THE STORYTELLER'S BIBLE
Act IV- The Prophets, Scene 8
Script by Bob Allen
For four voices

Scene 8

                                    (READER # 1 LAYS PRONE ON THE FLOOR FACING THE AUDIENCE. )

3                2                4

1

VOICE THREE:        Whale swallows man!

VOICE FOUR:          What a headline.

VOICE ONE:             Man survives!

VOICE TWO:            Now that’s news!

VOICE THREE:        The entire city of Ninevah repents!

VOICE FOUR:          What a headline.

VOICE ONE:             Jonah gets disgusted with God.

VOICE TWO:            That’s not news, Jonah was always getting disgusted with God.

VOICE THREE:        He became disgusted with God’s mercy.

VOICE FOUR:          Begrudging the heathen the very mercy he himself had enjoyed.

VOICE ONE:             Trying to make a doctrinal case for disobedience—if God’s going to be merciful, why should I preach judgment?

VOICE TWO:            He became disgusted with God’s care.

VOICE THREE:        Selfishly determined that God ought to do what Jonah wanted him to do—I’ll just sit here until I see whether or not you’re going to judge the city.

VOICE FOUR:          Selfishly joyful when God provided physical comfort—I’m exceedingly glad for this plant that came up out of nowhere.

VOICE ONE:             Selfishly complaining when God removed the comfort—God, I can’t live without my gourd.  How could you take away my gourd?

VOICE TWO:            He became disgusted with God’s priorities.

VOICE THREE:        You did nothing to prepare the ground for your gourd.

VOICE FOUR:          You had no control over its growth.

VOICE ONE:             You had no time to grow attached to it.

ALL:                           Yet you loved your gourd!

VOICES ONE/TWO: Your gourd!

VOICE TWO:            Your gourd!

VOICE THREE:        Should not I have compassion on Ninevah?

VOICE FOUR:          I created them.

VOICE ONE:             I have loved them from all eternity.

VOICE TWO:            I have demonstrated my mercy on those who repented.

ALL:                           My priority is people!

VOICES ONE/TWO: People!

VOICE TWO:            People!

VOICE FOUR:          No compassion, Jonah. 

VOICE ONE:             I love my gourd.

VOICE FOUR:          No compassion, Jonah.

VOICE ONE:             Just take away my life.

VOICE FOUR:          No compassion, Jonah.

VOICE ONE:             My gourd!

VOICE TWO:            My people!

VOICE THREE:        Jonah, you may think you are disgusted with God.

VOICE FOUR:          But God is disgusted with you!