Everyone's Invited To The Feast!
Drama
Thespian Theology
Lent/Easter
Thespian Theological Thoughts
Part of my original vision for this Easter homily/drama was that the Purples/Blues/Reds/Greens would all be costumed as colored Easter eggs. But then a little voice said, "Don't lay that goofiness on your poor readers! It's bad enough that you're making them paint their faces purple. If you make 'em dress up like Easter eggs, nobody'll ever want to produce this play!"
Honestly, I don't know if that little voice was the Holy Spirit or not. But if you agree with me that coloring and hiding eggs (and hanging them from trees) tends to take our focus off the meaning of Easter -- and if you'd like to make some subtle fun of that whole silly process -- then go ahead and dress your folks up as eggs!
Jesus is risen ... for everyone!
Cast
Narrator
Peter and Paula Purple
Harold HeraldAngel
Bob and Betty Blue
Ralph and Rhonda Red
Gordon and Gertrude Green
Peter the Apostle
Props/Costumes
Purples/Blues/Reds/Greens -- appropriately colored shirts, pants, face paint
Harold -- White robe, trumpet, scroll
(Narrator is at podium, stage left)
Narrator: Once-upon-a-time, in the mythical land of Lurid Colors, there was a church community called the Purple People of God. (Peter and Paula Purple enter stage right, dressed in purple and wear purple face paint) The leaders of this community were Peter and Paula Purple.
Peter Purple: The Reverend Peter Purple, and Deacon Paula Purple, if you please!
Narrator: Whatever. The Purple People of God believed that they alone held all biblical truth, and that they alone would inherit the kingdom of God.
Paula Purple: Well, of course we do, and of course we will!
Narrator: Excuse me?
Paula: Of course the Purple People of God hold all biblical truth.
Peter: It's our proud purple heritage that seventeen generations ago, God spoke all biblical truth to our founder, Percival Purple, in Patagonia.
Paula: And of course the Purple People of God alone will inherit the kingdom of God.
Peter: We are, after all, the Purple People ... of God! He has entrusted biblical truth to us alone -- and he certainly wouldn't let those other heretics inherit his kingdom.
Narrator: What "other heretics"?
Paula: Those misguided sinners who continue to pollute our fair land. They give themselves names like the Blessed Blues and the Redeemed Reds and the Grace-filled Greens. But we know that they are nothing more or less than miserable heretics!
(Harold HeraldAngel enters down the center aisle; blowing a trumpet until he reaches center stage)
Narrator: Thank you for that ... I guess. Winston Marsalis you're not. But who are you?
Harold: I'm Harold HeraldAngel. And I'm here to make an announcement. (Pulls out a scroll and reads) "The Lord of hosts has made for all people a feast of rich food filled with marrow of well-aged wines strained clear ... It will be said on this day, 'Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us ... let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation!' " ... Come to the feast!
(Bob and Betty Blue enter stage left. Ralph and Rhonda Red enter stage right. Gordon and Gertrude Green enter down center aisle)
Paula: Wait a minute! What are all those sinners doing here?
Harold: I said the feast is for all people, Paula -- and all means all!
Peter: (Points to Blues) You mean Bob and Betty Blue are invited to God's feast? Why those "Blessed Blues" (Makes quote signs with fingers) don't even do baptism the right way! How could God invite those sinners to his feast?
Harold: "All people" means all sinners, Peter.
Paula: (Points to Reds) Even Ralph and Rhonda Red? But those so-called "Redeemed Reds" don't believe the truth about salvation and eternal security! How could God invite those sinners to his feast?
Harold: "All people" means all sinners, Paula.
Peter: (Points to Greens) But surely it doesn't mean Gordon and Gertrude Green! Those self-styled "Grace-filled Greens" don't do anything to prove their faith in God. How could God invite those sinners to his feast?
Harold: "All people" means all sinners, Peter ... including you two!
Peter/Paula: Excuse meeeeee?
(Peter the Apostle enters down the center aisle)
Peter the Apostle: I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.
Peter/Paula: And who are you, pray tell?
Peter the Apostle: I am Simon the fisherman. But perhaps you know me as Peter the Apostle.
Paula: Oh, dear me!
Peter: What did you want to tell us, Your Apostleship, sir?
Peter the Apostle: "Peter" will do just fine, my brother. I came to tell you that everyone is invited to the feast!
Peter/Paula: Everyone?
Peter the Apostle: Anyone who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to him.
Peter: (Points to Blues) But those benighted Blues don't do baptism right, Peter. (Points to Greens) And those galling Greens don't do anything, Peter!
Paula: (Points to Reds) And those wretched Reds don't understand the Plan of Salvation, Peter!
Peter the Apostle: Why not let the Lord of Hosts make those judgments, guys?
Peter/Paula: Huh? What are you talking about?
Peter the Apostle: Let me tell you a story: I was a righteous Jew, and I honestly believed that only righteous Jews like me could be invited to the feast. Like you, I thought nobody but "my kind"Êwere acceptable to God. And then, one day at Joppa-by-the-sea, God taught me a lesson about righteousness and judgment. You know the story, if you've read your Bible.
Peter/Paula: Uh-huh.
Peter the Apostle: After my experience on the roof at Joppa, God really did "open to me the gates of righteousness that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord."
(Blues/Greens/Reds come together at center stage; they move downstage, and hold hands. Purples remain upstage at center with Harold and Peter the Apostle)
Blues/Greens/Reds: (Recite from Psalm 118) "The Lord is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation. There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous.... I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord. I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation." (Turn upstage and face Purples) "The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone."
(Purples move downstage and join Blues/Greens/Reds; they turn and face the audience)
Entire Cast: "This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!"
Peter the Apostle/Harold: Alleluia! Christ is risen!
Blues/Greens/Reds/Purples: The Lord is risen indeed -- for everybody!
Entire Cast: Alleluia!
Part of my original vision for this Easter homily/drama was that the Purples/Blues/Reds/Greens would all be costumed as colored Easter eggs. But then a little voice said, "Don't lay that goofiness on your poor readers! It's bad enough that you're making them paint their faces purple. If you make 'em dress up like Easter eggs, nobody'll ever want to produce this play!"
Honestly, I don't know if that little voice was the Holy Spirit or not. But if you agree with me that coloring and hiding eggs (and hanging them from trees) tends to take our focus off the meaning of Easter -- and if you'd like to make some subtle fun of that whole silly process -- then go ahead and dress your folks up as eggs!
Jesus is risen ... for everyone!
Cast
Narrator
Peter and Paula Purple
Harold HeraldAngel
Bob and Betty Blue
Ralph and Rhonda Red
Gordon and Gertrude Green
Peter the Apostle
Props/Costumes
Purples/Blues/Reds/Greens -- appropriately colored shirts, pants, face paint
Harold -- White robe, trumpet, scroll
(Narrator is at podium, stage left)
Narrator: Once-upon-a-time, in the mythical land of Lurid Colors, there was a church community called the Purple People of God. (Peter and Paula Purple enter stage right, dressed in purple and wear purple face paint) The leaders of this community were Peter and Paula Purple.
Peter Purple: The Reverend Peter Purple, and Deacon Paula Purple, if you please!
Narrator: Whatever. The Purple People of God believed that they alone held all biblical truth, and that they alone would inherit the kingdom of God.
Paula Purple: Well, of course we do, and of course we will!
Narrator: Excuse me?
Paula: Of course the Purple People of God hold all biblical truth.
Peter: It's our proud purple heritage that seventeen generations ago, God spoke all biblical truth to our founder, Percival Purple, in Patagonia.
Paula: And of course the Purple People of God alone will inherit the kingdom of God.
Peter: We are, after all, the Purple People ... of God! He has entrusted biblical truth to us alone -- and he certainly wouldn't let those other heretics inherit his kingdom.
Narrator: What "other heretics"?
Paula: Those misguided sinners who continue to pollute our fair land. They give themselves names like the Blessed Blues and the Redeemed Reds and the Grace-filled Greens. But we know that they are nothing more or less than miserable heretics!
(Harold HeraldAngel enters down the center aisle; blowing a trumpet until he reaches center stage)
Narrator: Thank you for that ... I guess. Winston Marsalis you're not. But who are you?
Harold: I'm Harold HeraldAngel. And I'm here to make an announcement. (Pulls out a scroll and reads) "The Lord of hosts has made for all people a feast of rich food filled with marrow of well-aged wines strained clear ... It will be said on this day, 'Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us ... let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation!' " ... Come to the feast!
(Bob and Betty Blue enter stage left. Ralph and Rhonda Red enter stage right. Gordon and Gertrude Green enter down center aisle)
Paula: Wait a minute! What are all those sinners doing here?
Harold: I said the feast is for all people, Paula -- and all means all!
Peter: (Points to Blues) You mean Bob and Betty Blue are invited to God's feast? Why those "Blessed Blues" (Makes quote signs with fingers) don't even do baptism the right way! How could God invite those sinners to his feast?
Harold: "All people" means all sinners, Peter.
Paula: (Points to Reds) Even Ralph and Rhonda Red? But those so-called "Redeemed Reds" don't believe the truth about salvation and eternal security! How could God invite those sinners to his feast?
Harold: "All people" means all sinners, Paula.
Peter: (Points to Greens) But surely it doesn't mean Gordon and Gertrude Green! Those self-styled "Grace-filled Greens" don't do anything to prove their faith in God. How could God invite those sinners to his feast?
Harold: "All people" means all sinners, Peter ... including you two!
Peter/Paula: Excuse meeeeee?
(Peter the Apostle enters down the center aisle)
Peter the Apostle: I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.
Peter/Paula: And who are you, pray tell?
Peter the Apostle: I am Simon the fisherman. But perhaps you know me as Peter the Apostle.
Paula: Oh, dear me!
Peter: What did you want to tell us, Your Apostleship, sir?
Peter the Apostle: "Peter" will do just fine, my brother. I came to tell you that everyone is invited to the feast!
Peter/Paula: Everyone?
Peter the Apostle: Anyone who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to him.
Peter: (Points to Blues) But those benighted Blues don't do baptism right, Peter. (Points to Greens) And those galling Greens don't do anything, Peter!
Paula: (Points to Reds) And those wretched Reds don't understand the Plan of Salvation, Peter!
Peter the Apostle: Why not let the Lord of Hosts make those judgments, guys?
Peter/Paula: Huh? What are you talking about?
Peter the Apostle: Let me tell you a story: I was a righteous Jew, and I honestly believed that only righteous Jews like me could be invited to the feast. Like you, I thought nobody but "my kind"Êwere acceptable to God. And then, one day at Joppa-by-the-sea, God taught me a lesson about righteousness and judgment. You know the story, if you've read your Bible.
Peter/Paula: Uh-huh.
Peter the Apostle: After my experience on the roof at Joppa, God really did "open to me the gates of righteousness that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord."
(Blues/Greens/Reds come together at center stage; they move downstage, and hold hands. Purples remain upstage at center with Harold and Peter the Apostle)
Blues/Greens/Reds: (Recite from Psalm 118) "The Lord is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation. There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous.... I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord. I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation." (Turn upstage and face Purples) "The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone."
(Purples move downstage and join Blues/Greens/Reds; they turn and face the audience)
Entire Cast: "This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!"
Peter the Apostle/Harold: Alleluia! Christ is risen!
Blues/Greens/Reds/Purples: The Lord is risen indeed -- for everybody!
Entire Cast: Alleluia!
