The Talents
Drama
EXPANDED PARABLES
Dramatization in the Church
A parable of stewardship for a narrator and four solo voices. Solo 4 doubles as Servant 1, Solo 2 doubles as Servant 2, and Solo 1 doubles as Servant 3.
Narrator: The Kingdom of heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going into another country, who called his servants together and loaned them money to invest for him while he was gone.
Solo 1: He called them because they belonged to him.
Solo 2: He trusted them.
Solo 3: He gave what he had to them.
Solo 4: To invest.
Solo 2: To gain more.
Solo 3: To use wisely.
Solo 1: Just as the Lord gives talents to us.
Narrator: He gave five talents ($5,000) to one, two talents ($2,000) to another, and one talent ($1,000) to the last.
Solo 4: Five talents ($5,000)!
Solo 2: Two talents ($2,000)!
Solo 1: One talent ($1,000)!
Narrator: So ... five talents, two talents, one talent ... (money) dividing it in proportion to their abilities ... and then he left on his trip to another country.
Solo 3: Dividing it in proportion to their abilities?
Solo 4: [To himself] Hmmm, five talents ($5,000) ... what shall I do with it?
Solo 2: [To himself] Well now, two talents ($2,000) ... to invest; let's see ...
Solo 1: [To himself] One talent ($1,000) is a lot of responsibility.
Narrator: The man who received the five talents ($5,000) began immediately to buy and sell with it and soon earned another five talents ($5,000).
Servant 1 (Solo 4): I knew I could invest and make it grow so that my master could gain from it.
Solo 3: He used talents (money) wisely!
Solo 1: Yes, but he had a lot more to work with ...
Solo 3: He used his wisely!
Narrator: The man with the two talents ($2,000) went right to work too and earned another two talents ($2,000).
Servant 2 (Solo 2): That wasn't difficult ... to double the talents ... to serve the master.
Solo 3: He used his wisely also.
Solo 1: Just luck, that's all! He could have lost it all.
Solo 3: He used his wisely.
Narrator: But the man who received the one talent ($1,000) dug a hole in the ground and hid the money for safe keeping.
Servant 3 (Solo 1): I'm not going to lose any of this. I'll just tuck it away and then no one will take it and I won't lose it.
Solo 3: Not so wise!
Solo 4: Poor fellow; to hide what his master gave him to use.
Solo 3: Not so wise!
Narrator: After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to him to account for his money.
Master (Solo 3): My men, come, I have returned ... account for your stewardship.
Narrator: The one to whom he had entrusted the five talents ($5,000) brought him ten talents ($10,000).
Servant 1 (Solo 4): Master, here I have gained another five talents ($5,000) for you.
Master (Solo 3): You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Begin the joyous tasks I have assigned to you.
Narrator: Next came the man who had received the two talents ($2,000) with the report,
Servant 2 (Solo 2): Sir, you gave me two talents ($2,000) to use, and I doubled it.
Master (Solo 3): Good work, you are a good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over this small amount, so now I will give you much more.
Narrator: Then the man with the one talent ($1,000) came and said,
Servant 3 (Solo 1): Sir, I knew you were a hard man, and I was afraid you would rob me of what I earned so I hid your money in the earth and here it is!
Master (Solo 3): Wicked man! Lazy servant!
Solo 4: [Aside] Poor fellow.
Solo 2: [Aside] Poor steward.
Master (Solo 3): Since you knew I would demand your profit, you should at least have put my money into the bank so I could have some interest.
Solo 2: At least earned a small percentage.
Solo 4: At least used the talent a little.
Master (Solo 3): Take the money from this man and give it to the man with the ten talents ($10,000).
Solo 2: Yes, sir.
Servant 1 (Solo 4): To me, sir? Why?
Master (Solo 3): The man who uses well what he is given shall be given more, and he shall have abundance. But from the man who is unfaithful, even what little responsibility he has shall be taken from him.
Solo 2: The man who is a wise steward of his talents will be blessed.
Solo 4: The man who does not use those that he has or abuses them, shall wither and die.
Master (Solo 3): Throw the useless servant out into outer darkness.
Solo 2: Out ... [Move DC]
Solo 4: Into darkness ... [Move beside Solo 2 DC]
Master (Solo 3): There shall be weeping ...
Solo 2: Weeping,
Master (Solo 3): And gnashing of teeth ...
Solos 2, 4: Gnashing of teeth.
[Pause]
Solo 1: [To audience] I did not use the talents wisely.
Solo 2: [To audience] What do you do with yours?
Solo 4: [To audience] Do they serve your Master?
Narrator: The Kingdom of heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going into another country, who called his servants together and loaned them money to invest for him while he was gone.
Solo 1: He called them because they belonged to him.
Solo 2: He trusted them.
Solo 3: He gave what he had to them.
Solo 4: To invest.
Solo 2: To gain more.
Solo 3: To use wisely.
Solo 1: Just as the Lord gives talents to us.
Narrator: He gave five talents ($5,000) to one, two talents ($2,000) to another, and one talent ($1,000) to the last.
Solo 4: Five talents ($5,000)!
Solo 2: Two talents ($2,000)!
Solo 1: One talent ($1,000)!
Narrator: So ... five talents, two talents, one talent ... (money) dividing it in proportion to their abilities ... and then he left on his trip to another country.
Solo 3: Dividing it in proportion to their abilities?
Solo 4: [To himself] Hmmm, five talents ($5,000) ... what shall I do with it?
Solo 2: [To himself] Well now, two talents ($2,000) ... to invest; let's see ...
Solo 1: [To himself] One talent ($1,000) is a lot of responsibility.
Narrator: The man who received the five talents ($5,000) began immediately to buy and sell with it and soon earned another five talents ($5,000).
Servant 1 (Solo 4): I knew I could invest and make it grow so that my master could gain from it.
Solo 3: He used talents (money) wisely!
Solo 1: Yes, but he had a lot more to work with ...
Solo 3: He used his wisely!
Narrator: The man with the two talents ($2,000) went right to work too and earned another two talents ($2,000).
Servant 2 (Solo 2): That wasn't difficult ... to double the talents ... to serve the master.
Solo 3: He used his wisely also.
Solo 1: Just luck, that's all! He could have lost it all.
Solo 3: He used his wisely.
Narrator: But the man who received the one talent ($1,000) dug a hole in the ground and hid the money for safe keeping.
Servant 3 (Solo 1): I'm not going to lose any of this. I'll just tuck it away and then no one will take it and I won't lose it.
Solo 3: Not so wise!
Solo 4: Poor fellow; to hide what his master gave him to use.
Solo 3: Not so wise!
Narrator: After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to him to account for his money.
Master (Solo 3): My men, come, I have returned ... account for your stewardship.
Narrator: The one to whom he had entrusted the five talents ($5,000) brought him ten talents ($10,000).
Servant 1 (Solo 4): Master, here I have gained another five talents ($5,000) for you.
Master (Solo 3): You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Begin the joyous tasks I have assigned to you.
Narrator: Next came the man who had received the two talents ($2,000) with the report,
Servant 2 (Solo 2): Sir, you gave me two talents ($2,000) to use, and I doubled it.
Master (Solo 3): Good work, you are a good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over this small amount, so now I will give you much more.
Narrator: Then the man with the one talent ($1,000) came and said,
Servant 3 (Solo 1): Sir, I knew you were a hard man, and I was afraid you would rob me of what I earned so I hid your money in the earth and here it is!
Master (Solo 3): Wicked man! Lazy servant!
Solo 4: [Aside] Poor fellow.
Solo 2: [Aside] Poor steward.
Master (Solo 3): Since you knew I would demand your profit, you should at least have put my money into the bank so I could have some interest.
Solo 2: At least earned a small percentage.
Solo 4: At least used the talent a little.
Master (Solo 3): Take the money from this man and give it to the man with the ten talents ($10,000).
Solo 2: Yes, sir.
Servant 1 (Solo 4): To me, sir? Why?
Master (Solo 3): The man who uses well what he is given shall be given more, and he shall have abundance. But from the man who is unfaithful, even what little responsibility he has shall be taken from him.
Solo 2: The man who is a wise steward of his talents will be blessed.
Solo 4: The man who does not use those that he has or abuses them, shall wither and die.
Master (Solo 3): Throw the useless servant out into outer darkness.
Solo 2: Out ... [Move DC]
Solo 4: Into darkness ... [Move beside Solo 2 DC]
Master (Solo 3): There shall be weeping ...
Solo 2: Weeping,
Master (Solo 3): And gnashing of teeth ...
Solos 2, 4: Gnashing of teeth.
[Pause]
Solo 1: [To audience] I did not use the talents wisely.
Solo 2: [To audience] What do you do with yours?
Solo 4: [To audience] Do they serve your Master?
