— 52 — G O D S P E L L

The parable is elaborately acted out, story-theatre style, as it is being told. The
Narrators use different voices to characterize the various characters, and the characters’
words are mouthed by those portraying them. As many illustrative sight gags and
visual puns as possible may be employed. For instance, in the original, when GEORGE
said: “So, he divided his estate between them,” CELISSE, as the Servant, took a piece of
Styrofoam, loudly broke it over her knee, and handed each piece to one of the sons. And
so on. The point is to be as imaginative and amusing as possible.)

GEORGE
Once upon a time there was a man who had two sons. And the younger said to
his father: “Father, give me my share of the property.” So, he divided his estate
between them. A few days later the younger son turned the whole of his share into
cash and left home for a distant country, where he squandered it in reckless living.
He had spent it all, when a severe famine fell upon the country and he began to feel
the pinch. (Ouch!) So he decided to attach himself to one of the local landowners…
(NICK, the Son, attaches himself with a sucking sound to JUDAS,
the Landowner.)
…Who sent him on the farm to mind the swine.
JUDAS
(Ordering NICK)
Swine!
NICK
Swine?
ANNA MARIA, MORGAN, UZO & LINDSAY
(As Pigs)
Pigs!
GEORGE
He would have been glad to have filled his belly with the pods that the pigs were
eating…
(NICK gets down to try to eat with the pigs, but they shoo him off.)

PIGS
Oink, oink, buster!
GEORGE
…But no one gave him anything. Then he came to his senses (BOING!) and said:
“How many of my father’s paid servants have more food than they can eat, and here
I am starving to death. I will set off and I will go to my father and I will say to him:
‘Father, I have sinned against God and against you; I am no longer fit to be called
your son; treat me as one of your paid servants.’“ So he set out for his father’s house,
 G O D S P E L L — 53 —

(GEORGE)
but while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and his heart went out to
him. (Lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub) The son ran to meet his father, threw his
arms around him, and kissed him, saying: “Father, I have sinned against God and
against you; I am no longer fit to be called your son;
treat me as one of your paid servants.” But the father called to one of his servants:
(Whistle)
“Quick, fetch me my robe, my best one. Put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet
and bring the fatted calf and kill it.
(LINDSAY, as the fatted calf, skips happily on, clanging a cowbell, and is immediately
shot.)
And let us have a feast to celebrate the day, for this son of mine was lost and is
found.” And the festivities began!
(ALL begin enacting festivities. GEORGE becomes the elder son, as JUDAS takes up
narration.)

JUDAS
Now, the elder son was out on the farm, working. (Whew!) And on his way back, as
he approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called to one of the
servants and asked him what it meant. The servant said: “Uh, uh, uh, your nephew
— nope, nope, nope, your cousin — nope, nope, your brother, yup, your brother’s
come back home again and your father’s killed the fatted calf ‘cause he has him back
safe and sound, yup, yup, yup!” But the brother was …
(GEORGE enacts being boiling mad. JUDAS watches him, searching for the right word
to describe what he sees.)
…irritated.
GEORGE
Oh, c’mon!
JUDAS
He was pretty damned mad! And refused to go in the house. The father came out
and pleaded with him but he retorted, in dance:
(GEORGE elaborately dances/mimes out the speech, illustrating virtually every word,
as JUDAS narrates it..)
“You know how I’ve worked for you all these years and I never once disobeyed your
orders and you never gave me so much as a kid for a feast with my friends. But!
Once this son of yours turns up, after running through your money with his women,
you kill the fatted calf for him.”
(After GEORGE’s enactment, he strides away grandly, hopefully accompanied by
audience applause. TELLY, as the Father, acts out the next section.)
— 54 — G O D S P E L L

(JUDAS)
“My boy,” said the father, “You are always with me and everything I have is yours.
Now, how could we help but celebrate this happy day, for your brother here was
dead and has come back to life — metaphorically speaking — was lost and is
found.“
(As pantomime continues, the father attempts to reconcile the two sons. GEORGE as
the elder brother is extremely unwilling. Twice he is brought to his brother, and twice
he can’t help but visit some sort of comic pantomime violence upon him.)

GEORGE
(Whining)
No, I don’t wanna. Please don’t make me.

(Finally JESUS steps in to urge the reconciliation also.)

Oh, Jesus! You’re always there.

(And the brothers make up and embrace, as ALL cheer.)

#10—Light of the World

(NOTE: The song “Light of the World” is addressed to the audience. The subtext
is that the cast, having become a community, is now inviting the audience to join
them. During the song, wine and/or grape juice and cups are brought out on stage
and the table is set up to hold the libations. Cast members pour wine and juice to
get ready for the hoped-for audience participants.)

GEORGE
(To audience)
YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

ALL
YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.

GEORGE
BUT IF THAT LIGHT’S UNDER A BUSHEL,
IT’S LOST SOMETHING KIND OF CRUCIAL

ALL
YOU’VE GOTTA STAY BRIGHT
TO BE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.

GEORGE & MORGAN

YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH.
 G O D S P E L L — 55 —

ALL
YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH.

GEORGE
BUT IF THAT SALT HAS LOST ITS FLAVOR,
IT AIN’T GOT MUCH IN ITS FAVOR.

ALL
YOU CAN’T HAVE THAT FAULT
AND BE THE SALT OF THE EARTH.
SO LET YOUR LIGHT SO SHINE BEFORE MEN.
LET YOUR LIGHT SO SHINE,
SO THAT THEY MIGHT KNOW SOME KINDNESS AGAIN.
WE ALL NEED HELP TO FEEL FINE.

GEORGE
(To audience, holding up a wine bottle)
LET’S HAVE SOME WINE!
YOU ARE THE CITY OF GOD.

ALL
YOU ARE THE CITY OF GOD.

GEORGE
BUT IF THAT CITY’S ON A HILL,
IT’S KIND OF HARD TO HIDE IT WELL.

ALL
YOU’VE GOTTA STAY PRETTY IN THE CITY OF GOD.
SO LET YOUR LIGHT SO SHINE BEFORE MEN.
LET YOUR LIGHT SO SHINE,
SO THAT THEY MIGHT KNOW SOME KINDNESS AGAIN.
WE ALL NEED HELP TO FEEL FINE, FINE, FINE.

GEORGE, UZO & NICK

LET’S HAVE SOME WINE!

GEORGE-
YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.

ALL
YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.
— 56 — G O D S P E L L

GEORGE
BUT THE TALLEST CANDLESTICK
AIN’T MUCH GOOD WITHOUT A WICK.

ALL
YOU’VE GOTTA LIVE RIGHT
TO BE THE LIGHT...
TO BE THE LIGHT...
TO BE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.

(MUSICIANS segue into jam session; JESUS picks up microphone.)

JESUS
We’re gonna take a little break now, but in the meantime we’d like to invite
you all up on the stage for a little wine. Or go out in the lobby, use the facilities,
get some fresh air. We’ll be back in ten minutes and thank you all very much
for coming! If you smoke...quit.

(This is officially the end of Act One. But some of the cast should remain on stage to
give out wine to the audience as the band continues to jam for a while.)

END OF ACT ONE