Representation: The Birth

- This piece is based on biblical texts, the Gospel of St. Matthew, St. Luke and
St. John The transcribed passages are marked in their own dialogues or narratio
n.
Characters:
»1st Narrator» 2nd Narrator 'Zacharias' Elizabeth (wife of Zechariah) 'Relativ
es and friends of Zachary (4 or more people)' Angel 'Maria' Joseph 'King Herod'
Magi (Caspar, Belchior and Balthasar) »Pastors (3 people or more) »Man denies
hosting
Scenery and materials: "It is advisable to fund a mix of interior and exterior,
in one panel, in
that is included in a door. "A place fixed for two narrators. "The crib, which c
an always be present in a dimly lit area, which could spark a directional projec
tor at its use. »Clothing number they would use at the time. '3 Chests for offe
rs to Christ. (With the curtain closed the narrator reads the introduction)
1st Introduction: Narrator 1 - (John 1: 1-5) In the beginning was the Word, the
Word was in God and the Word was God. In the beginning He was God. For He is eve
rything that came into existence;
and without Him nothing came into existence. It is that life was all that came t
o be. And the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness but th
e darkness has not overcome it.
(Opens the curtain, the characters in their proper places, Zachariah prepares fo
r the ceremony)
Narrator 2 - (Lk 1: 5-11) At the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest
named Zechariah, whose wife was named Elizabeth. Both were just fulfilling flawl
essly all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. They had no children beca
use Elizabeth was barren, and the two were of advanced age. Now when Zacharias i
n the performance of duties, it fell to him, into the temple to burn incense. Th
e people were from outside in prayer. Then an angel appeared to him:
(Enter the Angel. Zachariah scared and frightened)
Angel-(LC 1, 13-17) Fear not, Zacharias: your prayer was answered. Elizabeth, yo
ur wife will give you a child and you'll call him John for you will be cause for
rejoicing, and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great before th
e Lord and not drink alcoholic beverage, is already filled with the Spirit from
the womb of its mother. Going forward, before the Lord, to bring back the hearts
of fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous
. Zechariah - (Lk 1, 18) How can this be, if I am old and my wife is advanced in
years? Angel - (Lk 1: 19-20) I am Gabriel, and was sent to you speak and procla
im this Good News. You'll be dumb until the day that all this happen, for thou h
ast not believed my words!
(Zechariah approaches the front of the stage, with a face of distress as he saw
a ghost who tries to explain to people what had happened, but do not leave word
of mouth. Dismayed leaves the stage. Closes the curtain)
Narrator 1 - (Lk 1, 24) after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and durin
g five months, remained hidden. (Luke 1: 26-27) In the sixth month the angel Gab
riel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee named Nazareth, To a virgin espous
ed to a man named Joseph of the virgin was Mary.
(Opens the curtain. The angel comes in and says:)
Angel - (Lk 1, 28) Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!
(Maria, frightened, sat on the knees)
Angel (Lk 1: 30-32) Mary, fear not, for you have found favor with God. Behold, y
ou will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus.
It will be great and will be called the Son of God. Mary - (Luke 1, 34) How wil
l this be, if I do not know man? Angel - (Lk 1: 35-37) The Holy Spirit will come
upon you and the power of the Most High will extend its shadow over you. So who
will be born will be called Son of God. Also your cousin Elizabeth conceived a
son in his old age and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren, b
ecause nothing is impossible with God! Mary - (Luke 1: 38) Behold the handmaid o
f the Lord, let it be to me according to your word!
(The angel leaves the stage and the curtain closes)
Narrator 2 - (MT 1, 19-20) However, Joseph her husband, who was a righteous man
and did not want to defame her, was worried about the situation. So he decided t
o put her away secretly. Walking him to think about this, behold, the angel of t
he Lord appeared to him in dreams and said:
(Opens the curtain. The angel appears while Joseph sleeps in the open field. Jos
eph wakes up quietly, as if still asleep and listen to what the angel mean)
Angel - (Mt 1: 20-21) Joseph is not afraid to take Mary your wife, because what
is she conceived of the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and thou shal
t name Jesus, because He will save his people from their sins.
(Joseph wakes and rises, leaving the stage towards the house) (Maria enters the
scene, and embraces Elizabeth, her cousin. Split time of gestures with the time
to read the narration)
Narrator 1 - (Lk 1: 39-42) In those days Mary set out on the road and went in ha
ste to the mountain, a city of Judea. He entered the house of Zechariah and gree
ted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the boy jumped for joy in h
er womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then, raising his voice,
exclaimed:
(Elizabeth, kneeling and clutching the hands of Mary, he says)
-Elizabeth (Luke 1: 42) Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of
thy womb! Mary - (Luke 1, 46-47) My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoic
es in God my Savior.
(The narrators remain together. The curtain closes before reaching the end)
Naradores 1 and 2 - (Lk 1: 48-56) Because he looked in the humility of his handm
aid. From now on, call me blessed all generations. The Almighty has done great t
hings for me. Holy is his name. His mercy is from generation to generation on th
ose who fear him. Expressed the strength of his arm and scattered the proud.
Put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted the humble. Filled with goods
to the hungry and the rich away empty. He has helped Israel his servant, rememb
ering his mercy, as he had promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendan
ts forever.
(Opens the curtain. You Zechariah, Elizabeth and friends, a great discussion)
Narrator 1 - (Lk 1: 57-60) However, the day came that Elizabeth should give birt
h and had a son. Her neighbors and relatives, knowing that the Lord had manifest
ed His mercy in it, rejoiced with her. On the eighth day they came to circumcise
the boy and wanted to give you the name of the father, Zacharias. But taking th
e word, the mother said Isabel-(Lk 1, 60) No! There must be called John Friend 1
- (Lk 1, 61) But there is nobody in your family who has that name! Why do you c
all John?! Friend 2 - (added) You better ask the father!
(By gesture and words spoken slowly ask the child's father, how they want the ca
ll)
Friend 3 - (added) How do you want to call your son?
(Zechariah asked for a plate gesture, they give it to him with something I write
, and he writes his name is John, and turns it to the public. At that time begin
s to praise God)
Zachariah - (added) My God! I praise you, for the son you gave me!
(People are scared with the fact that he starts to talk and talk among themselve
s, leaving the stage. Closes the curtain)
(The narrator reads with the curtain closed)
2nd Final John, (John 1, 6-13) Narrator 2 - A man sent from God, whose name was
John He came as a witness, to testify to the light and all might believe through
him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the Light The Word was the tr
ue Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world
and through him the world came into existence, but the world did not recognize.
He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But, as many as received Hi
m, to those who believe in him, gave them the power to become children of God. T
hese were not born of blood ties, not an impulse of the flesh nor of the will of
one man but of God.
(Opens the curtain. Enter Joseph and Mary, very tired. And moving from one place
to another on stage until the end of narration)
Narrator 1 - (Lk 2, 1-8) In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus th
at a census be taken throughout the land. This census was the first one, when Qu
irinius was governor of Syria. All went to be enrolled, each to his own city. Jo
seph also leaving the town of Nazareth in Galilee, went up to Judea, the city of
David called Bethlehem, to be enrolled with Mary, his wife, who was pregnant. A
nd when they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. How many
people was in town, Mary and Joseph could not place an inn.
(Mary and Joseph talk)
Joseph - (added) How tired are you, Maria! Maria - (added) Do not worry, Joe, I
can still walk ... Joseph - (added) I never imagined that so many people came to
Bethlehem for the census. Not a corner at the inn, all full, I do not know how
many doors have already hit, we need to find a home where we want to receive ...
Maria - (added) Trust in the Lord. He does everything well ... José-(added) Yo
u're right, but we can not stay here, let's try that house ...
(Approaching a door knock)
Man - (added) What do you want? José-(added) We are two travelers arriving from
Nazareth and who ask shelter for the night ... Man - (added) I'm sorry but I ha
ve a full house, go to inn ... Joseph - (added) and we have no place, my wife is
tired and my son should be born this night ... Man - (added) Even more this! No
, it can be! Look I can not do anything, but near the city gate, outside,€There
is a cave where shepherds take shelter from the rain. There are a ceiling and a
little straw to serve as a bed ...
(The man closes the door, Joseph and Mary then depart to the cave. Isntalam They
comfortably. Close the curtain, while the narrator begins to read. After the fi
rst sentence opens the curtain and are the shepherds to guard flocks. The nativi
ty scene can remain mounted in the place where, finding (center stage))
Narrator 2 - (Lk 2, 7) Maria then took his eldest son, who sat wrapped in swaddl
ing clothes and laid in a manger. (Lk 2: 80-10) In the same region there were sh
epherds staying out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. An a
ngel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them,
and they were sore afraid. Disselhes Angel: Angel-(Lk 2: 10-12) Fear not therefo
re preach to you a great joy which shall be to all people: Today, the city of Da
vid, born for you a Savior, who is the Messiah Lord. This will be the sign: find
an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. Narrator 1 - (Lk
2, 15) When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to on
e another, Pastor - (Lk 2, 15) Come to Bethlehem to see what happened and what t
he Lord has told us about !
(Pastors get up and leave the stage. Closes the curtain)
Narrator 1 - (Mt 2: 1) Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the time of King
Herod, wise men arrived in Jerusalem from the East. They were, Balthazar, Gaspar
and Belchior.
(Opens the curtain and the wise men come up to Herod)
King Magician 1 - (Mt 2, 2) Where is the king of the Jews has been born? King Wi
zard 2 - (Mt 2, 2) We have seen his star in the east and are come to worship him
. Herod - (Mt 2, 8) Here in Bethlehem! According to my scribes. I-and inquire of
you about this boy. Then turn back and say where it is, so I can go worship him
too!
(The wise men come out and the curtain closes)
Narrator 2 - (Mt 2: 9-12) After having heard the king, the wise men stood in the
ir way. And the star they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to
the place where the child was, she stopped. Seeing the star, felt an immense jo
y, and came into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother and Joseph fe
ll down and worshiped him: and opening their treasures they offered him gifts: g
old, frankincense and myrrh. Warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they retu
rned to their country by another way.
(Curtain opens, already there are pastors. The wise men approached the cave. Fel
l down and worship the boy and give him gifts)
Baltazar - (added) Jesus, I offer you gold, Thou art the son of God, thou also s
halt be God! Belchior - (added) Jesus, I offer incenço because they are human t
oo, were born and die as Man! Gaspar - (added) Jesus. I offer myrrh, thou art Ki
ng, Thy kingdom is great, and free your people!
(After a pause, the narrator ends with the curtain open)
3rd Final: (Jn 1: 14-18) Narrator 1 - And the Word became flesh and dwelt with u
s. And we beheld his glory, the glory that has only Son as the Father, full of g
race and truth. John testified to him and cried: "This was he of whom I said: 'H
e who comes after me ranks ahead because he existed before me."' Yes, we all par
take of its fullness, receiving grace upon grace . Is that the law was given by
Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. The God no one ever saw him. Th
e only Son, who is God and is in the bosom of the Father, He who was made known.
(The light of the stage starts off slowly in the last paragraph and in the end t
he curtain closes)
By Carlos Neto (the_locksmith@clix.pt)