Drama - Year B - Lent 1

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Drama - Year B - Lent 1

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DRAMA—FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT, YEAR B

Bible reference: Genesis 9:8-17

 

IT'S A SIGN

 

CHARACTERS: Noah and his three sons, Shem, Ham and Japeth, plus voice of God.

 

(Noah, Shem and Ham enter wearing gumboots)

 

NOAH:

(Standing looking at the sky) Well, I'm glad that's over!

 

SHEM:

I know, I never want to see another cow again.

 

HAM:

What do you mean? It wasn't so bad.

 

SHEM:

Yeah, it was alright for you, you got to look after the dogs and cats and cute furry things. I got stuck with Daisy the incontinent cow. I had to sleep next to her, for goodness' sake! Some animals just were not meant to float on water.

 

(Japeth comes running in and kisses the ground passionately over and over. They all stand and look at him with their heads on the side while he is groaning and prostrating himself on the ground. After a silence...)

 

HAM:

Umm...I'm sorry to interrupt this intimate moment, but I think your wife might get jealous.

 

NOAH:

(To audience) I always said he was the weird one.

 

JAPETH:

I'm never, ever, ever going to get on a boat again! I threw up seventeen times yesterday. Seventeen times, I counted! If that ever happens again I will be happy to drown, I think, rather than go through that hell again... Seventeen times...

 

GOD:

(Voice only using microphone) Do not worry, my children, I will now establish my covenant with you and your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you...

 

SETH:

(Horrified) What, even Daisy?

 

NOAH:

Shut up! Shut up!

 

GOD:

...The birds and the livestock and all the wild animals, and all those that came out of the ark with you; every living creature on earth.

 

SETH:

Damn!

 

GOD:

Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.

 

JAPETH:

(Loudly and jubilantly, arms raised) Praise the Lord, brothers! Amen! Praise the Lord!

 

GOD:

You're welcome. This is a sign of the covenant I'm making between you and every living creature with you.

 

SETH:

He does have to go on about that, doesn't he?

 

GOD:

I have set my rainbow in the clouds and it will be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

 

HAM:

(Pointing up. They all look) Look!

 

ALL:

(In wonder) Ooooooh

 

GOD:

Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on        the earth.

 

NOAH:

(After a short silence) I think he's finished. Gee, isn't it beautiful!

 

JAPETH:

(Loudly) Praise the Lord!

 

SETH :

(To Ham, indicating Japeth) I can imagine that he is going to get a little tiresome.

 

HAM:

(Grabs Seth's arm, looking at end of rainbow) What was that?

 

SETH:

(Peering into the distance) Where?

 

HAM:

(Pointing) There, there, by the end of the rainbow, it looked like... a little green person.

 

SETH:

C'mon, I'm sure it was nothing... everyone is dead, remember... drowned, water, flood!

 

HAM:

No, I'm sure, look there he is again... next to that glowing, gold pot.

 

SETH:

(Peering even more intently) Yes, you're right... I see him... Is he, is he dancing? (Ham and Seth look at each other strangely)

 

HAM:

(Shaking head) No, no I must be feeling ill, still...

 

SETH:

Yes, it was just the effects of Daisy's methane...

 

HAM:

I think we should go back to the boat. (Ham and Seth exit)

 

JAPETH:

(To Noah, indicating rainbow) This, Father, is a sign!

 

NOAH:

Of course it's a sign, you dolt! God just said it was, didn't he? (Sees Japeth waving as he stares off at the rainbow) What are you doing?

 

JAPETH:

I'm waving at the little green man that my brothers didn't believe in. Let’s go there and find him, and prove it to them.

 

NOAH:

Go if you like, but you'll never get there.

 

JAPETH:

(Pointing) But it's just over there on that little green hill.

 

NOAH:

(Peering into the distance) No it's not. Do you think that a little green hill, with...(Peers harder) yes, I believe it is, with a very Daisy-shaped cow on it, is all that's at the end of God's promise?

 

JAPETH:

What? Daisy! I'm going to get Seth! (Runs off)

 

NOAH:

Yes, you do that, he'll be eternally grateful. (Sighs and trudges off)

 

 

 

© Tamson Pietsch 1999

 

Permission is given for the owner of this disk to make sufficient copies of this script for their group or congregation, for rehearsal and performance purposes only.