DramaShare Ministries
Stranger In The City
Stranger In The City
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Theme: The Syrophenician woman deals with having a demon possessed daughter
Bible Reference: Mark 7:1-29
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
Set: Scene 1 – Miriam’s Home – living room
Scene 2 – blank stage
Scene 3 – Miriam’s Home – living room
Lighting: standard
Sound: Song: “Stranger In The City” Inez Andrews, available on YouTube
Costumes: likely traditional
Time: 18
Sample of script:
Scene 1 – Miriam’s Home
Miriam, Daughter1 and Daughter2 come on stage, 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 comes on stage, sits on floor, eyes closed, rocking back and forth, humming tuneless song
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 stands, screams at the others, pulls at her own 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, angry: 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, angry: 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 it 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!
Daughters quickly leave the stage
Miriam looks at Priscilla, shakes her head, cries
A knock, Ruth, Martha, Phoebe and Johanna come on stage
They look at Priscilla, 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, phoney:
Of course Martha, I am grateful beyond words!
Phoebe, points 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 at others, then moves to upstage location, sits on the floor and rocks back and forth
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 and 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 start off stage
Phoebe: If there is anything we can do to help . . .
Miriam, laugh: You heard my sisters. . . I am the demon possessed mother of a demon possessed daughter! . . Now leave me alone!
Phoebe leaves
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 sings “Stranger In The City” by Inez Andrews
The complete script, plus all 2,000 other DramaShare scripts, are available at no charge to DramaShare members, non-members may purchase the individual script.
Syrophenician woman deals with having a demon possessed daughter.
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 of script:
Scene 1 – Miriam’s Home
Miriam, Daughter1 and Daughter2 come on stage, 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 comes on stage, sits on floor, eyes closed, rocking back and forth, humming tuneless song
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 stands, screams at the others, pulls at her own 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, angry: 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, angry: 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 it 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!
Daughters quickly leave the stage
Miriam looks at Priscilla, shakes her head, cries
A knock, Ruth, Martha, Phoebe and Johanna come on stage
They look at Priscilla, 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, phoney:
Of course Martha, I am grateful beyond words!
Phoebe, points 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 at others, then moves to upstage location, sits on the floor and rocks back and forth
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 and 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 start off stage
Phoebe: If there is anything we can do to help . . .
Miriam, laugh: You heard my sisters. . . I am the demon possessed mother of a demon possessed daughter! . . Now leave me alone!
Phoebe leaves
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 sings “Stranger In The City” by Inez Andrews