Yes, THAT Jesus!

[A word before you read my post -- also, I see, my 500th post on my Blogger account, yay me! -- of the Sunday school play I wrote for Parable Playhouse that will get field-tested this Sunday. Saul's name doesn't get changed to Paul for several chapters (for the full story of the conversion of Saul who becomes Paul, please read the ninth chapter of Acts in the New Testament), and a prayerful editorial decision came down on the side of keeping Saul who had the conversion experience on the road to Damascus, even with the first through fifth grade audience and cast I'll be having, named Saul. And make this fun to perform with the puppets too! -- David] 

YES, THAT JESUS!

 

 

 

SAUL

ANNAS

ANDREW

MARY

HIGH PRIEST

JESUS

ANANIAS

SAUL comes in exhausted before his friends in JERUSALEM (the stage).

ANNAS and ANDREW come over to him as he collapses to center stage.

ANNAS: Paul, what happened?

SAUL: (looking and sounding angry with himself) It's those ... what do they call themselves ... (SAUL snaps his fingers trying to think of who he's talking about)

ANDREW: (shaking his head and leaning in) Poor guy, got a nice whack to the head!

MARY enters from stage left with cold cloth for SAUL's head.

MARY: (to ANNAS and ANDREW) Boys, let me help him.

SAUL waves MARY and her cloth away.

SAUL: (rises slowly to his feet) I'm fine, Mary. I'm fine.

ANNAS: (to SAUL) Was it one of those people who did it?

MARY: (to ANNAS and SAUL) One of what people?

ANDREW: The ones saying that it's not the Law (say Law with special emphasis) of Moses that we have to follow, but this ... Jesus.

MARY: JESUS? (Everyone stops as she says this name.) Jesus, the guy who died on the cross in Jerusalem a few months ago?

ANDREW: Jesus, the one who fed thousands of people with one little boy's lunch?

ANNAS: Jesus, the one who raised some people from the dead?

ALL: YES, THAT JESUS!

SAUL: And the thing is, it wasn't even one of those ... believers in Jesus that caused this. (SAUL rubs his left leg that he's been limping on, then above his right eye.) I was chasing them and I tripped, lost them in the crowd in the market!

HIGH PRIEST comes in from stage right, an elderly person. He rubs his hands together.

HIGH PRIEST: (bent down to SAUL, disregarding the others) Saul, I've got some news ...

SAUL: (slightly moaning) I'm not sure it's worth it, going after these Jesus freaks! I'm disgraced.

SAUL lowers his head.

ANDREW: Who, you? Never! Saul, you've got to pull yourself together.

ANDREW moves stage right away from SAUL and past HIGH PRIEST, who is always slightly higher than all other characters on stage.

ANDREW: (begins singing to the tune of "Gaston" from Beauty and the Beast and faces audience)

Gosh it disturbs me to see my friend Saul
Looking so down in the dumps
Ev'ry guy here'd love to be my friend Saul
Even when taking his lumps
There's no man in town as admired as him
He's ev'ryone's favorite guy
Ev'ryone's awed and inspired by him
And it's not very hard to see why
No one finds them like Saul
No one busts them like Saul
No one quotes, no one knows, no one hunts quite like Saul
For there's no Pharisee half as loving
Of our God and upholding His law!
You can ask any Zack, Pete, or Andy
And they'll tell you whose team they prefer to be on

ANDREW, ANNAS, MARY: (dance around stage)
No one looks out like Saul
There's no leader like Saul --

HIGH PRIEST clears his throat, loudly.

Dancing stops.

HIGH PRIEST: (to SAUL) What I came to tell you without the chorus line here (he indicates all but SAUL with a wave of his hand) is that there's word of some of these Jesus followers in Damascus north of us. (hands SAUL a letter) This is your warrant to arrest them.

SAUL: (sounding determined; he's been raising his head since the singing began until he looks out at the HIGH PRIEST holding out the letter and smiles big) It's about time! TO DAMASCUS!

ANDREW AND ANNAS: TO DAMASCUS!

All point out stage right and head on their way to Damascus (indicated by a placard on the door) riding their "donkeys" (kids can go on all fours with puppets "riding" on their backs, get creative!) and as SAUL and his rider take the lead, JESUS appears overhead and SAUL falls who he's "riding"!

JESUS: Saul! I'm talking to you.

SAUL: (looking all around him, but speaking to JESUS) Yes, Lord?

JESUS: Saul, this is Jesus -- why are you hurting Me?

SAUL: (looking around) Where are You, Lord?

JESUS: I'm right here, and I'm very much alive! I have something for you to do in Damascus. Now go there.

SAUL: But I can't even see, Lord! How am I supposed to get there?

JESUS: Your eyes can deceive you, don't trust them!  (JESUS disappears.)

ANDREW and ANNAS come over to SAUL stretched out on the ground.

ANNAS: (leaning in to SAUL): Are you ok?

SAUL: (feeling his way around in a panic) Where are you? (feeling and finding ANDREW'S face)
I can't see -- I just saw Jesus!

ANNAS: Jesus, the guy who died on the cross in Jerusalem a few months ago?

ANDREW: Jesus, the one who fed --

SAUL: (interrupting ANDREW and speaking fast) Jesus, the one who raised some people from the dead? Including HIMSELF, apparently -- (shouts in their faces, or would if he could see them -- have him shouting at the wall) YES, THAT JESUS! (calms down before speaking again) He said get to Damascus and I'd be told what to do next. (almost pleading) Please help me get there, guys; I can't see.

ANDREW and ANNAS help SAUL back to his donkey and walk to lead it into Damascus -- actually to the city sign, then turn around and lead him to the stage now serving as DAMASCUS. As they do so, this conversation is going on:

ANANIAS faces JESUS.

JESUS: Saul is coming to Damascus. I need you to meet him when he arrives.

ANANIAS: (stammers) S-s-s-saul? (looking around) I've heard about him, Lord. He's really mean to Your followers.

JESUS: Yes, and he's going to become one of them. One of you. (JESUS pauses.) Saul will tell My story to many people, sound like a plan?

ANANIAS: (hesitantly) If you say so Lord. (JESUS leaves as ANANIAS says this.)

ANANIAS walks stage right and finds SAUL entering that way, still stumbling a bit.

ANANIAS takes SAUL's hands in his and prays for him.

ANANIAS: Lord, you led Saul here and he will become one of Your followers ... (hesitates, then adds) one of us. Thank you for bringing him here. Now please let him see.

SAUL opens his mouth wide and looks all around, being able to see once more. SAUL bounces all around the "room" and hugs ANANIAS, a bit to his surprise!

SAUL: Oh wow! Thank you, Ananias.

ANANIAS: (turns away from SAUL and looks up) No, thank YOU, Jesus.

SAUL: (sounding relaxed) Yes, THAT Jesus!

 

THE END