Easter

16 pages

7 m, 6 w.

A large, rugged cross is found standing in a messy alley. People passing by are shocked to see it. The cross speaks a message in an effort to express God's love and compassion, but what effect does it have? Reactions are split between two groups: those who think it foolishness and those who are reminded of what happened 2,000 years ago. Some hear and live; others refuse to hear and die. A dramatic and inspiring play you won't soon forget. Appropriate for Easter as well as throughout the year. Performance time: About 30 minutes.

28 pages

3 m, 1 w, 1 flexible

It is the night of Jesus’ crucifixion. His followers (the audience) are in hiding from the authorities. They came to Jerusalem to hail Jesus. Now, they’re confused and frightened. They have become strangers in Jerusalem, the followers … of a dead man. As the audience sits in the dark, they meet Mary Magdalene, a beggar boy, Nicodemus, Simon the Cyrene, and James the disciple. Each of the characters has a unique perspective on Jesus that’s reassuring but challenging.

“Darkness” is U-3 ...

36 pages

2 m, 4 w, 1 flexible, 1 small girl, 5-9 extras

Rick Hampton, an actor, gets a part as a Roman soldier in his hometown’s professionally produced Passion Play. As Rick works hard to learn his lines, he’s also trying to navigate his personal life which is in turmoil. Recently separated, he’s temporarily staying with his mother, who exemplifies so many Christian virtues, including also giving temporary shelter to Karen, Rick’s estranged wife. When Rick is asked to take on the role of Jesus, which includes a dramatic, stylized crucifixion scene, questions begin to arise for him and he’s forced to take a good l...

67 pages

Large, flexible cast; much doubling possible.

A thief and rebel, Barabbas dreams of leading a free Judea. He is captured and sentenced to die, but on the eve of his execution, he is reprieved and a rabbi, Jesus, dies instead. Barabbas is pleased about this until rumors start that the dead rabbi has risen and is now very much alive. Jealous and resentful, Barabbas plots to expose the resurrection as a fraud, thus regaining his own position as leader, but his plot goes awry when he himself comes face to face with the living, breathing Jesus. Few Easter plays are written from Barabbas’ point of view, much l...

32 pages

15 m, 6 w, 1 child, 2 flex, extras. Much doubling possible.

Issachar cares about only one thing, money. So when Rachel, his wife, generously loans their donkey to Jesus' disciples for the Master's use, Issachar is furious and determined to get his donkey back. Several encounters with Jesus and a week of searching for his animal find him still "donkey-less" and seemingly still heartless. In a final attempt to get his donkey back, he unknowingly enters into a plot with Judas and the Pharisees to kill Jesus. Despondent over what he has done, Issachar hurries off to Golgotha to try to explain things to Jesus before He die...

22 pages

2 m, 4 w, 1 flexible

Monica, a young lady, now faces a life or death situation as she learns she must have a heart transplant. What she doesn't know is that it is her spiritual heart that is in need of the most attention. Chase, a pre-med student, and Katie, who just landed her first nursing job, add humor as Monica's best friend, Shannon, helps her deal with the most serious issue anyone will ever face: a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This one-act play is easily staged and produced. It is appropriate for all audiences and can be a very effective means of evangelism. A...

24 pages

3 m, 3 w

On the eve of his appointment as a Roman governor, Flavius faces a tragic dilemma. His daughter, Gena, professes she is a Christian during one of the great persecutions. Flavius' wife, driven by ambition, wants nothing to block his appointment - even if that means her husband must sentence her step-daughter to death. Flavius is torn between his desire to uphold the law, his love for his daughter, and an inner light that seems to be guiding him contrary to all that he believes. The impact of the play comes from a rosebush. Cruelly clipped of all its beautiful ...

16 pages

3 m, 4 w, 1 boy.

A Roman captain, unusually worn, weary, and affected from witnessing Jesus' crucifixion, questions several villagers by a well. An old man, a woman, a child - they all knew and loved Jesus. The captain even meets the centurion who pierced Jesus' side while on the cross, a man now horrified by his own actions. When a young woman rushes in to tell the news of the resurrection, the Roman captain bows down and declares, "He was...no, He is the Son of God." A play, which shows the power and the promise of the season. Performance time: 25 minutes. 

46 pages

6 men, 5 women, 1 teen, 3 children, extras

Judith, a middle-aged widow, makes her livelihood by selling funeral spices and shrouds in front of her home just blocks from the temple. She is an unfriendly and unlikeable woman who mysteriously rejects Jesus and his teachings. Although her visiting cousin, Simon, and her neighbor and friend, Leah, both accept Jesus, Judith does not. Even after she witnesses Jesus heal a blind man and later sees Him struggle past her house carrying the cross, Judith rejects Him. It's not until Jesus confronts her after His resurrection and reveals her deepest hurts does she...

47 pages

1 m, 2 w

Jacob is a decent family man trying to earn a living as a guard at the temple in Jerusalem. But his life becomes complicated by the maverick preacher, Jesus. First Jacob finds his roof damaged after a crowd lowered a crippled man down into Jacob's home where his wife Miriam and daughter Deborah had arranged for Jesus to visit--unbeknown to Jacob. He forbids Jesus in his home again, but that doesn't stop Miriam and Deborah from following Jesus. Their participation is damaging Jacob's career prospects as his bosses are trying to keep this Jesus under control. W...