The Samaritan Woman Adaptation

The Samaritan woman recounts the life-changing encounter she had with Jesus at Jacob’s well. She explains how she avoids drawing water in the morning to escape the judgment of her village. But on one particular day, she meets a Jewish man sitting by the well—Jesus—who surprises her by asking for a drink.

Shocked that a Jew would speak to a Samaritan woman, she listens as He offers her living water, promising that those who drink it will never thirst again. Confused at first, she assumes He means the deep, rushing water of the well, but Jesus reveals that He is speaking of eternal life. The woman is drawn in by His words, realizing that this encounter is far more profound than she first imagined.

Cast:

• 1 f middle age or older (monolog)

Bible Reference: John 4:7

Set: standard

Sound: wireless mics if available

Song: none

Lighting: standard

SFX: none

Props:

• water pot

Costumes:

• likely traditional but could be contemporary

Special Instructions: none

Time: 4

Sample of script:

actress comes on stage

Shalom! Greetings! Peace be with you!
I am the Samaritan woman Jesus spoke with at the well. Let me tell you about the day I met The Master.

I go to the well every day to draw water for our home. Most of the people in my village go early in the morning when it’s a little cooler, but I try to go closer to the noontime hour. It is much warmer then, especially since it’s a long walk to Jacob’s well, but I prefer to go then. See, many in my village do not like me because of some of the poor choices I made when I was young, and their rude remarks sometimes hurt much more than the sun on my skin. So, it is better that I go at a different time.

But that day – it was just lovely. It was not as hot as it had been the day before. As I approached Jacob’s well, I saw there was a man sitting upon it. I stayed to this side so I wouldn’t disturb him, but he jumped off, spun around, and with a great big smile, he said, “Shalom” and asked me for a drink of water! You could have knocked me over with a feather! As soon as I saw him, I could tell he was a Jew. Jewish men do not talk with women when others aren’t around – and there was no one there but He and I! And besides that – I am a Samaritan. Everyone knows that Jews despise Samaritans! They will cross to the other side of the road rather than pass too closely to one of us!

But He just kept right on talking, and I felt quite comfortable. He said that if I knew who He was, that I could ask for a drink, and He would give me “living water.” Now, the only “living” water I could think He might be referring to is the rushing, swirling, churning water in the deepest part of the well. There is no way He could reach that far down into Jacob’s well to draw up some of the rushing, churning, “living” water. He then told me that if I would drink of this “living water” that only He could offer, that I would never thirst again – that the water would be like a well inside me, offering everlasting life.

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