A NIGHT I’LL NEVER FORGET  Samples

 

OVERVIEW:              A group of young friends are in Bethlehem with their parents when they conspire to sneak out for a night of fun. Their comical antics take a strange twist when they stumble upon Joseph and Mary in the stable behind old man Hanus’ Inn. It was there that they encountered the newborn Christ child and what was supposed to be a night of fun turned out to be, for each of them, A Night I Will Never Forget.

 

 

CAST OF CHARACTERS

 

JOEL, teen-age boy

CALEB, teen-age boy

ELI, teen-age boy

JOSHUA, young son of Mrs. Potterman

JAMES, young son of Mrs. Potterman

SHEPHERD ONE

SHEPHERD TWO

JOEL’S MOTHER

MOTHER’S FRIEND, Mrs. Potterman

SARA,  Joel’s little sister

RACHEL, teen-age girl

ELIZABETH, teen-age girl

 

Sample – The children meet in Bethlehem for the census

 

NARRATOR:             In Bethlehem, the city of David, the streets have become crowded as people return to the city of their fathers for Herod’s census.

 

(As the lights come up, the setting is a crowded street in Bethlehem. Joel and Caleb are at center stage talking and making plans).

 

JOEL:                         Everyone is here, (Counts on his fingers) Mark, Jacob, Eli, everybody. This is going to be great. Probably the best week of my life!

 

CALEB:                      So, Elizabeth must be here too.

 

JOEL:                         Maybe. (Pause)  Caleb, we have all got to get together tonight and do something.

 

CALEB:                      Sounds good to me. I am staying at my Uncle’s house and my Aunt Phoebe is about to drive me crazy. She actually took my…

 

(Caleb is interrupted by the arrival of Eli, who has Joel’s little sister Sara, by the scuff of her garment).

 

ELI:                            Hey, Joel, look what I found…your little sister.

 

JOEL:                         Oh, joy.

 

SARA:                         Joel, you are going to be in BIG trouble with mother. You were supposed to be sure that I didn’t get lost.

 

JOEL:                         And, are you lost?

 

SARA:                         Well…no.

 

ELI:                            (To Joel) Good point.

 

CALEB:                      (To Sara) Want to try again?

 

(Sara slugs Caleb in the stomach).

 

CALEB:                      Sweet girl.

 

JOEL:                         (To Eli). Eli, everyone is here. We are going to try and get together tonight to do something.

 

CALEB:                      How about it, Eli. Are you in?

 

SARA:                         What “something”?

 

(The boys ignore Sara as she tries to figure out what they are up to).

 

ELI:                            It should not be any trouble to sneak out. The house is so crowded I have to sleep on the roof.

 

Sample – Children plan to sneak out

 

                                    (Joel’s mother and her friend Mrs. Potterman are in a market area. The market has baskets of fruit and vegetables. People are standing around and sitting on mats.  James and Joshua are with their mother. Joel and Caleb come walking up with Sara still lifted off the ground. James and Joshua see them approaching first).

 

JAMES:                      (Elbows Joshua). Hey, I want a turn.

 

JOEL:                         Mother!

 

MOTHER:                 Joel, there you are. I was getting worried about my little angel. (She hugs Sara).

 

MRS. POTTERMAN:  Hello, Joel, Caleb.

 

(Joel and Caleb rush through their greetings because they are anxious to try and catch up with Eli).

 

JOEL:                         Mother, may I PLEASE, leave Sara with you Caleb and I have got to go.

 

MOTHER:                 Go? Go where?

 

SARA:                         Go meet behind the stable.

 

MOTHER:                 (To Joel) What?

 

(As the dialogue continues, Joshua and James have slipped off a little toward stage right and have started taking shots at people in the crowd with their slingshot. This should not be a large distraction from the main action at center stage but it does offer insight into the boys conduct).

 

Sample – They witness the birth of the Christ Child while playing behind the stable.

 

(Eli stands up and he and Rachel exit together. As she exits, Rachel continues to look back over her shoulder. Another painful moan comes from the stable. It has become more of a case of Joel clinging to Elizabeth rather than Elizabeth clinging to Joel).

 

ELIZABETH:              (Breaking away from Joel’s grip). Let me see.

 

JOEL:                         Be careful.

 

(Elizabeth crawls to the side of the stable and peaks over the edge).

 

ELIZABETH:             (Sweetly).  Ooooohhhh.

 

CALEB:                      What? Oohh what?

 

ELIZABETH:             He’s not killing her. She is having a baby.

 

CALEB:                      Having a baby?

 

ELIZABETH:             Yes, a baby. Come and see.

 

Sample – conclusion

 

The sound of a baby crying comes from the inside of the stable).

 

ELIZABETH:             Ooohh. Joel, come and look. He is beautiful.

 

(Joel crawls to Elizabeth and peers over the side as a glow begins to radiate from the stable).

 

JOEL:                         Why are they having a baby in an old stable?

 

ELIZABETH:             I have seen a lot of babies, and I have wanted to hold every one of them, but I have never felt anything like this. It is like I want HIM to hold ME. Look at Him Joel

 

(Joel gets back up, looking around cautiously before fixing his gaze on the baby)

 

JOEL:                         There is something very strange going on here, Elizabeth. Maybe we should go.

 

ELIZABETH:             I feel it too, Joel but I am not scared. I want to stay. (Pause) Stay with me… please. (Joel and Elizabeth stand gazing into the stable as shepherds enter from behind Joel and Elizabeth. The two young people do not realize that the shepherds are behind them).

 

ELIZABETH:             What are we seeing Joel?

 

SHEPHERD 1:           What you are seeing (Joel and Elizabeth turn around, startled) is prophesy fulfilled.

 

ELIZABETH:             Wait Joel. (To the shepherds) You said come to see the Savior.  Are you talking about the baby?

 

SHEPHERD 2:           Yes, the babe, wrapped in swaddling clothes.

 

JOEL:                         Why do you say that?

 

SHEPHERD 2:           Angels have proclaimed it to us.

 

ELIZABETH:             Angels? Real angels?

 

SHEPHERD 2:           Oh yes, very real angels.

 

We were living out in the fields just outside Bethlehem keeping watch over our flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before us, and the glory of the Lord shone all around us.

 

SHEPHERD 1:           And we were greatly afraid.

 

SHEPHERD 2:           Then the angel said to us, “ Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”

 

SHEPHERD 1:           And suddenly there was with the angel, a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest,

      And on earth, peace, goodwill toward men!”.

 

JOEL:                         You have seen multitudes of angels. All I have seen is a baby. How can I know that this is the Messiah?

 

SHEPHERD 1:           Just come and stand in His presence. Bow down before Him and you will know. (Pause)

                                    This will either be a night you will forever regret, or a night you will never forget.

 

(Joel and Shepherd 1 walk around to where Elizabeth and Shepherd 2 are kneeling. Shepherd kneels as Joel gazes into the stable).

 

JOEL:                         (After a delay and speaking slowly) Messiah. (Pause) Savior.  It is You. This IS a night I will never forget.

 

(Joel kneels with the others. After a pause the lights slowly fade except for the light from the stable).