Got Oil?
A Play in 3 Acts
This short drama brings life to the phrase and U.S. Coast
Guard motto,
Semper Paratus or “always
ready” or the Boy Scout Motto, “Be prepared.”
It is the Parable of the 10 Virgins found in
Matthew
25:1-13 lived out through as few as 5 or as many as 20 cast members. It reminds us that while we are loving,
caring, and sharing people; our faithfulness to Christ (symbolized in the oil)
is not for sale or loan or to be bartered away.
Let’s thrown in one more motto: Semper
Fidelis. Leathernecks know that this
is “Always Faithful.” We are to live
faithfully in the Kingdom of God now—that means following Jesus now—so that on
the day of Christ’s return we will not be caught off guard.
It is recommended that all cast members read Matthew 24 and
25 for a week before assigning parts.
Discuss what it means not to know the day or the hour of our Lord’s
return. Discuss putting our talents to
work. Discuss the separation described
at the end of the age.
Now select parts, get into character, and have fun
presenting the Parable of the 10 Virgins in a fresh new way.
Cast
Meg (with oil)
Mattie (with oil)
Sally (without oil)
Shirley (without oil)
Groom
Crowd (can be
imagined where there is a small cast)
Offstage Voice
Echoed Voice
Voice from inside the
door [can be Offstage Voice if needed]
Act I
[Four girls sitting on steps with lamps. Meg and Mattie have containers of oil]
Meg: They are going
to be so happy.
Mattie: I’m so happy for her.
Meg: Yes, and one day
it will be our day and other young ladies will line the way for that wonderful
day.
Mattie: And you have
a way with words.
[Sally and Shirley roll their eyes]
Sally: Really, don’t
you think this whole waiting for the groom and his party is a bit overplayed?
Shirley: I don’t
know. The food is always good at these
things.
Sally: If you can
wait that long.
Shirley [looking at Meg and Mattie]: You ladies bring anything to eat?
Meg and Mattie [together]:
Yes.
[Both dig into their bags]
Meg: How about some
fresh baked cookies?
Shirley: You bet!
Mattie: Or some
energy bars?
Sally: Now we’re
talking.
[The girls share their food]
Sally [Looking at Meg and pointing to a large bottle she
took out of her bag]: And that’s some
oil.
[Mattie takes out her larger bottle of oil and shows it to
Meg]: Had a coupon for the large size.
Meg: You are so going
to be the Proverbs 31 wife.
[Mattie smiles]: That’s
my hope.
Sally: How about you
let me have some of that?
Shirley: Yeah, I
could use some too.
Meg: You had better
get your own.
Mattie: Yes, get some
while you still have time.
Shirley: We've got
time.
Sally: What’s the
rush?
Mattie: Really,
ladies, this isn’t something to be put off.
Meg: Trust her. You need to have your own oil. There is time now. Why don’t you go now?
[Both Sally and Shirley wave their hands at the other two as
to give them the brush off]
Sally: Wish I had
brought my nail kit.
Meg: Oh here, you can
use mine.
Sally: What’s up with
that? You won’t give me any oil but you
feed me and you would let me use your nail kit.
Meg: Yes. This oil has a very special and very specific
purpose. It’s not for me. It is for the bridegroom. I am going to be ready for his coming.
Mattie: Same here.
Shirley: You two are
bonkers.
Sally: Ditto
Meg: Call us what you
want, but we will be ready.
Shirley: Bonkers.
[All four girls pantomime continued conversation until
gradually all fall asleep]
Offstage Voice: Get
ready! The groom is coming. Get ready!
[The girls awaken and wipe the sleep from their eyes]
Echoed Voice: Get
ready! The groom is coming. Get ready.
Get read. Get ready [Fading out]
Meg: Isn't this
exciting. Let’s get our lamps going.
Mattie: I’ll help you first.
[The two pantomime pouring oil into their lamps and lighting
them]
Meg: They are getting
close. I can hear the crowd.
Mattie: Oh, how I
have waited for this!
Sally: Hey! Give us some oil.
Shirley: Come
on. Let us have some of your oil.
Meg: You need to go
quickly and buy some for yourself. Hurry
before the wedding party gets here.
Sally: Really, you
won’t give us your oil?
Shirley: Yeah,
really?
Meg: This oil is my
steadfast readiness.
Mattie: Sort of my
faithfulness.
Meg: My oil won’t
help you. You really need your own.
Mattie: You really
should hurry.
Sally: Pleeeaaaaaaaaase!
Shirley: And pretty
pleeeasssssssssssssse!
Meg: Hurry.
Mattie: You are
running out of time.
[Sally and Shirley throw up their hands walking off, turning
back to shake their fists, walking more, turning back and putting their hands
on their hips]
Shirley: Get my own
oil, really? We will just see how this
comes out.
Sally [Looking out into audience]: Yeah, what she said.
[Sally and Shirley exit stage left]
[The wedding party enters stage right and exits stage
center. People in the crowd are waving
to Meg and Mattie.]
Crowd:
Come on!
Follow us!
It’s time to party!
Get your lamps and join in!
[Meg and Mattie smile at each other]: Let’s go!
[The entire group exits stage center making all sorts of
celebratory noises]
TURN LIGHTS DOWN
THE STAGE IS SILENT AND NEARLY DARK FOR ABOUT 20 SECONDS
Act II
[Sally and Shirley enter stage left. Lighting remains low.]
Sally: Where is
everyone?
Shirley: They are
gone.
Sally: I hear a party
going on in there [pointing to stage center].
Shirley: That’s where
we are headed then.
[Both walk a few steps forward and knock on an imaginary
door facing the audience.]
A KNOCKING SOUND IS AMPLIFIED OVER THE LOUD SPEAKER TO
COINCIDE WITH THE KNOCK ON THE IMAGINARY DOOR.
Voice from inside the door:
Who is it?
Shirley: Shirley.
Sally: Sally.
Shirley and Sally together:
Shirley and Sally.
Voice from inside the door:
Don’t know you.
Shirley: Sure you
do. We waited for hours with our lamps.
Sally: Yeah, and we
even went to get oil.
Voice from inside the door:
Don’t know you.
Both girls collapse and cry themselves to sleep.
[Voice from inside the door reads the scripture]
New
Century Version (NCV)
36 "No one knows when that day or time will be, not the
angels in heaven, not even the Son. Only the Father knows. 37When the
Son of Man comes, it will be like what happened during Noah's time.38 In
those days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and
giving their children to be married, until the day Noah entered the boat.39 They
knew nothing about what was happening until the flood came and destroyed them.
It will be the same when the Son of Man comes.40 Two
men will be in the field. One will be taken, and the other will be left. 41 Two
women will be grinding grain with a mill. One will be taken, and the other
will be left.
42 "So
always be ready, because you don't know the day your Lord will come. 43 Remember
this: If the owner of the house knew what time of night a thief was coming, the
owner would watch and not let the thief break in.44 So
you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at a time you don't
expect him.
Act III
LIGHTS COME UP
[Meg and Mattie enter stage right and see Sally and Shirley asleep]
Meg: Are they OK?
Mattie: I think they
are just sleeping.
Meg [gently touching Sally]:
Are you OK?
Sally [Awakening]:
What?
Shirley [Awakening and rubbing her eyes]: What’s happening?
Mattie: You girls,
really. I don’t know what to think of
you.
Meg: It’s only the
biggest day of the year. The
wedding? Remember?
Shirley and Sally [together]: It’s today???
Meg and Mattie [together]:
Yeah!
Shirley and Sally [together]: Really?
We didn't miss it?
Meg: No, silly, let’s
go.
Shirley: Not so fast.
[Shirley and Sally look at each other and shake their heads
in agreement]
Sally: Yeah, not so
fast. We need to get some oil for our
lamps first.
Shirley and Sally [together]: We’ll meet you there.
[Shirley and Sally run off stage left]
Meg and Mattie [together]:
Good call.
[Meg and Mattie walk off stage right]
Meg: Nothing like
being always ready.
Mattie: Well, you
never know…
[Meg and Mattie pantomime their conversation until off
stage]
[Voice from inside the door reads the scripture]
The
Last Trumpet Sounds
15-18 The
seventh Angel trumpeted. A crescendo of voices in Heaven sang out,
The
kingdom of the world is now
the
Kingdom of our God and his Messiah!
He will rule forever and ever!
The End
Copyright Notice
Use of this work without the express written consent of the
author is authorized, encouraged, and may be done with or without giving credit
to the author. Use this to bring glory
to God. Use it to lead people to Christ. Use it to be a light in this often dark world
and the God-seasoning of the earth. Use
it to help people laugh, learn, and love.
Put it to work so that people will respond with the faith God has given
them and proclaim Jesus to be Lord.