Influence of a Baby King

A king was born one night long ago.

Born in unspectacular circumstances, a king long awaited. But no one expected that the king would be a baby, . . a Baby King. Nor did anyone expect the influence this Baby King would have, on those with whom He came in contact, on all humanity since that night. Mary, the mother of Jesus, and John, the disciple, were instructed by Jesus at the cross to be “mother” and “son” to each other. Now years later they remember the birth of Jesus, and the life that lead to the cross. Along the way, there are flashbacks where we meet the angel Gabriel, Joseph, the innkeeper and his wife, the wise men, shepherds, and a Roman soldier.

Cast: 15+

• 15+ with 14 speaking roles and offstage male voice plus as many crowd persons as available

Bible Reference:  Luke 2
Set:

• mainly a blank set except for the stable scene, the flashbacks can be on a separate stage, or on a part of the stage which is set aside by lighting, or can be behind a scrim

Sound: wireless mic
Song: none
Lighting:

• at least one spot and a small light for the star

SFX: none
Props: scroll
Costumes: likely traditional
Special Instructions:

Time: 30

Sample of script:

Mary walks onstage carrying candle or lantern which she lights, sets on table, runs fingers across surface fingering workmanship, deep in thought.
John walks in, speaks...

John: Mary? (pause) Mary...are you alright?

Mary: Oh....John.....yes...I was deep in thought . . . in a memory.

John: What is it Mary?

Mary: It was 34 years ago, on this very night. Today would have been his birthday. (big sigh) Thirty four years . . . . (closes eyes) Seems so long ago, yet in some ways . . . yesterday...

John: Tell me about it Mary, I want to know. Begin at the beginning. I want to know everything . . . . every detail. It is good that these memories do not die.

Mary looks at John, smiles, ruffles his hair

Mary: John, John, dear John. You are so dear to me!

John: Did he not instruct me to be your son, and you to be my mother?

Mary: Yes, indeed he did, from the cross. (pauses, remembers) . . . “Dear woman, behold your son.”

John: And to me . . . “Behold your mother.”

John goes to Mary, puts his arms around her

John: I want to know every detail, from the very beginning, in the stable.

Mary: The stable was not the beginning, far from it. That night was in many ways the culmination, the zenith of that which had been long prophesied . . . the coming of the Messiah.

John: How did you know these things?

Mary: Know? What was I to know, and how? I was a mere child, recently pledged to marry Joseph, the handsome carpenter. All I knew I learned at my mother’s knee, and all I cared was that I was so, so in love with my Joseph.

John: So then, Joseph taught you what was about to happen?

Mary, laughs: No, no not Joseph, for he fought through his own lack of understanding. (thinks) No, it was the angel Gabriel who came to me, explained what was to happen, and how God had chosen me.

lights up on side acting area, Young Mary (YM) is sitting, lights intensify, Gabriel comes on stage

Gabriel: Good morning!
You're beautiful with God's beauty,
Beautiful inside and out!
God be with you.

YM stands, frightened

Gabriel, smiles reassuringly: It’s alright Mary, you have nothing to fear.
God has a wonderful surprise for you: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus.
He will be great,
and be called “Son of the Highest.”
The Lord God will give him
the throne of his father David;
He will rule Jacob's house forever . . .
no end, ever, to his kingdom.

YM, confused: I don’t understand . .. How? . . . I've never slept with a man.

Gabriel: The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
the power of the Highest hover over you;
Therefore, the child you bring to birth
will be called Holy, Son of God.

YM: But . . .

Gabriel: Amazing, isn’t it? But did you know that your cousin Elizabeth conceived a son, old as she is? Everyone called her barren, and here she is six months pregnant! See, Mary, nothing is impossible with God.

YM: I see it all now:
I'm the Lord's maid, ready to serve.
Let it be with me
just as you say.

lights down on side acting area

John: If that had been me I doubt I would have been so compliant.

Mary: John, your time for doing the will of God has not yet completely come . . . but come it will.

John: And what of Joseph . . did he take this news as well as you?

Mary: Well? Let us say Joseph . . . struggled. . . Joseph did not take the news particularly well.

lights up on side acting area, Joseph is pacing,

Joseph: Pregnant!
How could she?
I trusted her . .
Yet, even so, . . .The solution is obvious . . I will quietly divorce her . . .
Oh. . . my Mary . . . why did you . . .?

lights intensify, Gabriel comes on stage

Gabriel: Joseph, son of David, don't hesitate to take Mary as your wife. The baby she carries is God’s own son, it was God's Holy Spirit which made her pregnant. The child she gives birth to, a son, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus, that is ‘God saves’ for he will save mankind from their sins.

lights down somewhat, Joseph looks around, smiles, starts to walk off, lights off

Mary: The happiest day of my life . . Joseph and I were married.

John: Tell me again, every detail, the night of his birth.

Mary, smiling: You were there, in the crowd, with Salome, your mother. You like Joseph and I, and our families from Nazareth, were all required to go to Bethlehem for the census.

John: I was only a child, not much more than a baby myself. Tell me the truth so that I will know.

Mary, remembering: We had been travelling all those long days. Joseph, in his thoughtfulness had provided a colt for me to ride. But the swaying of the colt, combined with the effects of my advanced pregnancy, made my first sight of Bethlehem less than exciting.
While most of our family found overnight shelter among the sparse brush on the hillside, Joseph vowed that I would have the best room that the town could provide. . . . Joseph had forgotten to factor in the needs of the Roman army who had demanded the few decent rooms available.

lights up on stable scene, Joseph helps YM on stage, followed by Innkeeper and wife

Innkeeper: It’s not much, friend, but I regret it’s the best this town has to offer.

Wife: The Roman tyrants have even commandeered our own bed; otherwise it would be yours for the taking.

Want to see how the story unfolds? DramaShare members get this complete script— and access to our entire library—free! Not a member? You can still grab this individual script and bring it to life.