programs, communion, and public performance in malls, fairs, schools, and assemblies. Thrill to these rich new insights into the lives of The Rich Young Ruler, The Son of a Thief, Andrew and Peter, Princess Salome, Lazarus and his Sisters, Caiaphas the High Priest, The Gambler, Joseph of Arimathea and Pilate, John Mark, Mary the Mother of Jesus, Nicodemus, and Gamaliel!

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherWestBow Press
    Release dateAug 16, 2012
    ISBN9781449761417
    At the Foot of the Cross: Easter Dramatic Readings
    Author

    Barbara Dan

    First published in her teens, Barbara Dan admits to enjoying a variation of life experiences, including working as an actress, model, night club comedienne, comedy writer, puppeteer, theatrical producer in Hollywood, screenwriter, publicist, real estate saleswoman, hands-on-builder of houses, escrow officer, co-teacher of couples communication workshops with her late husband, family counselor John Dan. Other hats she has worn include publisher, editor, adjunct college professor, and—by far her biggest joy and challenge—being mother to four grown children and grandma to five very lively grandchildren and recently to three great-grandchildren. Hobbies: gardening, cooking, oil painting, quilting. She is a voracious reader on many subjects, loves to haunt old graveyards and historic sites. Many of her characters are inspired by family genaeology charts! But the most outrageous ones come straight from her overactive imagination. Her historical western, SILENT ANGEL, won the Colorado Romance Writers' award for Best Historical Novel (1992). She is a member of Western Writers of America and Women Writing the West. Many of her books are available in paperback as well as eBook. Even though she has degrees in Theatre Arts and Advanced Accounting, and an M.A. in Humanities (emphasis: literature) from Cal State University, she insists that real life is far better preparation for writing than academia! (A good sense of humor also helps.)

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      Book preview

      At the Foot of the Cross - Barbara Dan

      AT THE FOOT

      OF THE CROSS

      EASTER DRAMATIC READINGS

      BARBARA DAN

      Copyright © 2001, 2012 Barbara Dan

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

      WestBow Press books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

      WestBow Press

      A Division of Thomas Nelson

      1663 Liberty Drive

      Bloomington, IN 47403

      www.westbowpress.com

      1-(866) 928-1240

      Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

      Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

      Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

      ISBN: 978-1-4497-6142-4 (sc)

      ISBN: 978-1-4497-6141-7 (e)

      Library of Congress Control Number: 2012913698

      WestBow Press rev. date: 08/14/2012

      CONTENTS

      The Rich Young Ruler

      Son of a Thief

      Andrew and Peter

      Princess Salome

      Lazarus, Martha and Mary

      Caiaphas the High Priest

      The Gambler

      Joseph of Arimathea, Reporting to Pontius Pilate

      John Mark, Writer of one of the Gospels

      Mary the Mother of Jesus, Coming from the Scene of His Death

      Nicodemus

      Gamaliel

      About the Author

      Twelve Easy-to-Use Dramatic Readings

      For the Lenten Season and Easter Week

      In Jesus’ day during Passover Week, Jews gathered from all over Israel to remember God’s liberating power in leading His people out of bondage. People of every social class, race, and nationality came together to seek God’s blessing and spiritual renewal.

      This edition of Dramatic Readings captures the possible thoughts and reactions of many whose lives were deeply touched by the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ.

      Besides using traditional characters known to have been present during the Crucifixion, author Barbara Dan has utilized her creative skills as a screenwriter, and her knowledge of the Bible and customs at that time, to explore the strong possibility that other biblical characters may also have found their way to Jerusalem during Holy Week. Because of the crowds thronging the city, she believes that it is highly likely that many acquainted with Jesus’ ministry may very well have made their way outside the city walls to observe the Crucifixion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ.

      In all of these dramatic readings, the author seeks first and foremost to remain faithful to the biblical and historic records, and the transforming message of the Gospels. Each of the characters speaks from his/her spiritual need and/or moral dilemma in ways that will surely connect with today’s audiences.

      These sketches may be edited, shortened, or presented in a different order, in order to fit a variety of performance situations, including worship, classroom discussion, public performance in malls, theaters, schools, fairs, and open air events.

      Costumes may be as simple as a head scarf, full biblical garb, or dramatic sketches may be presented in contemporary clothing. Casting and where a performance is held may also affect delivery of lines. For this reason, minor changes in the wording are permissible, to put the actors at ease and help them better relate to a particular audience.

      Although these dramatic readings can be produced as a series, each individual sketch stands on its own and may be used as the catalyst for a sermon, discussion, or integrated into a musical program or Easter cantata. The Gamaliel sketch, for instance, provides an excellent bridge between Easter Resurrection and the Day of Pentecost. The manner in which each dramatic reading is presented is part of the creative process. In each instance, the aim is to provoke thought and bring people to a personal faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

      AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS

      Easter Dramatic Readings

      by Barbara Dan

      12 Character Sketches

      Listed in random order for use during the Lenten Season and

      during Easter Week Sermons, Devotions, Special Easter Programs,

      and Communion

      The Rich Young Ruler 1

      Son of a Thief 8

      Andrew and Peter 13

      Princess Salome 20

      Lazarus, Martha and Mary 29

      (in conjunction with Communion Services and Testimonies)

      Caiaphas the High Priest 33

      The Gambler 40

      Joseph of Arimathea, Reporting to Pontius Pilate 47

      John Mark, Writer of one of the Gospels 53

      Mary the Mother of Jesus, Coming from the Scene of His Death 57

      Nicodemus 63

      Gamaliel 70

      The Rich Young Ruler

      Which of us does not regret some decision we’ve made? Or not made? Some opportunity we’ve passed over. Hindsight is 20/20, they say. Just about all of us—I see some of you nodding your heads—have wondered, What would my life have been like if I had, say, married Mary instead of Rachel?

      What if I had finished my university training before getting married?

      What if I had chosen a different profession?

      In my case, I had often wondered: What if I had not walked away from Jesus that day when He told me, Sell all you have, give to the poor, and follow me.

      My response to that question still haunts me to this day.

      I know some people probably believe it was because I couldn’t give up my wealth. But deep down inside, because everything had always been handed to me all my life, I had often wondered if poverty was really the issue, and whether I could have made it on my own.

      I now recognize my underlying emotion was fear. Fear and a lack of self-worth were the underlying reasons for my rejection of Jesus’ invitation to follow Him. Sure, on the surface, I sounded confident. I had always been obedient and respectful toward my parents. Like all teens, I struggled with secret thoughts of rebellion. I guess that’s what prompted me to approach Jesus in the beginning.

      Yet something was missing from my life. I had observed

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