FOR A CROSS
A Narrative in One Act
Cast of Characters
Mary (Jesus' Mother): An adult woman.
John: An adult man.
Roman Soldier: An adult man
Angel: A girl, 8 or older
Chorus
Soldier Two: An adult man
Nativity Characters: Various children
Scene: At the foot of the cross.
Time: Just after the death of Jesus.
ACT I
Scene 1
The stage is clear except for the base of the cross and a table downstage. On the table are four empty candlesticks lined up with the white Christ candle in the middle. It's unlit, an advent wreath. Only the overhead stage lights are illuminated.
At rise, Song One [O come, O come Emmanuel] begins to play in the background.
To free your captive Israel.
That mourns in lonely exile here,
The ROMAN SOLDIER enters dragging the cross up the church's lonely aisle. He heads to its base resting just as lonely at the center of the stage with SOLDIER TWO following awkwardly behind. SOLDIER TWO has a white cloth draped around his neck. He plays with it a little between his struggles with the awkward stage piece, the cross's foot he can barely pick up. Reaching the quasi-modern platform, they lay the cross down and pretend to hammer nails on each of their respective sides. The ROMAN SOLDIER is on stage left, and SOLDIER TWO is on stage right. They hammer to the music.
Veni, veni, Emanuel!
The song keeps playing in the background whispering into the audience's ears. Together, the ROMAN SOLDIER and SOLDIER TWO raise the cross and secure it in the stand.
Gaude, gaude, Emanuel
Nascetur pro te, Israel.
The CHORUS ushers in. They're dressed solemnly in black cloaks, all carrying lit candles. The floating lights flicker sluggishly as the CHORUS stands scattered throughout the stage and church aisles. They're a mourning crowd, a tired crowd. It's been a long day.
Gaude, gaude
The ANGEL, MARY AND JOHN enters sad and weeping from stage left carrying unlit candles. The ANGEL carries two. MARY wears a black cloak over her blue nativity outfit. Each inserts candles into their respective stands on the front table then leave for their respective places. MARY AND JOHN hover together stage right before the cross downstage. The ANGEL stands upstage behind the cross and the ROMAN SOLDIER, stage left.
Nascetur pro te, Israel.
SOLDIER TWO drapes the white cloth over the cross's crossbeams while the ROMAN SOLDIER helps. Here the audience recognizes it as the Christian flag. The blue square is visible, the bleeding cross is barely so.
EVERYONE freezes in place until the song ends. The CHORUS watches the cross. MARY and JOHN face the audience. The ROMAN SOLDIER and SOLDIER TWO watches MARY and JOHN. They cry.
Rejoice, Rejoice O Israel
To you shall come Emmanuel
(END SCENE)
