Scripts

The Saviour and the Father are One

(Simplified version)

Music - Extreme - Edit from "God Isn't Dead?" and "Everything Under the Sun" (From the album 3 sides to Every Story)

Content & purpose - Tells the story of the gospel with words and mime. God creates the world and mankind, but they reject Him and go their own way, which leads them into pain and death. Then - the clever bit! - we hear God conceiving the plan that would be necessary to save mankind. He would have to send a sinless man, able to teach and perform miracles, and eventually die on a cross and be resurrected (seen by a ribbon cross). At the end of the sketch, God realises He must step down to earth himself, and we finish with a nativity tableau to show that the "Saviour and the Father are one".

Cast - 6 people (3 men, 2 women, 1 either) - God, Narrator, Man 1, Man 2, Woman 1, Woman 2

Props - Chair, 2 red ribbons tied together in the shape of a cross

Music, Lighting and Actions -

Lighting: Begin in total darkness

God: Begins on stage, on raised platform - have arms outstretched for "and there was light" cue

People: (Woman 1, W2, Man1, M2) - Start centre stage, with women on left and men on right, in crouching position.

Music: Start music

Music cue: Winding up of music box; music box begins

Narrator:In the beginning, God created the universe. Through Him all things were made, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible

Music cue: Repeat of music box tune

Narrator: God said 'Let there be light…'

Music cue: Drums and guitar

Narrator: And there was light

Lighting: Lights up, full, immediately

God: Stands, raised on platform - arms outstretched over empty stage

Music cue: First guitar section

Narrator: God laid the foundations of the earth, he ordered the heavens. He gathered the waters into seas and let dry ground appear and produce plants and flowers

God:

On foundations of the earth, stretch arms our downward, looking downward
On ordered the heavens, look up and 'cast stars into the heavens', arms outstretched upwards with fingers splayed
On gathered the waters, make sweeping gesture inwards about rib level, then at dry ground appear, make impression of a peak forming with hands, not quite joining, up to about chin level (waters and dry ground are one fluid motion)
On produce plants and flowers - do nothing! Hold the dry ground pose

Music: Second guitar section

Narrator: He said 'Let the water teem with living creatures, let birds fly above the earth, and let there be creatures that move along the ground…' and it was so

God: (Drop hands before starting these gestures)

On let the water teem through birds fly above the earth, make fluid arc gesture with right hand along 'water level' (down), then sweeping up to the right ('sky level') (watch it).
While holding right hand up, on creatures that move along the ground, make sweeping gesture outwards (down) with left hand (along 'ground level') (watch it)
Pause, looking at left hand, with left hand still down and right hand still up

Music cue: Lyrics: 'Dawn wakes the silence…'

Narrator: Finally, God created man in His own image…male and female He created them (Pause as two men and two women enter)

God: Raises hands until they are in 'benevolent' position

People rise, amazed at wonder of surroundings (sniffing flower, drinking from brook, breathing deeply, looking with awe at limbs, etc)

Narrator: God let them rule over all the earth and there was peace between man and God

M2 and W1 generally cross over; aim to end up in this position by rule over:

God

W2 M1

M2 W1

People: On like Him, mimic God's 'benevolent' pose, arms outstretched, looking towards audience

Music cue: Lyrics: 'Night rests in peace…'

People form into two couples (1's and 2's; W2 and M1 move forward, couples touch hands), still facing audience, then turn (right) to face God, kneel on both knees before God in prayerful posture (hands touching again)

W2 M2 W1 M1

Music cue: Lyrics: 'All's accounted for…'

Narrator: God saw all that He had made, and it was very good

Music cue: as music builds up to 'Rise and shine'

Narrator: But then men and women wanted to take control for themselves

People turn to face God, fists up in front of face. God turns away in horror

Music cue: Lyrics: 'Rise, rise and shine…'

Narrator: They rejected their Creator and built up a dividing wall of hostility

People build wall between God and man, with the middle two (M2, W1) placing the bottom bricks, then TOC-defining the walls as the outer two continue to build

Music cue: Lyrics: 'Rise, rise in time…'

Narrator: They turned their backs on God and denied Him by their evil thoughts and actions

People: turn away from God, and fold arms in defiance

Music cue: Lyrics: 'And when you see…'

Narrator: People became lovers of themselves, proud and arrogant (brief pause)

People adopt arrogant pose, with men moving forward in 'macho' way and women preening while not moving forward…

W2 W1

M2 M1

Narrator: Full of anger, violence and murder

People commit violence. W2 crosses right to W1, knocks W1 down. M1 crosses left to M2 and knocks him down

W1 (dead) W2

M1 M2 (dead)

Music cue: Lyrics: 'foolish ones…'

Narrator: lovers of money, greed and theft

M1 and W2 riffle the pockets of the dead, look through the money.

Narrator: Lovers of pleasure and immorality

W2 wanders around the front, looking seductive(ish) but not at M1. M1 also crosses around front of M2 to right, meets W2, grabs her by her neck, pulls into 'sex' pose, then throws her away. W2 falls, M1 goes back to left and also sinks down in despair.

Music cue: (fade out in music); Gentle music…Lyrics: 'Ah, look at all the lonely people…'

(Pause with tableau of people in despair)

Music cue: Lyrics: 'Losing faith…'

Narrator: The Lord saw how evil the hearts of the people had become. They had brought God's judgement on themselves and were trapped in pain and death (Pause)

Narrator: Yet God's heart was filled with compassion

God: Makes gesture towards heart, hangs head, looks suitably agonised

Music cue: Lyrics: 'Ah, see the pain in everybody's faces…'

People turn to God, pleading with agony in their faces, reaching up but unable to drag themselves forward or off the ground. They fall again, now lying in a line with their heads towards God

God

M1 M2 W1 W2

Music cue: Lyrics: 'God up in the sky…'

Narrator: God asked himself 'Do I lack the strength to rescue my people? No, I will show them mercy' So the Lord in heaven conceived this plan to save the whole world from death

God: Looks with compassion on the people, head hung, then raises head and makes gesture of determination

Music cue: Music fades…

Music cue: First piano tune run through

Narrator: God knew that He must send a chosen one to Earth to save the people, a man who was free from evil and perfect in God's eyes

God:,On send a chosen one, God pushes hands towards people in a 'sending forth' gesture

M1 W1

M2 W2

GOD: FROM NOW ON, FOLLOW 'JESUS' AROUND THE STAGE WITH YOUR HANDS IN A 'BLESSING' GESTURE

PEOPLE: ASSUME FROM NOW ON THAT 'JESUS' IS IN YOUR MIDST!

Music cue: Second piano tune run through

Narrator: The chosen man would speak and teach with God's authority, wisdom and love

People:

On speak, M1/M2 talk to each other, as do W1/W2. (Somehow during talking or sitting, M2 and M1 swap places to produce the position:
M2 M1 W1 W2

On authority, M1 points towards 'Jesus', others turn to listen

Narrator: He would be without pride and would teach that the humble would be lifted high and the greatest would be least

People:

Start looking proud (puffing up chests)
On greatest, the people kneel, looking up at 'Jesus'

Narrator: He would teach the people how God wanted them to live: to love God with all their heart and soul and mind, and to love even their enemies as they loved themselves

People:

On love God, all turn to face God back of stage
On loving their enemies, men look at each other and shake hands while women look at each other and do a girly hug-like thing

M2/M1 W1/W2

Narrator: This man must have compassion on the people who were harassed and helpless. He would be able to satisfy the hunger of the people.

People:

On harassed and helpless, sink in mime hunger, clutching stomach and reaching towards 'Jesus' (women reach with right hand, men with left)
On satisfy, M1 and W1 (nearest 'Jesus') receive bread in outstretched hands, share it with M2 and W2 respectively

Narrator: The Chosen One would have all the power of God in him. He would be able to heal every disease and sickness among the people - the blind would see, the lame walk, the deaf hear. He would even be able to raise the dead with a word

People:

On Chosen One, M1 sinks down in illness/death. M2 kneels on left, W1 on right (take a bit of time assembling this)
On heal every disease, W2 goes forward to where 'Jesus' is, and beckons him towards M1, bringing him behind/right of M1
On raise the dead, M1 jumps up and is generally very happy to be alive

Music cue: Build-up to violin intro

Narrator Even the wind and the waves would obey him

People: Mime waves (with three as waves and one as whirling wind around them?)

Music cue: Violin intro

Narrator: At his command, storms would be stilled

People: are stilled

End up in position:

W2 W1

M2 M1

Narrator:(pause and change tone for emphasis here) Words and signs would only show that he was sent by God. But he would be sent to save people from the deadly consequences of their rejection of their creator.

Music cue: Second violin tune

Narrator: To bring the people back to God, this innocent man would suffer the death that they deserved.

The chosen one would have to be betrayed found guilty in a court without justice.

People: on betrayed, create courtroom tableau -

M1 as judge, with arms crossed
W1 pointing accusingly at 'Jesus' (now on ground in the midst) and pleading with judge
M2 and W2 as 'angry mob'

W2 W1

M2 M1

Music cue: First cymbal crash

M1 as judge passes sentence by miming banging of gavel

Music cue: Second cymbal crash - follows on quickly!

Narrator: He would be mocked and tortured

M2/W2 come forward, M2 kicks and spits on 'Jesus', then W2 does 'flogging' action. Meanwhile, W1 (accuser) brushes hands in satisfaction and goes to back of stage to take up the top part of the cross

Music cue: Sweeping music

Narrator: Finally, the saviour of the world would have to die a humiliating and horrible death - even death on a cross.

Music cue: Third and fourth cymbal crashes

People: Take up ribbon cross with following position

God: Remove hands from 'blessing position', hang head in sorrow

God

(holding to of cross)

W2 M1

(both holding arms of cross)

(kneeling and holding foot of cross)

On cymbal crashes, hammer nails into hands, feet, and INRI sign

Music cue: Music builds to climax

People hold positions around cross, with look of anguish in their faces

Music cue: First run through of quiet piano music…narrator starts before second run through

Narrator: God knew that death could not conquer his chosen one. This man must defeat death itself so that he could offer life to the people. So God would raise him from the dead, and triumphantly complete His plan

People: From defeat death to end of narration, shape of cross is shaken by W2 and M1.

Music cue: Triumphant explosion of music

People: Cross falls, and the people fall on the floor, falling to the side (How do we get them to the side of stage?)

Lighting: Fades slowly to darkness from the resurrection onwards, and stays in complete darkness until 'step down to Earth'

Music cue: Buildup to "Can anybody"

Narrator: But God in heaven considered his plan and thought 'Who can be my chosen one?'

Music cue: Lyrics: "Who cares…" (1^st time)

Narrator: No man could be the things required of the chosen one if the plan was to succeed.

Music cue: Lyrics:m"Who cares…" (2^nd time)

Narrator: Only the Lord himself can teach with heavenly wisdom and authority, still the storms of the sea, heal the sick, and raise the dead. No-one but the Lord himself is innocent and perfect. Only he can conquer death and bring peace with mankind. Without the Lord himself, there is no saviour.

Music cue: Lyrics: "Am I ever gonna change…"

Narrator: The Lord saw that there was no-one to intervene. He knew that He would have to step down to Earth as a man to achieve His plan.

God: on step down to Earth, God steps down from the platform/CADS chair

Music cue: Lyrics: "A new day is dawning…"

Narrator: And so the Lord became a child in a manger

On became a child, God crouches in centre, and people form a nativity scene around him, with M1/W1 as Mary and Joseph on right, and M2/W2 as some random adoring shepherd type folk on left

W2 W1

M2 God M1

Music cue: Cuts to music box

Narrator: The Saviour and the Father are one

Sound cue: Sound of baby crying…

Lighting: Fade to black

The END

Notes and Comments - This version of the script was written in Hilary 1999, to make the script simpler and clearer for a young audience, and for street performance. It therefore moves away from direct, back-to-back quotations from the Bible, and is hopefully clearer.

Website by Jonathan Cooper.
This page last updated 22nd Nov, 2003.