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The Last Enemy by Tim Frankovich Purpose: To communicate the seriousness of those dying every day, and remind audiences of Christ's final victory over death. Cast: Death - the physical manifestation of an abstract concept Props: Metronome Chair GQ Keyboard or background music Script: (Opening set-up: Death is reclined on chair, reading GQ, Ralph stands nearby, ready to serve. Metronome is ticking at the rate of twice per second. Janice enters.) Janice: Whoa... What is this place? Death (lowers magazine): Oh, look, Ralph. A mortal. How delightful. Ralph: Indeed, sir. Delightful. Death: Welcome, welcome. I am Death. And you aaaaare? Janice: My name's Janice.... Wait. You... you're DEATH? But Death isn't a person. Death is... Death: Yes, yes. Just consider me the physical manifestation of an abstract, metaphysical concept. Janice: Huh? Ralph: He's the person of Death. Janice: Ooookay. And who are you? Ralph: I'm Ralph, Death's flunky. Janice: I've never heard of you... Ralph: I'm a flunky. We don't get much press. Janice: I always imagined Death as more... well... scary. Not just sitting around reading GQ... Death: Oh, that's the fault of my publicist back in the 15th Century. He came up with that whole skull face, sinister robe, and (pantomimes) ICY FINGERS OF DOOOOM!!! (pauses, waits a moment) Ralph. Ralph: Yes, your morbidness? Death: The music, Ralph. Icy fingers of doom? Ralph: Oh! Yes, sorry! (plays chilling music) Death (sits back): You'll have to excuse Ralph. He's new at this. He's only been my flunky for 342 years. Janice: This is SO bizarre. And what's that ticking sound? Death (brightens): Beautiful, isn't it? Every one of those ticks represents someone on earth... dying. Janice: Dying? That often? That's horrible! What is that - two per second? Death: Slightly more than that, actually. 122 per minute. It's the fastest rate there's ever been, I suppose because there's more people on earth than there's ever been. Oh, the rate has accelerated during times of world war or back at Noah's Flood, but now... there's just so much Death taking place. Everywhere. Starvation in India. Forced population control in China. And absolute genocide in Sudan! Janice: But, but... can you slow it down? Do something about this? Death: Dearheart, I don't CAUSE death... I AM Death. I just exist... all thanks to you human beings. (Long pause, while the ticking continues.) Death: Music to my ears. Always has been, always will be. No one escapes Death... Janice: Someone did. Death: Hmm. Yes, there was that cross thing. But we don't talk about that. Besides, it was just Him. Just the one... Janice: But Jesus defeated Death! And He made it possible for us to be resurrected, too! Death (irritated): A few of you, yes. Listen to that ticking. Maybe one in every ten or so is a Christian. It's really not that many. Big deal. (Another pause, while the ticking continues.) Ralph: Besides, they still DIE. Right, boss? Death: Exactly! Excellent point, Ralph. (turns back to Janice) You see, my dear, even though your Jesus affects your ETERNAL DESTINATION... (pause) Ralph. Ralph (jumps): Yes, your gruesomeness? Death (sighs): The music, Ralph. Any time I do the "big talk," you're supposed to cue the chilling music. Really. That's part of your job description. Ralph: Sorry, boss. (plays music) Death: Anyway, Janice love, Jesus may determine where people go AFTER they die, but they STILL die. It's been that way since that fool Adam first brought me into existence. Despite what you hear at the circus, no one defies Death. Get it? Death-defying? Ha! I kill me! (Ralph laughs uproariously) Death: See, Ralph. That's why I keep you around. You laugh at my jokes. Now if you can just work on the music thing... Ralph: Yes, boss. Janice: But it's not over, is it? Death: What do you mean? Janice: The day is coming when you won't be around any more. Death (waves dismissively): Pure hearsay. I'll be here forever. How could it not be so? Janice: I've read the end of the book. When God creates a new heaven and a new earth, there will be "no more death." Death: Ralph! This mortal has overstayed her welcome. Escort her out of here. Ralph (moves to Janice): Come along quietly, miss. Janice (as Ralph leads her offstage): You can't face the truth, can you? The Bible says "the last enemy to be destroyed is death!" (Ralph & Janice exit. Death sits alone, silent.) Death: Destroy Death. Hmp. No one can destroy Death. Still... there was that cross thing... (Ralph enters alone.) Death (gets up and walks toward exit): Ralph! Suddenly, the ticking just isn't as beautiful as usual. I need some other music, something to match my mood. Let's go to the music place and get a new CD. (He joins Ralph and they both begin to leave.) Maybe a 14th-Century Dirge or something... | ||
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