The director of the play is also the director of the choir and he deals with his actress playing Mary, losing her voice, and the girl filling in is not as good, so Millicent (playing Elizabeth) loses her temper, becoming impatient with the whole thing. The director, Mr. Campbell, prays and Millicent asks everyone to forgive her outburst. Later at home, Lester comments on what happened. His uncle shares the gospel with him and leads him to Christ, and his cousin Millicent admits that she doesn’t believe she was really saved, and joins with him. Final scene has Lester asking lots of questions at the last rehearsal, which are answered by Forrest, the stage hand. Strong evangelical message. Many choir numbers can be added to balance out the story. Some suggestions are in the script.
Cast of 16-18 (mostly teen and adult – 4 male, 4 female, 5 children) plus extras, plus choir. Dramatic portion takes about 20-25 mins.
CHARACTERS:
LESTER: (lead) Probably a young man… possible high school or college age. He starts out as a non-believer who thinks he is a Christian…and has lots of questions… toward the end… a new believer, excited, and with lots of questions. 53 lines
MR. CAMPBELL: (lead) Could be female. Probably middle age. A busy director trying to hold everything together and make it work. Most of the lines are direction… or playing off other’s lines. 53 lines
MILLICENT: (lead) Young lady…high school or college age. Lots of range here. She does have some attitude problems that should be carefully and prayerfully portrayed. She can play an older lady (a real actress). Also, she must have a real powerful change and transformation in the middle of the play. 40
PHYLICIA: (supporting) young lady..high school or college age. Should be able to talk loudly in a whisper or raspy voice. Shows disappointment. Plays Mary, and sings a solo. 21
FORREST: (supporting) any age man. This becomes a big part at the end of the play.. lots of talking, very spiritual level. 23
FATHER: (supporting) Middle age man. Strong Christian man who shares with Lester and leads him to Christ. Needs to look at least 40. 33
MOTHER: (small) Only a few lines. Needs to look at least 40.
NAOMI: (supporting) She has a sweet spirit and is a little on the “mousy” side… her lines should not sound angry… but more of a sympathetic character, to make Millicent’s offensive behavior more of a contrast. Mechanically reads some of her lines.
JOSIE: (small) Millicent’s younger sister
BEATRICE: (only one line) child.
HAROLD: (small)
GORDON: (only one line)
DOROTHY: (only one line)
OTHER CHILDREN IN FAMILY: (no lines)
3 SHEPHERDS: (no lines)
Excerpt:
Mr. Campbell (Director): Okay everybody! Get in your places for the
first scene with Mary and Elizabeth! Choir…to the choir loft!
Are you all warmed up? We’ve got a lot of work to do.
(everyone moves to their places as Millicent approaches director
with Lester)
Millicent: Mr. Campbell, I want you to meet my cousin, Lester who is
visiting me from New Hampshire.
Mr. Campbell: Hi. Nice to meet you.
Lester: Nice to meet you.
Millicent: Would it be okay if he stays and watches our rehearsal?
Mr. Campbell : Sure. Just don’t expect too much. We’re just
amateurs here.
Lester: Okay.
Mr. Campbell : Now, is everyone here? Where is Phylicia?
Naomi: (from the choir loft) Oh.. she wanted me to tell you that
she was going to be a little late.
Millicent: Oh…no! We can’t do this scene without a Mary!
Naomi: She said just a little late.. I don’t think it will be long.
Millicent: Maybe she’s still working on her lines!
Naomi: She knows her lines. I’ve been helping her with them…she
knows them real well.
(Phylicia enters and approaches director looking very discouraged.)
Mr. Campbell : Oh, there you are. Just in time!
Phylicia: (in a very raspy voice) Mr. Campbell, I lost my voice. I
think I have laryngitis.
Mr. Campbell : Oh dear. That’s not good.
Phylicia: (very disappointed) I can’t do the part sounding like this…
and I wanted to do it so bad! Now I won’t be able to! I guess the
Lord doesn’t want me to be in the play.
Mr. Campbell : Don’t be discouraged. Maybe it will clear up.
Phylicia: In two days?
Mr. Campbell : Well, we can pray. The Lord can do it if He wants
to. Now, go sit down over here and try not to worry about it.
Meanwhile, we’ll have to keep going. (she sits on the edge of the
railing)
Millicent: (disappointed, not angry- holding back, letting the
words show the bad attitude developing) What are we going to do
now? We can’t do the play without a Mary! This ruins everything!
Phylicia: I’m sorry.
Mr. Campbell : Its not your fault, Phylicia. Millicent, don’t sound
so worried, Phylicia feels bad enough as it is. Now, we can’t
panic! With the Lord helping us, we can make this work. For right
now, we need to find a replacement. (at this, Phylicia moves to a
chair at the side and keeps her head down.)
Millicent: Who can memorize all those lines in just 2 days?
Harold: What about Naomi? She probably knows all the lines already.
She practices with Phylicia all the time.
(various people agree..saying “yeah..that’s right” and “good idea”.)
Mr. Campbell : What do you say Naomi? Do you want to try it?
Naomi: Well, I guess. But I don’t want to take it away from
Phylicia. If she gets better, I want her to do it.
Mr. Campbell : And she will. We will pray that she will be able to
do it. This is just so we can have a rehearsal and save her voice.
Do you want to use a script?
Naomi: Yes please. I don’t think I know it that well. (she is
handed a script and comes from the choir loft to center stage)
Mr. Campbell : Okay, now lets start with the part where Elizabeth
and Mary greet. Take your places. Go ahead and start Millicent.
Millicent: Should I wear a pillow under my dress to look like I’m
expecting a baby?
Mr. Campbell : Naw…save it for later. Just go ahead and begin.
Millicent: (says her lines with much feeling and expression) Mary!
I am so glad that you could come! (hugs her) Please, please come
in.
Naomi: (reading ..very mechanically) Elizabeth! I am very happy to
be able to come.
Millicent: (at this moment, Millicent grabs her stomach as the baby
has leaped inside her.)
Blessed among women are you, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord should come
to me? For when you greeted me, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of
what had been spoken to her by the Lord.
Naomi: (reading) My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has
rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the humble state of
His bondslave; and from this time on all generations will call me
blessed…
Millicent: (not in anger, but she sounds like she is making herself
the director) Put a little more feeling into it. You sound like
you are reading it.
Naomi: (sweet and innocent- able to draw sympathy) But I am reading
it. Mr. Campbell, didn’t you want me to just read it? I’m willing
to do this, but I really don’t feel comfortable trying to act.
Millicent: Oh for Pete’s sake! I didn’t know you were so sensitive.
Naomi: I’m sorry… it’s just not me. I guess I don’t like to do
this sort of thing. But I’m afraid I can’t do it the way Phylicia
does. She does such a fine job, and so do you. It must be very
hard to have me just stand here and read the lines while you are
trying to give your best. I’m so sorry if I disappointed you.
Millicent: (not too convincing) No.. I’m sorry!
Mr. Campbell : Okay… okay…lets stop there for now. We’ll come
back to that. Choir, lets try your song.
(choir begins singing the song very poorly. “Come, Thou Long-Expected
Jesus”)
Mr. Campbell : Wait. Stop. Nothing is going right here. I know
what the problem is. I forgot to have prayer first. Lets stop right
now and do some serious praying. (praying) O Lord, we come to you
now asking for your help. I confess my sin of rushing ahead and not
coming to you first. Please help us with this program, for without
you, we can do nothing. I pray for Phylicia who has lost her voice.
Please restore it to her Lord, we ask, and we pray that you would
comfort her and lift her spirit and help her not to be discouraged.
I pray that we would all have good attitudes and love one another.
Now we ask that you would bless this rehearsal that we might do our
best for you and accomplish good…in Jesus name..amen.
Millicent: (praying) Dear God, please forgive me for having such a
bad attitude. I was so wrong, so selfish and so impatient. Help me
to show more love to everyone around me. In Jesus name …amen.
(everyone is quiet…looking down) Naomi, will you forgive me for my
wrong and offensive attitude toward you? I was so impatient with
you.
Naomi: Sure. I forgive you. Will you forgive me for being
difficult? I could have tried harder.
Millicent: Of course. (they might hug each other if it fits in to
the flow of things)
Millicent: My attitude was offensive to all of you. Would you all
forgive me? (everyone responds)
(she goes down and sits next to Phylicia and puts her arm around her)
Mr. Campbell : Okay Choir, lets try it again.
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