Joy To The Bereaved

Christmas, the time of “joy to the world.”

Yet there are those who will spend their first Christmas alone.
And in those lives joy will be in very short supply.
What do we say to someone who has lost a life partner, a husband, and face the despair of total aloneness at Christmas? And what does that hurting person say to his/herself? And how does he/she handle faith during this challenging time.
I posted this script, a reminder we need to seek out and reach out to those new to "aloneness."

Cast: 1 monolog, female middle age
Bible Reference: John 16:20
Set: Blank, window is mimed
Sound: wireless mic
Song: none
Lighting: as available
SFX: none
Props: none
Costumes: standard
Special Instructions:
Time: 4

Sample of script:

Actress comes on stage, pulls the corner of the curtain, peeks out a window at side stage.
(Moves back from window, angry, hurt.)

JANICE:
How dare they stop in front of my house, sing that song?
How dare they?

“Joy to the World” indeed!
Where’s the joy?

(Peeks back out the curtains.)
They are still there! . . . Singing! . . .
It’s the youth group from church . . .
Singing . . .
To me . . .
Singing to the widow Anderson . . .

I am . . . the widow Anderson . . .
Janice Anderson . . .
The recently widowed . . . Janice Anderson . . .
That’s me . . . I am . . .

(Head in hands, sobs.)
Just twelve days ago, I was Mrs. Janice Anderson, proud wife of Ray Anderson. . .
We were sitting together on the couch watching TV, enjoying our breakfast coffee, and . . .
Ray looked over at me . . . I will never forget that look . . . And he slumped over and . . .
He was . . . gone . . .

(Sobs.)
And I am alone . . .
Alone . . .

And now the youth group from church drop by at the widow Anderson’s house . . .
To sing “Joy to the World”!

Only one problem . . .
In my whole world . . .
In my whole widowed world . . .
There is . . . no . . . joy!

(Listens.)
Good Christian men rejoice!

(Shakes head, wipes eyes.)
Good for you, good Christian men! . . . But there’s no rejoicing for this Christian widow!

(Pauses, thinks.)
Joyful all ye nations rise!
Strange . . . just twelve days ago, I used to live in that joyful nation! . . . Now it’s . . .

(Pauses.)
Glad tidings of great joy they bring . . . to you and all mankind . . .

(Sobs.)
God, why did you take Ray?
Why couldn’t we have both . . . I mean . . .
God . . . do you have any idea how lonely I am? . . . How totally empty my life has become?

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.