007. Brave Queen Esther Saves her People from Genocide

zBrave Queen Esther Saves her People from Genocide
About 5 minutes, from the Book of Esther

Participants (No need to memorize lines; the aim is to relive sacred events,
not to perform)
Â Â Mordecai
Â Â King
Â Â Esther
Â Â Haman
Â Â PrompterÂ Â Â Â Â Shout a brief line, and Echoes repeat it.
Â Â EchoesÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Children and all adults who want to take part. Echoes need no script.

Mordecai	Captain of the Guard!
Prompter & Echoes	Come quickly!
Mordecai	Captain, I overheard a plot to slay king Ahasuerus. Sir, even though we Jews are here in exile, we respect and obey the king that God has put over us.
Prompter & Echoes	We are loyal!
Mordecai	The captain promises to enter my report in the royal record.
Haman	Hey! You there, Mordecai, bow before me, you filthy Jew! I am Haman, the king’s Chief-of-Staff. Bow, I say!
Mordecai	With all respect, Master Haman, God’s people bow only to him.
Haman	Oh really! I’ll tell the king how you seditious Jews rebel against us. Then I will hang every last Jew in the kingdom on a gallows! (Laugh fiendishly. Then go to Esther and reach for her.) Hi, beautiful!
Esther	(Slap Haman’s hand) Don’t touch me!
Mordecai	Esther, my niece, listen to me. You are my daughter now that your father has died. Now the king is furious with his insubordinate wife, Vashti, He’s holding a beauty pageant to choose another queen. You’ll win it!
Esther	I’m no beauty queen, uncle Mordecai, and I’ve nothing to wear!
Prompter & Echoes	We will fix you up!
Mordecai	We prepare Esther. We pray, and she is now our queen!
Prompter & Echoes	Beautiful Queen Esther!
Mordecai	Meanwhile, sneaky Haman works out his evil plot. ` Â Listen to him lie.
Haman	Long live the King! A rebellious people are plotting to destroy you, O King! You must make a decree to exterminate them all.
King	Well done, Haman. Write the decree and I will seal it; the law of the Medes and Persians cannot be broken.
Mordecai	Haman gleefully builds a very high gallows to hang all Jews. He alerts all the land to slay us on the appointed day.
Prompter & Echoes	Destined to die!
Mordecai	Esther, you must intercede for us. For this purpose God put you in the court at this time.
Esther	But anyone entering the king’s presence unbidden is slain at once!
Mordecai	After much prayer, brave Queen Esther takes the risk.
Prompter & Echoes	Courageous girl!
King	Hey! I hear someone coming unbidden. Captain of the guard! Bring swords! No, wait! It’s Queen Esther!
Esther	(Approach King and bow.) If I’ve found favor in the king’s sight, accept my invitation to a banquet for you and Haman.
Prompter & Echoes	A private banquet!
Haman	Now see how high my gallows are for those rebel Jews! Ha! How important I am! Even Queen Esther invited me to a banquet just for me and the king.
Mordecai	The king cannot sleep that night, and reads the royal records.
King	Haman! I read that Mordecai averted a seditious conspiracy. Put my royal robe on him, and put him on my horse. Lead him through the city! Shout that he’s the man that the king honors.
Haman	But, my Lord, Mordecai is a Jew!
King	Do as I say, Haman! Be back in time for Esther’s banquet.
Esther	That evening, I host the King and Haman.
King	Queen Esther, I’ll grant your petition, even to half of my kingdom.
Esther	O king, if I’ve found favor in your sight, please rescue my people.
Prompter & Echoes	Spare our lives!
King	(Shout) What? What did you say?
Esther	We’ve been sold, my Lord. My people are to be annihilated. If we’d just been sold as slaves, I wouldn’t have bothered your Majesty.
King	Who dares to do such a wicked thing? Tell me!
Esther	A foe and an enemy is this wicked Haman!
Haman	(Back away) No! It’s a mistake. A mistake, I say!
King	Esther, who built those high gallows out there?
Esther	This man Haman built them to hang all of us Jews.
King	Captain, let the Jews defend themselves, and hang Haman on his own gallows!
Prompter & Echoes	God brings justice!