Script

Okay so. As most of you know, I'm directing the Easter Pageant at my Moms church, which includes writing the script. I seem to recall promising I would update soon recently, so even though this isn't technically a story, it's still writing. (By the way, people are actually allowed to post ANYTHING that is writing, you can even post your own original bumper stickers, if you really really want to.)
But anyway, this is the script.It is basically the second script I've ever written from scratch, so don't expect it to be good! Ignore any odd comments that don't make any sense, I probably put them in for the youth director, who is overseeing. The reason I have written in music randomly is because she wants it to be a musical, and thankfully she's figuring all that out herself.
Please tell me what you think! Questions and comments will be greatly appreciated! :)

Easter Pageant
Opening: One of Us - Dance

Scene one

(Mrs. Peters stands in front of a group of kids)

Mrs. Peters: Is everyone here? Well, great! We’ll get started then, we have a lot to do.

Cassy: (raises hand) Can I be Jesus’ Mom, Mrs. Peters?

Mrs. Peters: I’m afraid not darling, you get to be a- (consults script) a palm tree! Don’t you think that will be just perfect? Now, I have everything planned out. Do all you kids remember the pageant St. Matthew's did last year? (kids nod heads) what about St. Ann? Well, they’re all doing them again this year, and I just think it would be great if ours could be the best! We’re going to do something completely original and fancy, and blow them all away.

Cassy: Who does everyone else get to play Mrs. Peters?

Mrs. Peters: Well if you wait just a moment Cassy, I’ll tell you. Kyle, you are to play Jesus, I know you can do it. Maggy, you can be Mary. Here’s your monologue, read it over and start memorizing right away. I know it’s long, but it’s absolutely necessary for you to memorize every word, and you know I think it would be really great if you could cry over it. Now, does everyone have their scripts?

(Kids nod, or say yes, whatever)

Mrs. Peters: All right, we’re all set to begin! Kyle and Jonathan, help me move this scenery please.
(Goes and moves big back drop, kids scatter out of their way as they put down it down, and it leans threateningly. Mrs. Peters steps back to look at it and frowns)
Oh my, we’ll have to get that fixed!
(She takes a pencil out of her hair and jots it down on one of her many notebooks and scripts she carries around.)
All right! (she turns to fact the kids again, who are looking wary and standing together in a group.) Why don’t you start, Maggy?

Maggy: Okay. (Steps forward to mike, holding script pages awkwardly. She reads aloud her monologue, struggling until Mrs. Peters stops her.)
(This bit of monologue is Torn Garments, by Joan McNeal Faison. I’ve added some stuff to help the actor stumble.)
Maggy: Oh my son, my heart is breaking for you. I can hardly stand to watch as the sol- as the soldiers drag you to your, uh, death. Your face is knotted with pain as streaks of blood and dirt ooze down it. Your outer garments are soiled and ripped. They’ve beaten you so.
My precious Jesus, there are many things which I have treasured and pon- pondered in my heart since you were born. You were such a sweet baby. And I re-member the first clothes I wrapped you in. They were torn strips of material-all that we had. But at least they kept you warm and protected in that drafty old stable. I wish I could protect you now, my son.

Mrs. Peters: (Interrupting and already looking worried.) That's just excellent Maggy! But, I do hope you’ll put in so much more emotion for the actual performance, it’s really got to be powerful! Why don’t you go practice reading over there, okay?

Maggy: Okay. (Goes and sits in corner and looks miserable.)

Mrs. Peters: Now kids, we’re going to start practicing the play through the beginning to end. I think it’s just going to be wonderful this year, I’ve decided to do the entire story of Jesus’ life, not just the death and resurrection. It will make it so much more impressive! Why don’t all of you start practicing together over there, while I show Lena her music?
(Kids go over and mime reading aloud their scripts, while we watch Mrs. Peters and Lena)

Lena: What did you want me to sing?

(Mrs. Peters hands her music)

Mrs. Peters: Just a couple of these fabulous songs, Lena, you have such a beautiful voice, I know you’ll be the star of the show! Now, why don’t you go ahead and try one?

Lena: (Uncertainly) Um, well, okay. (Try's to sing one of the songs, and it’s really fast and high. She stops after a minute.) I don’t really think these are the right kinds of songs for me Mrs. Peters, but I do have a favorite Easter song I’d like to sing.

Mrs. Peter: Oh but Lena, these songs are all the rage! I know you can do it dear.

(Cassy suddenly comes running over from the group of kids.)

Cassy; Mrs. Peters, Mrs. Peters Mrs. Peters! We don’t know how to do anything right, and Leo feels sick, and how am I supposed to be a palm tree?

Mrs. Peters: Cassy dear, you must wait until I’m done talking to Lena.

(She suddenly sees the back drop beginning to fall, and runs to stop it, but is to late and it falls on her and all the children. There is utter chaos. Mrs. Peters yells all throughout, “It’s all right children, every thing’s all right!” Lights black.)

Music
Scene Two

(The stage is cleared, and Lena is the only one there. She steps up to the mike.)

Lena: (speaking to audience) What does Easter mean to me? (smiles) That's a hard question! I used to think it was all about the easter bunny, and candy. The night before Easter I could never sleep, I was so excited! But then one year, I went to an Easter pageant, and learned what it was really all about. I decided I wanted to live my life for God, because of what His Son did for us. It’s hard to explain (she shrugs) but, I learned a little poem that says it perfectly.
(she now recites Jesus came, by Iris Gray Dowling)

Since Jesus came to earth
This world has never been the same.
Folks deny his hallowed birth
But can’t deny he came.

It was time his love he must show
To the millions lost and undone
If everyone would just believe
And seek the only begotten son.

(Lena exits.)

Music

(Lena, Maggy, Kyle and Cassy, come on and sit in chairs on stage, looking depressed.)

Cassy: Mrs. Peters doesn’t seem very happy.

Kyle: Rehearsals aren’t going well, are they.

Maggy: (sounding scared) there's only a week to the show!

Lena: (shaking her head) I’m afraid Mrs. Peters is just trying to do too much, you know?

Kyle: (grumpily) Yeah, I thought this was supposed to be about Easter, not about “being the best!”

(Kids roll their eyes and chorus together. They’re used to his grumpiness.)

Kids: Kyle!

Kyle: What?! I’m just saying!

Lena: (getting up) You know, you’re sort of right. It would be so much better if we could just do a simple pageant, because then we’d be able to get it really good and it wouldn’t matter whether we’d be the best or not, because we’d be doing it for God. Don’t you think that's really what matters?

Kyle and Maggy: Yes!

Maggy: (speaking slowly, she’s not sure of herself) I think Mrs. Peters believes that too. She’s just forgotten. If there were some way we could remind her...

Kyle: (shaking his head) I’m afraid she has got her mind made up.

Lena: I know. (sitting back down with defeat, she thinks) Wait, if there were some way we could remind her... (pops back up) I have an idea! Come on, we need all the kids help!
(Runs off stage with the others following.)

Music

Scene Three
(All of the kids come on stage, they are talking excitedly in whispers. Lena comes to stand in front of the group.)
Lena: Okay everyone, time to practice! Places! (kids scatter to various places, Lena clears her throat and then begins to read. All rhymed sections are from the Easter Sunday dramatic reading by Kenton K. Smith)
His name was Jesus; from Naz’reth He came.
His deeds and His doctrines had won him acclaim.
(At this point Mrs. Peter comes in and stands, watching. No one sees her.)
But one in His band was about to turn traitor,
And tragically only five days or so later,
This Jesus would hang on a cross in shame.

At the passover feast He met with His men
He had warned them before, now he warned them again.

Kyle: At this table is one about to betray me-
(he stops, as he suddenly sees Mrs. Peter, Lena turns to see why he’s stopped, and sees her also.)

Lena: Mrs. Peters!

Mrs. Peters: (frowning) What are you kids doing? That's not part of the pageant!

Maggy: (standing, suddenly brave) No, we were practicing our own pageant!

Lena: Maggy!

Maggy: (Ignores her) Mrs. Peters, I’m never going to be able to memorize all those lines. I’m sorry, but we were all having so much trouble with your pageant that we decided to make our own.

(Kyle, Lena and Cassy glance at each other, then step up next to Maggy, supporting her.)

Cassy: We think it doesn’t matter whether we’re the best, we just want to tell people about Jesus.

Mrs. Peters: (clearly upset, trying not to show it) Of course! Of course that’s what matters, but I think we can still do it my way...

Kyle: Can we just show you, and then you can decide?

Lena: (stage whisper) Kyle, we’re not ready!

Kyle: No. But God is.

There could be a song here, maybe about trusting in God?

Scene Four

Mrs. Peters: All right children, show me what you have.

Lena: (takes a deep breath) Okay everyone, lets do this. Places!

(Kids go to table, except for Lena, who goes to mike. Mrs. Peters sits off to the side and watches. I think it might be cool if we could have a slight light change here, like maybe they dim a little, or brighten or something.)

Lena: His name was Jesus; from Naz’reth he came.
His deeds and His doctrines has won him acclaim.
But one in His band was about to turn traitor,
And tragically only five days or so later
This Jesus would hang on a cross in shame.

At the passover feast He met with His men.
He had warned them before-now He warned them again.

Kyle: At this table is one who is about to betray me-
He’ll deliver me up to men who will slay me.

Lena: And His eyes turned to Judas Iscariot then.
The betrayer went forth to priests in the night
Driven by avarice, vengeance or spite.
(while she reads, Judas gets up from the table and goes sneakily to a corner, where two kids join him. They pretend to whisper, and then hand him a big bag that jingles. They stay there.)
He bargained; they promptly consented to paying
Thirty pieces of silver-his fee for betraying.
He’d guide them to Jesus when the time was just right.
(now Kyle and his disciples get up and move in front of table, his disciples move off a little ways and sit down, pretending to sleep. Kyle kneels center stage.)
The Master sought solitude, started to pray.

Kyle: Oh Father, now let sorrows cup pass away!
But if I must drink on the soon coming morrow
This cup overflowing with bitterest sorrow,
Then I am determined your will to obey!

Lena: The disciples, bone weary and burdened with care
Had fallen asleep, but now wakened, aware
Of an ominous sound in intensity growing,
and of numerous lights at the garden gate glowing-
A mob was approaching! They watched with despair.
(Here, Judas and the kids he got the money from move from across the stage and over to Jesus and his disciples. Judas silently points, and then the two kids grab Jesus (Kyle) and push him off stage. The disciples flee the other way. Only Lena and Mrs. Peters remain.)
Music (it might be nice if Lena could sing something. After music the stage is clear again except for Lena.)

Lena: The Governor, Pilate, took some time to mull
Jesus’ fate, but would not the Jews judgment annul.
So Jesus was scourged and left weakened and bleeding;
Then bearing His cross He walked the way leading
On out to Golgatha, the place of the skull.
(during this, Kyle and the mob kids enter again, Kyle has a cross tied to his back and is bent over. One of the mob kids places a stool on the ground. Kyle stands on it, with the cross attached to his back.)
The cross was uplifted, at last it was standing
And now he would suffer what sin was demanding.
But from many his sacrifice met only scorn.

Like ravening wolves, surrounding their pray,
His accusers drew near and had their last say.

Accuser one: Come down from the cross, if you have the power!

Accuser two: Come down! Save yourself in this hour!

Lena: The hours dragged by, then he whispered.

Kyle: I thirst.

Lena: A sponge soaked in vinegar was raised to him first
(Accusers raise sponge, Kyle turns away)
He tasted it, turned from it, sought it no longer-
His will to endure now made surer and stronger.
He hung on that cross till at last his heart burst.

Music The children's choir could sing anytime in here, while they are singing Kyle and onlookers could clear off the stage.

Lena: The burial efforts had to be brief-
Some disciples performed them, though bowed down with grief.
The tomb where they laid him they were able to borrow.
They bade him goodbye, while their hearts ached with sorrow
Three days and three nights, without any relief.
(During the next lines, Cassy and another girl come on together, looking sad. They look astonished as the Angel comes out of the tomb, which could be simply that mettle arch we were going to use for the Christmas pageant)
When some woman approached the tomb in the gathering light,
They stood and they stared in amazement and wonder,
As, close by the tomb, with it’s seal torn asunder,
A being appeared clad in raiment white.

Angel: Why seek you the living in the place of the dead?

Lena: His question served only to deepen their dread
But he gazed at the tomb, as dark as a prison

Angel: You seek Jesus, he has gone! For he has risen!

Lena: And they hastened away, these glad tidings to spread.
(Woman exit, Angel exit. Enter Maggy.)
At the tomb, Mary Magdalene once more drew near,
blinded by grief and burdened with fear.
She heard a kind voice.
(enter Kyle)

Kyle: Woman, why are you crying?

Maggy: Sir, if you know where his bodies been laid,
Tell me; I’ll see that arrangements are made
For some of his friends to go forth and carry-

Lena: She halted, her ears and her heart hearing

Kyle: Mary!

Lena: Her eyes cleared, she saw him step out from the shade.

Maggy: Teacher!

Lena: She cried, and she heard his command

Kyle: Mary, now go tell my grief stricken band
That my mission on earth is near to it’s ending;
To my father on high I will son be ascending,
For this is the way it was long ago planned.

Music. (After music, everyone come onstage, Kyle, Maggy and Lena group around mike.)

Lena: And this is the way that our faith has begun
In Jesus, the Savior, Messiah, Gods son.

Kyle: How vital that we, his gospel are learning,
For soon comes, as promised, his hour of returning.

Maggy: When mans proud dominion at last will be done!

(Everyone looks out to audience, then lights change again, and they all turn to Mrs. Peters, who gets up.)

Lena: (nervously) So what did you think?

Mrs. Peters: (with emotion) I think- I think, that you kids are amazing.

Lena: (shaking her head, smiling) No.

Lena, Maggy, and Kyle: He is!

Group hug!

Ending song, You Raise Me Up

Anna