Style: Comedy/drama. Duration: 10min
Actors: 4M
Scripture: Matthew 8 vs 23-27.
Characters:
MATT: Disciple– fashionable, casual, cool, music loving, wearing ipod with earphones, designer clothes, carrying a guitar. (if Matt can play the guitar, sound for the song
will not be needed)
JOHN: Disciple, likes to be in charge, takes control, leader.
BART: Disciple. Hypochondriac, fearful, anxious, pessimistic, wearing thick jumpers and has hot water bottle and sick bowl.
JESUS: Himself, calm, kind, commanding authority.
Props: A blow-up boat/canoe on stage, (or two end to end), 2 chairs in the boat facing towards the back of the boat(s), 2 oars. Placard, “Half an hour later”
Sound: (optional) Thunderstorm, backing track or sound of guitar strumming chords for song “our God is an awesome God”, or guitarist strumming the song off stage.
Script
JOHN: [Enters] This is our boat, come on lads. Let’s get a move on [He ushers several disciples in from imaginary queue of people] That’s it, into the boat everyone. [Enter JESUS. JOHN nods respectfully] Jesus. I’ve saved you a seat in the front of the boat.
JESUS: Thanks John.[he yawns] I think I’ll have a sleep, though, tuck myself down at the back. Tell the lads not to disturb me unless they really need to – I’m exhausted.
JOHN: Okay Jesus, will do. [JESUS gets in the boat and lies down at the back. JOHN looks around for the 2 missing disciples. Shouts:] Bart! Matt! Where are you? We need to get going. [MATT enters, nodding and moving to the music on his ipod – taking his time, being cool]
JOHN: Matt – come on or we’ll miss the boat [MATT can’t hear for the music, he fiddles with his ipod] Matt! [JOHN pulls out ipod earpiece from MATT’s ear]
MATT: Eh? What? John my man – what’s happening?
JOHN: You need to get in the boat!
MATT: What boat? Where we goin’?
JOHN: This one. We’re going to the other side of the lake again. Matt – get in and take the front oar.
MATT: [MATT enters boat, picks up the oar] Oars! Oarsome! [MATT replaces the earpiece and starts bopping]
JOHN: Right, where’s Bart? [shouts:] Bart! [BART appears looking agitated] Come on Bart, get in the boat.
BART: [moaning] John, I’m really not sure about this. I feel sick. I don’t want to go. Can’t I walk round the lake?
JOHN: Don’t be ridiculous.
BART: The boat’s really small. There could be a storm. We might all drown! Do we have to go?
JOHN: Yes, we do. Everything will be fine. There’s no sign of bad weather – look [points upwards] there’s not a cloud in the sky. Anyway, have faith. Jesus is with us you know.
BART: [somewhat reassured] Oh well, I suppose we might survive the journey. I mustn’t get wet though; I’ve got a cold coming on.
JOHN: [patiently] Right Bart. Now get in the boat. Take the back oar will you? It’ll take your mind off things.
BART: Okay John [He enters the boat and picks up the back oar]
JOHN: [He gets in the boat and does a head count.] Twelve of us and Jesus. Right we can go. Start rowing Bart and Matt [JOHN mimes pushing the boat off from shore and stands at the front of the boat]
{SOUND: Thunderstorm – this continues until further instruction}
{PLACARD: “Half an hour later” is carried across stage}
[The disciples rock wildly from side to side as a storm builds. MATT rocking too, does not notice the storm. He sings and bops to his music. BART looks at the sky and the waves anxiously, getting agitated]
JOHN: [Shouting above the noise of the storm. He directs the rowers from the front of the boat] Pull! Pull! Come on let’s get to the other side before this storm gets any worse.
BART: [shouts] John! I’m soaked! I’m scared! [He points to the sky] Those clouds look terrible. I think it’s a hurricane!
JOHN: [He tries to reassure BART] It’s okay Bart. It can’t get any worse. Just keep rowing!
BART: I feel really ill. [He grabs a bowl and retches].
JOHN: Bart, you’ll be fine – just keep rowing [He looks over at MATT who has stopped rowing and shouts:] Matt! Matt! [MATT strums his oar as if it is a guitar. He is oblivious to the storm because he is singing and bopping to music. JOHN staggers over to MATT and takes his ipod earpiece out] Can’t you hear the storm, Matt?
MATT: No. Hey John, this music is great.
JOHN: What are you listening to?
MATT: Hello Hurricane!
JOHN: Very appropriate. It looks like we are in a hurricane. Now get rowing! Grab your oar!
MATT: Oarsome! [He grabs the oar, puts his earpiece in and starts rowing to the music]
JOHN: [He starts pacing up and down the boat looking worried. He takes the bowl off BART and starts to bale out water. He looks at JESUS who is asleep. To audience :] Shall I wake Jesus up? {Waits for response from audience and responds to them} Yes? No? No, I’d better not. He said we should leave him to sleep.
BART: John! Get Jesus – he will help us.
JOHN: No, he said not to disturb him unless we really need to. [The boat lurches suddenly and BART and MATT are nearly thrown off their seats. JOHN falls over in the boat.]
BART: This is an emergency! We’re all going to die! [They try and start rowing, but it’s too rough. They continue to be thrown around.]
MATT: Hey! I can’t hear my music. Turn the storm down someone! [He takes out his earpiece, and sees how bad the storm is] John! What’s happening man?
JOHN: It’s a storm! [JOHN continues to bale out]
MATT: Wake Jesus up – he’s cool. He’ll sort it!
JOHN: He doesn’t want to be woken.
MATT: He ain’t never gonna wake up again, man – we’re all gonna die!
JOHN: I don’t know what to do! [To audience:] What shall I do? [He shrugs his shoulders still unsure]
MATT and BART: [stand up and push JOHN towards JESUS] Wake Jesus up!
JOHN: All right. [JOHN gently touches JESUS.] Jesus. Do you mind waking up? We’ve got a bit of a situation going on here. [JESUS doesn’t stir. JOHN shakes him violently and shouts] Jesus! Wake up!
JESUS: [He wakes up looking calm and unworried] Oh, hi John. What’s up?
JOHN, BART and MATT: Lord save us! We’re going to drown!
JESUS: [He stands up] You of little faith, why are you so afraid? [He looks at the waves and sky and turns to face the audience. He stretches out both arms and speaks in a commanding voice] That’s enough! Waves and wind! I command you to stop! Be calm!
{SOUND: Thunderstorm stops suddenly}
[The boat stops rocking completely and suddenly. JOHN, MATT & BART stop rocking too. They look around amazed. JESUS sits down]
JOHN: Wow! How did he do that? We should make it to the other side after all.
BART: That’s amazing! We’re not going to die! I feel better already!
MATT: Oarsome! I can listen to my music again!
JOHN: [He gathers MATT & BART to himself and whispers loudly] What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him! Matt, let me take over from you for a while. [JOHN takes his oar and he and BART row, MATT stands at front of the boat]
MATT: Hey. I’ve got an idea! I feel a song coming on. [He picks up his guitar. He strums or mimes strumming and sings
{Song: “Our God is an awesome God” recording of guitar strumming/backing track or a guitarist off stage)] “Our God is an awesome God, he reigns from heaven above, he calms the wind and
waves, our God is an awesome God.” Come on everybody!
[JOHN and BART row to the rhythm of the song and sing along]
{ The audience may join in with words slightly different from the original song “Our God is an awesome God”.}
JESUS: Nice song, Matt. I’ll remember that one for later. It might inspire someone in 2000 years or so.
POWERPOINT WORDS:
Our God is an awesome God
He rains from heaven above
He calms the wind and waves
Our God is an awesome God
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© Copyright Pam Norman 2010, all rights reserved. The script may not be reproduced, translated or copied in any medium, including books, CDs and on the Internet, without written permission of the author.
This play may be performed free of charge, on the condition that copies are not sold for profit in any medium, nor any entrance fee charged. In exchange for free performance, the author would appreciate being notified of when and for what purpose the play is performed. She may be contacted at: