(RT == Readers’ Theater: requires little or no memorization,
little or no rehearsal. An indefinite number of reporters are
salted throughout the audience.)

MARY — (enters wearing tunic, headdress and sandals, crosses)

REPORTER — Excuse me, madam.

MARY — (stops, turns) Yes? (looks around) What’s going on? Who
are you people?

REPORTER — We’re newspaper reporters. We were hoping to have a
press conference with Jesus of Nazareth.

MARY — I’m sorry. But he left the wedding early. He’s not even
in Cana anymore.

REPORTER — Do you know Jesus?

MARY — Well, yes. I….

REPORTER — May we ask you about the miracle?

MARY — Miracle?

REPORTER — We were told that Jesus of Nazareth turned water
into wine. Can you confirm that?

MARY — He asked me not to talk about it.

REPORTER — So, you know Jesus of Nazareth personally?

MARY — Yes. I’m his mother.

REPORTER — When Jesus asked you not to talk about it…. the IT
he asked you not to talk about was the miracle?

MARY — If you’re trying to get me to say that Jesus performed a
miracle, I cannot confirm that for you.

REPORTER — What’s the hesitation?

MARY — It’s a little hard to explain.

REPORTER — Is it true that Jesus is the long awaited messiah of
Israel?

MARY — He asked me not to talk about it.

REPORTER — So Jesus IS the messiah and you want to keep it
quiet.

MARY — Yes. No.

REPORTER — Well, which is it?

REPORTER — If Jesus IS the messiah, why won’t he let you talk
about it?

REPORTER — Yes. Why wouldn’t you be shouting it from the
rooftops?

MARY — It’s… It’s a matter of timing.

REPORTER — Timing?

MARY — Yes. Timing. If the wrong people find out about the
miracles, the scheduled events won’t happen as they’re scheduled
to happen.

REPORTER — What events are you talking about?

REPORTER — What people are the wrong people?

MARY — This is just the kind of discussion Jesus asked me to
avoid. I’m sorry I asked him to do the m….

REPORTER — …To do the miracle? Is that what you were going to
say?

MARY — Look. This wedding in Cana was a peasant’s wedding.
Nobody but peasants were supposed to be there. And since all the
peasants already know about Jesus, I didn’t think it would hurt
anything…

REPORTER — So, this miracle… it was your idea?

REPORTER — Were you the one who suggested that Jesus should
turn the water into wine?

MARY — Listen, I think I’ve already said to much. (turns)

REPORTER — If you won’t tell us about the miracle, can you tell
us about what the peasants already know?

REPORTER — How is it that the peasants know that Jesus is the
messiah and noone else does?

MARY — (turns, sighs) Listen, let me state things in
theoretical language. If you quote me, I’ll deny everything.

REPORTER — Why the secrecy?

MARY — Among the religious elites of Israel there are two
opposing factions. One faction is absolutely sure that the
coming messiah will immediately ascend to the throne of David
and drive out the Roman army. This faction is so anxious to get
rid of the Romans, they won’t wait for the messiah to establish
himself and prove his divinity. They will make him king of
Israel by force. The other religious faction has become rich
under Roman rule, so a messiah would be a threat to their
prosperity. If they had their way, the messiah would be dead.

REPORTER — Which faction is correct?

MARY — Neither. The messiah did not come to earth as a
conqueror nor to displace the ruling class. He came to be a
messiah. The word MESSIAH means savior. He came to save the
people from their sins.

REPORTER — But you said the peasants already knew that?

MARY — Yes. When Jesus was born, the angels announced the birth
only to the shepherds. The only religious elites that knew about
the birth were foreigners. And they left Israel almost
immediately after the birth.

REPORTER –Where was Jesus born?

MARY — In bethlehem, the birthplace of king David.

REPORTER — There was a mass killing of male babies in Bethlehem
about thirty years ago. Is there any connection?

MARY — Yes. King Herod is just one of many religious elites who
want the messiah dead. He ordered the killing of all babies
hoping that the messiah would be among them. But we
escaped to Egypt to avoid Herod’s wrath. That’s why secrecy is
so important now.

REPORTER — We’re anxious to publish this story. When will the
veil of secrecy be lifted?

MARY — In about three years.

REPORTER — Three years!

REPORTER — You mean we have to sit on the biggest story of this
century for three years?!

MARY — I’m sorry. It has to be.

REPORTER — Why three years.

MARY — Jesus…. the messiah has to preach the good news and
prove his divinity to all the peasants in Israel. Then, once the
peasants all know,…

REPORTER — Divinity?!

MARY — Excuse me?

REPORTER — You said that the messiah has to prove his divinity.

MARY — That’s right. And after that, he will reveal himself
officially to the religious elites.

REPORTER — But DIVINITY means that the messiah is GOD.

MARY — That’s right.

REPORTER — Are you saying that Jesus is GOD?!

MARY — I’m saying that the messiah can’t be anyone BUT GOD.

REPORTER — How can you say that?!

MARY — The prophets Isaiah and Hosea both quote God himself as
saying that there is no savior but God himself. If you see a
person who claims to be the messiah, but claims to be a mere man
or just a prophet or just a king, he’s a phony. The messiah will
be God himself and he will prove it.

REPORTER — How?

REPORTER — What proof will the messiah give that he is GOD
himself?

MARY — Whatever God himself did in the scriptures, the messiah
will do within the next three years.

REPORTER — Like what?

MARY — Miracles, like controlling the weather, like healing the
sick, like raising the dead…

REPORTER — …Like changing water into wine?

MARY — Like that.

REPORTER — So, you’re saying that your son Jesus of Nazareth is
God himself in a man’s body?

MARY — I’m saying this is off the record. If you print ANY of
this before Jesus is ready to announce himself to the religious
elites, I’ll deny it. (exits)

©2008 Bob Snook. Conditions for use:
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