Of Angels and Demons:
Act One; First Draft
by Aaron Linne
Main
Characters:
God: Very distant, yet powerful male. Mature and closed off.
Gabriel: Very youthful, na�ve, and angrodynos, but female.
Lucifer: Very cocky, beautiful, and anggrodynos, but female.
Steven: Very charismatic, very nice look to him.
Preppy, but not overly so.
Jessica: Pretty, youthful girl. Same
height as Steven. A perfect match
for him.
Thomas: Slightly rough look to him, but not dirty.
Think Han Solo.
(God
already on stage. Lights come up on
him, stage right.)
God:
(God�s Monologue)
So,
this is how it has to be.
It
wasn�t supposed to be this hard, you know.
A
creation in peaceful bliss - but with free will.
All
I wanted was something to choose to worship me...
Something
other than what I already had.
Then
I fell in love with them.
The
serpent was blamed by Eve,
Eve
was blamed by Adam...
Was
Adam blamed by me?
Nevertheless,
I gave them Eden, and they gave me sin.
One
mistake then exile.
That�s
all I thought it would take.
Then
came the brothers and jealousy and blood.
Then
came civilization.
Enoch
and Elijah - they were the only ones who really grasped it all.
Everyone
else messed up in the end.
Noah
standing naked before his peers.
Lot
continuing the tradition of his home.
David
and Bathsheeba.
When
will they learn?
I
tried making men that were more than mortals,
But
Samson�s strength fled.
I
let my own nation follow the ways of the world,
But
Saul chose madness.
What
else have I to give?
If
that�s what they want, what they need...
Then
they�ll get it.
They�ll
never know quite what it means,
Why
it all happened.
They�ll
never understand it all...
But
they�ll understand enough, I guess
It�s
the only option.
I
guess that means its time to give Mary my seed.
Time
to prepare the bridegroom.
All
because of love.
All
because I fell in love.
(Lights
come up on Steven. God watches)
Ste:
This is the pain God felt as He brought His Son in to our world.
He didn�t have to do it. I
imagine that, logically and emotionally, He didn�t want to do it.
But because of His love for us, His desire to have us in His Kingdom, He
brought His Son into our world to die.
Tho:
We meet here once a week. Steven,
Jessica, and I have tried and tried to come up with new, innovative ways to
reach those around us. We will
continue holding our weekly meetings, but now we have a new challenge for us,
for you, and for those around us. Jessica?
Jes:
Every morning, in the cafeteria, we will pray.
We will give an open invitation to anyone in the school who wants to join
us. We will make a difference.
Ste:
Father, guide us as we walk through these halls and classrooms.
Lead us that we might make a difference. That we might be the leaders of a new generation, the next
generation of believers. Let us
follow you.
(The
class scene pauses and dims, to be lightly lit. Stage right lights up with a reddish tint.
We see God sitting on his simple throne, Lucifer leaning on the back of
the chair, looking at the class.)
Luc:
You know, I almost want to believe them, Master.
I almost want to say, (said in a black preacher�s voice) �Yes you
will make a difference. This time,
you will succeed, and the school will be the Lord�s.
You have done well my servants!!!�
But oh, what is that I see? That
glimmer of hope, that they�ll stay true to you , fading away, as soon as it
sparked� That hope, that belief,
that certainty, the leader�s right hand man will always stay true and loyal.
That nothing could ever come between the general and his army.
That the leader would have to exile his own partner!!!
Where have we ever seen that story happen before, hmmm?
Oh, I�m sorry God, oh Great Mystery� did I say something wrong?
God:
Lucifer �
Luc:
Oh, the old name� feeling like a trip down memory lane, I see�
God:
Lucifer, you are allowed here only by my decision.
Your visits here to the Silver City are mine to control, and mine alone.
You, of all angels, should know the powers I have.
And yet you dare to question the sincerity of my people once again?
Have you learned nothing from your trials with Job, and my own son?
What makes you think that you could not corrupt one of my followers, yet
you could corrupt a triad of earthly warriors?
Luc:
You know, Mystery, there�s something I�ve always liked about that word,
sincerity� it begins with sin.
God: And whom do you hope to corrupt of these three?
Luc:
Can�t you see? I know the plans
you have for these, the seeds that have been sown to make a new ministry. The partnership that is to come, the plans to be made�Yes,
my Lord, you made a good pairing in Steven and Jessica� perhaps, too good of
one.
God: I grow weary of your presence, Evil One.
Unless you wish to tell me of your foolish ideas, then leave my presence.
I had hoped to speak with you on good terms � but you have once again
sought out my temper. You may stay
in the City for three hours more, to visit.
Perhaps one of my other angels will have better luck with you. Have you nothing to say? Then leave, only to come back when I
invite you.
(Lights
fade on stage right, bring back up lights on stage left.
All actors except Steven, Jessica, and Thomas leave.)
Tho: Well, I think that went well.
We�ll show all those unbelievers tomorrow when we come out there and
prayer right before their own eyes!
Ste:
Thomas, don�t think that way. We�re
not doing this for show, we�re doing it to give those who don�t even know
who we are the chance to pray in their own school � it�s not to put fear in
those around us.
Tho:
That may be why you�re doing it, but not I.
This is warfare, Steven, spiritual warfare.
And we will win. Don�t you
see the importance of our stance here at our school?
Jes: Steven isn�t saying this isn�t an important spiritual
fight, Thomas � he�s just saying that it�s more than just a fight.
It�s an opportunity, and we can�t blow it by losing our focus.
Tho:
Focus? We haven�t had focus all
year. We sit in this classroom,
doing nothing, while souls are dying out there�
Here we have a chance to battle the Evil Ones directly, and you don�t
want to? You just want to sit
around and let people see us pray?
Ste:
Thomas, it�s not just to let people see us pray, and I�m not disagreeing
with you � but this is just the first step of many-
Tho:
You may be the man in charge here, Steven, but you�re not the only one with
power. The three of us are
officers, not just you, and we all make the decisions, not just you two. Remember that. (Steven
leaves)
Ste:
I knew I would regret making him an officer.
He�s too hotheaded, too bold�
Jes: I don�t think that�s it, Steven.
Ste:
Yes it is, you don�t know Thomas like I know-
Jes:
No, I don�t know Thomas like you know Thomas.
I know him better. We have
a� history together.
Ste:
You have what?
Jes:
It was before you took an interest in our group, in our church even� it was
only one night. But a lot happened
that night� a lot more than anyone needs to know.
So we don�t talk about it. He�s
always had a problem with my loyalty to you� and� now that you and I are
dating�
Ste:
Oh. So he�s jealous. That explains a bit, doesn�t it?
Jes:
Yes, it does.
(Lights
fade on stage left, Steven and Jessica leave.
Lights up on stage right. Lucifer
walks on, followed by Gabriel.)
Luc: You�re still welcome in my realm, Gabriel�. You know
that, don�t you? The loyalty we
once had between us� until God came in and took you as his own� you can
still be mine Gabe.
Gab:
Why must you persist in tempting me?
Luc:
Because that�s my lot in life, Gabe. You
should know that.
Gab:
I know that all too well. That�s
all you do.
Luc: Oh, I do more than that, Gabe.
I rule my own kingdom now, haven�t you heard?
Gab:
Yes. And I fight against it now,
haven�t you heard? Why must you
continue to pull at me, Satan? You
know of my loyalty to The Great Mystery, you know you can�t have me.
It wasn�t meant to be.
Luc:
And it was meant to be that the most beautiful of the Angels � your Angel,
Lucifer, was to be the ruler of Hell?
Gab: You made it be.
Luc:
And you can make it be � you can let me have you.
Gab:
Please, if my loyalty meant anything to you question me no longer.
You went outside the Silver City on your own accord.
I watched you. You gave birth to sin. Tarnish
me not, if you ever were my friend.
Luc:
I never was. You think I�m
Lucifer still, don�t you? So long
then. It�s not really that hot down there, y�know.
Visit sometime.
(Lights
down. Flashback of Jessica and
Thomas. Dim lighting � a bed is
in the center of the stage.)
Jessica
(to audience
� downstage right): This is what happened between Thomas and I. No one other than us knows.
I can�t talk about it to anyone. If
Steven knew� if he knew he wouldn�t look at me.
This I know. We came home late one night from our church� it was a
Wednesday night, after youth group�
(Lucifer
and Gabriel walk in, acting as Jessica and Thomas)
We
didn�t mean for anything to happen. I
don�t know why it did� he kept saying things to me� I couldn�t really
understand them. It sounded almost
like a different language� things I couldn�t comprehend. And then he kissed me.
(Lucifer
and Gabriel mock kisses, light flashes, Thomas walks on, Lucifer and Gabriel
freeze)
Thomas:
If you�re listening to her, she�ll make me look like the bad guy.
She wanted me to kiss her. She
let me kiss her. Did you see what
she was wearing? All night long,
she had been stringing me along. I
let her take all the attention all night during the service. I was quiet. I
served the way I was supposed. If I
wasn�t supposed to have been with her, then why did God let me?
Why didn�t God just turn on the light to her bedroom instead of letting
us leave it off? Why didn�t He
take us out of the darkness? No, it wasn�t my fault.
God wanted us together. And
then she left me.
(Gabriel
pushes Lucifer away)
Jessica: We did more than kiss� but it�s not appropriate to say
just how much more. I�m ashamed
to say the least. After we were
done, we didn�t see each other until Sunday� but that was when I first met
Steven.
(God
walks on stage, in between Lucifer and Gabriel)
Steven
and I hit it off right away� we fell in love spiritually with each other
almost in an instant. We knew we
were to be together. But, alas,
Thomas was still there.
(God
is holding Gabriel. During this
next paragraph, Lucifer slowly walks up to Thomas.
At the end, after Thomas says �again,� Lucifer places his hand on
Thomas� shoulder and Thomas grins like a madman.)
Thomas: And then she left me for Steven.
I thought she was loyal to me, but now I understand that�s she no more
than a simple slut. Don�t worry
Steven, I�ll get my revenge. And
don�t worry Jessica, you will be mine again.
(black
out)
Jessica: I�m sorry, Steven. It�s
just the way it has to be� we�re
causing problems for Thomas, and who knows who else. We have to end it before it gets out of hand.
Steven: I just don�t understand, Jess.
Why are you letting him get to you?
I thought that it was over between you two. I mean � I don�t think anyone else even knows what
happened. Let him go his way, and
let us go ours.
Jessica: It�s not that easy. It�s
never that easy, Steven. You know
that. You want this study group to
work � to be effective. I�m
forgiven, I imagine he�s forgiven� but we have to live with the consequences
of our sins. I�m sorry, Steven,
this is just how it has to be. (Begins
to walk away.) I�m sorry.
Steven:
(Steven�s Monologue)
Sometimes
you feel alone.
When
it�s late at night and those bad thoughts creep in� you feel alone.
When you�re ex-girlfriend is holding another man�s hands� you feel
alone. When you hear another story
about who your sister did last night� you feel alone.
When your parents are done arguing and the blood on your wrist is
starting to clog because you did it the wrong way� you feel alone.
God,
did you ever feel alone? When Mary
and Joseph left you at the temple, did you feel alone? When the woman washed your feet with her hair and you
couldn�t have her, did you feel alone? When
you were hungry and the rock looked so good you could almost bite into it� did
you feel alone?
I
want to serve you, I really do� but I feel alone. You know the story God� but why me? Where did I go wrong? Why
do I have to pay for the sins of others? I
would have called him my best friend� sure, we�ve had our problems in the
past, and we�ve butted heads before but not like this.
It was You who was always able to draw us back together.
Why do I have to suffer because he messed up?
Why can�t I still have my best friend?
I
forgave Jessica, God. You forgave
her. So why can�t she stay with
me? She�s not going to spoil
me� just because she messed up with Thomas does not mean she�ll mess up with
me. You know that � why can�t
you just tell her? Just because she
messed up and went too far one night� why does that have to affect me now?
I had no part in that � I just want to love her!
I just want to be his friend!!!
Why�d
you do it God? How could you do it?
We messed up - it wasn�t you. It
wasn�t anything you did. You gave
us perfect bliss� we gave you sin. Why
did you have to suffer? Why did you
have to lose your Son? Why did I
have to lose my best friends?
Why�d
it have to be this way, God? What
are you hoping for? Why do you
allow all this to happen? Why
can�t you just destroy Satan and be done with it?
What are you hoping for?