All Easter

35 pages

2 m, 6 w

Two earthshaking events, one from the New Testament and one from the Old, intertwine in this play to remind us that when Christ came as our sacrificial offering for our sins, it was a purposeful fulfillment of prophecy by God. Jesus’ life, death and resurrection echoes the story of Exodus from Egypt. The Passover and Exodus are experienced in a Hebrew home through the eyes of a typical family of four - mother, father, and two teen children. The events leading up to the Crucifixion are discussed at a Jewish home through four very different women - Mary Magdale...

64 pages

8-10 actors with doubling. Without doubling 24 m, 19 w, 7 flexible.

The story of Jesus' death and resurrection truly is "the greatest story ever told." But why is it so often told in ponderous and arch fashion? "The Golgotha Project" brings to life the people of 2,000 years ago by finding the humor and humanity in them. The story is told in a series of amusing monologues, dialogues and brief scenes involving people who witnessed the events in Jesus' time. The show is very modular. Productions can either choose to eliminate certain scenes or characters with little effect on the overall show. This Easter story is fresh and ente...

34 pages

16 m, 13 w, 3 teen boys, 2 teen girls, and extras as townspeople.

After the crucifixion, believers and nonbelievers were filled with doubt. Followers asked how Jesus could leave, even after promising that He would not? Nonbelievers questioned themselves— what if they did kill the Christ? Yet among the chaos and grief Christ came to them and comforted them. He continued to teach about faith and trust. With the ascension, for those who would witness and believe, the Holy Spirit would come upon them, marking the beginning of Christianity. Hallelujah! The cross is empty. Jesus lives. This Biblically inspired play runs about 90 ...

32 pages

17 m, 3 w, 7-14 flexible

Resurrecting Charlie is a dramatic “play within a play” which tells the story of a traveling Christian drama group who is producing the show, “The Easter Story Spectacular!”  Its star, Charlie, struggles with the poor decisions and mistakes of his past and hopes to get back on track by learning why Jesus sacrificed Himself to save us from our sins. Charlie’s stardom-obsessed costar Logan and his jealous director Kathryn conspire against him, while his friend and production assistant Amanda helps him see the true meaning of the Easter story.  This pla...

41 pages

With doubling: 19 m, 8 w, 3 teen boys, 2 teen girls. Extras.

Joshua is a young man struggling with his father’s abandonment. When he begins to run with the wrong crowd and tries to rob a liquor store, he is caught and charged. Blaming God, unable to accept his mother’s love or Pastor Brian’s guidance, he sits in his jail cell. How will he find forgiveness? As Joshua struggles, we see Jesus work to accept his upcoming crucifixion. Beginning with his baptism to his resurrection, Jesus is seen and heard by his followers. His disciples attempt to understand how to help Jesus as He approaches death. Intermixing the resurrec...

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...

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...

31 pages

14 m.

The setting, inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's painting "The Last Supper," is the upper room during the last Passover meal celebrated by Jesus and His disciples before the crucifixion. Each disciple, speaking in monologue form, tells why he chose to follow Jesus and how his life has been changed by His presence. Like all men of faith, past and present, each has a different vision of the Lord's purpose, yet, despite their doubts and fears, they are united in their devotion to the Messiah. The audience experiences the humanness of each apostle in this powerful pr...

45 pages

8 m, 1 w, 3 flexible, many speaking extras

When high-schooler Tom is assigned a report titled “Jesus: Myth or Reality?” he wants tangible evidence, not just faith. Resting for a moment, he dreams he is a reporter in biblical time. Motivated by a possible promotion, he must disprove that Jesus is the Messiah. First he meets Nicodemus who secretly requests that Tom speak with Jesus face-to-face before writing his article. Later Tom meets John the Baptist, a man healed by Jesus, a vendor, and Caiaphas. But Tom finds himself scrambling to save Jesus after hearing plans to arrest him. Instead of getting th...

51 pages

14 flexible parts.

In a contemporary courtroom, the characters in the real life drama of the last days of Christ take the witness stand to examine the question, "Was Jesus the Messiah?" Witnesses include a man healed from blindness, Judas Iscariot, Caiaphas, Pontius Pilate, Joseph of Arimathea, Mary Magdalene, the captain of the guard, and Simon Peter. Emotional tension runs high as attorneys for both the defense and prosecution grill the witnesses to prove their cases. The audience, cast as the jury, makes the final decision. A riveting and unforgettable play. About 90 minutes...

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...

47 pages

4 m, 6 w - 1 optional

Detective Vic Torious is called to the ranch of Bill Yonnaire, the host of the Third Annual Easter Eggs-pedition, an extreme Easter egg hunt. This year’s event is to be televised for the first time. But the ultimate prize, a solid-gold Easter egg worth a million dollars, has disappeared before it is officially “hidden.” Who stole the high-priced egg? Could it be Rev. Evan Zabove, the preacher with a desire to be on TV? Or perhaps it’s the newly crowned champion of the American Superstar TV series, Carrie Oakey. Add in a retired supermodel, a ruthless...

44 pages

5 m, 6 w, 1 flexible.

Several people who come back from Heaven to tell others about their lives on Earth, and the changes they experienced through God's love and grace. The stories tell of the spirit of forgiveness and salvation that the Lord offers all of us. As Penny says, "Remember, there's a celebration at the end of the road. And it goes on forever." About 70 minutes. 

68 pages

9-10 m, 3 w, extras.

This powerful “what might have happened” drama takes place in the palace and garden of Pontius Pilate during the last weeks in the life of Christ. Pilate appoints Claudia to spy on the activities of the magician Joshua ben Jusef (Jesus) in order to determine the danger of rioting. While Jesus never appears in the play, He evokes changes in the characters: the guilt-ridden Claudia finds the ability to forgive and the meaning of charity Pilate moves from indifference to questioning and Yarma, the maid, from haughtiness to humility Caiphas, the High Priest, from...

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.

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 ...

32 pages

3 m, 2 w, 2 teen girls, 1 teen boy, 1 younger boy

The emotional highs and lows of Holy Week, from Palm Sunday through Easter, are experienced by two families. One present-day family and one Biblical family share the stage and tell two parallel stories of the expectations, fears, pain and final joy that characterized the last week of Jesus' life on earth. John and his sister's family struggle with relationships and John's pending departure from their home. Benjamin and Sarah wrestle with divided reactions to Christ's triumphant entrance into their city and the events of the days that follow. On Good Friday, b...

36 pages

9 m (with doubling), 5 w, 3 children, extras.

It is the time of Passover and Jesus has just re-entered the city. The city bustles as people flock to meet their Messiah and to witness Him healing the sick and the crippled. Simon, who has lost his faith in God, rejects claims that Jesus is the Messiah. Instead, Simon stays home, consumed with worry as a drought threatens the crops he sells. But Simon's blind son, Alexander, ventures into the crowded streets to meet his Savior and to restore his father's faith in the Lord. When Jesus lays His hands upon Alexander's eyes, Alexander finds that he is no longer...

46 pages

4 m, 4 w, 1 girl.

To Grandma Molly, Easter means a time of rejoicing and for her fullest joy, Molly needs her children about her in worship at church. But she finds that isn't easy. She grieves over her daughter's lack of interest, the unbelief of her son-in-law, and the worries of her son and daughter-in-law over their teenagers. Allen, a widower, is understanding for he has "crumbling walls" in his family too. Together, Molly and Allen gather up the fragments and go on, for nothing can completely spoil Easter, the time of the empty tomb. About 90 minutes.

56 pages

Flexible cast.

Celebrate the Easter season with this incredible collection of skits. Beginning on Ash Wednesday, there is a skit for all the Holy Days and Sundays in Lent, 10 skits in all. The skits portray people who surrounded Jesus during his last weeks. They are real people who struggled with the same problems dealing with His life and lessons as people of today. Some approach Jesus with their intellects, some with their emotions, and some with a commitment of the soul that is beyond heart and mind. The Lenten dramas emphasize the thoughts and feelings of women while Ho...

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...

78 pages

5 m, 2 w and extras.

Thirty-three years ago, a group of six soldiers, under orders from Herod the Great, entered Bethlehem. When they left, seventeen small boys were dead. One of the fathers, Simeon, tried for revenge, killed three of the soldiers, and has languished, forgotten, in prison since. Now, the last living soldier, Jeremiah, is a powerful judge in Jerusalem. His enemies want rid of him, and when they learn of Simeon, it seems the perfect solution to their problem. They release Simeon and send him after Jeremiah. Meanwhile, Jeremiah's teenage son, Reuben, wants to follow...

39 pages

4 m, 4 w.

Malchus, a high priest's servant, has his ear severed by Peter during the arrest of Jesus, but after Jesus heals him, Malchus' hatred and rejection of Jesus disappear. Later, when he hears the news of Jesus' resurrection, he accepts Him as the Messiah as does his wife, Elizabeth, and daughter, Tabitha, even though in doing so she must give up her boyfriend, Gideon, the son of a high priest. Neither Malchus' mother-in-law nor his cousin, however, can believe that a convicted criminal is truly the Son of God. A strong story of Christian conversion. Performance ...

24 pages

2 m, 3 w, 2 flexible parts. Also 7 to 9 non-speaking roles.

Five college students from various backgrounds are meeting just before Easter break to discuss a special project for graduation. All are very talented, but quite different from each other. There's Kirk, the athlete who's comfortable in his Christianity; Logan, the cynical "get-by" Christian; Catilin, the sorority girl who wears her Christianity like jewelry; Julie, the silent Christian; and finally Shelley, an agnostic who wonders if all Christians are like the ones she knows. It seems like nothing will make these students understand one another better until ...

48 pages

3 m, 3 w

In this play, six witnesses to the Sermon on the Mount recreate the experience for an early assembly of Christians. In the recreation, witnesses take turns acting as Jesus, audience members, and narrators of the story. Though much more entertaining and humorous than most translations of the Sermon, Jesus’s words in this version closely follow the original Greek in the order that He spoke them. This word order demonstrates the warmth and cleverness that Jesus used to draw people into His message. This allows audiences today to hear these words in an exciting n...

43 pages

3 m, 3 w, 1 flexible part.

Mary, a wealthy widow, is unsure if Jesus is the Messiah until she lets the upper room in her home be used by his disciples for what becomes the Last Supper. Events get out of control after the meal, especially when Mary's teenage son, Mark, follows Jesus to the Garden of Gethsemane. But her faith becomes absolute later when her friend Joanna announces Jesus has risen. A powerful story, which reaffirms the message that through Christ's death and resurrection, we are cleansed of our sins. Performance time: 40 minutes.

62 pages

(2 m, 3 w, optional extras as Roman soldiers)

What happened immediately after Jesus’ death and resurrection? What was the crucifixion like for the townspeople? Set in a run-down tavern on Good Friday through Easter Sunday, we see how five different people were affected: a barmaid, the widow of one of the accused, the soldier who pronounced Jesus dead, Barabbas, and a young teen. Rage, guilt, confusion, regret and doubt—their feelings are overpowering. But at some point, will these emotions lead to understanding, peace and even belief?