As he prepares for the big event, some of the students at the school get excited about helping out. One such girl is Alissa. Alissa has a little brother who gets picked on by a bully, and their parents decide to pull both children out of school and “home school” them. This is a big decision as the mom, Greta, has to quit her job to do it. The boy, Christopher, is very excited, but Alissa does not like the idea at all..and rebels. Meanwhile, Christopher runs into the bully again, (Henry) and has the boldness to tell him about Jesus and how He loves him. Henry’s brother, Ian is concerned about Henry and their very depressed father, Sebastian. Ian also goes to Dylan’s bible study, and he tries to get his dad to agree to attending the sunrise service. There are other stories mixed in and they all connect somehow and the entire cast ends up on stage at the last scene taking place on the beach. Dylan reads the Easter story and shares and many of them make decisions to follow the Lord more closely or for the first time. There are lessons on forgiveness and loving those who have hurt you, following the leading of God no matter how hard it seems, accepting that God allows sorrow in our lives, and the simple message of salvation.
Cast of 23, (14 male, 9 female) mostly young people (4 children – boys). 90-100 minutes.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Dylan Donaldson: a young art teacher with a heart to preach
Alissa Franck: a teenage girl who gets taken out of school to be taught at home
Frederick Franck: Alissa’s father
Greta Franck: Alissa’s mother
Ian: friend of Alissa and an older brother to a bully (Henry)
Christopher Franck: Alissa’s little brother who is bullied at school
Becky: Alissa’s best friend
Elton: Becky’s older brother who is out of work
Renee Richardson: a young teacher at the high school
Sebastian: Henry and Ian’s widowed father
Vincent: a waiter at the pizza palace
Penny: also home schooled – tries to befriend Alissa
Henry: the bully who picks on Christopher
Nicholas: an art student at school
Quentin: another art student
Kip: Christopher’s friend down the street, & Penny’s brother
Tracey: a girl at the school
Wanda: a poor girl at the school
Manny: another waiter at the pizza palace
Lucy: Kip & Penny’s sister
Zane: a new convert on the street
Jay: Henry’s buddy
Yolanda: another girl at the school
Props:
Bench, art supplies: sketch pad, pencils, and art table; back packs and books, jackets (one torn jacket for young boy), car keys, wrist watch, couch and several chairs, newspaper or magazine, bad colored poor looking clothes for teenage girl, bike, 2 cordless phones, small table and table cloth, 2 aprons, waiter’s order pad, flyers and tracts, wallet and money, pizza tray, 2 glasses, wet towel, kitchen table, framed photo, bibles, a large cross w/wheel, guitar.
Staging:
Sets should be as simple as possible since they are changed often. There are two different living rooms scenes, a class room scene, kitchen scene, restaurant, outdoor scenes and a final scene at the beach.
Excerpt:
SCENE ONE
(Dylan is sitting on a bench outside the school doing some sketching. Alissa and Becky enter)
ALISSA: Hi Mr. Donaldson, what’s that?
DYLAN: Oh, just a flyer I’m putting together.
BECKY: Flyer for what?
DYLAN: The “Carry the Cross” event at Easter. I
do it every year, mostly on Good Friday.
ALISSA: I think that is so neat that you do that.
BECKY: I don’t get it.
DYLAN: It is really just a gimmick, but it gets
folks’ attention and gets conversations started. I
walk around dragging this big cross behind me, and I
pass out tracts. It’s a witnessing tool. I ask folks
if they understand what Easter is all about, and what
the cross is all about. It’s going to be a lot
bigger this year, and we are going to let a lot of
folks take their turn carrying the cross. Then we are
having a big Easter sunrise service on the beach. You
girls ought to come. It’ll be great!
ALISSA: Yeah, I’d like to. Is the cross real heavy?
BECKY: It hardly seems worth it if it wasn’t. Isn’t
the idea to feel what Christ felt?
DYLAN: Well, there is no way we could ever feel what
Christ felt. Actually, I put some wheels on the end,
and it just rolls along real easy. Like I said, it’s
just a tool.
ALISSA: Does the school mind that you do this here at school?
DYLAN: Actually, I’m putting this together on my own time. I do have a class in 10 minutes so I’ll have to quit. And to answer your question, yes, I’m sure they would mind. I just don’t seem to be getting anywhere with the people in this school. It is frustrating not to be able to talk about Jesus.
ALISSA: I’ve heard you talk about Jesus. That’s how I knew that you were a Christian.
DYLAN: Well, I do every chance I get, and I do get away with it a lot. Praise the Lord for that. Are you girls through for the day?
BECKY: Yeah, we don’t have a last period.
DYLAN: Well, that’s good. Last period is usually make-up classes. Not my favorite class. It can be a rough group.
BECKY: I’m just waiting for my brother to pick me up.
ALISSA: And I’m waiting for my little brother so I can walk him home.
BECKY: I think you should let my brother drive you.
ALISSA: I told you my mom and dad don’t want us riding with him.
BECKY: I think that is so dumb!
CHRISTOPHER: (comes in very upset) Alissa? Can we go… now!?
ALISSA: What’s your problem?
CHRISTOPHER: I hate school. I wish I didn’t have to come to this place!
DYLAN: What don’t you like about it? The class? The teacher? The other kids? Homework?
CHRISTOPHER: Everything! Can we go now?
ALISSA: Christopher! What happened to your jacket? It has a tear in it! And your face is all dirty! Did you get in a fight?
CHRISTOPHER: No, I didn’t get in a fight! I just got knocked down. Can we go now? Please?
DYLAN: Did someone do that to you, Christopher? Did some kid rip your jacket and knock you down? I’m a teacher, and I can take care of that for you.
CHRISTOPHER: No! I don’t want you to do anything! Let’s go home now! (Christopher exits)
ALISSA: Mom and dad are not going to be happy about this. This sort of thing happens all the time. I’ll see you tomorrow. (Alissa follows after Christopher)
BECKY: Poor kid, he just doesn’t fit in.
DYLAN: Kids can be really cruel. I’m sure he is a nice boy. There is no excuse for that kind of stuff happening.
BECKY: Yeah, what can you do about it? He knows that if he rats on the kid who hurt him that he will only get hurt worse later. I don’t think he likes his teachers either. Oh, there’s my brother.
ELTON: (entering) Becky! Why weren’t you out by the street? I had to park the car and come looking for you!
BECKY: I was watching for you. I didn’t see your car.
DYLAN: We were talking. I think I may have distracted her.
ELTON: Aren’t you Dylan Donaldson?
DYLAN: Yeah, do I know you?
ELTON: We worked together a few years ago at the Pizza Palace. You were a manager.
DYLAN: Elton! That’s right. (They shake hands) Good to see you. Yeah. I was working my way through college back then.
ELTON: So what are you doing now?
DYLAN: Well, I’m a teacher in this here fine establishment.
ELTON: Oh wow! So, do you have my little sister in any of your classes?
DYLAN: No, I don’t have that pleasure.
BECKY: He’s the art teacher. I can’t even draw a stick person!
DYLAN: Hey, anybody can draw a stick person!
ELTON: Oh, that’s right; you used to make all the signs at the Palace. Man, you were good. What are you working on there?
DYLAN: Oh, this is nothing, just a flyer.
BECKY: Don’t say it’s nothing. (To Elton) He’s going to carry the cross at Easter.
ELTON: Carry the cross?
DYLAN: You know, to tell people what Easter is all about. I have this big cross and I share Christ with people.
ELTON: Oh, it’s a religious thing.
BECKY: If you would just go to church once in a while, you might know what Easter was all about! It’s not just a religious thing, I think it’s great. I want to be a part of it. It makes me think of that verse in the Bible that talks about taking up your cross and following Jesus.
DYLAN: Yeah, we should talk about that at our Bible study some time.
ELTON: We better go.
DYLAN: (not wanting to lose the chance to share) So what are you doing now?
ELTON: Me? Oh, I just kind of… well, I guess you could say I’m between jobs.
BECKY: I guess!
ELTON: So I’m available to come and get my pesky little sister from school. Now get in the car, we gotta go! It was good seeing ya again.
Another scene:
(Early that same evening… Ian enters and his father is sitting at the table looking despondent. There is a table and 3 chairs.)
SEBASTIAN: Where have you been?
IAN: I was out looking for Henry.
SEBASTIAN: Did you find him?
IAN: Yes.
SEBASTIAN: So is he coming home?
IAN: I don’t know, Dad. There is only so much I can do. He doesn’t listen to me, you know.
SEBASTIAN: He should. You’re a lot older than him.
IAN: I don’t think he cares about that. Anyway, I’ve got to get going… I don’t want to be late.
SEBASTIAN: Where are you going?
IAN: This is my Bible study night.
SEBASTIAN: Bible study! What in the world are you doing that for?
IAN: I like it.
SEBASTIAN: You got a girlfriend there, or something?
IAN: (Laughs) No, I don’t have a girlfriend. I go because I want to know more about God.
SEBASTIAN: What! Are you turning religious on me now?
IAN: I don’t know… maybe. Does it matter?
SEBASTIAN: I don’t care what you do.
IAN: That’s what I thought. (Hesitates, and then decides to say it) Dad, I remember that we used to go to church… as a family.
SEBASTIAN: Well, that was more your mother’s thing.
IAN: We quit when she died, didn’t we? Why did we do that, Dad? I really missed it.
SEBASTIAN: I couldn’t worship God anymore.
IAN: Because you think that God took Mom away. I guess I can understand that. I felt that way for a while, for a long while.
SEBASTIAN: So you don’t feel that way anymore?
IAN: No… well… not exactly. I mean, God did take Mom away… but that was His plan… and I don’t question Him anymore. I believe He has a plan for all of our lives… yours, mine, and Henry’s. Mom’s death was part of that plan. I am beginning to put it all together now.
SEBASTIAN: Well, ain’t you something, putting it all together! Pardon me if I don’t jump up and down!
IAN: Dad, please don’t be sarcastic. I know you are depressed a lot. I understand that, and I’m concerned about you. But, we are going to lose Henry if we don’t do something pretty soon. You’ve got to do something!
SEBASTIAN: Is that what they teach you at that Bible study? How to talk bossy to your old man?
IAN: No. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be disrespectful. Actually, the Bible teaches us to honor our Father and our Mother. I want to do that. And I want to help with Henry… but it’s hard. I fear that he will end up in Juvenile Hall if there aren’t some changes soon.
SEBASTIAN: That’s ridiculous. Henry’s a good kid.
IAN: He’s a bully, Dad. He picks on little kids. He runs around the neighborhood all the time instead of coming home and doing his homework and his chores. I end up doing most of them.
SEBASTIAN: You’re bigger… you can do more.
IAN: I know that. I realize that there are certain things that Henry can’t do… like making dinner..
SEBASTIAN: Which reminds me, where is my dinner? I don’t recall having any tonight.
IAN: There are leftovers in the fridge, and you can just throw them in the microwave. Did you want me to do that for you? I will stay home and do if you want me to. I won’t go to the Bible study if you don’t want me to go.
SEBASTIAN: No, don’t bother, I can do it. Go to your meeting, or you’ll be late.
IAN: Okay, thanks. But do you understand what I’m trying to say, Dad? I mean about Henry? I want to be his big brother, not his dad! He doesn’t want me to boss him around.
SEBASTIAN: Okay, okay, you made your point. I’m a lousy father. I just haven’t gotten over your mother’s death… I guess I never will.
IAN: Maybe it’s because you turned against God, instead of letting Him help you.
SEBASTIAN: Don’t start preaching to me, Ian.
IAN: I’m sorry. I don’t want to do that. But you have to admit, our home isn’t functioning very well.
SEBASTIAN: Well, now that you have become so holy, maybe you can take over and run the place. You forget who goes to work around here and who puts bread on this table, and who pays for the clothes on your back! I think you ought to cut your old man some slack! I can’t take over what your mother did. I can’t afford to hire someone to take care of the house and my children, so we all have to pull our weight.
wesage –
I now have two of your scripts “in production”. “Poor Richard” is being done by a group of 8-12th graders. “Carry The Cross” is being done by a group of 4-7th graders. Please pray that God’s will is done in both productions. These are homeschool theater groups and already “Carry The Cross” has made an impression! Thank you for your ministry.
Kathy Johnson, Dotham, AL