Description

The threat of a solitary Nazarene carpenter brings together three of the most powerful and most unlikely conspirators in all of Rome-controlled lands:

Temple Ruler Caiaphas, King Herod and Pontius Pilate, together in a desperate plan to enlist disgruntled Christ-follower Judas Iscariot to deal with a disruptive homeless preacher. In so-doing they set in motion a string of events which even their joint might and deviousness could not contain, leading them and all their power structures to the Upper Room, to the hill of Golgotha, to the closely guarded tomb, to the Road to Emmaus, a journey through Easter. The worry and fear caused them by this Jesus of Nazareth was only equaled by their mistrust and hatred of each other. This popular 3 scene drama will make believers even among skeptics.
The Upper Room scene brings out all of the disciples with highlight of each.
NOTE: This drama includes components of DramaShare script “Celebration of Incompletion” but with a very different ending.

Cast:  21 speaking parts plus crowd

• Caiaphas
• Herod Antipas
• Pontius Pilate
• Cornelius, Pilate’s attendant
• 12 men for disciples
• Narrator
• Mary
• Salome
• Joanna
• Martha
• people for crowd scenes as available

Bible Reference:   Luke 22

Set:

• Scene I is Pilate’s Palace, very rich and opulent
• Scene II Upper Room
• Road to Emmaus bare
• Painted black flats would serve as the scenery (with limited stage props).

Lighting:    spots as available

  Sound:   wireless mics if available

Song:   none

SFX:  none

Costumes:    traditional

Props:

• Purse for Judas
• Basin & towel for foot washing
• Swords and clubs for army

Special Instructions:   none

  Time:   30

Sample of script:

SCENE I – Pilate’s Palace

Scene opens, Pilate is pacing, upset. After a few seconds attendant comes on stage followed by Herod Antipas

Attendant: Your excellency, King Herod is here for his appointment.

Pilate, mock bow to Herod: Yes, yes, so indeed he is. Thank you Cornelius, that will be all. So then, almost the hour late, but here nonetheless! Well, well, finally, after begging an audience with us, our esteemed friend Herod Antipas sees fit to grace our chambers.

Herod, slight bow in return: May we take the liberty to correct you, friend Pontius Pilate. King Herod does not beg, for “audiences” as you put it, or for any other matter. And as to us being regrettably detained, you may thank Caiaphas and his lot for that!

Pilate: Well, well, “Caiaphas and his lot” is it? We should think that “Caiaphas and his lot” would indeed be “your lot” dear Herod Antipas! Are you not, nominally at least, a Jew? Or is that only at times when being Jewish benefits your cause? King Herod, King of the Jews! Oh my yes, that truly has a definite ring to it! (thinks) Though if our memory serves us right there appears to be a new Jewish king on the horizon, the Nazarene carpenter. (mocking) Beware King Herod lest King Jesus topple you from your royal Jewish throne! (laughs uncontrollably)

Herod, furious: May we suggest that Pontius Pilate not waste time flexing his own muscle until he determines what, if any, influence remains now that his protector Sejanus has been banished from halls of power in Rome. We would assume that the future looks less radiant now that Tiberius has accused the once mighty Sejanus of treason!

Pilate: Our future has never been tied to anyone else, not Sejanus, not Tiberius himself!

Herod: Dear man, you are too, too modest. Why only days ago you, Pontius Pilate, were the fair haired boy, the protégé of none other than Sejanus himself. Let us not toy with each other, sir, your current influence in Rome is in dire question, so do not seek to overestimate your current status based on your once considerable influence.

Pilate: We will handle the ups and downs of our own career. Take care, Herod Antipas, that you not say something which one day you might regret.

Herod: Discretion is ever our byword, fear not. But enough of this senseless bickering, we have greater concerns, both of us, outside these walls.

Pilate: Really? And just what outside these walls might possibly be of concern to Pontius Pilate?

Herod: Enough of this sham, you know very well that the Nazarene on the one side and the temple lot on the other side leaves both of us squarely exposed and in the middle. And I fear that not Tiberius himself could bail us out if that happens.

Pilate: Caiaphas is your cohort, talk with him then!

Herod: Exactly the cause of my delay today. Just a short time ago Caiaphas paid us a visit demanding that we do this and that for his cause!

Attendant enters

Attendant: Your Excellency, chief priest Caiaphas asks to see you, I told him you were engaged Excellency but he . . . . .

Caiaphas barges on stage, brushing attendant out of the way, with Judas trailing behind

Pilate: Cornelius what interruption now? And to what exactly do we owe this sudden intrusion? Dear Caiaphas, you are aware we make every attempt to put ourselves at your disposal however at this moment, as you can see, we are predisposed. Perhaps tomorrow we can . . .

Caiaphas: What we have to discuss will not wait a day or an hour. And since my news concerns us all, it is well that Herod Antipas and yourself are here together.

Herod: And this earthshaking news of yours would be . . . .

Caiaphas: A resolution to a common problem, one Jesus of Nazareth.

Herod: Problem? Just who is this problem? What did you call him . . Jesus? No, no, don’t believe I know he to whom you refer.

Caiaphas: Time runs short, we would all be well advised not to squander opportunities with senseless idle chit-chat. Now then, in the matter of the disposal of the carpenter of Nazareth.

Pilate: And your friend here, rather ill at ease it would seem. Hardly dressed to the standards of you and your temple friends.

Caiaphas: He is not “one of us” he is one of “them”.

Pilate: “Them”?

Caiaphas: He is, or was, a disciple of the Nazarene prophet.

Herod: What’s your name, disciple?

Judas says nothing, looks around frightened

Caiaphas: His name is Judas, not that it matters. He is here offering to deliver the Nazarene to us.

Herod: And who is saying that we somehow need assistance in capturing the Nazarene.

Pilate: Oh yes, of course, leave it to Herod Antipas to capture the Nazarene! Mighty Herod, whose soldiers have been led on a merry chase throughout Galilee, and never once have they come close enough to the Nazarene to lay a finger on him.

Herod: Perhaps we should have taken lessons from your soldiers who bludgeoned hundreds of Jews in the temple, creating a situation from which your reputation will never recover.

Pilate: The mob simply got out of hand. At any rate, just how will you deliver your leader, Judas?

Judas: He must not be hurt.

Herod: What drivel is this? Caiaphas I thought I heard you to say that this man was a former disciple of the Nazarene. Look at him! Seems to me he “is” a disciple, concerned whether this self appointed prophet be . . hurt!

Pilate: Hurt? Surely you don’t think for one moment we would so much as harm a single hair on his royal head!

Pilate and Herod laugh uproariously

Caiaphas: Leave it in my hands Judas, we will see to the welfare of the Nazarene.

Pilate, takes Caiaphas’ hands, examines them: Yes, Judas, surely you know you can with confidence place your leader in these soft, gentle hands. After all, if you can’t trust the chief priest, tell me, who can you trust?

Judas: He must not be hurt. He must be . . be . . refocused. He has so much to offer, but he must be refocused.

Caiaphas: And refocused shall he be. Leave that to me. You go on ahead, rejoin your group before questions are asked. And meet us at sunup outside the city walls, just as we discussed. We will look after it all from there.

Judas: You promise he will not be hurt.

Herod, nudges Pilate with elbow, winks: Everyone knows Caiaphas is a man of his word.

Caiaphas: Go along then. Oh and here is the payment as agreed upon.

Judas takes the small purse from Caiaphas, makes as if to take the money out

Caiaphas: Don’t worry, it is all there, ever penny.

Judas: Remember, . . . .

Caiaphas: Go along now, he will not be hurt if you do your part.

Judas looks about him, hesitatingly goes to the door, looks back, Caiaphas gently motions him to leave, Judas leaves stage

Herod: Can he be trusted?

Pilate: Can anyone be trusted? Certainly none of us here.

Caiaphas: Judas will do his job as he has been paid to do.

Pilate: Paid? Seemed a very light purse. What is the going price for selling out on a Messiah nowadays?

Caiaphas: We agreed on a fair price, thirty pieces of silver.

Herod: Caiaphas my friend, you amaze me! Such a bargain! I would have been prepared to offer 10, no, 100 times that amount!

Caiaphas: We will make the arrest at day tomorrow, just outside the walls, at Gethsemane. I want that both of you provide troops.

Pilate: Troops? To capture an unarmed man among a handful of deranged and unarmed idiots and fools? Use your own temple police.

Caiaphas: My temple police will be there. As will troops under your command. The Nazarene must be captured and killed.

Herod: Killed? And what value is there in having the Nazarene killed? Have him beaten, dispatched to the desert. His disciples will scatter and he will never be heard of again.

Caiaphas: I said, he must be captured and killed. And it must be done now, but not during the feast, lest the people riot.

Pilate: Dear Caiaphas, you act as though all you have to do is speak and we will support your every wish.

Herod: Exactly, I will have you know Caiaphas, that . .

Caiaphas: No, I will have both of you know that it is no secret both of you are at the lowest point in your careers. One hint of trouble here and you will both be joining Sejanus enjoying the pleasures of banishment to some remote island. I can cause my people to support you . . or. . . I can cause my people to resist your every move. Now then, what will it be?

Pilate: I refuse to be . . .

Caiaphas, screaming: I want no response other than yes or no! For the final time, what will it be?

Herod and Pilate move as though to react, then look down

Caiaphas: Much better! Now you and your best troops will be at Gethsemane at dawn tomorrow.

Pilate: Yes, I will be there. But take care not to overstate your own influence and authority. It is the Romans who control the Jews, and so it shall always be. I would strongly advise that you not confuse the winning of a minor skirmish with the triumph of the overall war.

Caiaphas: War? Are you saying that we are at war?

Pilate: Yes, dear Caiaphas, we are at war indeed. And make no mistake, ultimately Rome shall be victorious. Now out of here before I decide to deal with you as the parasite you truly are!

lights down for preparation for Scene 2