Here's another good drama script posted by member Jan of Napa, with some revisions.
It has some WONDERFUL LIFE APPLICATION in it.
This one updates the drama with contemporary imagery and has some audience interaction. More could be added, and some of our 2013 reviewers of this lesson suggested the terms "investment counselor" and the like be changed for young children (banker?)
This could be done with a script, or written on a large SCROLLing "teleprompter (cardboard box, with dowel rods), or done as a "foreign film DUB" as described in the lesson above this one.)
The Parable of the Modern Talents –
Adapted by First Pres. Napa, CA from:
©2001 Bob Snook. Conditions for use: Do not sell any part of this script, even if you rewrite it. Pay no royalties, even if you make money from performances. You may reproduce and distribute this script freely, but all copies must contain this copyright statement. This script has been slightly altered by rotation volunteers.
Characters:
2 strong readers (#1 and #2)
4 people who come in to read a few lines each then go off stage (3, 4, 5 & 6)
1 person to read the story paragraph
5 or more parent/kid combos to do the burying and being buried (A,B,C,D,E)
Props: brown paper bag, coat or shirt, crumpled up newspapers, packing peanuts, and a blanket.
ACT ONE
[CHARACTER #1 appears]
#1 -- And now, sit back, relax and listen to another edition of... Parables on Parade. Today’s parable comes from Matthew chapter 25 beginning at verse 5.
[ENTER STORYTELLER CHARACTER]
"It will be like a master going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money."
[STORYTELLER EXITS]
[ENTER CHARACTER #2 NEXT TO #1]
#2: Okay, I'll take if from here.
#1 Huh? Who are you?
#2 I’m a certified investment counselor.
#1 Really?
#2 No. But I read a pamphlet once about finances.
#1 And you think that qualifies you to tell all these people about this parable?
#2 It is all about money, right?
#1 Well, not exactly. The parable Jesus told did talk about money, talents they called it back then, but let’s look at some ways that we can take the gifts God has given each of us to use them for God’s kingdom! (WHISTLE to call others onto stage!)
[CHARACTERS 1 AND 2 MOVE OFF STAGE]
END ACT ONE
ACT TWO
PERSON 3: I bought some FLOWERS on sale at the Home Depot and then sold them in my neighborhood. I let people know I was raising money for our VBS ...and this also gave me a chance to invite their kids to our church! I made $25 for my church's Vacation Bible School!
ALL: PRAISE GOD!
PERSON 4: I like to bake cookies and brownies so I made some and sold them at the downtown fair. The money I made I donated to the hospital.
ALL: PRAISE GOD!
PERSON 5: I love a clean car and wash mine every weekend. There's this old guy who lives next door who broke his hip. I knew how much he loved his old car, and we often saw each other washing our cars on Saturday. So I walked over after church with my bucket in hand and asked him if I could wash his car. He brought me a Coke and we ended up talking about his childhood.
ALL: PRAISE GOD!
PERSON 6: I love gardening so I planted a huge garden at my house. But it grew too many tomatoes and zucchinis! So I brought the extras to church and people bought them. I donated the money to a family who is working as missionaries far away. I gave a couple of my prized tomatos to our youth workers too.
ALL: PRAISE GOD!
END ACT TWO
ACT THREE
#2 Well, if your point is that we should share our talents for God, I get what you’re
saying.
#1 Great! So how about you, what’s your talent?
#2 I don’t have any talent.
#1 That’s not true! God has given each person at least one talent, if not more!
Think of things you’re interested in, ask a friend, ask your family, … ask God! I’m sure you’ll come up with at least one if not more talents you have.
#2 Well, if I do have a talent, I’m sure I’m too busy to do what God needs me to do.
#1 Too busy? Now wait a minute …. Let me turn around this story a little bit. See if this makes sense … (TO AUDIENCE): In the parable Jesus told, what did the third servant do with the one talent he was given?
ALL: Buried it!
#1 Well, you’re burying your talent with “busyness”!
#2 Huh?
#1 We’ll show you ….
END ACT THREE
ACT FOUR
Note: We had about 5 kids and 2 adults who weren’t interested in speaking parts for our videotaped drama so they sat in a bunch and one person (or more) came in for each of these speaking parts and buried them with the stuff. Effect was great! (Thanks Neil for that fun idea!)
#A Sometimes people get “buried” with FEAR . . .
(put a brown paper bag over one person’s head.)
They’re afraid to share their talent because they think they won’t be “good enough” or they think their gift or talent isn’t as important as someone else’s.
#B People get “buried” with SELFISHNESS . . .
(put a coat or shirt over one or more people.)
Like when we know we have a special gift and we still don’t want to share it with others and we just keep it to ourselves.
#C People get “buried” with LAZYNESS . . .
(pile crumpled up newspapers on people.)
Like when know we have a special gift and we’re just plain lazy about sharing it.
#D People get “buried” with TIME . . .
(dump packing peanuts on the people.)
Like when we let too many other things take up our time and we say we don’t have enough time to share our gifts.
#E People get “buried” with a LACK OF FAITH . . .
(lay a blanket over the people)
Like when we think that God’s not big enough to help us share our gifts once He gives them to us.
END ACT FOUR
ACT FIVE
#2 Oh, like me. Wow! I never thought of it that way! By not sharing our talents, we bury the gifts God gave us AND by finding reasons or excuses not to share our gifts we’re burying them, too! I’ll see ya … I gotta go!
#1 Where are you off to so fast?
#2 I’ve got a lot to do! I’m not only going to go talk to my family about gifts I have to share, I’m also going to make a list of my gifts, work out a plan to share my gifts, and especially PRAY! See ya! (exit quickly)
#1 (to audience) So are YOU burying YOUR gifts … or sharing them the way God wants us to?
END ACT FIVE
