After a long stretch of the gospel of Luke that contains nothing but saying after saying, parable after parable, and very little action, we come to Christ the King Sunday and two momentous readings. For most churches, it will be the story of the two thieves crucified alongside Jesus, but some Episcopalians might choose the alternate reading: this account of the Triumphal Entry.
In this play, the day the disciples have looked forward to through just about every past play I’ve written so far finally arrives. It was a day I’d looked forward to as well, and when I sat down to begin writing it, I found myself wanting immediately to write in verse, for it is at this juncture that the story of Jesus begins to burn with “that refining fire, where you must move in measure, like a dancer.”
I would love to see this play integrated into an actual service somewhere, someday. Here’s how I roughly imagine it:
- In advance of the opening hymn and procession, the six characters from the first half of Scene 1 walk up the aisle one by one reciting their opening stanzas. They all end up sitting in a circle in front of the altar.
- The rest of Scene 1 is performed just before the Psalm.
- Scene 2 is performed just before the Peace.
- Scene 3 (with the crowd played by the whole congregation) is performed just before the Eucharist begins.
- Scene 4, up to but not including Jesus’ final lines, is performed in place of the Sanctus, since it contains the Sanctus within it.
- Jesus’ final lines are performed just before the narrating of the Last Supper.
- After the service, Jesus and the disciples join the Recession. (With perhaps an option of the congregation strewing their path with flowers or some kind of easier to clean up decoration?)