The Bellwether

A tired soul on a park bench. A friend who won’t push but won’t disappear. And a song that does the talking when words fall short. The Bellwether is a gentle, visual parable about why Jesus is the Good Shepherd—and how He often guides us back by example, not force. As the singer pours out “Bellwether,” leaves stir, hearts soften, and Debbie remembers what first drew her to Christ in the first place. It’s simple staging with a surprising hush at the end—the kind of moment people sit with on the drive home.

Run-Time: ~6–8 minutes (dialogue + live song cue)
Cast Number: 3 (Laura, Debbie, Singer)
Biblical Reference: Psalm 23; John 10:11–16; Luke 19:10
Setting: Autumn park bench; vocalist on a small riser just upstage or side stage
Props: Park bench; backdrop/trees; fall leaves; 2 small fans (leaf movement); spotlights for bench and singer

Song, (not included): Bellwether by Eddie Carswell, Paul Smith, Oliver Wells and Niles Borop from Living Proof Album 1990 Dayspring Music (a division of Word Inc.) Order your sheet music from your local Christian Bookstore.

Special Instructions: The major part of the impact of this drama comes not from the drama itself but from the song and the non-verbal acting by the female actors. The non-verbal acting is key to the success of the drama and must be very well rehearsed in order that they are able to put across to the audience the message without the benefit of words.

Conduct of Characters:

• Laura is a quiet, smiling, friendly, confident person who seems to radiate support for others.
• Debbie is a very quiet person who must project uncertainty and concern for where she is at in her personal life.
• Singer - it is critical that the singer be very expressive and that the song be very thoroughly rehearsed.

Props:
Park bench with backdrop of trees, park behind female actors, this will be set up at center stage center. There will be a spotlight on this scene, the light of which is just large enough to cover the immediate area.Sample of script:

Sample Script

Lights slowly come up on showing park bench. After 30 seconds Debbie walks slowly on stage from down stage right. She looks around, paces very slowly back and forth twice in front of park bench being very careful to never go beyond the spotlight. She looks into the distance right, into the distance left then looks at the ground, kicks at an imaginary something, stretches, yawns. She looks around again, looks over her shoulder at the park bench as though seeing it for the first time. She brushes off imaginary dust and carefully sits down. She crosses and uncrosses her legs three times, moves as if to try to find a comfortable position. She holds her hands in front of her, examining them, then cups her chin in her hands, elbows on knees, stares blankly at the ground. Turn fans on low volume so that leaves move around as the music starts. Play music for the first verse and chorus, (1 minute, 45 seconds). During the playing of the music Debbie is motionless. At the end of the first chorus music fades out, lights come up, Debbie looks slowly and listlessly about. Laura strolls on stage from down stage right, sees Debbie, smiles and waves.

Laura: Hi Debbie, how are ya doing. Mind if I come sit with you?

Debbie: Uh sure Laura. Come and sit down.

Laura sits down: Just sitting here enjoying this gorgeous weather?

Debbie: Uh yeh, I guess so.

Laura: What's wrong Debbie? Since you became a Christian you've seemed so happy and content. Now you are acting like you've lost your best friend.

Debbie laughs: I think you may be closer to the truth than you realize.

Laura: Want to talk about it?

Debbie: I'm not sure what you can do. But I do trust you as a friend Laura. You see I'm really mixed up. When I became a Christian everything seemed to be answers and solutions. But in the last few days it seems like it's questions and doubts and uncertainties.

Laura: I'm sorry to hear that Debbie, but I'm not really surprised. As a new creation in Christ you will be under attack by the enemy.

Debbie: Well I guess I knew that this would happen. But it's just that the strengths that I used to find in the Bible I'm, well I'm, I guess, questioning and doubting.

Laura: As I recall one of your favorite portions of scripture is Psalm 23. Don't you find that this helps?

Debbie: That's just the point. I always thought that the Lord, being my Shepherd, would be there to guide me. But lately He doesn't seem to be.

Laura: I think you have a lot to learn about being a shepherd. Sure a shepherd guides through force when necessary, that's why he has a guide dog who chases the sheep and nips at their heels and stuff like that. But mainly he guides by example. That's why he has a bellwether.

Debbie: A bellwether, what's that?

Laura: A bellwether is a special, trusted sheep. The other sheep in the flock tend to follow the bellwether and many times the bellwether brings them back to the safety, not by force as the dog would, but by example and leadership as the bellwether would. Debbie, I think that God sent Jesus into our lives as an example, not as an enforcer. He came to seek and save those who were lost, to be our bellwether and to bring us back to His safety. . . 

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