2018 "31 Plays" complete text

__________________________

A series of short plays written for

the 2018
31 Plays in 31 Days
Challenge

By Joseph Frost

Contact:
Joseph Frost
4550 Normandy Dr
Jackson, MS 39206
FrostJosephD@gmail.com
2018 set of 31 Plays in 31 Days - The Biblical Set

1 Telling Eve (p 1)
2 Dove-Waiting for the Third Time (p 9)
3 Collecting Smooth Stones (p 16)
4 Good Wine, the (p 22)
5 Damascus Light, the (p 28)
6 Sun Rise (p 35)
7 Innocents (p 41)
8 Donkey Beating (p 47)
9 Fish to the Right (p 52)
10 Edna the Witch (p 59)
11 Washing and Denying (p 66)
12 Mourning Mary and Martha (p 69)
13 Zacchaeus and the Ten Coins (p 75)
14 Gideon Vaudeville (p 79)
15 Elijah (p 96)
16 Remember Me (p 100)
17 Dreams of Joseph (p 108)
18 Work for a Coin (p 110)
19 Foot-Washing (p 118)
20 Abel and Cain (p 122)
21 Dancing the Voice Silent (p 137)
22 Fred and Janet Elephant (p 143)
23 Two of Five Thousand (p 150)
24 Inside the Wall (p 155)
25 Father's Gift, a (p 160)
26 Last Time (p 161)
27 Did Simon Lose His Balloon Again? (p 165)
28 Abimelech (p 167)
29 Jacob-Mania (p 169)
30 Furnace (p 180)
31 Betraying Love (p187)
#1 - TELLING EVE

Eve sits on a short stool snapping beans. She

hums a contented tune.

She looks to the sky, notices something.

EVE
Clouds rolling in. Haven’t noticed that before. I’ll have to ask Adam about that. Stares
at the sky all day, he’ll know if it’s new.

Eve grabs and handful of beans and walks

across the stage, looking out. She still snaps
beans but not looking.

From the opposite side of the stage comes

Adam.

He stops when he sees Eve, appears reluctant.

ADAM
Eve.

EVE
Adam. I thought you’d be coming from the east.

ADAM
No.

EVE
When you left this morning, I saw you go into the western valley.

ADAM
Yes.

EVE
You went around the mountain.

ADAM
I did.

EVE
Not to the north.
 2.

ADAM
What? No.

EVE
I wouldn’t think so.

ADAM
I never go around the north.

EVE
I know.

ADAM
No.

EVE
I know.

A moment.

ADAM
I’m going to sit.

EVE
You should.

Adam goes to the stool.

Eve crosses as well, as if to help him, or to put

her snap beans back.

Adam stops and stares at the basket of snap

beans.

ADAM
These are for our dinner.

EVE
Yes. You were to bring some meat.

ADAM
I...
 3.

EVE
You forgot.

ADAM
I must have.

EVE
I planned for that. There’s some cured meat I have from yesterday. With these beans, it
will serve.

ADAM
It will serve.

EVE
Nothing special. Not every day can be special.

ADAM
Not every day.

EVE
You’re acting strange.

ADAM
(lost)
Hm?

EVE
Adam. You’re acting strange.
(notices the sky behind him)
I meant to ask you...

ADAM
Mm.

EVE
Look at the sky.

ADAM
I...

EVE
The clouds are rolling in.

ADAM
Clouds.
 4.

EVE
The way they’re rolling. Like a raging river flowing down from the mountain. Red.
Menacing. Like... anger. Like anger.
(beat)
Have you seen this before? Adam?

ADAM
What?

EVE
The angry rolling clouds. Have you seen this before?

ADAM
I... I don’t know...

EVE
It reminds me of...

ADAM
Yeah.

EVE
The flames...

ADAM
Yeah.
(a good long moment)
Eve...

EVE
It’s coming...

ADAM
What is coming?

EVE
The clouds of anger.
(beat)
Like a lion crouching at the door.

A moment.

ADAM
I have something to...
 5.

EVE
You saw the boys.

ADAM
What?

EVE
You were in the east.
(beat)
If you were going to visit Abel, the least you could do is bring back some of the meat of
his flock.

ADAM
I didn’t think of it.

EVE
You always go on and on about how wonderful it tastes.

ADAM
It’s true.

EVE
Or could have brought back something from Cain’s farm...

ADAM
Eve.

EVE
(breaking emotion)
Do the boys even say hello to their mother?

Eve sits on the stool.

ADAM
Your sons love you. They will always love you. You gave them life.

EVE
These clouds of anger. This is the first time they have been seen.

ADAM
It is.

EVE
They are jealous clouds.
 6.

ADAM
The Lord was pleased with the offering of Abel.

EVE
These clouds... will not be denied.

ADAM
Cain invited Abel out into the field...

EVE
The clouds blanket the earth and separate the land from the sky.

ADAM
And Cain...

EVE
And the sky is separated from the land.

ADAM
Eve...

EVE
And the sky could not see through the angry clouds. Obscured.

Adam kneels in front of Eve.

ADAM
Listen to me.

EVE
It has come. Just as he said. As he warned.

ADAM
He?

EVE
You will surely die.

ADAM
What are you talking about?

EVE
Death has come to us.

ADAM
Neither you nor I are dead, Eve.
 7.

EVE
Adam. It has come.

ADAM
Abel is dead.

EVE
And Cain will also die.

ADAM
No. Eve, listen.

EVE
There is no where for him to hide. He will be torn apart! He will be torn apart!

ADAM
He has been spared, Eve. He has been spared.

EVE
But he is guilty.

ADAM
He is.

EVE
And death will come.

ADAM
Cain has been marked. He marked him.

EVE
So he cannot hide.

ADAM
So he can be protected.
(beat)
Eve. He has marked Cain, that no one will harm him.

A moment.

EVE
But... why...

A moment.
 8.

ADAM
Why do we yet live?

They hold hands.

Adam picks up the basket of beans.

He holds out his hand.

Eve takes it and rises.

Eve picks up the stool.

They exit. Hand in hand.

 9.

#2 - DOVE-WAITING FOR THE THIRD TIME

Noah, an old man, stands inside an ark -

probably represented by a wooden platform or
box. He looks out a small window.

His wife sits nearby, holding an olive branch.

NOAH
Do you hear anything?

WIFE
(immediately)
No.

NOAH
You didn’t listen.

WIFE
I don’t hear anything.

NOAH
You hear nothing.

WIFE
No.

NOAH
Water. Sloshing against the walls.

WIFE
Obviously I hear that.

NOAH
Obviously?

WIFE
I can’t remember a time I didn’t hear it.

NOAH
You can’t.

WIFE
It’s white noise now. Always there.
 10.

NOAH
But that wasn’t what I meant.

WIFE
I know it wasn’t what you meant.

A moment.

NOAH
I don’t hear anything.

WIFE
It’s not coming back.

NOAH
It’s coming back.

WIFE
It’s not.

NOAH
It did before.

WIFE
Noah.

NOAH
It did.

WIFE
How do you get this far and still not understand?

NOAH
What?

WIFE
The whole point of this process is for it not to come back.

NOAH
What do you mean?

WIFE
We’ve been in this thing for 40 days.
 11.

NOAH
More.

WIFE
More. You sent out the dove, it came back. Why?

NOAH
Why? Because there was no where for it to land.

WIFE
There was no where for it to land. Because...

NOAH
Of the water.

WIFE
The water covering the earth.

NOAH
And?

WIFE
Which you were told about.

NOAH
I was.

WIFE
I believe you.

NOAH
I really was told.

WIFE
I know. That’s when you were given the plans.

NOAH
The plans?

WIFE
(indicates the ark)
For this.
 12.

NOAH
Yes.

WIFE
You and the boys built it. It took a long time.

NOAH
What is your point?

WIFE
The point is, you’ve been faithful in all of these things. It’s taken an incredible amount
of faith.

NOAH
Ok...

WIFE
And you still don’t get what’s happening here.

NOAH
Wait.

WIFE
Do you believe the water will go away?

NOAH
I sent the dove to find out.

WIFE
What do you think?

NOAH
It came back.

WIFE
It did. So you sent it again.

NOAH
Yes. And it came back again.

She holds up the branch.

WIFE
But!
 13.

NOAH
But this time there was...

Noah sits next to Wife.

WIFE
An olive branch.

She hands it to Noah.

NOAH
It’s strange. I haven’t seen a tree in 40 days.

WIFE
Or a hill.

NOAH
Grass.

WIFE
The sun.

NOAH
Lots of water.

WIFE
And animals.

NOAH
Except that dove.

WIFE
I’d try to encourage you by saying it will be back, but it should be encouraging that it
hasn’t.

NOAH
Hasn’t?

WIFE
Come back. It’s found land. This will all be over soon.

NOAH
I don’t know...

WIFE
It will.
 14.

NOAH
I don’t know why we were spared.
(beat)
I still hear them.

WIFE
I know.

NOAH
Their faces. Their hands.

WIFE
But we were spared. And this will all be over soon.

NOAH
It’s going to be over soon. And then.

A moment.

WIFE
We will see... trees. And grass.

NOAH
The sun and the hills.

WIFE
We’ll be on land again.

NOAH
On land.
(beat)
Do you think?

WIFE
I do.

NOAH
I don’t hear anything.

WIFE
We would have heard something.

NOAH
We haven’t.
 15.

WIFE
I don’t think we will.

NOAH
I think...
(hands her the olive branch)
I think you’re right.

They hold hands.

They stand.
 16.

#3 - COLLECTING SMOOTH STONES

An armor clad soldier hides in a gully with a

small stream. He is very afraid, breathing
heavily.

SOLDIER
Made it. They won’t know I’ve gone until morning. That giant will kill them all. But
not me. Just follow the stream. Follow the stream home. Home.

The sound of footsteps is heard.

SOLDIER
Oh blessed one of heaven, spare me this trial. Take me quickly lord! Angels of mercy!

A young man, David, appears over the ridge of

the gully. He doesn’t see the soldier, but drops
down in.

The soldier is startled, but silent.

SOLDIER
(barely audible)
I thank you for your mercy. Give me the strength to save myself.

The soldier silently draws his weapon, and leans

forward.

David is squatted down, looking into the stream.

The Soldier raises up, weapon held aloft.

DAVID
Father.

The Soldier is surprised, holds.

DAVID
I’m afraid. I’m sorry that I am but I am. But I trust you. You told me to come here and
collect some stones, so help me find the right ones, so you can do what you want done.

David runs his hand in the water.

The soldier lowers his weapon.

 17.

The soldier tosses his weapon away from

himself.

David is startled and drops to the side, pulling

his small dagger from his side.

DAVID
What are you doing here?

SOLDIER
Me? You’re a child.

DAVID
I am the son of Jesse.

SOLDIER
I know the sons of Jesse, and you are none of them.

DAVID
I am the youngest. David.

SOLDIER
You should go home, boy.

David stands. Puts his dagger away.

DAVID
I came from my father’s house to bring provisions for my brothers in the fight. But there
is no fight.

SOLDIER
You wish to see a fight.

DAVID
I wish for the army of the God of Israel to fight in his name.

SOLDIER
You don’t know, do you?

DAVID
Know what?

SOLDIER
Who stands on the other side of the field.
 18.

DAVID
If our God is on our side, what does it matter?

David looks in the stream.

SOLDIER
Have you ever seen a giant?

DAVID
A giant?

David picks up a stone.

SOLDIER
A man. More than a man. A man and a half. Almost two men. Tall. He blots out the sun.
A sword the size of a spear. His spear like a tree.

DAVID
I’ve heard.

SOLDIER
But you haven’t seen him sever a man’s arm with that sword. Then beat the man with his
own arm.

DAVID
Have you?

A moment.

SOLDIER
I’m leaving. I’m gone.

DAVID
I’m going to face the giant.

David picks up a second stone.

SOLDIER
You?
(laughs)
God himself couldn’t save you.

DAVID
I have to find stones.
 19.

SOLDIER
Stones.

DAVID
To use to fight the giant.

SOLDIER
You need boulders.

DAVID
I can’t carry boulders.

David picks up a third stone.

Soldier crosses to David.

SOLDIER
Not those.

DAVID
What?

SOLDIER
You’re picking up smooth stones.

DAVID
Yes. From the stream.

SOLDIER
You’re flinging them at a giant. Take one of these over here. These have edges.
(holds it out)
Come on.

DAVID
Those aren’t any good.

SOLDIER
You have pebbles. You need something solid. Something that will cut. Sharp. They’ll
dig in, or slice.

DAVID
I don’t...
 20.

SOLDIER
(tosses stone aside)
You’re right. This is useless. He has armor probably a foot thick.

DAVID
Then he can’t move, can he?

SOLDIER
When he does...

David picks up a fourth stone.

DAVID
I tend my father’s flocks back home. I protect them from the predators of the area.
Powerful beasts. Lions. Ferocious and starving animals. Now, I can’t overpower a
hungry lion. I just have to make it not want my lambs. I use this sling to send them
away. And with my sling, if I want to be accurate, I can’t use one of these sharp stones.
It’ll catch on the leather, send it off an any old direction. I couldn’t hit anything, not even
a giant, with one of these. But these smooth stones. They’ll fly. They’ll sing. They’ll
be true.

SOLDIER
True...

Soldier reaches down and picks up a smooth

stone from the stream. He hands it to David.

DAVID
Thank you.

David starts to climb out of the gulley.

Soldier starts to take off his armor.

SOLDIER
You sure you don’t want my armor?

DAVID
I was offered the armor of King Saul. I don’t need it.
(reaches the top)
The Lord will deliver this man into my hands.

David puts a stone into his sling. exits.

The Soldier drops his armor off completely.

 21.

He exits off, upstream.

 22.

#4 - THE GOOD WINE

A wedding party. A guy sits alone.

His mother comes up to him.

MOTHER
You’re sitting alone.

GUY
I’m taking a minute.

MOTHER
You should join the party.

GUY
I’ve been in the party. I’m sitting down for just a minute.

MOTHER
A minute.

GUY
Yes.

MOTHER
I’ve seen you sitting over here.

GUY
Oh?

MOTHER
It’s been more than a minute.

GUY
I was just talking to Andrew.

MOTHER
I know you were.

GUY
He wanted to talk to me about Sarah.

MOTHER
Which Sarah?
 23.

GUY
Nicholas’ Sarah.

MOTHER
Oh.

GUY
He’s still got feelings for her.

MOTHER
He loves her.

GUY
No. He thinks so, but he doesn’t.

MOTHER
You know this?

GUY
I do.

MOTHER
Of course you do.
(a moment)
You know why I’m here.

GUY
No.

MOTHER
You don’t.

GUY
I do. I’m saying, my answer is no.

MOTHER
There’s a problem.

GUY
A problem.

MOTHER
They have... no wine.
 24.

GUY
No wine?

MOTHER
They’ve run out.

GUY
They should have planned better.

MOTHER
They should have.

A moment

GUY
What does this have to do with me?

Mother gives him a mother look.

GUY
My hour has not yet come.

MOTHER
Not yet come.

GUY
No.

MOTHER
When will it?

GUY
Mother...

MOTHER
We wait and we wait and we wait. And your hour has not yet come.

GUY
This is it? This is what you think will force the hour to arrive? You can make the sun fly
faster in the sky?

MOTHER
That’s not what I mean.
 25.

GUY
(getting louder)
Are they out of food?

MOTHER
Please.

GUY
(loud, generally)
Shall I grill up some steaks too? Do we need any more potato salad?

MOTHER
(quiet)
Do I mean so little to you?

GUY
You are my mother.

MOTHER
I am.

GUY
Mother. Is this all I mean to you?

Mother rises.

MOTHER
Do as you will.

Mother steps away.

A moment.

GUY
Call them.

Mother gets the attention of a servant.

MOTHER
(to servant)
Do whatever he tells you.

Mother steps further away.

 26.

GUY
(laughs to himself)
Do whatever he tells you.
(looks at the servant)
Easier said than done.
(moment)
Get some containers and fill them with water.

SERVANT
With water.

GUY
Yes. Then draw some out and give it to the steward.

SERVANT
The water.

GUY
Yes.

SERVANT
Give the water to the steward.

GUY
Yes.

SERVANT
He will laugh at me.

GUY
I’ve told you what you should do.
(turns away)
Now it’s up to you.

The servant waits for a moment. Then leaves.

MOTHER
Water.

GUY
The bridegroom has saved the good wine for last.

Mother goes to him, kisses him on the head.

MOTHER
Thank you.
 27.

GUY
Thank you, Mother.

Mother goes to leave, stops and takes one last

look, then exits.
 28.

#5 - THE DAMASCUS LIGHT

Mikel stands in the center of the stage.

MIKEL
It is a difficult thing, to stand up for one’s beliefs.
(beat)
When challenges come, and they will come, it is the instinct of peaceful men to find
common ground. To level the field. To make peace. It is not easy to do so, but it is part
of a survival instinct to avoid conflict.
(beat)
But it is the job of men of conviction to maintain those beliefs. To rise up to the
challenge, and defend what is right, what has been right, what will always be right. To
fight. To fight. To win the fight. To destroy the opposer. And to make the way clear.
That what is right may continue.

On the other side of the stage, Aaron.

AARON
You sent for me.

MIKEL
Aaron.

AARON
Yes, Mikel?

MIKEL
Are you ready?

AARON
Ready?

MIKEL
You believe, do you not?

AARON
I believe. I do. I believe I do.

MIKEL
I believe so too. Aaron.

AARON
Yes?
 29.

MIKEL
It is time.

AARON
Time.

MIKEL
For you to defend your beliefs.

AARON
Defend them. Yes, Mikel.

MIKEL
I am sending you with him.

AARON
With Saul?

MIKEL
You will accompany him to Damascus.

AARON
I will accompany... Saul...

MIKEL
Yes. We asked to go, and we have given him letters to take to the synagogue there.

AARON
What do the letters say?

MIKEL
Aaron.

AARON
What do the letters say?

MIKEL
They warn the priests of Damascus that the followers of that man have spread to their
city. That they are to take care of these followers, and quickly, that the Romans
encamped there do not hear of their arrival, and report to Rome that we haven’t taken
care of this cult. They are a danger to all good Jews. They pervert our beliefs and signal
to the Emperor that we cannot control our own region.
(beat)
Aaron, I know you’re feelings about Saul would make it difficult...
 30.

AARON
He is a murderer, Mikel.

MIKEL
He is a passionate defender of our faith.

AARON
I saw him kill. With my own eyes.

MIKEL
I need those eyes, Aaron. I need you to keep an eye on Saul. For me.

AARON
Mikel...

MIKEL
You do believe, don’t you?

AARON
Yes.

MIKEL
So does Saul.

AARON
But...

MIKEL
You and I and Saul want the same thing.

AARON
Not that way.

MIKEL
And that’s why you must go. Go. I and the Lord will be with you.

Mikel turns.

Aaron travels on the road.

AARON
We traveled to Damascus, Saul and I and some others. A shadowy day, full of storm
clouds - and unpleasant journey, and I regretted each step. My stomach filled with
remorse, my back inching with fear of the results of our journey - to betray the faith in
the faith’s name can only be to have no faith at all.
 31.

(beat)
It must have been a part in the clouds - the darkness before giving way to such brilliant
sunlight, that seemed only to penetrate the gloom down onto us, there on the dirt road.
We immediately, to a man, fell to the ground, shielding our faces from the source of the
shimmering beam. I lay, crippled by the warmth of the light, choking on the cloud of
dust as each man kicked the dirt in pain. I heard nothing but our agony, I say this... I say
this to say... that I heard nothing. Saul... Saul began shouting back at the light. I say
back towards the light, as if he were answering it. As if he were being questioned by it.
He... such a fool... he looked directly, defiantly at that light. And asked who was calling
his name, and asked it what he should do.
(beat)
Now, I am no fool. I did not look at the light. I saw no man that Saul would have spoken
to. And... I don’t want to say this... but... I heard a voice. It told Saul to go into the city,
and that there he would be told what to do. It was then that the clouds choked off the
light, and we were plunged back into the gloom as before.

Mikel has made his way around to the other side

of Aaron.

MIKEL
And then?

AARON
Then?

MIKEL
What did my eyes see then?

AARON
Me? I saw... everything.

MIKEL
What did you see?

AARON
I saw Saul. Blinded.

MIKEL
Blinded.

AARON
He could see nothing. Not his hand in front of his face. He stumbled a few steps then
fell. We rushed to him. And we lifted him, and helped him into the city.
 32.

MIKEL
To the synagogue.

AARON
No.

MIKEL
And why not?

AARON
That is not where the voice told Saul to go.

A moment.

MIKEL
Did you take the letters to the synagogue?

AARON
What?

MIKEL
You heard me.

AARON
We took Saul to the house the voice had said. On Straight Street. The other men said
they would stay with Saul.

MIKEL
But you returned.

AARON
I returned.
(holds out the letter)
To give you this.

Mikel studies the letter in Aaron’s hand.

MIKEL
That was for the Damascus synagogue.

AARON
I know.
 33.

MIKEL
But you returned it here.

AARON
I have.

MIKEL
Did you not understand the significance of this letter?

AARON
I did.

MIKEL
And it is here, and not there.

AARON
This is true, Mikel. Very true.
(beat)
Because I am not the man for this letter.

Mikel snatches the letter from Aaron’s hand.

MIKEL
You are weak.

AARON
This is not my faith.

MIKEL
Your faith is weak.

AARON
My faith is strong, Mikel.

MIKEL
You were to be my eyes.

AARON
My eyes are but a man’s eyes. I have only seen so much. And what I have seen, what I
have been shown.... Mikel, it has been proved to me that there is so much more than we
understand. I can only understand so much.

A moment.

MIKEL
I am disappointed, Aaron.
 34.

AARON
As much as I am, Mikel.

Aaron turns and goes.

Mikel tears up the letter.

 35.

#6 - SUN RISE

Abraham and Sarah, bundling things together.

SARAH
It’s still dark.

ABRAHAM
We leave at first light.

SARAH
This can all be done when the sun rises.

ABRAHAM
I must be done now.

SARAH
There is no hurry.

Abraham stops, looks to her.

ABRAHAM
There is.
(a moment)
Isaac is asleep.

SARAH
He is.

ABRAHAM
You tucked him in.

SARAH
I did.

ABRAHAM
You sang to him?

SARAH
A song of mourning.

ABRAHAM
Sarah...

SARAH
I could sing nothing else.
 36.

ABRAHAM
We decided...

SARAH
I said nothing.

ABRAHAM
You sang of mourning.

SARAH
I told him it was for that calf that fell last week.

ABRAHAM
Had to put it down.

SARAH
Yes. He suspects nothing.

ABRAHAM
Nothing.

SARAH
No.

ABRAHAM
I don’t want to make the journey difficult for him.

SARAH
His long walk to the slaughter.

ABRAHAM
Please...

SARAH
You showed that calf more mercy.

ABRAHAM
This is not me, Sarah. You know my love for that boy.

SARAH
I have seen you love him. Your care. Your provision. Your guidance.

ABRAHAM
Yes.
 37.

SARAH
But now this is also what I see.

ABRAHAM
What would you have me do?

SARAH
He is our son, Abraham. And at our age. At my age. It is...

ABRAHAM
What is it? Impossible.

SARAH
It must be impossible.

ABRAHAM
He is impossible. He was impossible until he was. But there he is. You kissed his
forehead, hand in his hair, and sang a song to him. He was impossible.
(beat)
And now, tomorrow.

SARAH
Tomorrow.
(beat)
Impossible.

Abraham finishes packing, except for one thing.

Abraham indicates the knife.

ABRAHAM
Sarah.

SARAH
Yes.

ABRAHAM
Please.

SARAH
Do not ask that of me.

ABRAHAM
Sarah.
 38.

Sarah reluctantly grabs the knife by the handle.

Sarah points the knife blade at Abraham.

Sarah turns the knife and hands it to Abraham

handle first.

ABRAHAM
Thank you.

Abraham slides it into a leather sheath on the

pack.

Abraham goes to stand. Sarah comes to him

and helps him up.

They are very close.

SARAH
Abraham. I have trusted you.

ABRAHAM
Do not put your faith in me. Put it where I put mine.

SARAH
In God.

ABRAHAM
In God.
(beat)
He led us from the idol worshippers of Ur.

SARAH
To Haran.

ABRAHAM
Away from the famine.

SARAH
To Egypt.

ABRAHAM
Away from the Pharaoh. And my mistakes there.
 39.

SARAH
To Canaan.

ABRAHAM
The land of promise.

SARAH
Where he promised us that we would bear a son.

ABRAHAM
A nation.

SARAH
And forgave me my mistakes.

ABRAHAM
To give us...

SARAH
Isaac.

ABRAHAM
The same God now asks of us--

SARAH
A sacrifice.

Sarah turns.

ABRAHAM
When you looked at him tonight, as you kiss his head, as you sang... what did you see?

SARAH
I saw my boy, my promise, my gift... already dead.
(beat)
I kick now against the goads. In futility. I know that.
(beat)
It is impossible for me to do nothing to stop this.

ABRAHAM
Yet again, God tells us we will live the story of the impossible.

Sarah reaches for the knife.

 40.

Abraham grabs her around her shoulders.

They sit back on the ground, Abraham

embracing Sarah, she holding the knife.

ABRAHAM
The grave cannot hold back the promise. But God has commanded this sacrifice. With
the same mighty voice he used to breathe life into your belly. Just as a barren womb gave
life, our son will breathe again.

SARAH
He will breathe again.

They breathe quickly and heavily for a moment,

until their breaths synchronize, and calm.

Sarah puts the knife into the pack.

ABRAHAM
Sarah.

SARAH
Yes.

ABRAHAM
The sun will rise.

SARAH
It will.
(beat)
Let us pray it will rise again.

They sit for a moment.

Lights down.
 41.

#7 - INNOCENTS

A man, Herod.

The stage is dimly lit.

HEROD
Innocents.
(beat)
I don’t believe anyone knows what it means to be an innocent.

A woman enters.

WOMAN
Tell me.

HEROD
Tell you?

WOMAN
What does being an innocent mean?

HEROD
It’s supposed to mean... a child.

WOMAN
A child?

HEROD
One who is too young to know... To understand... what it means to be... guilty.

WOMAN
Innocent until guilty.

HEROD
But I don’t know if that’s true. I don’t know if anyone knows.

WOMAN
Do you believe it isn’t?

HEROD
I know... I know that I was not born innocent.
 42.

Another woman, Mother, appears with a baby.

MOTHER
Shhh.. Shhh, now.

HEROD
I was not a son of this land. A child descended from a line borne by a bastard son,
banished from his own father’s household. But in the land of that father, I was raised to
behave as a true descendant.

The Mother is firm.

MOTHER
Hush, I said. HUSH!

WOMAN
But you weren’t.

HEROD
I was not.

WOMAN
Your birth made you a liar.

Mother exits with the baby.

HEROD
Yes.
(beat)
My father raised me strictly.

Father enters, with a whipping rod. He whips

the chair.

WOMAN
Strictly.

HEROD
Preparing me for my future.

Father leaves.

WOMAN
Your future. Leadership.
 43.

HEROD
Leadership.

Roman enters.

WOMAN
Appointed to governorship by an invading power.

Roman hands Herod a scepter.

HEROD
Yes. Rome.
(beat)
I was appointed as King over the region. Far from the seat of power, and expected to
keep strict order, as if the Emperor sat above my shoulder.

WOMAN
But the region would not be so easy to rule.

HEROD
I took the daughter of a local ruler as a bride. To strengthen my claim as King.

Wife enters.

WOMAN
You were already married.

HEROD
I was. But I banished her, and her son.

WOMAN
Your son.

HEROD
Ours. Yes. I banished them both. To keep the peace.

Wife leaves.

WOMAN
It didn’t.

HEROD
No. It led to a series of tactics to consolidate power and keep enemies at bay.
 44.

WOMAN
Including your own family.
(beat)
You executed members of your own family. Your wife.
(beat)
What had she done, again?

HEROD
She was a beautiful woman.

WOMAN
You had her executed for beauty?

HEROD
Her beauty attracted my enemies.

WOMAN
But she loved you.

HEROD
She could not be trusted.

WOMAN
She betrayed you.

HEROD
She would have. Eventually.

WOMAN
Your brothers?

HEROD
Jealous of my authority.

WOMAN
Their sons.

HEROD
Eyes filled with revenge.

WOMAN
So they were all...
 45.

HEROD
Removed.

WOMAN
Was there word of rebellion?

HEROD
There were warnings. Signs. Rumors. Of a coming king.

WOMAN
The men from the east.

HEROD
Arrived on my doorstep. Expecting to find a newborn destined to carry the weight of the
crown. An anointed one. Whose birth was signified by a star in the sky.

WOMAN
You executed them?

HEROD
No. I let them go.

WOMAN
Go where.

HEROD
They went on to a village. Small village in the desert.
(beat)
I asked them to come back and tell me if they found him.

WOMAN
Why?

HEROD
So... so I could go and worship this new king...

WOMAN
Did they? Return?

HEROD
No. They did not.
(beat)
That’s when it happened.

Upstage, the shadows of a series of people,

carrying babies.
 46.

WOMAN
You demanded the boys rounded up.

HEROD
Under the age of two.

WOMAN
And what was to happen to them.

HEROD
I was threatened. A child born, anointed as king. In my kingdom.

WOMAN
What was to happen to them.

HEROD
The threat had to be removed.

WOMAN
What was to happen.

In the shadows, the adult figures begin to slowly

throw down the babies.

HEROD
They called it...
(beat)
The Massacre of the Innocents.
(beat)
Innocents.

The backlight goes away.

WOMAN
And were they. Innocent.

HEROD
Innocent.
(beat)
I don’t believe anyone knows what it means... to be an innocent.

The woman exits.

Herod is alone.

The lights go down. End.

 47.

#8 - DONKEY BEATING

Balaam sits by a river.

BALAAM
Balaam, son of Beor, sat by the Euphrates River. He is a prophet of some renown.

Balak enters on the other side.

BALAK
King Balak had a problem. The Israelites were passing through his land as they wandered
in the desert. He needed to get rid of them.

Servant enters

SERVANT
So Balak told his servant to summon Balaam to put a curse on these pesky Israelites.

Servant crosses to Balaam.

BALAAM
But Balaam wouldn’t do it. He was reluctant to curse anything that God had not cursed.

Servant turns to Balak.

BALAK
But if God would curse them, Balak wouldn’t need Balaam at all.

Servant turns to Balaam.

BALAAM
Balaam refused.

BALAK
Balak offered.... Money.

BALAAM
Money?

BALAK
Balak swore to pay handsomely, and all of Balaam’s instructions would be followed.

BALAAM
Balaam agreed.

Donkey enters.
 48.

DONKEY
Balaam packed up his donkey for the journey.

An angel appears in the road.

ANGEL
But an angel of the Lord appeared in the road.

DONKEY
And the donkey was having none of that angel. He wandered off into the field.

BALAAM
Balaam beat the donkey until it got back onto the road.

ANGEL
The angel again appeared in the path, near a stone wall by the vineyards.

DONKEY
The donkey still wanted none of that angel, so he pressed up against the wall.

BALAAM
Balaam’s foot was crushed between the donkey and the wall. So, again, he beat the
donkey.

DONKEY
The road narrowed to a place where there was no where to go, either to the right or to the
left.

ANGEL
Again, the angel stood in the path of the donkey.

DONKEY
And the donkey, having no where to turn, just lay down.

BALAAM
Balaam, furious, beat his donkey a third time.

ANGEL
Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey.

DONKEY
(to Balaam)
Hey! What have I done to make you beat me these three times?
 49.

BALAAM
(to Donkey)
You make a fool of me. If I had my sword in my hand instead of my staff, I would kill
you right now.

DONKEY
(to Balaam)
Am I not your donkey, which you have ridden each day? Am I in the habit of doing this
to you?

BALAAM
(to Donkey)
No.

The angel unsheathes a sword.

ANGEL
Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes.

BALAAM
And balaam saw the angel, with his sword drawn.

ANGEL
(to Balaam)
Why have you beaten your donkey three times? I have come to oppose you because your
path is a reckless one against me. If you donkey had not turned these three times, surely,
I would have killed you by now, though I would have spared the donkey.

BALAAM
(to Angel)
I didn’t know you were standing in the path to oppose me. I have sinned. If you are
displeased, I will return home.

ANGEL
The Angel sheathed his sword, and told Balaam to continue on to Balak, but only to say
and do as the Angel told him.

The angel lets Balaam and the Donkey go to

Balak.

BALAK
Balak told Balaam to curse the Israelites.
 50.

BALAAM
After Balaam built seven altars for seven sacrifices...
(angel whispers to Balaam)
Balaam told Balak that he cannot curse anything the Lord has not cursed, and that they
are the Lord’s blessed people, and they should be allowed to go their way.

BALAK
(to Balaam)
I paid you to curse these people, you show up late, and bless them instead?

BALAAM
(to Balak)
I bless them three times.

BALAK
(to Balaam)
Three times!

BALAAM
The people of Israel are a crouching lion who will not be stopped until you are devoured.

BALAK
That’s not good.

BALAAM
There will be ships that come to your shores on a Cyprus wind, and they will destroy you
as well.

BALAK
Go home. These prophecies have cost you your reward.

Balaam gets on the donkey.

BALAAM
These curses have cost you your kingdom.

Balaam rides away.

The angel strikes down Balak.

Balaam gets off of the Donkey.

BALAAM
(to Donkey)
There. Good donkey.
 51.

Donkey nuzzles into Balaam.

 52.

#9 - FISH TO THE RIGHT

Two men in a boat.

They toss a net over the left side of the boat.

They drag it back in.

It has nothing.

They look at each other, then toss the net out

again.

They drag it back in.

It has nothing.

SIMON PETER
Nothing.

THOMAS
All night there has been nothing.

SIMON PETER
This sea is usually plentiful.

THOMAS
I’ve never heard of catching nothing all night at Tiberias.

SIMON PETER
You don’t have to hear about it. You’re witnessing it.

THOMAS
I’ll have to tell others, now. They won’t believe me.

Simon Peter takes off his cloak.

SIMON PETER
I’ve had it.

THOMAS
We have to continue.

SIMON PETER
We do not. We have been beaten tonight.
 53.

THOMAS
We must eat.

SIMON PETER
And so must our families.

THOMAS
So we must continue.

SIMON PETER
I need to stop. We’ve been going for hours and have absolutely nothing to show for it.

THOMAS
We must --

SIMON PETER
Continue? I can’t. That’s it. I’m done.

Simon Peter sits.

THOMAS
Do you think the fish will jump up into our boat?

SIMON PETER
No.

THOMAS
Then how will we catch them.

SIMON PETER
Just reach in and grab one.

Simon reaches into the water.

THOMAS
Did that work?

SIMON PETER
No it did not.

Thomas looks to shore.

THOMAS
What is that?
 54.

SIMON PETER
What.

THOMAS
That man.

SIMON PETER
It’s a man.

THOMAS
Yes, but who?

SIMON PETER
I can’t tell.

VOICE FROM SHORE

Children, have you any food?

SIMON PETER
Who’s he calling children?

THOMAS
I might have something....

SIMON PETER
He means the fish.

THOMAS
Are you sure?

SIMON PETER
If you yelled at a fishing boat about food, what would you be talking about?

THOMAS
Probably fish.

SIMON PETER
There you go.
(to shore)
No. We have caught nothing all night.

VOICE FROM SHORE

Cast the net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.
 55.

SIMON PETER
Check out this guy.

THOMAS
The right side of the boat.

SIMON PETER
(to shore)
Yeah, sure. Ok.

THOMAS
Let’s toss the net.

SIMON PETER
I’m not tossing the net.

THOMAS
You said you would.

SIMON PETER
I said I was done.

THOMAS
You said.

SIMON PETER
To who.

THOMAS
The shore guy.

SIMON PETER
I didn’t mean it.

Moment.

THOMAS
We should probably do it.

SIMON PETER
Why would we do that.

THOMAS
Umm... the shore guy--
 56.

SIMON PETER
The shore guy has no idea.

THOMAS
He does. Said to throw it over the right side.

SIMON PETER
What possible difference could that make? It’s the same sea over there. The same fish.

THOMAS
But he said.

SIMON PETER
Who’s the fishermen here? Us or the shore guy?

THOMAS
Us.

SIMON PETER
Right.

THOMAS
I wanna try it.

SIMON PETER
That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.
(a moment)
Fine.

They toss the nets to the right.

THOMAS
Whoa!

SIMON PETER
It’s full!

They struggle to bring in the net.

THOMAS
Careful with the net. Don’t want it to break.

SIMON PETER
It’s holding strong.

They get the net in.

 57.

Simon Peter looks out as Thomas is counting.

THOMAS
This is over a hundred fish, and no rip in the net at all?

SIMON PETER
I know that man.

THOMAS
You do?

SIMON PETER
I believe I do.

THOMAS
Where from?

SIMON PETER
He’s cooking over a fire.

Simon puts on his cloak.

THOMAS
Oh good. Some breakfast. I’m starving.
(beat)
What are you doing?

SIMON PETER
I’m going to the shore. Bring in the boat.

THOMAS
Wait...

Simon Peter dives into the water, swims to

shore.

THOMAS
We aren’t that far out.

Thomas rows ashore and reaches it the same

time as Simon Peter.

THOMAS
It’s...
 58.

SIMON PETER
Sh...
(beat)
Just take and eat.

Simon Peter and Thomas hand over some fish.

They take some bread and eat.

End
 59.

#10 - EDNA THE WITCH

A small tent decorated like a witches’ hut.

Edna, an older woman, comes in, quickly

tidying up. She yells out the door.

EDNA
Get in here!

Kelvin, a young man, comes in.

KELVIN
What do you need, Edna?

EDNA
Kelvin. I need your help.

KELVIN
That’s not what you told me yesterday. You said I should never come in here again.

EDNA
You ruined that reading for the lady from Ush.

KELVIN
I did no such thing.

EDNA
All you had to do for me was to make the sound of wind.

KELVIN
And that’s what I did!
(makes really terrible wind sound)
I’m the best helper you ever had.

EDNA
I can’t believe I’m saying this... I need your help again.

KELVIN
Obviously you do. Who’s coming?

EDNA
Saul.

KELVIN
Saul? That’s funny. That’s the name of the king.
 60.

EDNA
Yes it is.

KELVIN
This guy has the same name as the king.

EDNA
Sort of. It is the king.

KELVIN
King Saul? Isn’t he going into battle tomorrow?

EDNA
Yes. And he’s freaking out because he doesn’t have Samuel to advise him.

KELVIN
Why not?

EDNA
Samuel is dead.

KELVIN
That would make it difficult to advise someone.

EDNA
So he’s coming this way.

KELVIN
Samuel? He’s dead.

EDNA
No. Saul.

KELVIN
Here? For what?

EDNA
Advice.

KELVIN
We don’t know anything about advising people for war. yuck.

EDNA
What’s yuck?
 61.

KELVIN
War. It’s gross.

EDNA
What’s gross is what I’ll do to you if you don’t help me out.

KELVIN
Fine.

EDNA
I need you to pretend to be Samuel.

Kelvin lies on the floor and pretends to be dead.

EDNA
What are you doing?

KELVIN
I’m Samuel.

EDNA
You’re on the floor.

KELVIN
I’m dead, where else would I be.

EDNA
When Saul gets here!

KELVIN
I’m practicing.

EDNA
(sees out the door)
Ah! Here he comes. Go get into costume.

KELVIN
Costume?

EDNA
You don’t look anything like Samuel.

KELVIN
You’re the one who gave me the part.
 62.

EDNA
You have to go get your fake beard.

KELVIN
It’s all the way back at my tent.

EDNA
Hurry.

Edna pushes Kelvin out, under the tent.

Saul comes in the other door.

SAUL
Greetings, witch.

EDNA
Hey, take it easy.

SAUL
I am here seeking--

EDNA
Advice.

SAUL
Yes. Tomorrow, there is to be a--

EDNA
Battle in the fields below this town.

SAUL
Yes. I need to speak--

EDNA
You’ve come to speak to Samuel.

SAUL
Samuel. Yes. He’s--

EDNA
Dead. I know. I can help you.
 63.

SAUL
You can.

EDNA
Sit.

Edna seats Saul on a cushion.

Edna pulls out a crystal ball. She sets it on the

floor in front of Saul.

EDNA
I will use this crystal ball to look into the spirit world.

Edna looks around, trying to see if Kelvin is

back.

EDNA
(under her breath)
He’d better be back...

She tosses some poppers or other small firework

or smoke. It is cheesy.

EDNA
By the power of witchcraft.
(waves a wand)
I summon Samuel.

Lights shift. Wind sounds (good ones).

An ominous figure emerges mysteriously.

SAUL
Samuel? Is that you?

SAMUEL
Saul? What am I doing here? What is this?

SAUL
I have called you forth by the power of this witch...

EDNA
Edna.
 64.

SAUL
To advise me for the coming battle.

EDNA
(aside to Samuel)
Kelvin stay calm. Keep it simple.

SAMUEL
You fool.

EDNA
(aside)
Take it easy...

SAUL
Samuel, do not be angry.

EDNA
Yeah, Samuel...

SAMUEL
You know you shouldn’t have brought me here. Witchcraft?

EDNA
Whoa, whoa.

SAUL
Samuel, bless me in the battle tomorrow.
(beat)
The Lord has departed from you and is become your enemy.

SAUL
No.

SAMUEL
Tomorrow, you and your sons will all join me in death.

SAUL
Death?

EDNA
No. No. Not death. He didn’t mean that. He’s just...

SAMUEL
Death!
 65.

Samuel leaves, lights change back.

EDNA
I don’t know where he’s going, but he really... he really didn’t mean that.

SAUL
I’ve made such a mistake...

Saul exits.

EDNA
Come back! You forgot to pay me... Hey!

Kelvin sneaks in behind Edna, wearing a terrible

fake beard.

KELVIN
I’m here!

Edna jumps!

EDNA
Aaaaahhhh!

KELVIN
When’s the King gonna get here?

Edna looks off after Saul, then back at Kelvin.

End.
 66.

#11 - WASHING AND DENYING

Peter, sitting in a chair.

PETER
It didn’t make any sense to me, what he was doing, what he was saying. We’d been
together for a long time, the whole group of us, months and months. Been away from our
families, except the brothers in the group. We’d heard his stories, seen his miracles,
watched him fight against the established leaders who had lost their way, prove to the
frustrated that violence was not the answer, and forgiving the guilty. I’d seen a lot that
didn’t make sense, that just confused me. I was never the smartest guy, and sometimes -
sometimes my head would just spin. It would keep me up at night, thoughts rolling
around, just full on confused as to what this was all about, but my heart... my heart was
dead set on being the first amongst his followers.
(beat)
Yeah, I know. I didn’t get it.

Jesus enters, take off his cloak. He grabs a bowl

of water and a cloth.

PETER
He said he wanted to wash our feet. I know most people now wear shoes, but we wore
sandals. Our feet were exposed to the dust, the dirt, the dung, the most unpleasant part of
the physical body. To have someone else wash them for you was unspeakable for us -
poor men, travelers, nomads, wanderers. No one should be touching our filthy feet. I
wouldn’t have it.

Jesus kneels in front of Peter.

PETER
You’re going to wash my feet?

JESUS
You do not understand what I am doing, but you will understand later.

Peter shifts away.

PETER
Never, at any time, will you wash my feet.

JESUS
If I do not wash your feet, you will no longer be my disciple.

Peter gets on the floor.

 67.

PETER
Lord do not wash only my feet, then. Wash my head and hands too!

Jesus sits Peter back down.

JESUS
Those who have had a bath are completely clean and do not have to wash themselves,
except for their feet. All of you are clean...
(beat)
All except one.

Jesus washes Peter’s feet.

JESUS
My children, I shall not be with you very much longer. You will look for me; but I tell
you now what I told the Jewish authorities, ‘You cannot go where I am going.’
(finishes washing)
And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you
must love one another. If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that
you are my disciples.

Jesus puts the cleaning stuff away.

PETER
(out)
This was not a new commandment. This is what we’d been doing. This is what he’s been
showing us. I didn’t understand what he meant that this was a new commandment. But I
didn’t have time to think about it.

Jesus starts to exit.

PETER
Where are you going?

JESUS
You cannot follow me now where I am going, but later you will follow me.

PETER
(out)
Again, what does he mean?
(to Jesus)
Why can’t I follow you? I am ready to die for you.
(out)
I meant every word. But he laughed at me.
 68.

JESUS
(a light laugh)
Really?

PETER
Of course. Yes.

JESUS
I tell you, before you hear the rooster crow, you will deny knowing me. Three times.

Jesus exits.

PETER
It didn’t seem possible. With every part of my being, I would have thrown myself to
wolves, stood between him and all of Rome, walked through fire and storms. And I
could hardly believe that I heard my own voice saying that I didn’t know him. Three
times. Before the rooster.
(beat)
No excuses. I was afraid. I was confused. And what’s more, Jesus knew this and loved
me anyway. Washed my feet. Trusted me to love people the way he did, which was a
crazy kind of love - loving people who deny him, who lie to him, who betray him. And
still he loved.
(beat)
There was a lot I didn’t understand. Things I didn’t get. Stuff I missed and screwed up.
But every day, I try to love the way he loved. He loved fools like me.

Peter sits.
 69.

#12 - MOURNING MARY AND MARTHA

Martha and Mary sit.

Mary sings a mournful tune.

MARTHA
I wish you would stop singing that.

MARY
It is a song of mourning.

MARTHA
I can tell.
(beat)
He didn’t come.

Mary stops singing.

MARY
He couldn’t.

MARTHA
He didn’t.

MARY
You know him.

MARTHA
As do you.

MARY
If he could have come, he would.

MARTHA
It’s been days. That’s plenty of time to get to Bethany.

MARY
You know why he didn’t come.
(beat)
You remember.

MARTHA
He loved Lazarus. He loved you and I. He said so.
 70.

MARY
And he’s shown us in so many ways, but do you not remember his last visit to Judea.

MARTHA
That wouldn’t stop a man who loved us.

MARY
Martha, you grieve for our brother. Don’t add betrayal on top of it. It’s too much.

MARTHA
Four days, Mary. Not only did he not come before Lazarus died, it’s been four days since
he went into the tomb. And still he has not arrived.

MARY
He will come.

MARTHA
Why would he come now?

MARY
To see us. To grieve with us.

MARTHA
(getting upset)
Grieve with us? I need no one to grieve with me. Especially not a healer, who did not
come when he could have healed someone.

MARY
Don’t...

MARTHA
Who needs a late healer? We have no need for him now. He can’t heal our brother from
death.

MARY
Martha, shh...

MARTHA
Lazarus is dead, and Jesus didn’t come. He chose not to come. Why did he choose not to
come?

MARY
I don’t know...
 71.

MARTHA
He doesn’t need to come now. What would be the point of that?

MARY
He’d risk it for us.

MARTHA
Risk it for us? Risk what?

MARY
The crowds.

MARTHA
The crowds and their stones will be nothing to what I have for him if he shows up now.
He won’t have to fear the crowds, I would stone him myself.

Martha throws something against the wall.

A silence.

MARTHA
He is too late.

Another moment.

MARY
All of those visitors who came through, and you only think of the one who didn’t.

MARTHA
He could have put a stop to all of this... pain.

MARY
There will be an end to it.

MARTHA
On the last day.

MARY
Yes.

MARTHA
And you believe that its soon.
 72.

MARY
I do.

MARTHA
Such cold comfort.

MARY
It’s all I have to give, Martha. I’m sorry.
(beat)
I loved him too.

MARTHA
That perfume.

MARY
Yes.

MARTHA
I wish you could get that perfume back.

MARY
I don’t.

MARTHA
Look at what good your sacrifice did for you. Nothing. When you needed him the most.

MARY
I didn’t do it so he would be beholden to us.

MARTHA
Love for those who love you. That is what I expect.

MARY
I didn’t love him to deserve his love. Mine was in response to his. To doubt him now...

MARTHA
What.

MARY
To doubt him now... only shows how fickle my love can be.
(beat)
That yours can be.

MARTHA
And what of Lazarus? Our love for him? Of HIS love for our brother. It was nothing.
 73.

MARY
You don’t know this.

MARTHA
I know he could have saved him, but has chosen not to.

MARY
Lazarus is beyond our worldly pain now. We suffer because we live. He suffers nothing,
because his life is done.

A long moment.

MARTHA
Done.

MARY
What if...

MARTHA
What.

MARY
What if he were to come now?

MARTHA
(meaning Lazarus)
He?

MARY
(meaning not Lazarus)
He.

MARTHA
Why would he?

MARY
Because.

MARTHA
There would be no reason to.

MARY
We are still here.
 74.

MARTHA
So?

MARY
We sent for him.

MARTHA
We sent for him because of Lazarus.

MARY
But we sent for him. He may still come.

MARTHA
I would tell him what I told you. If he had been here, Lazarus would never have died.

MARY
Good. Because that is true.

MARTHA
Yes it is.

Mary hums the tune from earlier.

After a moment, Martha begins to sing the

mournful tune.

Mary goes to Martha, holds her, sings with her.

The song ends.

Mary and Martha look up as if they see

something.

Lights out.
 75.

#13 - ZACCHAEUS AND THE TEN COINS

A group on stage creates a dinner scene in

tableau.

GROUP
Somewhere near Jerusalem, at the house of a man wealthy from crooked dealing.
(beat)
The people there supposed that the Kingdom of God was about to appear.
(beat)
One among them, a chosen one, decided to tell a story.

One stands to tell the story.

The rest act out the story in a series of tableau.

ONE
There was once a man of high rank who was going to a country far away to be made a
king, after which he planned to come back home. Before he left, he called his ten
servants and gave them each a gold coin and told them, ‘See what you can earn with this
while I am gone.’

Three people receive gold coins.

Now, his own people hated him, and so they sent messengers after him to say, ‘We don't
want this man to be our king.’ But the man was made king.

Big Shift (lights, position)

NARRATOR
Jesus was on a long journey, and went on into Jericho and was passing through.

A short man comes forward.

NARRATOR
There was a chief tax collector there named Zacchaeus, who was rich. He was trying to
see who Jesus was.

A crowd blocks the view of Zacchaeus.

NARRATOR
He was a little man and could not see Jesus because of the crowd.

Zacchaeus runs ahead.

 76.

Group makes a tree.

NARRATOR
So he ran ahead of the crowd and climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus, who was going to
pass that way.

One steps away and speaks.

The group establishes a tableau.

ONE
The man who had been made king came back to his homeland. At once he ordered his
servants to appear before him, in order to find out how much they had earned.

Tableau: the first servant.

ONE
The first one came and said, ‘Sir, I have earned ten gold coins with the one you gave me.’
‘Well done,’ he said; ‘you are a good servant! Since you were faithful in small matters, I
will put you in charge of ten cities.’

Tableau: ten cities.

Group re-establishes the sycamore tree, with

Zacchaeus at the top.

NARRATOR
When Jesus came to that place, he looked up and said to Zacchaeus, “Hurry down,
Zacchaeus, because I must stay in your house today.”

Tableau: the second servant.

ONE
The second servant came and said, ‘Sir, I have earned five gold coins with the one you
gave me.’ To this one he said, ‘You will be in charge of five cities.’

Tableau: five cities

The sycamore tree.

NARRATOR
Zacchaeus hurried down and welcomed him with great joy. All the people who saw it
started grumbling, “This man has gone as a guest to the home of a sinner!”
 77.

The group accuse.

Tableau: the third servant.

ONE
“Another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your gold coin; I kept it hidden in a
handkerchief. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take what is not
yours and reap what you did not sow.’

Tableau: judgement

ONE
He said to him, ‘You bad servant! I will use your own words to condemn you! You know
that I am a hard man, taking what is not mine and reaping what I have not sown. Well,
then, why didn't you put my money in the bank? Then I would have received it back with
interest when I returned.’

Tableau: the listeners

ONE
“Then he said to those who were standing there, ‘Take the gold coin away from him and
give it to the servant who has ten coins.’ But they said to him, ‘Sir, he already has ten
coins!’

Tableau: ten coins plus one.

The group re-creates the dinner scene, but

moving. Zacchaeus rises to make a declaration.

NARRATOR
Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Listen, sir! I will give half my belongings to
the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will pay back four times as much.”

The dinner scene freezes into a tableau.

ONE
‘I tell you,’ he replied, ‘that to all those who have something, even more will be given;
but those who have nothing, even the little that they have will be taken away from them.

The One stands with Zacchaeus.

NARRATOR
Jesus said to him, “Salvation has come to this house today, for this man, also, is a
descendant of Abraham. The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
 78.

Tableau: the lost are saved.

 79.

#14 - GIDEON VAUDEVILLE

Two actors. Vaudeville style banter.

GIDEON
This is a story of the people of Israel.

ANGEL
And of a man named Gideon.

GIDEON
Hi, I’m Gideon.

ANGEL
And I’m someone we’ll meet later.

GIDEON
The people of Israel, from time to time, would sin against the Lord God.

ANGEL
And when they would sin, the Lord would allow them to be ruled by another nation.

GIDEON
At this time, the nation that ruled Israel was called Midian.

ANGEL
The Midianites were much stronger, and in much greater numbers than the people Israel.

GIDEON
And the Israelites would hide from them in caves high above the valley.

ANGEL
Every time the Midianites would leave the valley to return to their land...

GIDEON
The Israelites would come down from the hills and plant crops.

ANGEL
When the crops grew, the Midianites would return, and take everything.

GIDEON
Destroy the fields.
 80.

ANGEL
Eat all of the crops.

GIDEON
Take the sheep and cattle.

ANGEL
And leave absolutely nothing for the Israelites.

GIDEON
Who cried out to the Lord to save them from the Midianites.

ANGEL
The Lord sent a message.

GIDEON
Through a prophet.

Angel is on a box or otherwise raised up.

ANGEL
I am the Lord thy God,

GIDEON
(impressed)
Thy...

ANGEL
I brought thee out of Egypt,

GIDEON
Thee!

ANGEL
I released thee from slavery, I led thee unto this land.

GIDEON
Double thee!

ANGEL
I told you--

GIDEON
(with ‘you’)
Thee.
 81.

Angel looks at gideon.

As Angel continues, Gideon takes out an idol (a

golden animal) and plays with it.

ANGEL
I am the Lord your God, and asked you not to worship the gods of this land, but only me,
and instead you have not listened to me.

Gideon realizes what he’s done. Hides the idol.

GIDEON
What?

ANGEL
And so, an Angel of the Lord - that’s me - came to the land belonging to Joash, an
Israelite, and sat beneath an oak tree.

GIDEON
Gideon, Son of Joash was working nearby, secretly threshing wheat in a winepress,
careful that the Midianites didn’t see him.

ANGEL
And the Angel said to him... Hey. Hey, Gideon.

GIDEON
Hm?

ANGEL
The Lord is with you, brave and mighty man.

Gideon looks around.

GIDEON
Why do you say the Lord is with us?

ANGEL
Because he is.

GIDEON
Where is he?

ANGEL
With you?
 82.

GIDEON
With me?

ANGEL
With all of you?

GIDEON
I’m just me. Is he with me?

ANGEL
He is also with you?

GIDEON
Prove it.

ANGEL
How?

GIDEON
If the Lord is with me...

ANGEL
He is.

GIDEON
Then why has all this happened?

ANGEL
All what?

GIDEON
This?

ANGEL
The winepress?

GIDEON
No. All the things.

ANGEL
All of them...

GIDEON
What happened to all the things that our fathers told us that the Lord has done?
 83.

ANGEL
What happened to them?

GIDEON
Yeah.

ANGEL
They happened.

GIDEON
Where are they?

ANGEL
Look, the Lord’s done so many things...

GIDEON
Yeah?

ANGEL
It’s like, the Lord’s done everything. There’s not anything he hasn’t done here.

GIDEON
Like?

ANGEL
Got you out of slavery.

GIDEON
Ok

ANGEL
Out of Egypt.

GIDEON
Ok

ANGEL
Led you here

GIDEON
Uh huh

ANGEL
Cleared people from here
 84.

GIDEON
Sure

ANGEL
Gave here to you

GIDEON
Right

ANGEL
There you go

GIDEON
Sure, but what about

ANGEL
What

GIDEON
What about the Midianites?

ANGEL
The Midianites.

GIDEON
Yes, the Midianites.

ANGEL
Oh, you think the Lord did the Midianites.

GIDEON
He did all the things.

ANGEL
You wanna know what about the Midianites.

GIDEON
I do.

ANGEL
I have a question.

GIDEON
Ok.
 85.

ANGEL
What about that idol in your hand?

Gideon throws the idol

GIDEON
What idol

ANGEL
That one. The one that’s there on that altar.

GIDEON
Yeah... that’s my dad’s. Altar. To Baal.

ANGEL
Baal is...

GIDEON
It’s a god. Kind of.

ANGEL
Not the Lord God, protector and provider for Israel.

GIDEON
Not so much.

ANGEL
Look. You’re gonna do something.

GIDEON
That so?

ANGEL
You’re going to go, with your strength and might, and defeat the Midianites.

GIDEON
I am?

ANGEL
Yes.

GIDEON
In my strength and might?
 86.

ANGEL
Well, I’m gonna send you.

GIDEON
You are.

ANGEL
Says the Lord God.

GIDEON
Right.

ANGEL
You’ll beat them as easy as if they were one man.

GIDEON
If they were one man, I could beat them easy.

ANGEL
That’s what I’m saying.

GIDEON
Ok. How do I know this is real?

ANGEL
Well...

GIDEON
Can I make you some food?

ANGEL
You wanna make me some food.

GIDEON
Yeah.

ANGEL
Make me some food.

GIDEON
Food? Um... well, I got this goat and some wheat but no yeast. And broth.

ANGEL
Broth?
 87.

GIDEON
Yeah, broth.

ANGEL
Sounds delish.

GIDEON
It’s what I have.

ANGEL
Put the meat on the rock with the wheat, pour the broth on top.

GIDEON
Mm k. Now what.

ANGEL
I got this stick.

GIDEON
Nice stick.

ANGEL
I touch the rock.
(beat)
BOOM!

GIDEON
It’s on fire.

ANGEL
That’s how we angels do it.

GIDEON
It’s like an altar.

ANGEL
It is.
(beat)
Got an idea.

Angel whispers a plan to Gideon.

Gideon acts out the next bit.

 88.

ANGEL
Gideon was told to tear down his father’s altar, and rebuild it as an altar to the Lord,
using the wooden symbols meant for other gods to burn the meat of his father’s bull.
(beat)
He was afraid to do this in the day, so he did it at night. But in the morning, there’s a
new altar and the old one was gone. When everyone wanted to kill Gideon because he’d
taken down the altar to Baal, Gideon said..

GIDEON
If the altar is Baal’s then let Baal defend himself!

ANGEL
Which of course he did not.

GIDEON
And that’s a good sign that the Lord is on my side...

ANGEL
I’d say so.

GIDEON
But I have an idea.

ANGEL
Ok.

Gideon pulls out a fleece.

GIDEON
Ok, so I got here this wool fleece.

ANGEL
Nice.

GIDEON
Yeah. What i’m gonna do here is put this on the ground tonight.

ANGEL
Ok.

GIDEON
If this is all really of God..
 89.

ANGEL
Yeah

GIDEON
In the morning, the fleece will be damp

ANGEL
Ok

GIDEON
But the ground dry

ANGEL
The fleece will be damp

GIDEON
At least moist

ANGEL
Ew

GIDEON
Yeah

ANGEL
But the ground will be dry

GIDEON
As a bone.

ANGEL
All right.

Gideon turns around during this next bit. Angel

pulls out a spray bottle and dampens the wool.

GIDEON
So I go to sleep tonight and I’ll wake up in the morning and I’ll come out and see that yep
the ground is dry but the fleece will be.
(checks fleece.)
(taken aback)
Huh. What do you know?

ANGEL
Is it?
 90.

GIDEON
What?

ANGEL
Damp.

GIDEON
Moist.

ANGEL
Ew.

GIDEON
Yeah.
(tosses fleece)
(pulls out second fleece)
I got this other fleece.

ANGEL
Lookie there.

GIDEON
I’m gonna put this fleece on the ground again.

ANGEL
(pulls up spray bottle)
Ok.

GIDEON
This time, I’ll know this is from the Lord if the fleece here is DRY

ANGEL
Oh. Dry.

GIDEON
But the ground all around here is wet.

ANGEL
Wet.

GIDEON
Damp.
 91.

ANGEL
Moist.

GIDEON
Ew.

ANGEL
Yeah.

GIDEON
No that’s it. That’s the thing.

ANGEL
Gotcha.

Angel follows Gideon spraying all of the

ground.

GIDEON
So again, i go to sleep and i wake up and come out and check the fleece and...
(checks)
Yep, totally dry
(checks ground)
But the ground is
(stops. Taken aback)
Huh.

ANGEL
It’s wet, isn’t it.

GIDEON
Yeah.

ANGEL
Yeah.

GIDEON
So I’m doing this.

ANGEL
Yeah you are. So Gideon goes and gathers men of Israel for an army.

GIDEON
Come on, y’all. Let’s army!
 92.

ANGEL
And he gathers thirty-two thousand men.

GIDEON
Yeah, baby!

ANGEL
Problem.

GIDEON
It’s not a lot of men, not as many as Midian. But with the Lord on our side, we’re good.

ANGEL
Lord is on your side.

GIDEON
Yes.

ANGEL
But there’s a problem.

GIDEON
What’s that.

ANGEL
Too many men.

GIDEON
Too many?

ANGEL
Yes.

GIDEON
Too many in Midian, you mean.

ANGEL
No.

GIDEON
Us? This is too many.

ANGEL
Tell the ones who want to go home...
 93.

GIDEON
What do I tell them

ANGEL
To go home.

GIDEON
Oh.

ANGEL
So he does.

GIDEON
And they do.

ANGEL
Twenty-two thousand go home.

GIDEON
Leaving ten thousand.
(beat)
That’s still a pile of guys. With the Lord on our side...

ANGEL
The Lord says it’s still too many.

GIDEON
We just lost two thirds of the men.

ANGEL
It’s still too many.

GIDEON
Too many.

ANGEL
Yeah.

GIDEON
Ok. So what now.

ANGEL
Take them down to the river.

GIDEON
To the river.
 94.

ANGEL
Yes.

GIDEON
You’re not gonna drown them.

ANGEL
They are to drink from the river.

GIDEON
Oh. Good. Ok. We can do that.

ANGEL
Separate the men the ones who put their faces down and lap like dogs...

GIDEON
Ok. That’s still a lot of guys...

ANGEL
who cup the water with their hand to drink...

GIDEON
Yeah, that’s like 300 guys.

ANGEL
Those are your guys.

GIDEON
300?

ANGEL
Perfect.

GIDEON
300.

ANGEL
Yes.

GIDEON
300...

ANGEL
And Gideon freaked out a little. But the Lord gave Gideon the chance to eavesdrop on
the Midianites, and overhear one man tell another his dream. He said
(as Midianite)
 95.

I dreamed that a loaf of barley bread rolled down the hill into our camp and knocked
down our tents.

GIDEON
They’re dreaming that we’re gonna win! They’re scared.

ANGEL
Gideon had the 300 Israelites get trumpets and torches hidden in jars, they surrounded the
Midianite camp,

GIDEON
Now! Blow the trumpets and break the jars!

ANGEL
The Midianite camp was surrounded by blaring trumpets and lights in the night. As they
ran away in fear, the Midianites went crazy and started stabbing each other.

GIDEON
And the Lord gave the people of Midian into the hands of Gideon and the people Israel.

ANGEL
Through the use of a plan that could only have come from the Lord God.

GIDEON
That’s right. Wasn’t my plan.

ANGEL
At all.

GIDEON
Wasn’t my preference.

ANGEL
Nope.

GIDEON
Never would have done it.

ANGEL
Without the hand of God.
 96.

#15 - ELIJAH

Music plays.

A man runs. He is Elijah.

VOICES
Elijah. Elijah. Elijah.
(then)
You have challenged the worship of Baal. You have destroyed the priests of Baal. You
have humiliated the queen’s people, who depended on Baal.
(then)
Elijah Elijah Elijah.
(then)
Jezebel will seek you. Jezebel will hunt you. Jezebel will do the same to you that you’ve
done to the priests.

Elijah continues to run, but changes directions

as the voice haunt him.

Elijah trips and falls face down on the ground.

ELIJAH
It is too much Lord. Take away my life. I might as well be dead.

Lights shift.

A loaf of bread and jar of water appear near

where he lay.

Elijah lifts his head.

He sees the food, and reaches toward it.

ANGEL VOICE
Take and eat, or the journey will too much for you.

He pulls himself to the food and eats. As he

does he rises and continues to walk.

Elijah walks, then collapses.

ELIJAH
I have walked for 40 days. I can go no further. This cave will be my end.
 97.

LORD’S VOICE
Elijah.

Elijah raises his head.

ELIJAH
Lord.

LORD’S VOICE
What are you doing here?

ELIJAH
God Almighty, I have always served you, but your people have broken their covenant
with you, torn down your altars and killed your prophets. I am the only one left. And
they are now trying to kill me.

LORD’S VOICE
Go out and stand before me on the top of the mountain.

ELIJAH
I will.

Elijah climbs.

ELIJAH
Where are you?

The sound of a mighty storm. Wind. Like a

hurricane ate 5 tornados.

Rocks split and shatter.

ELIJAH
Is that you Lord?

The wind stops.

And earthquake begins. An 11.

ELIJAH
Is that you Lord?

Earthquake stops.
 98.

A fire rages. Massive, and hot.

ELIJAH
Lord, is that you?

The fire ends.

Lights go dark, but for part of Elijah’s face. If

you’d like, the light could pulse slightly with the
words of the Lord.

LORD’S VOICE
Elijah. What are you doing here?

ELIJAH
LORD God Almighty, I have always served you, and you alone. But the people of Israel
have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed all your prophets.
I am the only one left and they are trying to kill me.

LORD’S VOICE
I am with you. You will return to Damascus. I will purge the kingdom of Israel of those
who have bowed down to the idols of Baal and turned their backs on me.

ELIJAH
But I am all alone. How will Israel be purged?

LORD’S VOICE
I have chosen a new king for Syria, and for Israel.

ELIJAH
And what of me, Lord.

LORD’S VOICE
And I have chosen a prophet to succeed you.
(beat)
Elijah.

The Lord leaves, the lights change.

VOICES
It was many years later. When the Lord’s will had been done in Israel. And it came time
for Elijah to be with the Lord. Elijah walked with Elisha, his successor.

The sound of quaking.

 99.

VOICES
The earth shook.

The sound of wind.

VOICES
A whirlwind came between the men.

The sound of fire.

VOICES
And a fiery chariot carried Elijah into the heavens.

Elijah disappears.

VOICES
Elisha and 50 men searched for 3 days, but Elijah was never seen again.

Lights down.

End
 100.

#16 - REMEMBER ME

Three chairs in a row.

Two men , Sein and Jabez enter, and sit on the

chairs on the outside, leaving the center chair
open.

JABEZ
I don’t belong here.

SEIN
I don’t want to be here.

JABEZ
This isn’t fair.

SEIN
This isn’t what I wanted.

JABEZ
I shouldn’t be here!

SEIN
It shouldn’t have gone this far.

JABEZ
I’m no worse than anyone else. There’s a guy over by the bridges, you should go pick up
that guy. Wasting your time with me.

SEIN
I can’t believe this happened. That I’m here. That this is where I ended up. That this is
what I’ve become.

Jabez looks to the center chair.

JABEZ
What’s this?

SEIN
What.

JABEZ
Who’s this for?
 101.

SEIN
What does it matter?

JABEZ
What does it matter? Who’s gonna be here with us?

SEIN
With us.

JABEZ
This is the last thing we have.

SEIN
What.

JABEZ
Who we hang with.

SEIN
What is that to us?

JABEZ
If he’s famous, people will come to see. I don’t need this to be any more public than it is.

SEIN
Let them come. Let them see.

JABEZ
If he’s someone who’s innocent, then maybe they’ll reconsider how they’ve judged us.

SEIN
Judgement.

JABEZ
Maybe they’ll let us go.

SEIN
They’ve judged. This is the judgement.

JABEZ
But maybe.

SEIN
You torture yourself with hope.
 102.

JABEZ
I hope he’s not someone who’ll make a lot of noise.

SEIN
Noise.

JABEZ
If he’s been beaten. If he suffers.

SEIN
We suffer.

JABEZ
And I don’t need to hear anyone else suffering. Just makes it worse.

SEIN
It’s not supposed to be pleasant.

JABEZ
Well, it isn’t.

SEIN
It isn’t.

The center chair is illuminated.

JABEZ
What’s that sign say?

SEIN
What sign.

JABEZ
Above him.

SEIN
Can’t you read?

JABEZ
No.

SEIN
It says: This is the King of the Jews.
 103.

A moment.

JABEZ
You hear what he said?

SEIN
What’d he say?

JABEZ
I’m not sure.

SEIN
What’d you hear?

JABEZ
It sounded like... couldn’t be.

SEIN
What?

JABEZ
He said that they should be forgiven.

SEIN
Forgiven? Who.

JABEZ
Them.

SEIN
Them.

JABEZ
Yeah.

SEIN
Why.

JABEZ
Because they don’t know.

SEIN
Know what.
 104.

JABEZ
What they’re doing.

SEIN
They don’t know what they’re doing.

JABEZ
He says they don’t.
(beat)
I think they know exactly what they’re doing.

SEIN
Huh.

JABEZ
How could they not know what they’re doing.

SEIN
Who should forgive them.

JABEZ
Huh?

SEIN
Who is he telling to forgive?

JABEZ
How should I know.

SEIN
You heard him.

JABEZ
I said I didn’t.
(beat)
Stupid.
(beat)
Forgive.

SEIN
Forgive...

JABEZ
Sign says King of the Jews?
 105.

SEIN
King of the Jews...

JABEZ
If he’s king, he should tell them to get him down.

SEIN
Why would he say forgive...

JABEZ
If he can tell them to get him down, he should get us down too.

SEIN
Look at him.

JABEZ
I don’t want to look.

SEIN
Look.

JABEZ
I shouldn’t have looked.

SEIN
He’s... it’s brutal.

JABEZ
It’s disgusting.

SEIN
And he’s saying forgive.

JABEZ
He should be saying let me down.
(beat)
You should say let me down. Let us down. King. King of the Jews. Tell them to let us
down! If you’re a king!

SEIN
Forgive.
 106.

JABEZ
If you’re King of the Jews, that’s who’s been foretold. The Messiah, king of the jews.
Messiah! That you? If it is, then get us down. Get yourself down, and get us down too.
If you’re king. Messiah. God’s chosen. God’s king! Get us down, king. Set us free,
Messiah!

SEIN
Stop it! Stop saying that! We don’t deserve to get down! We are guilty! We are! You
are, I am.
(beat)
We are guilty and are getting what we deserve. We are getting the same punishment as
he is, and he hangs there and speaks forgiveness. Forgiveness! How...

JABEZ
He speaks nonsense! Hanging there, bloody, bruised. Who’s to say who’s guilty. How
about how he’s been punished. Like he’s the most guilty one here! He is all the
transgressions, hanging there.

SEIN
And yet, he speaks forgiveness.
(beat)
He is not like us.
(beat)
We are the guilty ones.

JABEZ
Speak for yourself.

SEIN
I am guilty. I deserve this.
(beat)
He is not like me.
(beat)
Remember me. Remember me! King! When you are in your Kingdom. Remember me.
(beat)
In paradise.
(beat)
Remember me.

Sein closes his eyes, and is silent.

JABEZ
Hey. Hey! Open your eyes. Look up at those clouds. That sky. A storm is coming.
(beat)
Let us go! There’s a storm coming. A storm!
 107.

Thunder crashes.

Lights flash, then go out.

End.
 108.

#17 - DREAMS OF JOSEPH

A young man enters, this is Joseph. He wears a bright coat.

He is taunted by his bigger brothers. They don’t like his coat.
The brothers exit.
He yawns and stretches, and lies down to sleep.

SHIFT - LIGHTS, MUSIC. DREAM ONE - SHEAVES

The brothers re-enter with stalks of wheat. They surround where Joseph sleeps, drop
their stalks and begin to bind them into sheaves. They obscure our view of Joseph.
When they are done with the sheaves, Joseph is raised up high. The sheaves move
toward Joseph.
The sheaves bow to Joseph.
Joseph’s coat becomes very large and expands across the stage. It encompasses the
sheaves.
Once the coat closes over the sheaves, everything shifts again.
Joseph drops to the floor, asleep.
The sheaves are gone, the brothers are gone.
Joseph is alone.
He stirs, waking.

SHIFT - LIGHTS, SOUND. STRUGGLE ONE

The brothers enter. Joseph gets their attention - they all sit on the floor, facing downstage,
Joseph speaks to them, facing upstage. Joseph tells the story of the dream of the sheaves.
The brothers respond poorly. The push and shove Joseph.
Father enters, halting the hazing. Father sends brothers away.
Father comforts Joseph, dusts him off, relaxes him down to sleep again.
Joseph sleeps, Father exits.

SHIFT - LIGHTS, SOUND. DREAM TWO - CELESTIALS

Brothers enter carrying eleven stars.
Father enters carrying a sun and a moon.
The stars dance high above Joseph, then begin to circle him.
Joseph rises.
Joseph’s coat again expands, covering the stage floor.
The stars and sun and moon all halt in their patterns, turn to Joseph.
Joseph raises his hands, as the celestials bow down to him.
The coat raises from the floor, blocking the celestials.
When the coat drops, Joseph is again alone, sleeping on the floor.
 109.

SHIFT - LIGHTS, MUSIC. STRUGGLE TWO.

Father is brought to Joseph. The brothers circle Joseph.
Joseph expresses the story of the dream of the celestial bodies.
Father approaches Joseph - expresses disappointment. Leaves.
The brothers circle Joseph, and increase the speed.
They grab Joseph’s coat and wrap him up in the coat
They raise him high, and unfurl the coat, dropping Joseph down to the floor.
Joseph lay on the floor, splayed out
The brothers tear the coat
The brothers demonstrate killing a sheep and spreading blood on the coat
The brothers split the coat eleven ways as they exit
Joseph remains on the floor

End
 110.

#18 - WORK FOR A COIN

Two laborers at the end of a long day.

M
Long day.

D
Yeah.

M
Glad it’s over.

D
It is over.

M looks at coin in hand.

M
Good pay.

D
Yeah, not bad.

M
Yeah.

D
It’s pay.

M
You got what I got.

D
One coin.

M
Yeah.

D
Yeah.

M
Oh.
 111.

D
You know what, though...

M
What’s that?

D
You see them?

M
Who?

D
Them. Over there.

M
Yeah.

D
You see them.

M
I do.

D
You see what they got in their hand.

M
I don’t...

D
What do you think they have?

M
I’m supposed to guess?

D
You got a coin, I got a coin. Been here all day and I got a coin. So what do you think
they got?

M
They been here all day?

D
That’s a great question.
 112.

M
Thank you.

D
The answer to that question is no.

M
No.

D
No they have not.

M
When did they--

D
An hour ago.

M
An hour.

D
Yes.

M
One hour.

D
Right. So...

M
So?

D
So how much you think they have?

M
I don’t know.

D
We got a coin.

M
Each.
 113.

D
So did they.

M
They got a whole coin?

D
Yeah.

A moment.

M
Well, we got a whole coin.

D
We did a whole day of work.

M
I mean...

D
Whole day of work, one coin. One hour...

M
This upsets you?

D
This doesn’t upset you?

M
You got your coin.

D
And you got yours. And they got one too. From my work.

M
For their work.

D
I worked all day.

M
For a coin.

D
They worked an hour.
 114.

M
You know what they agreed to do the work for?

D
What?

M
What did they agree to do the work for?
(beat)
A coin?

D
They deserve less.

M
Do they?

D
They worked less.

M
For the agreed price.

D
It’s only fair.

M
Fair?

D
They should have been paid less for the amount of work they did.

M
The pay was a coin. Can’t do half a coin. Two coins. That’s not the price. That the boss
agreed to, wanted to pay.

D
It’s not fair.

M
To who? It’s the boss’s field. It’s the bosses coins. It’s not any of your business.

D
Why are you upset?
 115.

M
I’m not.

D
You are. Defending them. Defending them getting a whole coin. Defending the boss
paying people unfairly.

M
It’s not unfair...

D
Defending.

M
So?

D
No one’s attacking you.

M
You’re upset they didn’t work a whole day for a whole coin.

D
Yeah.

M
I didn’t either.

D
What?

M
I didn’t work a whole day.
(beat)
I started at noon.

D
You worked the afternoon.

M
Not the morning.

D
Why?
 116.

M
Why what?

D
Why not work the morning?

M
I didn’t know.

D
Didn’t know.

M
I didn’t know about the work.

Moment.

D
Why didn’t you wait?

M
Why would I wait when I know now that there’s work to do?

Moment.

D
You took a whole coin, for a half day of work.

M
There isn’t a half coin.
(beat)
We work. We reach the end of the day. We get a whole coin.
(beat)
Everybody.

D
Everybody who works a day.

M
Everybody who works.

D
Not everyone earned it.

M
They did.
 117.

D
I-

M
Everyone.

Moment.

D
I’m owed more.

M
There’s no more to give you. You’ve been paid what you earned. You did the work.
Well done.

D
And them?

M
They did the work there was to be done. The only work they could do.
(beat)
Like I did.
(beat)
Like you did.

Moment.

D
It is his money.

M
It is.

Moment.

D
Well done.

M
Well done.

Lights down.
 118.

#19 - FOOT-WASHING

A group of disciples. The number and gender

are indeterminate, and the lines should be
distributed as close to evenly as possible,
depending on the number of disciples available.

The group begin with their backs turned.

A person, who will be referred to as Washer,

brings in a chair and sets it down stage. Washer
also brings in a large bowl of water, a washrag
and a towel.

The Washer chooses one person, who will be

referred to as Feet, and brings them to sit in the
chair.

The Washer washes Feet’s feet.

(I’m not going to lie. I named them this so I

could write that sentence.)

As the foot washing happens, slowly and

deliberately, the rest of the group begins to turn
around.

DISCIPLES
He’s really doing it.
I can’t believe it.
I’m not seeing this.
He shouldn’t be doing that.
That’s not a job for him.
Someone else should do that.
Not him.
That’s beneath him.
He’s too important to do that.
Someone should stop him.
Someone should do that for him.
Is someone going to stop him?
Someone should volunteer to do that so he doesn’t have to.
Stop him.
Are you going to stop him?
 119.

Should I say something?

I wouldn’t do that.
I’m not saying anything.
I don’t think he knows where my feet have been.
He knows where my feet have been.
That’s disgusting.
Those feet are filthy.
All feet are filthy.
He shouldn’t be touching someone’s feet.
I don’t want him to touch my feet.
I should have washed my feet before I came here.
Feet are just gross.
Is he going to clean in between the toes?
I’m really ticklish.
I don’t want to have anyone touch my feet.

Washer finishes washing the first foot, and starts

the second.

DISCIPLES
If I have to do this...
I mean, he says he wants to...
He says he has to do this...
He says we have to submit to this...
If I’m going to do this...
If I’m going to let him do this...
He should wash not just my feet.
It’s silly to just wash the feet.
My feet need it, but so does the rest of me.
If we need to be cleansed.
We should be cleansed from head to toe.
Head to toe.
Top to bottom.
Wash all of me.
I need to be washed completely.
He should be washing all of me.
My face.
My hands.
My elbows.
My knees.
My arms.
My legs.
 120.

My heart.
My soul.
All of me.
All of it.
All over.
All around.
All through.
All or none of me.

The Washer completes the second foot. He

begins to dry the feet.

DISCIPLES
I can’t let him do this.
I should be doing this for him.
I should...
I’m not ready.
I can’t do it.
I’m afraid.
I’m afraid of what I have on my feet.
I’m afraid my feet are too dirty.
I’m afraid my feet are too clean. That I’m not worth the effort.
I’m afraid that after this is over, I’ll still get dirty again. On my way home.
I’m afraid...
What will he find?
What is even on my feet?
What happens after he’s cleaned my feet?
What then?
What will I do once I have clean feet?
What will I no longer be able to do once my feet are clean?
What has to end?
What will I be once my feet have been cleaned?
Can I be the one whose feet have been cleaned?

The Washer finishes drying the feet of Feet.

Feet stands.

Washer stands.

They embrace.
 121.

The Washer indicates the chair to the group of

disciples.

WASHER
Who will be next?

The disciples are still.

There can be one of three endings, next:

1) The lights go down/ curtain. This would be a
challenge to the audience.
2) The disciples then all cycle through and all of
them have their feet washed one by one. This
would be, for the audience, a witnessing of the
ritual. It is possible to have the speaker talk
while the action happens at a soothing pace.
3) The disciples do a single action all at once to
demonstrate submitting to the washing process.
This would be a quicker conclusion than doing
it one at a time.
 122.

#20 - ABEL AND CAIN

Cain on his knees on the floor.

Behind him, is Abel.

ABEL
What kind of day was it?

CAIN
Kind of day?

ABEL
Bright and sunny? Rainy? Was it hot, cold, stormy?

CAIN
I don’t know.

ABEL
You don’t know.

CAIN
I don’t remember.

ABEL
You didn’t pay attention.

CAIN
It was... clear.

ABEL
Was it?

CAIN
I don’t know.

ABEL
I’m trying to help you remember.

CAIN
Because you don’t.

ABEL
How could I?
 123.

CAIN
I don’t know.

ABEL
What did you do?

CAIN
What did I do?

ABEL
Yeah.

CAIN
What did I do.

ABEL
You brought in some crops.

CAIN
Yeah.

ABEL
You did.

CAIN
Brought them in. First thing in the morning.

ABEL
Hard?

CAIN
Nah. Not hard. It’s work. But not hard.

ABEL
What did he bring?

CAIN
He? That’s what we’re saying?

ABEL
Yeah.

CAIN
He brought in a lamb.
 124.

ABEL
A lamb. Was it a good one?

CAIN
What’s a good one?

ABEL
Clean. Fresh. No marks. No broken bones. A good one.

CAIN
I don’t know the difference.

ABEL
You don’t.
(beat)
Was it hard for him?

CAIN
Wasn’t big. Wasn’t heavy.

ABEL
Was it special?

CAIN
Special.

ABEL
Yeah.

CAIN
What do I care?

ABEL
I think you care. You cared a lot. You know you did.
(beat)
Tell me what it felt like.

CAIN
What felt like what.

ABEL
What. It. Felt. Like.
 125.

CAIN
Bad.

ABEL
That’s all you’ve got?

CAIN
No.

ABEL
What you brought is rejected.

CAIN
Yeah.

ABEL
And?

CAIN
I don’t know.

ABEL
You were mad.

CAIN
Wouldn’t you be?

ABEL
It’s not something I have to worry about.

CAIN
No you didn’t.
(beat)
I still hear the words.

ABEL
Which?

CAIN
When it was rejected. Couldn’t believe it. I brought something, he brought something.
But here I am, basket of crops in my hand. What am I supposed to do with it now?
Picked more than I can use. Now it’s just gonna go bad. It’s a waste. I wasted my crops
for this. Ridiculous. So I... I just dumped it on the ground. Big heap on the ground and
walked away. Didn’t want it anymore. And I hear... I hear...
(beat)
 126.

If you do what’s right, you’ll be accepted. You don’t, sin is crouching at your door. It’s
already got you, you need to rule over it.

ABEL
Like an animal.

CAIN
Animal. I brought crops and we’re still talking about animals.

ABEL
So then...

CAIN
I go home.

ABEL
Did you sleep?

CAIN
No. I usually sleep good. Long day in the field. Working hard. I sleep very good.

ABEL
But not that night.

CAIN
No.

ABEL
No.

CAIN
Heard those words.

ABEL
If you do what’s right, you will be accepted.

CAIN
I thought I did right.

ABEL
You didn’t.

CAIN
How do you know.
 127.

ABEL
Not accepted.

CAIN
I brought my crops.

ABEL
Wasn’t right?

CAIN
How wasn’t it right? Work of my hands. My sweat. My muscle. Toiling hard. Every
day. And he...

ABEL
What about him?

CAIN
Brings a lamb. What? Follows it around all day.

ABEL
Shepherds it. Keeps it safe. Protects it. Guides it.

CAIN
Leave an animal in the field, it lives a natural life. While if I don’t pour myself into the
fields, there’s nothing. Nothing.

ABEL
Gets eaten by wild animals.

CAIN
You’re smart. Aren’t you.

Moment.

ABEL
Also had to slaughter the lamb.

CAIN
What?

ABEL
The lamb had to be slaughtered. Has to be done right. Can’t be rough. Can’t bash it.
Gotta do it right. Or it’s no good.

CAIN
Gotta do good.
 128.

ABEL
Yeah.
(beat)
So, next day.

CAIN
Sun comes up.

ABEL
He’s near.

CAIN
I see him.

ABEL
You call him over.

CAIN
Yeah.

ABEL
Away from his flock.

CAIN
Yeah.
(beat)
We go into my field.

ABEL
He goes with you.

CAIN
Yeah.

ABEL
Why?

CAIN
Because he’s him. And he does.

ABEL
He loves you.

CAIN
Sure.
 129.

ABEL
He does.

CAIN
Easy to love, when you’re accepted.

ABEL
He loves you. Makes you feel even more rejected.

CAIN
Maybe.

ABEL
That’s not what you’re thinking.

CAIN
No.

ABEL
You go out into the field.

CAIN
Not so far.

ABEL
How’d it work.

Cain gets up and goes behind Abel.

CAIN
He walked with me a ways. Kept looking back. To his flock.

ABEL
(looks out)
Kept his eye on them.

CAIN
Yeah.

ABEL
He didn’t see you coming?

CAIN
No.
 130.

ABEL
How’d you do it.

CAIN
Grabbed a rock.

ABEL
Big one?

CAIN
A handful. Big enough.

ABEL
Where’d you hit him.

CAIN
Back of the head first.

ABEL
And then.

CAIN
He fell to the ground.

ABEL
Face down or up.

CAIN
Down.

Abel kneels.

ABEL
That it? One hit?

CAIN
No.

ABEL
How many.

CAIN
I don’t know.
 131.

ABEL
How many.

CAIN
Three.

ABEL
Total of three? Including the first?

CAIN
Three more.

Abel lays down on his face.

ABEL
After the fall.

CAIN
Yeah.

ABEL
There was blood.

CAIN
Yeah.

ABEL
Lots of it.

CAIN
Yeah.

ABEL
More than you expected.

CAIN
More than I’ve ever seen.

A moment.

Cain steps away.

Abel leans to his side.

 132.

ABEL
Then?

CAIN
I hear it.

ABEL
What’s that?

CAIN
The question.

ABEL
The question?

CAIN
Yeah.

ABEL
What is it?

CAIN
I’m asked the question.
(beat)
Where is... your brother?

ABEL
Where were you?

CAIN
Huh?

ABEL
Were you still by him? The body?

CAIN
No. I was far enough away.

ABEL
So you got the question.

CAIN
Stupid question.
 133.

ABEL
Why’s that.

CAIN
Already knew the answer.

ABEL
Oh yeah? How do you know.

CAIN
I know.

ABEL
So you said...

CAIN
I’m not in charge of keeping track of him.

ABEL
You said that.

CAIN
Yeah.

ABEL
Like, you’re not his shepherd.

Moment.

Abel rises.

CAIN
Said... said his blood has seeped down into the ground.
(kneels to the ground)
Like it was a poison in the field. Like it’s spoiled the land. The Land has opened its
mouth and swallowed his blood. And now it is cursed. The land is cursed. From his
blood.
(abel comes up behind)
(abel does a silent scream )
His blood cries out. Cries out to the heavens. Cries for vengeance. Vengeance.
(abel reaches for Cain)
That his cries will make the land withhold from me. That my toil would be in vain, and
the land would no longer yield for me. That I would be a restless wanderer of the earth.
 134.

(abel is about to destroy cain)

But... but I... I said...

Abel holds

ABEL
What did you say?

CAIN
This punishment is too much for me. If I’m not destroyed now... If I’m sent away from
this land, from this place and presence...

ABEL
Yes.

CAIN
Whoever finds me, as I wander the earth...

ABEL
Yes.

CAIN
I will be killed.

ABEL
Killed.

A moment.

CAIN
Mercy.

ABEL
Mercy.

A moment.

CAIN
I was given... a mark.

Abel puts his hand on Cain’s face, from behind.

ABEL
A mark.
 135.

CAIN
That anyone who finds me would know.

ABEL
That anyone who kills you would have vengeance laid against them. Seven times over.

CAIN
Seven times.

A moment.

Abel lets go.

ABEL
So you left.

CAIN
I settled in the land of Nod.

ABEL
East of Eden.

CAIN
I took a wife. We have a son.

ABEL
A son.

CAIN
Enoch.

ABEL
A son.

Abel crosses away.

Cain stands.

ABEL
What kind of day was it?

CAIN
Kind of day?
 136.

ABEL
What kind of day?

CAIN
It was... dark.

ABEL
Clouds?

CAIN
No.

ABEL
But it was dark.

CAIN
Yes.

ABEL
In the day.

CAIN
It was the darkest day. It was the day I was rejected.

Lights down.

End.
 137.

#21 - DANCING THE VOICE SILENT

The figure of a young woman in shadow. This

is Salome.

Salome dances, slow, somewhat sensual, but not

over the top. Music is understated.

A woman, Herodias appears to the side of the

stage.

HERODIAS
The dance of a young woman, meant to please and older man. To relax him. To comfort
him. To lure him. A young woman dances at the court of a king, the king her step-father.
The occasion, a public proceeding, where, upon completion of the dance, the king would
most likely seek to prove his power by promising a gift to the young woman, not for her
benefit, but to show everyone in attendance his own might and majesty. But she, she
dances not for him. Not for him.

Music stops, lights shift. Herodias and Salome

are gone.

A man, John, stands far away.

JOHN
You know me. You know that I am John. The same John who has lived in these woods
since I left my father’s house. Some have called me a madman, and by my life I have
done nothing to prove them wrong, save to speak only the truth. I am the voice in the
wilderness who has spoken nothing but the truth. I spoke to you of heaven and earth and
of the time when the God of Heaven made earth his home. With these hands I baptized
believers and saints, and yes the son of God. You can see that I have nothing on this
earth, and so have nothing to lose when I speak the truth to you now.
(beat)
This kingdom shall not prosper, as long as the wife of the king’s brother, still living, is
treated as the king’s own wife. Herodias, wife of Philip, shares the bed of the king,
Herod, Philip’s brother. Man and wife are one flesh, as are brother and brother. The
king takes his own flesh into his chamber, calls his brother’s flesh his wife, and so
poison’s his own kingdom, his own land, and it’s people. And his people say nothing?
Are we to accept this curse as our queen - the glory of our land?

Salome enters toward the front of the stage, she

sits on the floor. Perhaps she plays a childish
game - with a beaded necklace.
 138.

Herodias enters again, far from John, but

noticing him.

JOHN
It is this woman, Herodias, who lives in the palace as our queen, who brings upon us all
the judgment of the heavens, and the wrath of the Lord. She has forsaken the house of
her husband Philip, and left it to stand as queen, and, fool that Herod is, he has allowed it.
Herod! Send away Herodias! And save our nation from the anger of the most high!

Lights go down on John.

HERODIAS
Salome.
(Salome doesn’t notice)
Daughter.

SALOME
Mother.

HERODIAS
What are you doing?

SALOME
I am admiring this necklace.

HERODIAS
What necklace is that?

SALOME
You don’t remember?

HERODIAS
I have many necklaces. Too many to recall each one. Is that one of mine?

SALOME
No, mother. It is mine.

HERODIAS
Yours? Where did you get it?

SALOME
It was a gift.
 139.

HERODIAS
Some young man, looking to court the daughter of the queen.

SALOME
No. It was your husband.

HERODIAS
Your father.

SALOME
He is not my father.

HERODIAS
He is.

SALOME
He told me he wasn’t. My father is Philip.

HERODIAS
When did he tell you this?

SALOME
When he gave me this necklace. At the winter celebration.

HERODIAS
That evening, when you interrupted the musicians.

SALOME
I didn’t interrupt them. I was just dancing along with them.

HERODIAS
And Herod was... so taken.

SALOME
I don’t know. I was just dancing.

HERODIAS
He liked it enough to give you that necklace.

SALOME
I suppose.

A moment.

HERODIAS
Have you heard...
 140.

SALOME
Heard what?

HERODIAS
The... voice in the wilderness?

SALOME
What do you mean?

HERODIAS
There’s a man named John, who lives in the wilderness. He’s said things. Bad things.
About your mother and fath-- and her husband, the king.

SALOME
I never leave the palace.

HERODIAS
Has anyone told you about what he’s said?

SALOME
No one has told me.

HERODIAS
Ah.

SALOME
But I hear the servants talk about him.
(beat)
They say...

HERODIAS
What?

SALOME
That the reason our kingdom suffers, is because of you.

HERODIAS
That is what he says.

SALOME
Is it true?

HERODIAS
My dear... the clear stream is high in the mountains, running over clean stones. It has not
yet passed the turns, the depths, the dirt, the obstructions. The longer the river, the darker
the water.
 141.

SALOME
What?

HERODIAS
I mean, my dear, that the world for the young, the innocent, the ones who do not yet
understand the complexities of the world, of love, and nations, and how one must live
with others... when one doesn’t understand these things, the world is simple.

SALOME
Am I... simple?

HERODIAS
In the best ways, my love. You. And the man in the wilderness. You are both simple.
In the ways that I wish I could be simple.

Herodias is behind Salome.

HERODIAS
Come, my daughter. Will you dance again? For the king?

SALOME
If I like the music.

HERODIAS
Any music you like.

Music begins. Salome smiles.

Herodias helps her up.

HERODIAS
Dance my daughter. Dance for your king.

Salome dances. Slightly different from before.

But still in shadow.

HERODIAS
Her body sways in time. Sliding through the room, thick with sound, cutting waves of
rich scented air, as she makes manifest the abstract emotion of song. The king, a man,
intoxicated by rhythm, drunk with sight, watches and dreams of his own youth, and lives
again the days of desire, and passion, long since lost to long sore days of aching. And he
imagines. He imagines he is still that young buck, capable of leaping. Fooling himself,
that he is still the same.

Salome freezes.
 142.

HERODIAS
Then he wakes. And its startled to find he is laid bare. Conned and ridiculous. And
scrambling, to cover his naked foolishness, he unwisely wields his only remaining
strength. His power. As if it were his own, and not granted him by god and nature over
time. He speaks with the voice of years, that he will grant to this young girl, anything she
wants. Anything she wants up to half his kingdom. A fee far greater than the vapor
granted him. And that’s when I have it. I tell Salome what she should ask.

Salome is still frozen in the pose, now drops it.

SALOME
Give me the head of John, that voice in the wilderness. And bring it on a silver serving
tray.

A serving tray appears.

HERODIAS
And that is how a voice in the wilderness... is silenced.

Herodias goes and takes off the lid.

John’s head is there.

Herodias exits with the lid.

Music rises.

Salome dances.

Until the lights fade to black.

 143.

#22 - FRED AND JANET ELEPHANT

Fred and Janet - two elephants on the ark.

FRED
Janet.

JANET
Yeah?

FRED
How long we been on this thing?

JANET
It’s an ark, dear.

FRED
How long we been on this ark?

JANET
I don’t know.

FRED
Is it more than 30 days?

JANET
For sure.

FRED
That’s too long.

JANET
I know.

FRED
I need to stretch out.

JANET
My skins so dry.

FRED
And it’s a flood out there!
 144.

JANET
I know.

FRED
I just want to trot somewhere. Not run. Not gallop. I just need to trot.

JANET
You think I don’t?

FRED
I didn’t say that.

JANET
Look at all these animals in here.

FRED
So much smaller than us.

JANET
They don’t need so much room.

FRED
They can run all they want.

JANET
Their size, they got the room.

FRED
Not us.

JANET
Nope.

FRED
You’d think Noah would have thought of that.

JANET
Of what.

FRED
How much room we needed.

JANET
He did give us the big stall.
 145.

FRED
Should have built it bigger.

JANET
How big should it have been?

A moment.

FRED
Big enough for me to trot.

JANET
He was building an ark, not a continent.

FRED
Who’s side are you on?

JANET
How many sides are there?

FRED
Two. Me and Noah.

JANET
You’re going head to head with Noah?

FRED
I’m gonna tell him what I think.

JANET
How? He doesn’t come down here anymore.

FRED
So I’m supposed to take my complaints to who? Japheth?

JANET
Shem’s a good man. He’ll listen.

FRED
No one’s talking to Ham.

JANET
No way, not Ham.

FRED
Ham... that guy...
 146.

JANET
If Noah was leaving people off the ark, shoulda just left Ham straight off.

FRED
NO HAM. DON’T NEED HIM.

JANET
Noah’s up top.

FRED
What’s he doing up there?

JANET
He’s checking to see if the flood’s over.

FRED
We’re rockin’ back and forth a lot for the flood to be over.

JANET
I know that, and you do.

FRED
Noah’s...

JANET
He’s a little touched...

FRED
In the head.

JANET
Who gets the idea who build a boat?

FRED
Where there’s not really any water around.

JANET
And collecting animals? Why?

FRED
He was told.

JANET
Sure.
 147.

FRED
I mean, why else.

JANET
I told you we shouldn’t have gotten on.

FRED
You looked out the window lately?

JANET
You going to complain to anyone other than me?

FRED
No.

JANET
So stop complaining.

FRED
What are we gonna do?

JANET
When?

FRED
When we hit solid ground.

JANET
I know what you’re going to do.

FRED
What?

JANET
Trot.

FRED
Yeah. I’m gonna trot.

JANET
You know what?

FRED
What.
 148.

JANET
I’m gonna trot, too.

FRED
But after that.

JANET
After?

FRED
Yeah.

JANET
I guess we’ll just... go back to living.

FRED
Just us two.

JANET
For now.

FRED
I don’t know what the future holds.

JANET
I’m glad I don’t. And I’m glad you don’t.
(beat)
You’d be insufferable.

FRED
I would do my best to be insufferable.
(beat)
I’d know the future. That’d be something.

JANET
Something.
(beat)
But you know what?

FRED
Right now, I know nothing?

JANET
Exactly right.
 149.

FRED
Janet.

JANET
Yeah, Fred.

FRED
This boat is going to--

JANET
Ark.

FRED
This ark is going to land on solid ground.

JANET
Oh Fred.
(beat)
You know the future.

FRED
That’s something, isn’t it.

JANET
I guess it is.

Fred and Janet, the elephants, get close together.

The ark hits solid ground.

They look at each other and smile.

Lights down.
 150.

#23 - TWO OF FIVE THOUSAND

Naaman and Timothy in a field.

NAAMAN
I’m telling you, there’s no food anywhere near here.

TIMOTHY
How do you know? You live near here?

NAAMAN
Never been here before.

TIMOTHY
So how do you know?

NAAMAN
We’ve been following this guy... these guys for a week.

TIMOTHY
At least.

NAAMAN
That whole time, there ever been any food around?

TIMOTHY
I don’t have any.

NAAMAN
Me neither.

TIMOTHY
No, I’m saying, I didn’t bring any.

NAAMAN
Right.

TIMOTHY
It’s my own fault.

NAAMAN
But we’re out here.
 151.

TIMOTHY
Yeah.

NAAMAN
We came out here to hear the man.

TIMOTHY
And we’re far enough back, we barely hear him.

NAAMAN
Well, all I’m saying is...

TIMOTHY
No.

NAAMAN
They drag us out here.

TIMOTHY
They didn’t drag us out here.

NAAMAN
They lure us--

TIMOTHY
We came out here on our own.

NAAMAN
Yeah, you’d like to think that.

TIMOTHY
I do think that.

NAAMAN
How convenient for you.

TIMOTHY
It’s true.

NAAMAN
Sure it is.

TIMOTHY
I wanted to hear what he had to say.
 152.

NAAMAN
Me too.

TIMOTHY
I liked what he said when he passed through my village.

NAAMAN
I heard about that.

TIMOTHY
Yeah?

NAAMAN
Told some stories, told off the religious leaders, and maybe said nice things about the
poor. Maybe widows.

TIMOTHY
Poor widows, it was. Who told you?

NAAMAN
That’s what he does, man. That’s how he lures you in. Then lures you out here.

TIMOTHY
You too.

NAAMAN
I know. So I’m saying--

TIMOTHY
Don’t say it.

NAAMAN
He owes us some food.

A moment.

TIMOTHY
Man, I don’t know.

NAAMAN
There should be food. For all these people. For you and me. For them. I mean, they need
to eat too.

TIMOTHY
So I’m saying it’s not on them to feed us when no one asked us here.
 153.

NAAMAN
They didn’t?

TIMOTHY
They were trying to get away from us.

NAAMAN
You think so?

TIMOTHY
They got in a boat and floated away from us.

NAAMAN
So?

TIMOTHY
So, we ran around the lake and met them on the other side.

NAAMAN
They know it’s a lake, that’s round and has another side.

TIMOTHY
That’s absurd.

NAAMAN
If we aren’t fed.

TIMOTHY
It’s not on them.

NAAMAN
Who is it on?

TIMOTHY
It should be on us.

A moment.

NAAMAN
It would take a miracle to feed this crowd.

TIMOTHY
I hear those are possible.

NAAMAN
Yeah?
 154.

TIMOTHY
Yeah.

Lights down.
 155.

#24 - INSIDE THE WALL

Jeff and Sally are inside Jericho. Jeff looks at

his watch.

A noisy sound of horns not really playing

together.

SALLY
It’s about that time, isn’t it.

JEFF
It is.

SALLY
They’re driving me nuts, you know.

JEFF
I know.

SALLY
Every morning.

JEFF
For a week.

SALLY
Don’t they know it’s nap-time?

JEFF
You’re not napping.

SALLY
My kids, Jeff. My kids. This is their morning nap-time.

JEFF
Oh.

SALLY
Do you have any idea how horrible they are by dinnertime if they don’t get their naps?

JEFF
No, but I’m guessing it’s bad by the way you said that.
 156.

SALLY
It is. It’s bad.
(the horns get louder)
Oh here we go...

JEFF
It’ll go away.

SALLY
After the kids are already awake.

JEFF
They walk around once, and then it’s done.

SALLY
It’s been longer than that.

Jeff looks at his watch again.

JEFF
It has?

SALLY
Yes. Could have walked around a bunch of times by now.

JEFF
I thought this was going on longer today...

SALLY
Can’t we make them stop?

JEFF
Look. We wanted to keep people out of Jericho, so we built a wall.

SALLY
Yes we did.

JEFF
And it’s a good wall.

SALLY
Yes.

JEFF
No one’s gotten in here since we built this wall.
 157.

SALLY
Not at all. We’re completely safe.

JEFF
Right. We keep them out, and as long as they’re out there, we don’t get to control what
they do.

SALLY
We should.

JEFF
We should what.

SALLY
We should control what they do.

JEFF
How do we do that?

SALLY
Go make them stop.

JEFF
If we go out, we have to open up the gate.

SALLY
Right.

JEFF
Then the gate’s open.

SALLY
Yeah.

JEFF
But then there’s a hole in the wall, you see?

SALLY
But you’re out there stopping them from making that racket.

JEFF
If we’re out there stopping them, I’m guessing there’s a fight and there might be some
other kind of racket.
 158.

SALLY
Not as long as them marching around the wall and blowing on horns.

JEFF
Is that what that is?

SALLY
What did you think it was.

JEFF
I mean, it’s not like a song. It’s just noise. Makes my ears ring.

SALLY
You should put a top on the wall.

JEFF
A top.

SALLY
Yeah... on top. So we can’t hear outside.

JEFF
A roof?

SALLY
That’s it.

JEFF
Then we have a city sized house.

SALLY
Now you’re talking.

JEFF
Yeah. I’ll get right on that.

SALLY
This has got to end.

JEFF
It will end. They can’t do this every day forever.

A low rumbling sound. Like an earthquake.

SALLY
Is the wall starting to shake?
 159.

JEFF
Yes. Yes it is.

SALLY
You still think we’re safe inside the wall?

Lights down.
 160.

#25 - A FATHER’S GIFT

Joseph. At the bottom of a pit.

JOSEPH
I used to have a colorful coat. My father gave it to me, not for my birthday or anything.
He came out into the field one day, my ten older brothers watching. Twenty eyes glaring.
I don’t know why he didn’t understand how it made them felt. I don’t know why I didn’t
think of that at the time either. It’s all I think about now. How it made them feel. Why
didn’t my father give them coats like it? Or did he, and it was just before I was born? I
don’t know why they were angry at me, because I was given a gift. I didn’t ask for it,
didn’t angle to get it, or scheme. It wasn’t my idea to rub it in their face - I was given a
beautiful gift, and so I used it. I wore my coat, like you wear a coat. And when you’d
normally wear one. And each day, they hated me more. What was I supposed to do -
leave a gift like that in a closet? Hide it from them? Have my father ask me what I’ve
done with it? I wore it. Proudly. Because I love my father and I want him to know I
appreciated him.
(beat)
But now it’s been taken. And I’ve been abandoned.
(beat)
I no longer have a gift from my father.
(beat)
Do I miss my coat, or do I miss my father?

Joseph sits for a few moments.

The end.
 161.

#26 - LAST TIME

Three figures from the Last Supper image.

Thomas, James and Philip (the three on the right
of Jesus- Thomas has one finger raised, James
has his arms open, Philip holds his hands to his
chest)
They remain in tableau the whole time.

PHILIP
Have we held this pose long enough?

JAMES
Sh.

THOMAS
Little bit longer.

JAMES
Don’t be in a rush to end this. Just let it happen.

PHILIP
This was your idea wasn’t it.

JAMES
No.

THOMAS
Bartholomew.

JAMES
I don’t remember anymore.

PHILIP
I think it was Bartholomew.

THOMAS
It was Bartholomew.

PHILIP
How do you remember that?

THOMAS
I just do.
 162.

JAMES
Sh.

A moment.

PHILIP
I’m hungry.

JAMES
Philip...

PHILIP
I’m sorry, I’m hungry.

THOMAS
What’d he say?

JAMES
He said he was hungry but I told him to shush.

THOMAS
I can help out.

PHILIP
You can?

THOMAS
Maybe.

JAMES
No you can’t, we’re holding the pose.

THOMAS
Why are we holding the pose again?

JAMES
It’s what we do.

PHILIP
Every meal.

THOMAS
I’m tired of it.

PHILIP
Me too.
 163.

THOMAS
What do you want?

PHILIP
What?

THOMAS
To eat.

JAMES
Guys...

PHILIP
Pass me a roll.

THOMAS
I don’t think I can.

PHILIP
I don’t need a lot of rolls.

THOMAS
How many do you need?

PHILIP
You know.

THOMAS
You want one roll don’t you.

PHILIP
Hehe.

JAMES
Stop it.

PHILIP
Haha.

THOMAS
I’ll get you one from the bowl near Jesus.

JAMES
Not that bowl.
(beat)
Trust me.
 164.

PHILIP
I can’t hold this any more.

THOMAS
Your pose is easy. Try doing this every time.

JAMES
Every meal we eat all together.

THOMAS
It really doesn’t make any sense.

PHILIP
Actually, this might be the first time it actually does make sense.

THOMAS
Well, I’ll tell you what, this is the last time I’m doing this.

JAMES
That’s fair.

PHILIP
Yeah. Last time.

They hold the pose.

Lights down.
 165.

#27 - DID SIMON LOSE HIS BALLOON AGAIN?

A group of disciples stand on a hill.

They all look up into the sky.

1
No! Don’t leave us!

2
Please stay!

3
When are you going to restore the kingdom of Israel?

1
He said we won’t know the day.

2
And that we’d receive power when the Holy Spirit comes.

3
I don’t want him to go yet!

1
He has to go.

3
Why>

2
In order to return.

3
That doesn’t--

1
He will return to us the same way he has been taken up into heaven.

They look up for a moment.

Another disciple runs in.

 166.

4
Hey guys. Sorry I’m late. I thought we were meeting on that other hill over there.
(beat)
Where’s Jesus?

The three continue to look up.

The fourth just looks at them.

Lights down.
 167.

#28 - ABIMELECH

A man stands.

ABIMELECH
One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree,
‘Be our king.’ But the olive tree answered, ‘Should I give up my oil, by which both gods
and humans are honored, to hold sway over the trees?’
(beat)
Next, the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come and be our king.’ But the fig tree replied,
‘Should I give up my fruit, so good and sweet, to hold sway over the trees?’
(beat)
Then the trees said to the vine, ‘Come and be our king.’ But the vine answered, ‘Should I
give up my wine, which cheers both gods and humans, to hold sway over the trees?’
(beat)
Finally all the trees turned to the thorn-bush. And they said to the thorn-bush, ‘Come and
be our king.’ The thorn-bush said to the trees, ‘If you really want to anoint me king over
you...
(holds out his arms)
Come and take refuge... in my shade.
(beat)
But if not, then let fire come out of the thorn-bush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!
(a moment)
(lowers his arms)
The father of kings. Abimelech, king of Shechem. Son of Gideon the judge.
(beat)
Uniting a people is a dirty business. You might think that the growing nation, promised
generations ago, and steadily building in number and authority, in land and power, was
well on its way to fulfilling that vision, that dream. But when the nation’s leader dies and
leaves seventy-two sons... well, someone must... clarify... the line of succession. Can a
nation be led by seventy kings?
(beat)
I went to Ophrah, where the sons of Jerubbaal lived. Seventy of my... brothers. One
stone, at the center of Ophrah. One. By one. The seventy sons of Gideon slaughtered
there. Leaving one, true, and solitary king. Abimelech. Crowned at the pillar by the
wide arms and shade of the terebinth tree.
(beat)
But you heard correctly. Seventy two sons by Gideon had lived, seventy on that one
stone, and myself, the king. And one son, the young Jotham, who ran and hid.
(beat)
The mighty king Abimelech! Demolisher of cities, sowing the land with salt, and
eradicating his enemies that the earth would never see their descendants. Using early
morning shadows to strike fear into his foes. Lest any drunken fool speak dismissively of
the power and hand of Abimelech!
(beat)
 168.

It was in Thebez, where the people had retreated into the tower at the center of town. I
led my men through the city, pillaging as we advanced. They had bolted the door to the
tower, imagining that I would be deterred. I grabbed a torch from my armor-bearer and
advanced. A fire will come out from the thorn-bush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!
(holds out his hand as if to burn the
tower)
A woman, high above, in the tower. Rolling out of the tower window. A stone. A mill
stone. That plummeted from the tower down toward the ground where I stood. And
before I could light the tower door...
(drops his hands)
(drops to knees)
A skull, split. The blood of Abimelech spilt. Breaths catching. Vision darkening.
(beat)
My armor-bearer rushed forward...
(to invisible armor-bearer)
Draw your sword... and kill me... lest men say of me... that a woman killed me...

Abimelech drops the armor and crown of king.

The actor stands and turns back to the audience.

ACTOR
God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father by killing his
seventy brothers. And all the evil of the men of Shechem God returned on their own
heads...
(lights shift to make a silhouette)
(raises arm in aggressive pose)
And on them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.

Lights down.
 169.

#29 - JACOB-MANIA

A wrestling ring.

We see the action, but can hear the announcers,

Gibbon and The Mind.

GIBBON
Welcome everyone to tonight’s main event - this is.... JACOB-MANIA!!!!

THE MIND
That’s right, the challenge has been issued, Jacob, a man who has heard from the all
mighty, and believes he is owed an explanation, he’s here to hold that Angel down and
he’s not gonna let go until he gets that blessing.

GIBBON
But if he thinks he’s going to squeeze an answer our of Angel that is no easy feat.

THE MIND
Especially after Angel enforced that stipulation of this being... a Ladder Match!

GIBBON
High above the ring hangs that briefcase, and inside, well, we all want to know what the
Angel keeps in there.

THE MIND
I think it’s his dirty laundry...

GIBBON
Would you stop it?

THE MIND
I’m telling you, you can’t keep robes that clean unless you wash them every day.

GIBBON
No.

THE MIND
With bleach.

Music hits. It is upbeat and energetic.

 170.

GIBBON
And here he is right now, ladies and gentlemen, weighing in at 215 pounds, from the land
of Canaan.... JAYYYYY- cahhhhhhhhhhb....

Jacob comes out of the Gorilla position through

the curtain.

He is a bit of a heel. Crowd reaction is mixed at

best.

THE MIND
There he is. That perpetual underdog. Always coming up from behind and catching the
frontrunner. You can never count him out no matter what the odds.

GIBBON
I think the word you might be looking for is Dastardly, Mind. He’s been using tricks to
get ahead since the womb. And now he’s here doing whatever he can to take, take, take
from the Angel.

THE MIND
Gibbon, what are you talking about? This is what you do, this is the world we live in,
that he and you and I were born into. If you want something, go put someone in an ankle
lock until you get it.

Jacob gets in the ring, and climbs up onto the

ropes. Poses.

GIBBON
He turned on his own brother...

THE MIND
Look, Esau had it coming.

GIBBON
Jacob stole his birthright!

THE MIND
He got the blessing! What kind of man lets his birthright go like that? I’ve got no
sympathy for Esau. He’s gone now anyway, what do we care about Esau?!

GIBBON
Well, it sounds like this crowd still cares.

Jacob gets off of the ropes.

 171.

The lights drop.

THE MIND
Whoa!

GIBBON
You know what that means, Mind.

THE MIND
Gives me the creeps every time...

GIBBON
Straight from the Pearly Gates of Heaven... it is...

Powerful and glorious heavenly music plays -

LOUD!

Spotlights illuminate a figure in a white robe at

the entrance. He is extremely tall and appears to
glow.

Suddenly WINGS BURST FORTH FROM HIS

BACK!

GIBBON
The..... AAAAAAAAAN-JJJJEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLL!

Angel makes a slow entrance to the ring.

Imagine the Undertaker, but in light.

THE MIND
The Angel is just unsettling, Gibbon.

GIBBON
The Angel is undefeated, Mind. He is power and glory personified. He is the
SuperNatural one, the winged wonder....

THE MIND
The Holy Shi---

GIBBON
Stop it right now!
 172.

The crowd chants along to the music of The

Angel. It is possibly insulting and vulgar, but
chanted out of the deepest love and respect.

The Angel reaches the ring and steps OVER the

top rope.

Lights change to a normal look for a match.

Jacob and The Angel stare at each other.

GIBBON
I know we’ve been talking about the Angel retiring for what seems like eons, but I just
can’t imagine this place without him.

THE MIND
Sometimes I think that maybe this IS his retirement, you know?

GIBBON
What are you talking about?

THE MIND
You know. He used to be a delivery man, just telling people what the big man wanted
them to know, but now that he doesn’t really do that anymore, maybe he’s his own man.

The two competitors look up at the briefcase.

GIBBON
Well, he’s still got the Big Man’s briefcase, and you can see in Jacob’s eyes he wants it.

THE MIND
All he’s gotta do is go up there and get it.

GIBBON
Easier said than done, Mind.

THE MIND
Don’t I know it. With the winged freak looking at you like that...

GIBBON
The Winged Wonder. I can’t believe you sometimes.

THE MIND
Right. I forget how that name goes.
 173.

The bell rings.

GIBBON
There’s the bell and the match has begun. To win the match, one man must get a ladder,
set it up in the center of the ring and grab a hold of that briefcase.

THE MIND
All the Angel has to do is reach up there.

GIBBON
Not quite, but it’s certainly a challenge for the more small-statured Jacob.

THE MIND
He’s a shrimp is what he is...

The angel turns slightly.

Jacob jumps toward him and begins to throw

punches like crazy.

GIBBON
And here we go! Jacob with the fast start here against the Angel...

THE MIND
Jacob’s good at sneaking up on someone. The Angel, if he’d done his scouting should
have known that.

The Angel straightens up tall.

THE MIND
Uh oh.

GIBBON
I think the Angel’s had all he can take of that.

Angel choke slams Jacob.

GIBBON
Choke slaaaaaam!

THE MIND
I’m telling you, Jacob’s gonna be eating through a tube tomorrow!

Angel goes out of the ring.

 174.

THE MIND
Where’s he going>

GIBBON
I think he’s going for....

Angel looks under the ring.

THE MIND
Can he do that already? No...

Angel pulls out a ladder.

GIBBON
He’s got the ladder! He’s got the ladder! This could all be over just like that!

Angel puts the ladder in the ring, and sets it up

in the middle.

THE MIND
Come on, Jacob, you pee-wee! Went through all of this to get here and go out like a
weaseley little punk!

GIBBON
Angel’s got it set up in the center of the ring!

Angel climbs.

THE MIND
There he goes...

GIBBON
The Angel. Climbing up the ladder. All the way up to the top. He could do it, Mind, he
can reach that briefcase!

Angel looks down.

THE MIND
Uh-oh. I don’t like that look, Gibbon. He’s staring down at Jacob.

GIBBON
Jacob. Still almost lifeless there at the bottom of the ladder.
 175.

THE MIND
I don’t like the look in his eye...

GIBBON
From the top of the ladder...

Angel jumps, dropping the elbow on Jacob!

THE MIND
Jeh---HOVAHHHHHH!

GIBBON
He did it. The Elbow of Zion! From the top of the ladder!

THE MIND
He’s dead, Gibbon. There’s no getting up from that....

Angel gets up and climbs the ladder again.

GIBBON
Wait. Wait... no...

THE MIND
He can’t... not again....

GIBBON
Angel’s headed back up the ladder....

THE MIND
Up and down... up and down that ladder....

GIBBON
Have you ever seen a big man climb that ladder with such agility...

THE MIND
I’ve seen a lot of things, Gibbon, and this is one I don’t know if I want to witness....

GIBBON
There he goes......

Angel drops the elbow again

GIBBON
A SECOND Elbow of Zion!
 176.

THE MIND
Someone stop this! THAT MAN’S FAMILY IS THE CHOSEN PEOPLE!

Angel rises. He looks to the crowd.

GIBBON
Angel’s up again, Mind. What can he be thinking now?

THE MIND
He should just go get the briefcase and get it over with.

Angel climbs again.

GIBBON
Well, maybe he heard you, Mind. He’s climbing the ladder again.

THE MIND
Please, Angel. Have mercy on this poor stupid kid.

Angel is almost at the top.

GIBBON
I can’t watch, Mind.

THE MIND
This is just gruesome...

Jacob pops up.

GIBBON
Wait a minute...

THE MIND
It’s Jacob! He’s up! He’s up!

Jacob grabs the Angel’s leg.

GIBBON
He’s got the Angel by the ankle. He’s got his ankle!

Jacob pulls Angel off the ladder.

Angel lands on the mat.

Jacob has him in an ankle lock.

 177.

THE MIND
The ankle lock, Gibbon! Jacob’s locked it in!

GIBBON
Look at the Angel’s face, Mind! He’s in agony!

Angel reaches toward the ropes.

THE MIND
But he’s got those long arms, that wingspan. He’s gonna reach the ropes and Jacob will
have to break the ankle lock!

The Angel swings his arm back and palms

Jacobs hip.

Jacob screams and drops to the mat, but holds

the lock.

GIBBON
Will you look at that!

THE MIND
He’s crushing Jacob’s hip! He’s dislocated that hip!

GIBBON
Jacob’s writhing in pain, look at his face!

THE MIND
But he’s not braking the hold - he’s locked that ankle lock in, holding on with all his
might.

GIBBON
He’s not letting go!

Angel crawls tot he ladder.

THE MIND
The Angel - what’s he doing, Gibbon.

GIBBON
He’s pulled himself to the ladder, Mind. He’s... he’s climbing the ladder!

THE MIND
With Jacob holding tight on that ankle.
 178.

Quietly (not mic’ed like the announcers, we

hear Jacob)

JACOB
I WILL NOT LET YOU GO.... UNTIL YOU BLESS ME!

Angel pulls Jacob behind him as he climbs the

ladder.

THE MIND
What is he doing now?

GIBBON
He’s climbing the ladder - reaching up for that briefcase! He’s almost there, Mind!

THE MIND
He grabs that briefcase and gets it down, he’s the winner, no matter what hold Jacob’s got
on him!

GIBBON
He’s reaching!

Angel looks down at Jacob - who is basically

hanging upside down, holding on to Angel’s
ankle.

THE MIND
Look at him! He wants to tap, but it’ll do him no good!

GIBBON
This isn’t over until someone’s holding that briefcase!

Angel reaches up and unlatches the clip holding

the briefcase, but not touching the case.

THE MIND
He’s got it! He’s got it!

The case falls.

GIBBON
He’s dropped it! He didn’t have it!
 179.

Jacob lets go of the ankle lock and catches the

case.

THE MIND
He’s got the case! He’s got the case! Jacob’s got the case!

GIBBON
Can you believe that?

THE MIND
I can’t! I can’t believe it.

GIBBON
The Angel has given the blessing to Jacob to get him to let go of the ankle lock!

Jacob holds the case and celebrates.

Jacob’s music plays loudly.

Angel falls to the mat.

THE MIND
He’s done it, gibbon! I told you he would. This kid has got it! He knows what he wants
and he’ll do what he has to to get it. He’s holding that briefcase high!

Jacob looks at Angel.

GIBBON
What is this?

Jacob helps Angel stand.

Jacob raises Angel’s hand.

GIBBON
Now that’s a good competitor... raising his opponent’s hand.
(beat)
And that’s it ladies and gentlemen. For myself and The Mind, I’d like to thank you for
joining us for the Jacob-Mania Ladder Match!

Music continues to play loudly as the lights go

down.

The end.
 180.

#30 - FURNACE

Three men in a fire. They are unharmed.

SHADRACH
I thought it would be warmer.

MESHACH
It’s pretty warm.

ABEDNEGO
But not so bad.

SHADRACH
I really thought that...

MESHACH
You didn’t.

SHADRACH
Sure I did.

ABEDNEGO
You were all confident when you talked to the king.

SHADRACH
Was I?

MESHACH
You were so confident it made me confident.

SHADRACH
I was because you were.

MESHACH
Me?

ABEDNEGO
I mean, we’re in here now and we were all scared?

MESHACH
Of course we were scared. We were being thrown into a furnace.

ABEDNEGO
We’re in a furnace now.
 181.

SHADRACH
Well, it’s not as bad as it seemed like it was going to be.

ABEDNEGO
True.

SHADRACH
Because.

MESHACH
The Lord is with us.

ABEDNEGO
Right.

SHADRACH
Yes.
(beat)
Aren’t you glad we didn’t bow down to that idol?

ABEDNEGO
I said I was glad.

SHADRACH
You were going to do it.

ABEDNEGO
I was not.

MESHACH
You told me you were going to.

ABEDNEGO
I said I was tempted. You weren’t tempted.

SHADRACH
*NO!

MESHACH
*YES!

SHADRACH
What?

MESHACH
Don’t lie.
 182.

SHADRACH
I wasn’t.

MESHACH
That’s revisionist history.

ABEDNEGO
You were tempted! I knew it!

MESHACH
You were.

A moment.

SHADRACH
For a BRIEF moment--

MESHACH
Ha.

ABEDNEGO
You making me feel bad...

SHADRACH
I never meant to make you--

ABEDNEGO
Didn’t you?

MESHACH
All right, settle down. Settle down!
(beat)
You know they can see us.

Abednego and Shadrach look.

ABEDNEGO
What are they looking at?

SHADRACH
Us.

MESHACH
Like they always have been.
 183.

SHADRACH
Before we were put in here.

MESHACH
We’ve been examples for them.

ABEDNEGO
You were thinking about that?

MESHACH
I was also thinking about that.

SHADRACH
Yeah.

ABEDNEGO
Never crossed my mind. Not once.

A moment.

ABEDNEGO
Do you know if anyone else has been thrown in here? For not bowing.

SHADRACH
Not that I know of.

MESHACH
If there were, I’m sure they’d publicize it.

ABEDNEGO
You think? Wouldn’t it play better if there were no reports of anyone not bowing?

SHADRACH
Why?

ABEDNEGO
No martyrs.

MESHACH
They’d want to show of their brutal authority.

SHADRACH
True.
 184.

Abednego notices something outside of the

furnace.

ABEDNEGO
What’s going on?

SHADRACH
What is it?

ABEDNEGO
They’re moving around. Doing something. What are they doing?

They all look.

MESHACH
They’re shutting down the furnace.

ABEDNEGO
Why?

MESHACH
We’re not dead.

ABEDNEGO
Are they going to kill us?

SHADRACH
Wouldn’t you?

ABEDNEGO
I wouldn’t put anyone in a furnace, nor would I kill them.

SHADRACH
If you were them.

ABEDNEGO
I wouldn’t be them. I can’t imagine it.

MESHACH
Either way.

SHADRACH
Either way what?
 185.

MESHACH
We have nothing to fear.

ABEDNEGO
Why not?

MESHACH
We’ve been in a furnace. What else can they do?

ABEDNEGO
Run us through with swords.

SHADRACH
That, you can imagine?

ABEDNEGO
I’ve seen it.

MESHACH
So have I.

SHADRACH
You’re not afraid?

A moment.

MESHACH
Of course I am.

SHADRACH
Me too.

ABEDNEGO
Me too.

MESHACH
But what are we, more than afraid?

SHADRACH
Confident.

ABEDNEGO
In the Lord that is with us.
 186.

Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego all face

forward, ready for what is next.

The fire goes down.

The lights go down.

The end.
 187.

#31 - BETRAYING LOVE

Jesus. And Judas.

But not really Jesus and Judas, so relax.

They are in stop-time, a millisecond of real time

would encompass this conversation.

They are face to face for a moment.

JESUS
You’re back.

JUDAS
I am.

JESUS
You had some work to do.

JUDAS
I guess I did.

A moment.

JESUS
You’re angry with me.

JUDAS
You aren’t with me.
(beat)
You had to call me out.

JESUS
About eating from the same bread as me.

JUDAS
In front of everyone. Simon.

JESUS
You shouldn’t worry about Simon.
 188.

JUDAS
I wouldn’t worry about Simon, if he weren’t trying to elbow every one of us away from
you so he can get in the front of the line.

JESUS
He’s got his own story.

JUDAS
Yeah.

JESUS
He’s gotta go low.

JUDAS
Low?

JESUS
He’s gonna feel it worst of all.

JUDAS
Worse than me?

A moment.

JESUS
I remember calling you.

JUDAS
I bet you do.

JESUS
You remember?

JUDAS
Yes.
(beat)
It’s not a distant memory.

JESUS
You have more recent ones.

JUDAS
I do.

A moment.
 189.

Jesus points to a pouch on Judas’ belt.

JESUS
That looks heavy.

JUDAS
It’s not as heavy as it should be.

JESUS
This is worth more than that?

JUDAS
This? This is nothing. This has nothing to do with what’s happening right now.
(beat)
You think this is about money? Pieces of silver.

JESUS
I know it isn’t.

JUDAS
Then why bring it up?

JESUS
Why wear it here?

JUDAS
They gotta see it, or they aren’t coming with me.
(beat)
You see who I’m walking with.

A moment.

JESUS
You used to walk with me.

JUDAS
Wore my sandals out.
(beat)
Didn’t have enough to get new ones.

JESUS
You do now.

JUDAS
Stop it.
 190.

JESUS
Judas--

JUDAS
It’s not funny.
(beat)
I’m not keeping it.

JESUS
I know.

Judas takes a quick look around.

JUDAS
They’re so scared.

JESUS
Yes.

JUDAS
They’re surprised.

JESUS
They don’t understand.

JUDAS
What don’t they understand?

JESUS
Why I came here. Knowing you’d come here too.

JUDAS
Peter’s gonna lose it.
(beat)
He’s got a sword.

JESUS
I told him not to.

JUDAS
And he thinks he’s your perfect follower.

JESUS
He is.
(beat)
You all are.
 191.

JUDAS
Come on...

JESUS
That’s what you missed.

JUDAS
Bunch of knuckleheads.

JESUS
Yes.

JUDAS
You do love a project, don’t you.

JESUS
There’s no one on earth who isn’t one.

JUDAS
Never has been.

JESUS
You know the texts.

JUDAS
I do.

JESUS
Then you know.

JUDAS
Sure.
(beat)
You know, they’re going to wonder...

JESUS
Why you were one of my followers.

JUDAS
Why you let me stay. When you knew.

JESUS
There’s a lot that they can’t understand.

JUDAS
I know. I was one of them.
 192.

JESUS
I wish they could see.
(beat)
And you too.

JUDAS
I see.

JESUS
You think you see.

JUDAS
You’re just one step ahead.

JESUS
No.
(beat)
So many more steps than you could imagine.

JUDAS
And that’s it. That’s what I’m talking about.
(beat)
It’s not money, it’s not hatred or frustration, trying to push you to finally DO something,
even though, that would make sense.
(beat)
You’re like a supreme being, just down here, playing ‘man’, and screwing around with us
simpletons. And acting like that’s loving us.

A moment.

JESUS
What do you think love is, Judas?

JUDAS
I’m not playing your guessing game.

JESUS
Whose game are we playing?

JUDAS
Stop it. Right now.

JESUS
You know what it is, so just say it.
 193.

JUDAS
Leave me alone.

JESUS
You know I can’t do that. You KNOW that. I would never, I will never, ever, leave you
alone.

A moment.

JUDAS
Heard that before.

JESUS
I know.

JUDAS
You aren’t angry.

JESUS
No.

JUDAS
What’s going to happen to me?

Jesus is silent. He goes to Judas. He puts his

hand on Judas’ face.

JESUS
You won’t be able to forgive yourself.

JUDAS
I won’t.

JESUS
Do you think I will?

A moment.

JUDAS
I don’t want to do this. I didn’t want to do this, and I don’t want to anymore.

JESUS
I know.
(beat)
But you know.
 194.

He puts his other hand on Judas’ other cheek.

Judas reacts to seeing a vision.

JUDAS
I do. I know.
(beat)
Oh... God...

Judas breathes heavily. He drops to his knees.

Jesus kneels with him.

JESUS
It has to be.

JUDAS
No.

JESUS
It must be.

JUDAS
It can’t be. I can’t...

JESUS
I can.
(beat)
I asked my father.

JUDAS
I asked my father...

JESUS
Your father.

JUDAS
I asked him. I begged him. I begged him to stay. To stay with me. But he abandoned
me.

JESUS
Then you understand.

JUDAS
You don’t. You don’t understand what it will feel like. You don’t. I don’t want you to
understand. Don’t understand. Don’t do it.
 195.

JESUS
I do understand. Because I know what you’ve felt. I know your heart, Judas.
(beat)
You know what love is?

A moment.

JUDAS
I know what the greatest love is.

A long moment.

Jesus stands. He holds out his hands to help

Judas up.

Judas shakes his head no.

Jesus looks around as if to the group around

them.

JESUS
(louder, so everyone can hear)
Judas...

JUDAS
No...

JESUS
(loud)
Judas, have you come here to betray the son of man... with a kiss?

JUDAS
I don’t want to.

Jesus holds out his hand.

Judas takes a hold.

Jesus helps him up.

Judas looks around for a moment.

Judas kisses Jesus.

Yes it is on the mouth, no it is not sexual.

 196.

Judas pulls away, emotional.

Judas steps away from Jesus, upstage.

Jesus has his back to the audience.

Judas turns back for a second. Then exits.

Lights down.

End.