Three One Act
Christian Plays
Gold Rush (Yukon Gold Rush)
The
Serf and the Knight Templar (Medieval Period)
Wagons West
(American Westward Migration - 1846)
William Kritlow
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2011 William Kritlow
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Additional Permissions: If you purchase a copy for each cast member each play may be presented at least three times within a year from purchase of the cast member copies. If you have any questions or concerns about this, email: wkritlow@socal.rr.com
Cover Art by Sally Truong: sally@inkit-printing.com
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Author's
Introduction
These are three one act plays,
each set in a different historic period, each attempting to look at
that period through unique and very Christian eyes. How might you
use them? Read the introduction for some thoughts on that.
Gold
Rush
Is Gold worth whatever hardships you have
to endure to find it? Is it worth it to the children who suddenly
find their lives thrown into chaos as parents pursue the elusive
“color?” We're in Dawson City, Yukon Territory, November 1896.
Three months before, in August, George Carmack’s wife, Kate, while
washing up after a supper on the Rabbit Creek found a gold nugget the
size of her thumb. And the Yukon Gold Rush was on. Caught up in it
were a number of children. This is their story.
The
Serf and the Knight Templar
It’s 1350. The
black death ravages most of Europe and the Feudal System is firmly
entrenched but is under pressure. That system creates a predominant
class of workers, the serfs, who are neither slave nor free. They
are yoked to a section of land assigned them by the Lord of the
Manor. They keep for their families a good portion of what the land
produces, but they are also required to work three days a week for
the manor. But with the death of so many workers, there’s pressure
for the serf’s to spend more time at the manor at the expense of
their one land. This is the story of Robert and his family, and how
he meets the challenge - with the help of Sir Strong, one of the last
of the Knight Templar.
Wagons
West
1846 finds the Roberts family, Sam, Nora,
Junior (14), Elizabeth (12) and Harriet (8), as part of a wagon train
on the Oregon Trail. Although a hard trip, one that’s already seen
the death of a “neighbor’s” child, the Roberts are bearing up.
But that changes quickly when one morning Elizabeth and Harriet leave
camp to pick berries. Elizabeth returns and Harriet doesn’t. They
got separated and now Harriet is lost. The Captain of the Wagon
Train organizes a search, but Harriet isn’t found. Now the Wagon
Train needs to move on. Will the Roberts move with it? And does the
story end there?
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I received an email from a writer friend of mine, Sibella Giorello, who told me that a home school group she was associated with liked the students to perform historical dramas as part of the history curriculum. She also let it slip that they were looking for new stuff, particular with a focus on the Yukon Gold Rush. Not one to pass up a new venue, I got on my trusty computer and wrote Gold Rush, a one act with a performance time of about a half hour. She then told me her son was studying the Middle Ages. So I wrote The Serf and the Knight Templar. Then, for you, dear readers, I wrote Wagons West. These plays can be performed as traditional productions or in a “reader’s theater” format. In either case, it should help the students learn. I know I seldom forget a fact in a play or movie, but can’t, for the life of me, remember anything in a text book.
But these plays aren’t presented just to convey facts; I also wrote them to bring a Christian perspective to those historic times. God was at work then, just as he was at the dawn of creation; just as he is now. And, I have to admit, it’s fun to see him through history’s lens. And even more fun to write a play about it. And since each era has its own set of issues, as the students put themselves into the character’s lives, they’re brought face to face with choices those historic characters were sometimes forced to make and the consequences they experienced. Drama, like nothing else, allows the student to engage in the times, and be buffeted by the emotional forces at work. And, of course, all this serves to give the student - and anyone in the audience, for that matter - more resilient, and added armor to face the spiritual warfare today.
There’s another reason to read, or perform these plays. They’re plays, and that’s what you do with plays, and I believe, these plays will engage an audience well. And as such, they will act as a vehicle for just about any theater group, any age, Christian or not - although the Christian messages are vivid and unmistakeable.
These plays can also act as templates for your own imaginations. I strongly believe a drama ministry is important to a church. These plays give you an idea of what we’ve done and should encourage you to create your own, plays that may be more meaningful and appropriate in your church then these may be.
With your purchase of this ebook, and additional copies for each member of the cast, I give you permission to put on that particular play on as often as you like for a year from the purchase date.
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Cast:
Maddie Windsor - 13
Rascal Waters - 15
Will
Berry - 14
Priscilla Tagish, 15
Marcia Carmack, 10
Lillian
Capri, Adult
Sue Ladue, 12
Tom Gallagher, 13
Sarah Race,
12
NWMP Christopher Capri, Adult
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Scene One:
Set: We're in Dawson City, Yukon Territory, November 1896. This is the interior of a log structure, the place where the newly constructed Dawson City Community Church meets. There needs to be a sign of some kind that identifies the place. This is the fellowship hall, if you will, and is mostly unfurnished except for some crudely built chairs along the walls and a pot-bellied stove toward the center of the wall. It will be the only set. There are two doors. One stage right that goes to the outside, and on stage left a door goes to the church sanctuary.
At Rise: There's a winter storm outside, wind howls and batters the windows and rattles the doors. After a beat to acclimate the audience, the door SR opens and a young girl, MADDIE WINDSOR, about 13, is blown in. She forces the door closed, looks about for a moment, is obviously cold and warms herself by the stove for a moment then, seeing no one, sits, but not in a chair, rather she huddles down on the floor near the outside door using the wall for a back rest. She's dejected, looks lost, maybe even hiding. After another beat the church side door opens and RASCAL WATERS, about 15, WILL BERRY, about 14, enter. Rascal is all his name implies. Will, on the other hand, is serious, almost thoughtful.
Rascal: (laughs, chants, takes having fun to an annoying level) We're gonna be ri-ch, we're gonna be ri-ch. We're gonna have gold piled to the ceiling. (making point) And, Will Berry, that's better than what any preacher says. (warms by stove)
Will: Rascal, he's not sayin' it's bad to be rich. Only that . . .
Rascal: My dad says it don't matter what a preacher says, Will Berry. (more chants) We're gonna be ri-ch, we're gonna be ri-ch. And I'm gonna love it.
PRISCILLA TAGISH, 15, and MARCIA CARMACK, 10, enter from church. They head right for the stove.
Priscilla: Move over Rascal Waters, you, too, Will Berry. Marcia and I are cold. (moves in on them)
Rascal: Hey, Priscilla, that hurt.
Marcia: If it doesn't matter what a preacher says, why are you here?
Rascal: Cause it's better'n bein' out there.
Wolf howls in the wind.
Will: (moves to window and looks out) They're getting closer. The wolves - closer.
Rascal: Hey, I thought you Indians never get cold.
Pricilla: Oh, we get cold. Anyway, Marcia and I are only half Indian. Our dads both married beautiful Tagish maidens.
Rascal: So which half of you is cold.
Pricilla: The half closest to you.
Marcia: It's because of what's going on out there that it matters what a preachers says.
Rascal: Don't you see. We're gonna be rich. Preachers are for when you're sufferin', when the world's turned against you, when you're freezin' to death -
Others kids of varying ages drift in. They all loosely congregate around the stove, too.
Rascal: Preachers are there just to make you feel better, when frostbites eatin' yer toes away.
Marcia: (heaps of sarcasm) Charming.
Rascal: We all know that. They're not for now - 'cause we're gonna be rich.
Will: They're for more than that - God's for more than that.
LILLIAN CAPRI , an adult, enters. She's obviously the leader of the children's ministry at the Dawson City Community Church. She's both warmth and authority.
Lil: Okay, children, for you newcomers to Dawson City, brought here by all the commotion about gold, and to our humble Community Church, I'm Lillian Capri, and I've been here a whole month, now. My husband, Christopher, is a Northwest Mounted Policeman -
Rascal: Boo - Hisssss! (laughs - a few titters from others but not the laughs he'd hoped for)
Lil: God gives us a right to our feelings, Rascal. But remember, all things are permissible in Christ, but not all things are beneficial. (there's a hint of warning in her last tone.) Pricilla, how is your hand, sweetheart? (she gently takes Pricilla's hands in hers and studies them for a second) Oh, good, I was so worried about frostbite, but it looks like our prayers have been answered. It seems to be healing up nicely. I'm so thankful, dear. (to Will) Will Berry, are you still living in the tent, Will?
Will: Yes, Mrs. Capri - gets cold sometimes.
Lil: More than sometimes, I bet. Do you have enough blankets?
Will: I'm able to keep sort of warm. But there's never enough, Mrs. Capri.
Lil: (tossels his hair) How right you are. If you need more, ask. We'll see what we can do. For now, Will, we'll keep you in prayer. (to children) Okay, since Dawson seems to be growing like a weed in summer, let's all go around and introduce ourselves. Rascal, since you are by far the most vociferous -
Rascal: (offended) Now see here, Mrs. Capri . . .
Lil: It means you talk a lot.
Rascal: Oh, yeah - vocifi-cus, uh, that's me. I'm Rascal Waters, talker.
Will: I'm Will Berry.
Pricilla: Pricilla Tagish
Marcia: Marcia Carmack
Sue: Sue Ladue
Rascal: You all gotta be nice to her or her daddy won't build your house.
Lil: That's enough, Rascal.
Sue: It's true. My daddy owns the saw mill. Sells the lumber. Built this church, your houses. He loves me. What can I say?
Lil: Daddy's do love their little girls. Thank you, Sue.
Tom: Tom Gallagher - we just got in a week ago.
Lil: Good to see you, Tom. Are you in a tent, or a structure of some kind.
Tom: My dad was a carpenter. He's thrown together a cabin-like thing.
Lil: Good, that's very good.
Sarah: Sarah Race - we got here last week, too. And we're in one of Mr. Ladue's houses.
Lil: I'm so glad things are able to keep up, as of now, at least. (sees Maddie Windsor huddled by the door) And you are?
All look at Maddie as she shakes her head. She doesn't want to be introduced. Just then a wild commotion that sounds like a savage dog fight erupts outside. The kids, all but Maddie, run to the windows.
Rascal: Holy cow - how many wolves are there?
Will: Ten - twenty - all I see are eyes and teeth.
Pricilla: Is that a moose? It's so big and dark.
Sue: Like a dark ghost.
Tom: Ghosts don't bleed like that.
Pricilla: They're tearing it to pieces.
Marcia: Raw meat.
Lil: Come away from the window. There's no need . . . (But she can't resist and goes to the window herself - fascinated)
Sue: The snow is going red.
Rascal: It gored one of the wolves with its -
There's a loud thump against the wall.
Will: The wolf hit the logs.
Pricilla: I can't watch - there's blood - (she turns and cowers but soon goes back to watching)
Sarah: Does this happen a lot up here? I don't think I can take it.
Marcia: It's winter. Animals get hungry and vicious animals get viciously hungry.
Will looks at her understandingly. Another thump against the logs draws his attention back to the battle outside.
Lil: (she turns, finally having enough) Children, please don't watch that.
Rascal: He can't last much longer. (an idea) And speakin' of bein' hungry, we ought to go out there with guns blazing and drag us in some moose meat.
Will: He's on the ground.
Lillian turns back to the window with a gasp at the moose having fallen.
Will: That poor moose.
Rascal: If you had him in your sights you wouldn't call him a poor moose.
Tom: But he's being torn apart.
Sarah: Torn apart. The blood.
Tom: My dad's up on Bonanza Creek. Are their wolves on Bonanza Creek?
Lil: (again having had enough, turns back) I'm afraid there are, Tom.
Rascal: There's Gold on Bonanza Creek, too.
Will: There are wolves everywhere.
The fight seems to get even more ferocious - louder and more vicious.
Marcia: And they're just as hungry - and their teeth are just as sharp. My mom says that the more people that come up, the hungrier we'll get, too. She says there's hardly enough to feed those that are here now. Do you think we'll ever tear each other apart like that?
End Scene One
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Scene Two
Set: The same.
At Rise: The fight is suddenly over - there's silence outside. Most of the kids turn around and plant their backs against the wall. They are in a sort of shock. Rascal continues to watch, as does Marcia.
Rascal: It's over. They're feeding. (turns from window) Too late to drag in the moose now.
Marcia: He feeds the birds of the air, and the wolves of the froze north. (turns from window)
Lillian starts singing "Jesus loves me, this I know." She starts gently, lovingly, and one by one the kids join in - except for Rascal, he never sings.
The song:
Jesus loves me! this I know,
For
the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong;
they are weak
but He is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves
me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.
Lil: Okay, kids, let's sing the next verse like we're singing it right to Jesus.
Next verse (all but Rascal are singing and
they're beginning to forget the battle outside. By the end of this
verse they're reengaged in what's happening inside)
Jesus
loves me! He who died
heaven's gate to open wide;
He will wash
away my sin,
let His little child come in.
Yes, Jesus loves
me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible
tells me so.
Lil: See how Jesus keeps us safe and warm in here. One more verse:
Next verse:
Jesus loves me! He will stay
close
beside me all the way.
Thou hast bled and died for me,
I will
henceforth live for Thee.
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus
loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.
Lil: Jesus does love us and in His Bible He tells us about other things we should love - and not love. In Matthew 6:24 He tells us: "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."
Rascal: Who cares about mammon. I care about Gold.
Lil: Mammon and Gold are the same thing. God's telling us that we can't be drawn away from him by the lure of God.
Sue: Rascal's right about one thing. We are going to be rich. Maybe really rich. My daddy thinks about that a lot. You know, there are places in this world where people don't live in log houses or wade through mud half the year. We could be living in one of those places soon.
Sarah: We lived in Skagway - Alaska. Mom, my sister, my dad and I. We lived in a tent for a while - it rained and when it wasn't raining it snowed. There were these cute little otter things, and sometimes whales - they're really big - but it was dirty and wet . . .
Tom: Like Whitehorse. I'm from Whitehorse. We had a little house.
Pricilla: We had a little house, too.
Tom: At least some of the year there were bright red roses.
Pricilla: For my mom it was daffodils.
Tom: Mom didn't want dad to go and it took a long time to convince her. He talked to her about going to France and stuff. About acres of roses. She insisted on going with him. Wouldn't let him go alone.
Pricilla: Pretty dresses. My mom wanted the pretty dresses.
Marcia: My Aunt Kate had no idea what all would happen. She and Uncle George started it all. She had no idea what that day would bring.
Rascal: Your Uncle was George Carmack? Why didn't I know you were related to . . .
Marcia: Because I don't talk it about it much.
Rascal: Well my dad's up there right now trying to have the same kind of day. What was it like? That day - And now they're rich - can have anything they want. Do you understand that, anything they want. What was that day like for them.
Marcia looks at Lillian for guidance. Lillian nods her approval for Marcia to tell the story.
Marcia: August 16th is was, 1896, this year. Only three months ago, or so. But it really started a while before that. Nearly a month before when my Uncle George Carmack had a vision. I'm not saying I believe in visions - or if they exist they come from God. The way I feel about all this, the vision may not have been from anywhere near heaven.
Rascal: What vision?
Marcia: My Uncle George had a vision that two salmon with golden scales and gold nuggets for eyes and they appeared right there in front of him.
Rascal: So he knew to go to that spot and find the gold.
Marcia: Not exactly. He thought he was being told by the fates to go salmon fishing.
Rascal: A bit thick, your uncle.
Marcia: (neener neener) And now, a bit rich, too. (back to normal) Anyway, to heed the vision he went salmon fishing with his friends Skookum Jim Mason and Tagish Charley. While he was hip deep in water looking to hook some salmon a guy he didn't know, some guy named Henderson -
Sue: Robert Henderson. My dad staked him - gave him the money to go prospecting.
Marcia: The Henderson guy comes floating down from upriver and, because there's some kind of prospector's code, he told Uncle George about seeing what he said was "'color" he'd found on a place he called Gold Bottom Creek - wherever that was. But, then he said something Uncle George didn't like. He looked real mean at Mr. Mason and Tagish Charley and says he doesn't want any of those "Siwashes" making claims up there.
Will: What's Siwashes?
Lil: An insulting name for a native - we Christians don't use such names. We don't insult, we encourage and build up.
Rascal: Wow. We got a seer of visions and now an Indian hater. While we're buildin' people up and gettin' nothin' for it, the other side's out findin' gold.
Lil: This is Satan's world - we're in this world, not of this world.
Marcia: Uncle George and the others didn't like Henderson much, so they didn't follow up on what he told them for a couple weeks. But then things got slow and they decided to check things out. When they got there, Henderson insulted Jim and Charley again so Uncle George, Jim and Charley left and went to Rabbit Creek. Aunt Kate was with them now and she was washing a dishpan in the creek after a dinner of salmon and berries and there it was, in the stream - the size of a thumb -
Rascal: (he whoops) And that's when it began - that's when it all started. Thank you, Aunt Kate and Uncle George.
Sarah: Are we really going to get anything we want? My dad still says we will.
Tom: (to Sarah) What do you want?
Sarah: I wanted a palomino pony. My dad called it a 'Sarah-sized' pony. I would dream about that pony. I named her Princess. I know every girl names her pony Princess but I didn't care. I loved the name Princess and I wanted to brush her golden mane and braid her golden tail and I wanted her to pull my little cart. I was going to get a cart, too, and put flowers all over it and Princess and I were going to take long rides in the woods and over the green meadows. We were going to have so much fun.
Lil: (to Maddie Windsor who is still propped against the wall in the corner) Our new friend, what do you want?