Stranger In The City

A Mother’s Desperation. A Town’s Judgment. A Savior’s Healing.

In this powerful 18-minute drama, the Syrophoenician woman from Mark 7 comes to life with emotion, humor, and raw vulnerability. Stranger In The City follows Miriam, a widowed mother, as she struggles to raise her daughters—one of whom is tormented by a demon.

As family members judge, neighbors gossip, and religious opinions clash, Miriam’s desperation drives her to seek out a mysterious stranger said to heal the sick. But can she get close enough to be heard?

Featuring a rich cast of women, a dynamic confrontation with Jesus, and the joyful aftermath of healing, this drama beautifully combines Scripture, community conflict, and the unshakable hope of faith.

Cast: 9+

• Miriam - Syrophenician woman
• Priscilla – demon possessed daughter of Miriam
• Daughter1 – daughter of Miriam
• Daughter2 – daughter of Miriam
• Ruth – Miriam’s sister - very critical; believes that her daughter is the way she is because of sin
• Martha – Miriam’s sister
• Phoebe – Neighbor
• Johanna – Neighbor, she sings – “A Stranger in the City”  (Music not provided)
• Person1
• crowd as available

Bible Reference: Mark 7:1-29

Set: standard

Sound: wireless mics if available

Song:

• “Stranger In The City”  Inez Andrews, available on YouTube

Lighting: standard

SFX: none

Props: none

Costumes: likely traditional

Special Instructions: none

Time: 18

Sample script:

Scene 1 – Miriam’s Home

Lights up. MIRIAM, DAUGHTER1, and DAUGHTER2 enter and begin talking.

MIRIAM:
I simply don’t understand . . . What can be the problem?
You two should be betrothed, if not already married.
You have looks, you can cook—what more can any man want?
Here I am, a widowed lady alone, with three daughters—what am I to do?

DAUGHTER1:
Well Mom, it’s not as if I’m dragging my heels on marriage . . .
Just send me any great-looking, rich farmer with 10,000 sheep, 500 camels, and the cattle on a thousand hills, and I am good to go on marriage.

DAUGHTER2:
I am not nearly as picky as my sister.
Just give me a very old, very rich man with no livestock but with a severe and degenerative heart condition, and I am in love.

MIRIAM:
You girls make jokes, but the fact is you need husbands—and now.
What am I to do?

PRISCILLA enters, sits on the floor, eyes closed, rocking back and forth, humming tunelessly.

DAUGHTER1:
Maybe if you start by moving her out of the house it would help.

DAUGHTER2:
Our family is known as the one with the weird daughter.

PRISCILLA screams at the others, pulls at her hair and clothing.

DAUGHTER1:
That for sure is attractive!
What chance do we have of getting a husband when people think this whole family is mental?

DAUGHTER2:
Mom, you don’t know what it is like to have everyone talk behind your back, point and whisper.

MIRIAM (angrily):
You say I don’t know? . . . You would dare say I don’t know?

DAUGHTER1:
You don’t have to be around our friends when they make fun of us.

MIRIAM (furious):
Don’t you ever go there! Never say such a thing!
Don’t forget—I am her mother!
I am the one known as “the mother of the imbecile”!
I am the one who must face the stares and the glares every time I go to the market!
Even worse—I am the one that is pitied!
(makes a face)
“Oh you poor dear!”
“Such a burden you must carry!”
“Giving life to the deranged one!”
Yes—that is what I hear daily!
So don’t you ever infer that I have it easy!

DAUGHTER2:
Sorry Mom, I just thought . . .

MIRIAM:
No you did not think!
Had you thought before you spoke you would never have made such a cruel statement!

DAUGHTER1:
Mom, we . . .

MIRIAM:
Get out of my sight! . . . Go!

DAUGHTER1 and DAUGHTER2 exit quickly. MIRIAM looks at PRISCILLA, shakes her head, begins to cry.

A knock. RUTH, MARTHA, PHOEBE, and JOHANNA enter.

They glance at PRISCILLA and try to ignore her.

MIRIAM:
What brings all of you to my house?

RUTH:
Perhaps, Miriam, you have forgotten that Martha and I are your sisters?

MIRIAM:
No Ruth, I have not forgotten—but you are hardly a frequent visitor.

MARTHA:
And visiting with you is hardly the pleasant event that one looks forward to, what with . . (points to PRISCILLA) . . .with her acting up as she does.

RUTH:
It is only because we love you and want the best for you that we make the substantial effort to be here.

MARTHA:
One would think you would be grateful that we come, dear.

MIRIAM (with false cheer):
Of course, Martha—I am grateful beyond words!

PHOEBE (pointing to JOHANNA):
Johanna and I just came as concerned neighbors; we wonder if there is anything we can do to assist in some way.

JOHANNA:
We really do want to help if we can.

PRISCILLA screams again, moves to the back of the stage, and resumes rocking.

MIRIAM:
What do all of you suggest?
Tell me what I can do with . . . (points at PRISCILLA) . . .with her.

RUTH:
First you must go to the temple and make a sin offering.

MIRIAM:
A sin offering? I am human, I sin—but for which particular sin am I confessing?

MARTHA:
Only you can know the sin which caused God’s wrath.

RUTH:
Only you and God, that is.

MIRIAM:
God’s wrath?

RUTH:
My Eli says it is clear that you committed a grievous sin against God—that God would so affect this . . . (points to PRISCILLA) . . .this person, this thing.

MIRIAM:
Oh your husband says that, does he?

RUTH:
My Eli serves in the temple. He knows these things.

MIRIAM:
Your husband Eli is an idiot—and the whole town laughs at him behind his back!

MARTHA:
If you will remember, our mother warned you not to marry Max.

RUTH:
We all knew there had been generations of mental illness in Max’s family.

MIRIAM:
The only reason you were all against Max is because his father died penniless.

MARTHA:
Take a sin offering. Go to the temple and admit that you sinned.
Perhaps God may forgive you and might even remove the curse.

MIRIAM:
Get out of here—all of you!

MARTHA:
Fine, you ungrateful fool. But you know we are right!

RUTH and MARTHA exit.

PHOEBE:
If there is anything we can do to help . . .

MIRIAM (laughs):
You heard my sisters.
I am the demon-possessed mother of a demon-possessed daughter!
Now leave me alone!

PHOEBE exits.

JOHANNA:
There is a stranger in the city.

MIRIAM:
A stranger? Tyre is full of strangers.

JOHANNA:
This is a different kind of stranger.

MIRIAM:
Different? How different—in what way?

JOHANNA:
He is a man of God.

MIRIAM:
Just what I need, Johanna—another temple preacher to tell me what I have done wrong.

JOHANNA:
He is different, Miriam.
He heals people.

MIRIAM:
I have tried all the doctors.

JOHANNA:
You should see Jesus.

MIRIAM:
Jesus?

JOHANNA:
He is Jesus of Nazareth.
Some say He is the Messiah.
He heals the blind, causes those who can’t walk to jump and run.
And just last week—He raised someone from the dead.

MIRIAM:
If only I could believe . . .

JOHANNA begins to sing “Stranger In The City” by Inez Andrews.

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