I AM – The Bread of Life

WRITTEN BY WARREN SAGER
CAST OF CHARACTERS:
FRANCINE: (Speaks 313 words) One of the master guides
BRIANA: (Speaks 229 words) Thinks she should be the leader
DIANA: (207 words) Intelligent and likes to solve problems
GRANT: (182 words) One of the master guides
CONNOR: (154 words) A little slow to catch on.  Funny guy
AIDEN: (152 words) Leader of the group, Briana’s brother
EVAN: (147 words) Quiet, shy, but listen when he talks.
IRENE: (88 words) Aiden and Briana’s mother
KEITH: (54 words) Master guide
HANK: (34 words) Aiden and Briana’s father
LOUISE: (30 words) Diana’s mother

THE SETTING: THE UPPER ROOM.  THE BACKDROP COULD BE THE ROOM WITH A LARGE TABLE OR PERHAPS A WINDOW OVERLOOKING PARTS OF JERUSALEM.  THE ACTUAL TABLE COULD BE ONSTAGE.
SCENE ONE: THE KIDS ARE SEATED ON THE GROUND AND FACING GRANT AND FRANCINE.
FRANCINE
Hi kids.  Today we are going to talk about the last night that Jesus spent with his disciples.
GRANT
That’s right, Francine.  Who knows what special place they gathered at?
AIDEN
The upper room?
GRANT
That’s right Aiden.
FRANCINE
Jesus had this special place all picked out, so he sent some of the disciples on ahead and told them that they would find a man carrying a jar of water, and that they should follow him to his place and tell him that the Master wants to use his upper room for the passover feast.
BRIANA
I have a question.
FRANCINE
Go ahead, Briana.
BRIANA
The man with the water jar…did he know about this ahead of time?  Or did he just automatically think that these strangers who have this master could use his room?
FRANCINE
Well, it doesn’t say.  But I imagine that it was revealed to him that they were coming.  Maybe he had a dream or a vision and he knew that someone very important was coming, perhaps even the Messiah.
GRANT
So, what was the special meal that they had prepared for them?
AIDEN
The passover meal.
GRANT
Right.  But then Jesus changed things after the meal and began to talk about his betrayal and his death.  And that was when He took the bread and the wine… and what did He say it represented?
BRIANA
The bread was His body and the wine was His blood.
Diana gets up and slowly walks downstage facing the audience in a dream-like way.
DIANA
What I wouldn’t give to have been a fly on the wall and watch all of that take place.
LIGHTS OUT
SCENE TWO: THE UPPER ROOM
LIGHTS UP
They are all standing now and realize that they are in a room somewhere.
GRANT
What just happened?
AIDEN
It’s just like last time!  We have been transported somewhere!
BRIANA
We are in a room of some kind.
Diana goes to look out the window.  If there is no window on the backdrop, she could look out to the audience pretending there is a window downstage.
DIANA
What is this place?  It looks very old and very foreign!
Grant looks too
GRANT
I bet this is Jerusalem.
CONNOR
Woah!  First Italy, and now Jerusalem.
FRANCINE
Grant, you don’t suppose this is the upper room?  I mean.. THE UPPER ROOM!
DIANA
I was just saying that I wanted to be here.  And here we are.
GRANT
I have never been to Jerusalem before, but I don’t think it looks like this.
AIDEN
So, we’re NOT in Jerusalem?
GRANT
No, I think we are… but it’s not 2020.  Nobody is dressed like us.  There are no cars, so modern buildings at all.
AIDEN
So we traveled back in time?
CONNOR
Woah!  We’re time travelers!!  Cool!
FRANCINE
We must be in the time of Christ.
DIANA
I wonder if it is before or after the last supper.
CONNOR
We should go exploring!  It looks so cool out there!
BRIANA
That would be really fun, but we would really stand out.  Look at our clothes.  If we could find some period costumes.
AIDEN
They would not be called costumes.
BRIANA
I know… that just slipped out.  The only time I have ever worn Bible clothes, they were costumes.
DIANA
So, sounds like we really shouldn’t go exploring then.
GRANT
I don’t think so.
FRANCINE
Grant is right.  We should stay here.  Besides, I think this was what we were supposed to see.
DIANA
I can imagine Jesus and his disciples in this place. You know, they were also hiding here after the crucifixion.
BRIANA
And that door over there was locked, and Jesus just appeared in the room!