He/she takes her into her past (like A Christmas Carol) to see herself as a child, a bride, a young mother and then into the future to see herself as an older woman. As she watches herself pray, the angel reminds her that those prayers were heard and answered. This renews her faith and brings her strength and comfort.
6 actors (all female, or the angel could be male. Also… the little girls could be played by the same actress) About 15-17 mins.
CAST OF CHARACTERS:
BETH: Speaks 1257 words. A middle aged woman who is stressed out at Christmas and having doubts about God hearing and answering her prayers.
ANGEL: Speaks 521 words. Messenger of God to help Beth. (Could be male or female)
LIZA: Speaks 522 words. Beth as a young woman.
ELIZABETH: Speaks 349 words. Beth as an older woman in the future.
LIZZIE: Speaks 270 words. Beth as a little girl.
JESSICA: Speaks 37 words. Beth’s granddaughter. (Could be played by the same girl)
Excerpt:
LIGHTS UP ON:
SCENE ONE:
There is a chair downstage and a woman enters in front of the curtain carrying several bags of gifts, presents, and/or Christmas wrap and decorations. She fumbles and starts to drop some of the bags before finally collapsing into the chair, totally exhausted. After a few sighs and moans… she suddenly becomes overwhelmed at all that she needs to do. She begins to pray in a tired and somewhat desperate fashion.
BETH
Oh, Lord… please help me. I don’t know if I can do this. There is just so much to do and I just don’t have the time or the strength… or the money! Can’t you help me get through this? Now that the kids are teenagers… they are involved in so many things. I’m constantly running someone some place. One is playing soccer and the other is playing volleyball. And it seems like they are getting attitudes these days: talking back to me and being generally disrespectful… and that is when I can get them to talk at all! And now it’s Christmas and there is so much to do! I just don’t have the energy. I also don’t have any joy in the holiday season. (She stops and thinks and then begins to pray more reverently) Forgive me, Father. I don’t mean to be flippant and complain like this. I’m such a sinner. I confess that. Please mold me into the person that You want…. (She pauses again, stops praying and just thinks for a few beats) What am I doing? This seems like a waste of my time. Do you even care, Lord? I’m not saying that You’re not there… but it seems like it makes no difference whether I pray and ask for something or not. I’m just not recalling any answers to prayer right now. Why do I bother? I don’t know why I have bothered to ever pray for anything at all! (She starts mumbling outloud to herself) God is just going to do as He pleases anyway. I don’t know if He has ever even heard my prayers.
She lays back in the chair and runs her hands through her hair and across her face. She sighs and moans some more. She is clearly stressed out and could even be emotional and on the verge of tears. Then she falls asleep. Twelve gongs are heard from a clock tower. An angel enters and stands over Beth and then touches her shoulder and softly calls her name.
ANGEL
Beth…. Beth, wake up.
Beth wakes up and is startled and shocked to see someone standing there.
BETH
Who are you and what do you want?
ANGEL
I’ve been sent by God. I’m here to assure you.
BETH
What? You’re what??
ANGEL
I’m a messenger of God.
BETH
You ARE???
ANGEL
Yes, and I’m here to help. I’m here to strengthen. I’m here to comfort.
BETH
So… you are an angel then?
ANGEL
If you like. I want you to know that God has heard your prayers.
BETH
He has?
ANGEL
Yes. He has heard them all. They’ve all been recorded. Many of them were answered and some of the answers are still on the way.
BETH
They are?
ANGEL
That’s right. It seems that you were needing a little assurance.
BETH
I didn’t know you did that.
ANGEL
Only for special cases.
BETH
I can’t believe my case would be all that special.
ANGEL
The Father thinks you are very special. You are His. He wants you to know that every prayer that you have ever spoken, breathed, whispered or even thought – has risen to heaven like incense to the Throne Room of God.
BETH
Wow.
ANGEL
Are you ready?
BETH
Ready for what?
ANGEL
Follow me. I must show you something.
They exit the stage and the curtains open up revealing on one side of the stage… a child’s room. It could be very minimal, but at least there is a bed.
SCENE TWO:
Beth and the angel enter from the side, now upstage and they have a portable window that they look through facing the audience and the bed is downstage from them.
BETH
Where are we? What is this place? How did we even get here?
ANGEL
I can take you anywhere.
BETH
This place looks familiar. I think I know this room.
ANGEL
Yes. You do.
Just then a small girl enters in her nightgown and jumps up onto the bed.
BETH
Who is the little girl? Wait. I think I know her.
ANGEL
You do.
BETH
Is that… is that…. ME?
ANGEL
You are very young.
BETH
It’s my old bedroom when I was a child! I remember that night gown!
The little girl gets up and goes to a doll house and plays a little while.
BETH
Oh! My old doll house! I loved that doll house. My two favorite dolls lived in there. Dolly and Molly. I wasn’t too original with the names. And I loved it when stuff rhymed.
Lizzie puts the dolls down and crosses to the bed. She gets down on her knees to say her prayers.
BETH
Oh, look. I was quite the big girl. My mom used to come in and say prayers with me, but one night I announced that I was big enough to do it all by myself. I told her that she didn’t have to come in and listen anymore. I think she still listened for awhile at the door but finally just trusted me to do it on my own.
LIZZIE
Dear God. It’s me, Lizzie.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.