Description
The arrest, trial and crucifixion from the perspective of Veronica, the mother of the two thieves (twins) on the cross.
A 4 scene drama for Easter or any time of the year, would be an excellent outreach or dinner theatre piece.
This drama is part of the larger DramaShare script, “Through Me” which is available on the DramaShare site. (“Through Me” starts off with the content of “My Sons” then carries forward into a contemporary drama. The contemporary portion is also available as a separate drama on the DramaShare site, see “Paying Their Price”).
Cast: 15+
- Veronica, mother of the thieves and mother of Becky
- Mary, mother of Jesus
- Jesus
- Abir, thief, twin of Eliran
- Eliran, thief, (the one who believed), twin of Abir
- 4 Roman Soldiers
- Caiaphas
- Herod
- Pilate
- extras as available/desired
- Singer
- Narrator
- woman’s off-stage voice
Bible Reference: Luke 22:47 – 24:9
Set: Scenes/Set
- Scene I – Arrest and Trial of Jesus and of the two thieves. Set is a jail, hint of bars
- Scene II – Crucifixion. Set is crucifixion with 3 crosses, use lighting so the 3 can stand on floor
- Scene III – On The Road to the Tomb (Mary and Veronica)
- Scene IV – Conclusion
Lighting: spots
Sound: wireless mics if available
Song:
- Song, based on “The Beautiful Scandalous Night” which as written by Derri Daugherty & Steve Hindalong
- On YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qahF83maIo
- © 1992 Never Say Never Songs / New Spring Publishing, Inc. / ASCAP (both adm. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc.)
- Arrangement and lyrics for this drama by DramaShare, the 3 MP3 clips are available from the DramaShare site
- Please support the writers and performers of these songs
SFX: none
Costumes: traditional
Props: other than soldiers equipment and knife, little is required
Special Instructions: in script
Time: 50
Sample of script:
lights up on Singer
Song: Music clip1 (begins with intro):
Good friends prayed in the dawn, Mount of Olives
Was a meeting place Judas knew well
He led the crowd down
Brought Jesus to town
On trial for being God’s son
Although Pilate and Herod found no guilt
The crowd wanted that Jesus would die
Gave him thorns for a crown
And the guards beat him down
He carried his cross to the hill.
lights down on Singer, after a few seconds up on stage
Scene I – Arrest and Trial
Crowd noise rises, in a few seconds three Roman soldiers push Abir and Eliran in through the back doors and up the aisle toward the front stage.
Abir: Get your filthy Roman hands off me, now!
Soldier1: Look around you swine; you are in no position to offend anyone, particularly not those who hold the power of life and death over you.
Abir: Give me 5 minutes alone, just you and me in a back alley; we’ll see who has the power of life and death.
Soldier2, slaps Abir: Brave talk from someone whose next breath is a gift from these Roman hands you despise!
Abir: Touch me again and I will walk on your grave, or my name isn’t Abir!
Soldier3: Abir is it? . . As I recall, in that disgusting language of yours, that means “strong”!
Soldier1, laughs, pushes Abir, roughly into cell:
A few hours in this cell and you will live up to your name . . Abir . . strong . . the only thing strong about you will be the smell!
Eliran, to soldiers: You have no call to treat my brother in this way!
Soldier2: Abir is your brother is he? And what is your name, brother of Abir, the strong one?
Eliran: I am Eliran.
Soldier3: Eliran, some name! . . “God is my joy”! . . How appropriate! . . The world will see you, “God is joy” . . . hanging from a cross! . . What joy indeed there shall be for your God and all your lot as we all watch as the life slowly and excruciatingly leaves your wretched body!
Veronica creeps slowly on stage, watches from the shadows, Soldier2 notices her
Soldier2: You, . . . woman! . . What reason do you have to be hanging around this stinking prison?
Veronica, hesitatingly: They are . . I am . . . Veronica.
Soldier1: Perhaps then Veronica, you want that we toss you in this holding pen, amongst more than 50 deranged men who haven’t had benefit of a woman’s presence in their lives for many months?
Soldier3, moves toward Veronica: Excellent idea! . . Will break our boredom of watching over this lot!
Eliran: Leave her alone! . . She has done nothing wrong! . . (to Veronica) . . Mother! Leave now!
Soldier2, taunting: Oh “mother” is it? . . And has Mommy come down to the jail to bring honey doughnuts to her starving little boys?
Soldiers laugh mockingly
Eliran: Mother! . . Leave!
Veronica cautiously moves toward off stage position, looking back over her shoulder
Soldier2, moves toward Veronica: I will go and bring her back . . .
noise, as Jesus who shows signs of being beaten, wearing a scarlet robe and crown of thorns, forced on stage from opposite side to Veronica, thrown into the cell by Soldier4
Mary cautiously comes on stage, stands near Veronica
Soldier1: Oh my, what have we here? . . . . Another guest?
Soldier4: No not just . . another . . guest! . . What you have here is . . none other than . . the King of the Jews!
Soldiers1,2 and 3 bow low, mocking
Soldier2: Our apologies your highness that we are unable to provide you with our customary salute of 1,000 buglers, it so happens they are out of town today.
all soldiers laugh uproariously
Soldier3 notices Herod, Pilate and Caiaphas come on stage
Soldier3: Attention!
soldiers line up and stand attentively
Caiaphas: What is this? Only four soldiers on guard here, guarding the Nazarene?
Pilate: Caiaphas, you saw yourself that all the followers of the Nazarene turned tail and ran for cover! You are being paranoid!
Caiaphas: Pilate you will do as you are told! I demand that you bring out many more of your best soldiers!
Pilate: Next thing you know you will expect to have a full century turned out . . (mocking) . . Will a full 100 of our best fighting soldiers satisfy you my lord?
Caiaphas: And why would you not have a full century here on duty? Besides, everyone knows that a century of soldiers is in fact only comprised of 83 soldiers. . . And 83 soldiers are none too many to ensure that the Nazarene blasphemer does not escape. . .
Herod: Be assured Caiaphas, the Nazarene is safe and sound here in the best jail in the land, as all is being made ready for his crucifixion.
