The Angel Chronicles
Written by Diane Taylor
Musical arrangement
by ___________
Narrator – Angel Gabriel (standing to the side of the stage)
I am the Angel Gabriel. I want to tell you a story about Jesus, not the one you are used to, this one will be slightly different because it is Jesus’ life as seen by us angels. We helped raise him, you know.
I may not look like an angel to you because I don’t have wings. Raphael’s beautiful paintings, aside, Gabriel smiles, “We angels don’t need wings, we use our minds to do the work of God. Except for the children. they insist that angels must have wings, so they have wings.
Our story begins in the far future. Well, perhaps not so far into the future. Angels started crying in paradise. As you can imagine, tears are not something ordinarily seen in paradise. So, you might say our story begins and ends in angel tears.
Scene 1
Stage:
Music: Soft classical music or sad blues. Can be used as theme or for all paradise scenes.
Action: A number of angels are bent over crying. We can hear one angel sobbing, her shoulders are shuddering with sorrow. Jesus walks onto the stage and lifts her face up to him. Astonished, he reaches out and touches one of her tears.
Jesus speaks: “Why are you crying?”
Angel speaks: “Earth.”
Many other crying
angels say: “Earth.”
The first angel: “The people on earth are dying. Earth is dying.”
Jesus speaks: Jesus frowns then says, “Let’s go take a look.”
Action: Jesus and the other angels walk to the stand and turn the earth image towards the audience. Jesus looks at the destruction. He turns the picture around and the audience sees the burnt out buildings and fires. He shakes his head. He reaches down and picks up a piece of burnt and twisted metal.
Jesus speaks: “Look what the people done to themselves and the beautiful planet my father gave them? They have sent bombs to every continent and poisoned the air with radiation.
Action: Jesus walks back to paradise shaking his head. Looks up to his Father.
(A golden light behind a screen at the upper stage right near the top of the ladder. This light represents God and is always on during the play).
Jesus calls to his father: “Father the people of earth have destroyed themselves and the beautiful planet you gave them. The people still alive are suffering badly. The angels are sobbing in sorrow for the people. I fear it is too late, that the people of earth are doomed. Unless…”
Action: Jesus nods as if he just received a message from God. He points to various angels.
Jesus speaks: “You, you, and you.”
Action: The angels nod and leave the stage as if on a mission.
Scene 2:
Stage: Green hills of earth
Narrator - Angel Gabriel:
God decided to try and save earth. He turned earth backwards in time, to its earliest written history. He sent leagues of angels to teach enlightened prophets on every continent his rules to live by.
Action: As each prophet walks across the stage in a diagonal direction, Gabriel speaks their name:
Narrator – Angel Gabriel:
God sent Moses, one of the first. Isaiah, the great writer. Daniel, the dreamer. Elijah and many others to every continent, Buddha, Lao Tsu, and Confucius.
Action: Each prophet carries a symbol they are known by, scrolls, Sheppard’s stick, etc. Each prophet has an angel by their side whispering or motioning to them as they write down the angel’s words.
Narrator - Angel Gabriel:
Although the prophets did well, it was not enough to save earth. The people still sinned against themselves and their world. The angels in paradise still cried.
Scene 3:
Stage:
Jesus Speaks: “Father you have sent prophets to every nation but still they do not learn. What can be done?”
Action: Jesus frowns and worries; he paces the stage thinking. The angels pace and think with him. Other angels come onto the stage and sit down in the grass or stand around to watch Jesus.
Jesus speaks: Suddenly Jesus cries out, “Yes, I will go myself.”
An Angel speaks: “Oh, no, surly you can’t! You would die!”
Action: Angels show disbelief and horror on their face.
Jesus speaks, “If death is all the people of earth can understand, I will go. I will live as a man and die as a man.”
An Angel speaks: “But if you become a man, you will forget like a man. It will be dangerous.”
Jesus speaks: “Ah, but your spirits will be there to guide me.”
Action: Jesus looks up towards God’s light. Motions with his hands as if imploring. Then he nods in agreement.
Jesus speaks: “Yes, it is decided. But Father is angry. This is earth’s last chance. He will not do this again.”
Angel speaks: “Your mother comes.”
Action: Mary walks onto the stage.
Jesus speaks: “Mother, I have decided to go to earth to be born a man. They have destroyed themselves. I must save the people from their sin.”
Mary speaks: “But how will you do this if they have already destroyed themselves?”
Jesus speaks: “Father will give the people one more chance. He will turn earth back in time.”
Action: Mary suddenly puts her hand to her heart, she leans against another person as if in pain.
Mary speaks: “I just felt a sharp pain in my heart. I am fearful of what will happen.”
Action: Angels surround Mary as if to hold her up. Then Mary stands tall.
Mary speaks: “No matter, I will go too.” Mary smiles, “Besides, don’t I need to go first?”
Jesus speaks: Jesus nods and says, “So be it.”
Action: Mary followed by Jesus leave the stage.
Narrator - Angel Gabriel:
So it was decided that Jesus would be born of Mary on earth as the Son of Man. He was born during the Roman occupation into a simple family faithful to God, long before humans had the ability to destroy their planet.
God ordered us angels to guard the child Jesus at all times and we did. We watched his every move and protected him always. But, as things go when you begin something new, like rolling back time and placing God’s son on earth, we run into a few glitches that needed to be fixed. The first glitch had to do with the baby Jesus’ eyes.
Scene 4:
Music: Silent Night or Away in the Manger sang by child angels or Christmas music during scene, except when time is stopped.
Stage: Green hills and stable.
Important note: Any time Jesus is on the stage, there is a line of angels leading from him to the ladder that leads up to the golden light of God.
Action: Mary is holding child in her arms. Shepherds circle around her looking at the baby.
Shepherd speaks: “Oh, look at the baby’s eyes. I can see the night sky and all the stars in the sky.
Another shepherd speaks: “Yes, the baby’s eyes are glowing like the lights of heaven.”
Action: Suddenly the angel standing next to the baby notices the eyes need to be changed and moves her arm in a wide arc. Time stops. All motion stops on the stage except the angels. Singing stops. Perhaps a gong is sounded. Each angel motions to the next angel in line and the next in turn until finally the angel next to the ladder climbs up and speaks to God.
God answers in the affirmative. Every angel nods their head yes in turn as the answer is relayed back down through the line of angels to the angel closest to the baby. This angel leans over the baby and moves her hands across the baby’s face. Then she moves her arm in a wide arc. Time continues and movement begins again on the stage as the music continues.
Action: The shepherd looks into the baby’s eyes again.
Shepherd speaks: “I must have been mistaken. Look his eyes are just dark, almost black.
Another shepherd speaks: “You are right, they are just dark.”
Action: Actors walk off stage.
Narrator – Angel Gabriel:
This wasn’t the only time we needed to correct a problem. God insisted that Jesus was to be raised as a normal boy. We tried. (Pause) But you know how boys are…boys will be boys. Like the day the boy Jesus teased the donkey.
Scene 5: Green hills and Stable. and a cardboard donkey (could be mostly behind a wall with only head and hoof showing. Hoof must swivel).
Music: Possible idea: Child angels sing Old McDonald had a farm up to donkey while Jesus teases it.
Action: Jesus as a young child is laughing and teasing a donkey. He is on his knees and keeps pulling a handful of straw away from the mule. The mule is heehawing and complaining, and getting very angry. The angels who are always gathered around Jesus look worried. They fret as Jesus teases the donkey. Jesus, on his hands and knees reaches to get more straw. While he is bent over the donkey rears his hoof back about to kick Jesus on the butt.
Action: Angel close to Jesus waves an arm to freeze time. Everything on the stage stops (put moving things on stage such as a weathervane to dramatize movement stopping) The children’s singing stops also. Perhaps a gong is sounded. The only things moving on stage are the angels. They send the question up the line. Their faces show frantic worry that Jesus might get hurt. The angel at the ladder reflects God’s answer by shaking her head, “No.” Every angel down the line shakes their head “No” while looking very sad.
Action: The angel
nearest to Jesus makes a gesture of hopelessness then, with her arm, motions
time to continue to move forward again. The donkey kicks the child Jesus on the
rump. We hear a very loud howl of pain. The child angels finish the song, eei
eei oh.
Part II
Narrator-Angel Gabriel:
We didn’t need to
make any more adjustments. Jesus grew up into a fine young man, happy and
playful, yet, he didn’t complain when his mother asked him to go on an errand
or Joseph asked him to help in the wood shop. As he grew into manhood, his days
were uneventful but during this whole time, he didn’t remember his purpose in
coming to earth. He couldn’t even see us angels as we surrounded him every day
with protection and love. That is, until John the Baptist came on the scene. (Matt 3:11-17)
Scene: 6
Stage: Green hills and river
Music- Happy and playful?
Action: Jesus is a young adult, about 30. He is a happy, active person. He sings as he works with wood, but at one point he stops and makes a motion of thinking then paces back and forth on the stage.
Jesus speaks: “It seems to me that I am forgetting something. Something important. It almost comes to me at times.”
Action: The angels nod and motion with their hands as they try to tell him what he has forgotten, but Jesus looks over them because he can’t see them.
Action: John the Baptist walks on the stage with a crowd of people. He continues to baptize people by dunking them in the river.
John the Baptist speaks: “Repent. Repent. I baptize you with water but the one coming after me is mightier than I. He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire.”
Action: Jesus walks up to John the Baptist, and bows his head to be baptized like the rest of the people. A golden dove suddenly appears.
Stage: A golden light hovers above Jesus head. (not sure how to accomplish this)
Music: Grand happy music or singing
God speaks: “This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Action: Jesus runs off stage.
Narrator - Angel
Gabriel:
Jesus ran into the desert. He purged himself of all food and
drank and stayed in the desert for 40 days. Finally, starved and thirsty and
far from other people, Jesus finally began to see us angels. We wanted to badly
to feed and protect him, but he wanted only to think and pray. Then the devil
came to tempt him. (Luke 4:1-13)
Scene 7:
Stage: Desert
Music: Dramatic
Action: Jesus walks across stage and is suddenly confronted by the devil who stomps across the stage carrying a large stone.
Devil speaks: “If you are the son of God, command this stone to become bread.”
Jesus speaks: “It is written, One does not live by bread alone.”
Action: The devil leads Jesus to stand high up and points out all the kingdoms of the world.
Stage: Image on the stand of temples and buildings around on earth.
Devil speaks: “I will give you all this power and glory… All this will be yours if you worship me.”
Jesus speaks: “It is written, You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve.”
Action: Then the devil takes Jesus to
Devil speaks: “If you are the son of God, Throw yourself down from here. For it is written, He will command his angels concerning you, and with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.”
Jesus speaks: “You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.”
Action: The devil stomps off the stage shaking his head and Jesus sits down to eat as the angels serve him.
Narrator - Angel
Gabriel:
After the 40 days and the devil’s temptations, Jesus finally allowed us to give him food to eat and fresh water to drink. By now, Jesus came to understand his mission and he hurried home to begin his ministry of teaching the people.
Scene 8:
Stage: Green hills
Music: Lively with dancing
Action: Jesus walks back home singing with joy. He dances as he picks a few people who are fishing out of the crowd to be his disciples. As he picks them he calls them by name.
Jesus speaks: “Come follow me. Simon, Andrew, Come follow me. I will make you fishers of men. James, John. Come follow me. Thomas, Judas, come.”
An apostle speaks: People might laugh if I fish for men.
Another apostle speaks: He might be the Messiah. I am going to follow him.
Another apostle
speaks: Can anything so good come
from
Note: Actors can ad-lib in many of the scenes.
Narrator - Angel Gabriel:
Jesus taught the people for three years, instructing them with parables and interesting stories. He healed the sick and blind and preformed many other miracles. He was always able to outthink the Scribes and Pharisees when they tried to trick him.
Action - teaching: A crowd gathers around a women with huge stones in their hands. They are about to stone her. (John 8:1-10)
Crowd shouts: Adulteress! Adulteress!
A Pharisee speaks to Jesus: Moses commanded us to stone such women. What do you say?
Action: Jesus bends down and writes in the sand. He seems to be thinking. Then he stands up.
Jesus speaks: “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to stone her.”
Action: The people slink away in shame.
Action - miracle: A blind man gropes himself across the stage. Jesus walks up to him. John 9:1-8)
Jesus speaks: While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
Action: Jesus bends down and mixes mud with spit and puts the mud in the man’s eyes.
Jesus speaks: Go wash in the pool of Siloam.
Action: The man goes and washes his eyes and then yells out that he can see
Action – miracle: Lazarus is laying on the ground wrapped in cloth. Jesus walks up to him.
Martha speaks: Lazarus is dead, but I know he will rise on the last day.
Jesus speaks: “I am the resurrection and the life.”
Action: Jesus prays to his father before calling Lazarus.
Jesus speaks: “Lazarus, Come out!”
Action: Lazarus sits up then walks as he pulls
the tattered cloths off.
Action: Many people come up to Jesus for healing. A lame person walks, a women touches his robe. We see angels lead people to Jesus for healing. Jesus (or narrator, it may be too long a speech for single actor) speaks the Beatitudes (Matt 5: 1-2) while Jesus goes to each lame or blind or crippled person to heal them.
Jesus speaks: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be
satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for
theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every
kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for
your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets
who were before you.
Action: Jesus and the apostles gather together and walk off the stage.
Narrator – Angel
Gabriel:
Jesus gradually led his apostles towards
Scene 9:
Music-Soft music
Action: Jesus sits down and motions for his disciples to sit with him. He takes bread, says the blessing, brakes it, and gave it to each of them. (Matt 26: 26-30)
Jesus speaks: “Take and eat, this is my body.”
Action: After they eat the bread, Jesus takes the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them.
Jesus speaks: “Drink from it all of you, for this is my blood of the convenient, which will be shed of behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.”
Action: The apostles didn’t yet understand. They laughed and talked as they sipped the wine.
Narrator-Angel
Gabriel:
After the Last Supper, Jesus led his disciples into the
Action: Jesus and his disciples walk into the
Jesus speaks: “Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Take this cup away from me, (Jesus pauses), but not what I will but what you will.”
Scene 10
Music: Spiritual or blues, with a soft background beat like a hammer hitting nails.
Action: Jesus bends his head in sorrow. Then he stands up and walks to front of stage.
Jesus speaks directly to audience: “What should I do? Will my death be worth it? Will anyone remember the choice I make this night. remember me in a hundred years, a thousand, two thousand? I can already hear the hammer and nails pound into my flesh.”
Action: Jesus puts his hands on his ears as if to stop the sound. The sound of a hammer hitting nails gets louder.
Jesus continues: “What choice would you have me make? I do this for you. Will you still harden your hearts against each other? Will you still use up your earth, ruin its rivers and oceans, corrupt your own souls with sin? Will you still destroy your cities and lands, turn them into an abominable desolation. Will my death change you, save you? Tell me, please, if you think my death is worth the price?’
Jesus pauses.
Jesus continues to speak: “And, if I do not die? What chance do the people of earth have then? I have taught you much and showed you a new way. I go to my death because I love you and you are my friends. What greater gift can a man give for a friend then his life? I give you all my love. Remember me.”
Action: Jesus hangs his head and calls to his
apostles to wake up. Judas walks into the garden followed by solders. (Mark 14: 43-45)
Jesus speaks: “Judas, would you betray me with a kiss?”
Action: Judas hugs and kisses Jesus. The Roman solders grab Jesus arms and lead him away.
Part III
Scene 11:
Music: Soft spiritual
Narrator – Angel Gabriel:
We angels were in agony while they beat Jesus with a whip. Then they dragged him to stand before Herod who put his thumb down against him. Finally Caesar allowed the crowd to choose his fate: ‘Crucify him. Crucify him,’ they yelled.
Action: The angels move around as if in agony. They surround Jesus while he is nailed to the cross on the ground. The audience doesn’t see this happen because the angels are in front of Jesus. The Audience hears the hammer striking nails. The angels are in agony. Finally, an angel waves her arm to stop time. All motion and sounds stops on the stage.
The angel pleads with Jesus to stop this madness but he refuses. Hanging her head, the angel moves her arm to allow time to roll once more and we again hear the hammer hitting nails. The angels act frantic. Jesus mother enters the stage and falls to the ground in grief.
Note: We don’t need to show a cross, only the angels wailing and moaning and running around with gestures to show their upset.
Jesus speaks: “My
God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark
15:33-35)
Action: Jesus dies at noon. All motion stops. All music ends. The angels become silent and hang their heads. After a few minutes of silence, we hear loud thunder and the cloth of the temple tears in half as lightening strikes the stage. (not sure how to get these effects)
Narrator – Angel Gabriel:
It is said that even God cried. We angels knew why Jesus had to die, but did he need to die so horribly? Oh, we cried so hard the heavens shook. Yet, God always knows what is best. God must have known beforehand that Jesus would emerge triumphant, that within death, he would turn his own body into light and resurrect himself. As the resurrected Christ he would save mankind because the people would never forget the promises and sacrifice Jesus made that day. Jesus believed his death on the cross would save humanity and it did, so far. After his death, Jesus opened the gate of paradise so that all people who accepted his teaching could enter.
Scene 12:
Music: Halleluiah or something grand
Stage: A great light blossoms on the earth.
Action: Jesus walks back on to the stage out of the
light. He greets Mary. (John 20:16-18)
Jesus speaks: Mary!
Mary speaks:
“Rabbi”
Jesus speaks: “Stop holding on to me, for I have not ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them. ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”
Action: Mary goes and tells the apostles. After a few minutes Jesus waves the music to a stop himself. The apostles walk on to the stage and Jesus shows them his hands. He breaks bread and drinks a cup of wine with them. As he hands each apostle a piece of bread and cup of wine, he repeats his words to them.
Jesus speaks: “This is my body, this is my blood. Do this in memory of me. Go and teach all nations until I return.”
Stage:
Music: Blissful
Action: Jesus and the angels walk to the side board and Jesus points to the picture of the beautiful cities and countryside of earth. They all smile as they walk back to paradise. One small angel wearing wings stops because she sees something hanging from Jesus neck. She points to Jesus’ neck.
The little Angel speaks: What is that hanging from your neck?
Action: Jesus bends down to answer her.
Jesus speaks: “This is two pieces of wood from earth, a symbol of my cross, and the people’s rebirth. They will wear this symbol in my name forever.”
The end
Notes: The Angel Chronicles – 2014
Synapses:
This play is seen from the view point of the angels. It
is a fictional passion play about Jesus’ attempt to save our souls and the
earth from destruction. It begins in the future with Jesus in
Costumes:
· Actors: Regular modern cloths with extra touches such as head coverings, shawls, canes, hoods.
· Angels: White gowns or suites except for the children who have wings. (Angels need to be distinguishable from the other people).
· Devil: Wear dark suite with cape, something like a vampire?
· Apostles: Modern fishing hats, fishing poles, nets, and waders.
· John the Baptist: Caveman style?
Comments:
· The actors can use their own words in many places. This will make conversations seem more normal.
·
This is a joyful play until the
· Music could be a single theme with different areas for mood or an arrangement of different musical pieces. I thought “Adagio for Strings” by Barber would be nice for some parts or Mozart’s Requiem might work well for the whole play.
· There should be time for a few dances.
· I tried to keep play short so the audience wouldn’t get bored. So not sure about timing.