Scripts Since 2007

Summary: Two women discuss Mary Magdalene and the events of the first Easter.
Style: Dramatic.   Duration: 10min
Scripture:Mark 16:9-11, John 20:14-18 and parallels
Actors: 2F

Characters
Joanna
Susannah

Script

SCENE 1.        The Sabbath.  Joanna and Susannah are sitting talking.

J:  I wonder what that Magdalene girl’ll do now?

S:  Poor Mary, she adored him! 

J:  Adored most of the fellows round here at one time or another, didn’t she?

S:  Not after she met Jesus; not after what he did for her.

J:  She seemed to be doing alright for herself – know what I mean, nudge nudge, wink wink!

S:  But half the time she didn’t know what she was doing – she was away with the fairies. 

J:  Fairies!  Who’re you kidding?  She had the seven devils of hell on her back!

S:  Till Jesus came along and got rid of them.  God knows how. But he totally changed her.

J:  Mmm.  So they say.  Like they say he healed a blind man, and cleansed a leper.

S:  And cured that cripple from Bethsaida.

J:  Well I never saw any miracles.  Did you?

S:  Oh yes!  I was at the great picnic – I was one of the thousands.  And Jo, I’ll tell you, bread never tasted so good!

J:  Don’t be such a plonker!  Bread’s just bread, isn’t it?

            (Pause)

S:  They do say he raised a little girl from the dead…

J:  Yeah.  But she was a Gentile’s daughter, you can’t take that as gospel.

S:  Poor Mary.  Hung on his every word; followed him everywhere after he cured her.

J:  I know.  Proper little groupie, wasn’t she?

S:  Say what you like, she’s got courage.  Staying there yesterday, through… all that.

J:  All what?  Oh, the crucifixions?  Well, when you’ve seen one…

S:  I couldn’t bear to watch one.  Vile Roman death, I think it’s wicked.

J:  A good deterrent though.  Just shows, crime doesn’t pay.

S:  But Jesus wasn’t a criminal!

J:  Well they must’ve got something on him, mustn’t they?  Must’ve had a reason.

S:  My Ben reckons the Pharisees and that lot had something to do with it.

J:  Wouldn’t be surprised.  They just can’t cope with the thought of being wrong – or losing their status.

S:  What Jesus said about God was … well, it made him real, somehow.  I loved hearing him.

J:  He told some great stories, I’ll grant you that.

S:  And the crowds loved him, too.  Did you go last Sunday?

J:  Oh yes, a great Passover knees-up!  Not sure why the donkey was invited though.

S:  All the ‘Hosannas;’ and the palm branches – oh, it was wonderful, you could even forget the Romans for once.

J:  All a bit OTT if you ask me.  Crowd hysteria.  Who did that Jesus bloke think he was?  Colin Firth* [*Insert current celebrity]  or the Son of God or something?

(Pause)

S:  I heard that one of his best mates shopped him.  One of the disciples.

J:  Huh!  What kind of a mate was that then, stabbing him in the back?  ‘Et tu Brute!’

S:  Most of them made themselves scarce; not surprising when you think about it.

J:  Bottled out, did they?  Saved their own skins, mates or not.

S:  Well you can’t blame them.  Jesus was given a scourging, you know.

J:  Roman savages!  Anyone in his right mind’d run to escape that.

S:  And the mob was ready for a lynching, baying for blood.

J:  Can’t trust anyone, can you?  One week it’s ‘Hosanna,’ next it’s ‘Crucify him.’

S:  Mary stuck by him though.  Right to the end.

J:  [Sarcastically] Followed him to the brink of the grave, I dare say.

S:  She did!  Watched them seal it with a stone.  I wonder what she’ll do now, poor girl?

J:  Probably go balmy again!

 

SCENE 2         The next day.

S:  Look’s like you were right, Jo; Mary’s well and truly lost it this time!

J:  [Quieter; with suppressed excitement]  Have you seen her then?

S:  No, but it’s all over the town; she reckons she’s seen her precious Jesus.

J:  Jesus, who was crucified?

S:  That’s right.  She’s saying she talked to him – in the garden, where they buried him not three days ago.

J:  What do they say happened?

S:  Well, at the crack of dawn she went to embalm the body – probably to have a good cry as well, I shouldn’t wonder.

J:  And?

S:  Goodness knows how she thought she’d get at him, what with the stone and all; but as it turned out it wasn’t a problem.

J:  How come?

S:  Well the grave was already open, you see.  The stone had been moved.

J:  But who could have done that?

S:  Don’t ask me!   Anyway, Mary went and fetched a couple of Jesus’ disciples, Peter and John I think.  And they came to have a look – and can you believe it?  The body was gone!

J:  Where?  Where had it gone?

S:  Well, you tell me!  They ran off to get the others, and that’s when Mary flipped.

J:  Flipped?

S:  Yes, like I said.  Lost it.  Mad as a hatter – and no Jesus to come and rescue her this time.

J:  What happened, exactly?  Do you know?

S:  Oh, well, she says she saw Jesus, and had a chat with him!

J:  And so you think she’s mad?

S:  Well it stands to reason, doesn’t it?  Jesus is dead, she can’t’ve seen him.  She must be hallucinating – and talking to herself.  First signs!

J:  Maybe…

S:  [Realizing Jo isn’t her usual self] Oh, come on, Jo.  You’re in a funny mood today.  What happened to ‘Nudge nudge, wink wink’, and ‘Bread’s just bread,’ and ‘Anyone’d think he was the Son of God?’

J:  But suppose he was, Sue…

S:  What? Son of God?  He can’t’ve been!  Don’t tell me you’ve flipped as well!

J:  It’d explain all those miracles and things.

S:  Well, I s’pose it would, but…

J:  And if he was the Son of God…

S:  Yes; what?

J:  It would mean everything he said was true.

S:  Yes…

J:  And of course the grave’d have to be empty.

S:  Would it?

J:  It would change everything.  Everything, for ever.

S:  Hang on a minute, what are you trying to tell me?

J:  [Bursting with excitement now] Susannah, I’ve seen Mary!  She told me about it herself.  She really did speak to Jesus this morning – I’m certain of it!

S:  You mean, you believe this story?

J:  Yes.  [To congregation:] Don’t you?

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(c) Copyright Sandy Conway, all rights reserved.
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