Double-Crossed
This ten-minute comedy opens as three men enter, complaining
of the cold. Because they lack the
resources to warm themselves, they brainstorm alternatives and warm each
other. Jesus, dragging the cross, is
then led in by two guards. The cold men
covet the wood out of which the cross is made, and see their chance to “mug”
Jesus. In clownish combat scenes, they
relieve an unwilling Jesus and his guards of the cross and drag it offstage.
Jesus appeals to his Father, who smites him. Followers of Jesus enter in comedic sorrow and witness his resurrection. However, when Jesus confirms that he hadn’t really been dead, the hand of God smites both him and all of his followers. The invisible power of God then drags the cross back onstage and up into the wings, leaving the three cold men to commiserate together as before.
Play Structure: |
1
Act: 10-minute play |
Cast size: |
6,
plus extras |
Gender: |
6
male, plus extras of both genders |
Period: |
The
year 0 A.D. |
Location: |
A cold
and barren hillside near the site where Jesus is to be crucified. |
Set: |
An empty
stage with sparse environmental indicators. |