The Rich Man and Lazarus

based on Luke 16:19-31

Cast:

  • Narrator - a good reader
  • Rich Man - of solid build
  • Poor Man - as skinny as possible
  • Angels - two, as alike as possible, preferably female
  • Servant - servile
  • Abraham - a big important looking guy

Props:

  • Some boxes (at least 3)
  • A cushion
  • A couple of plates of food
  • A rubbish bag
  • Angel gear (+ yellow paper haloes on the end of pieces of bamboo?)
  • "Harps" (two oven grills)
  • Some bandaids for Lazarus
  • Rich clothing for the Rich Man
  • A robe (cape or shaving coat) for Lazarus when he gets to heaven
  • Something for the Rich Man to land on when he gets pushed off stage.

Narrator

There was once a rich man ...

[Enter Rich Man, haughtily, followed by Servant with cushion. Servant places cushion on box on stage and goes to get food (plate of nachos?) Rich Man does a fashion parade type strut.]

Narrator

This man dressed in the most expensive clothes [ Rich Man fondles the fabric] and lived in great luxury every day. [ Rich Man sits and rings a little bell. Servant enters with food and drink. ]

There was also a poor man, called Lazarus, ..

[ Enter Poor Man dressed in a ragged pair of jeans, & with liberally applied bandaids on a bare chest]

He was terribly unhealthy and undernourished [ Lazarus makes ribs show ], covered in sores and he used to sit begging at the rich man's door [ Lazarus goes into begging mode ] hoping to get some of the scraps that fell from the rich man's table.

[ Rich Man finishes half the Nachos, servant scrapes the rest into the rubbish bag - Lazarus looks on hungrily] but they wouldn't give him anything. [ Servant puts Rubbish Bag off stage the other way - Lazarus whines piteously]

The Poor Man died [ Lazarus dies undramatically ] ...

and was carried off by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the feast in Heaven

[ Angels "flutter" in help Lazarus to his feet and escort him to Heaven sit him down and give him a cushion & a robe & a plate of food - Abraham appears and shakes Lazarus by the hand, claps him on the shoulder and otherwise greets him warmly. Abraham stands on box near Lazarus and angels stand either side of him with "harps"]

The Rich Man also died [ Rich Man dies with great drama, landing up near the end of the stage ] ...

... and was buried ...

[ Servant comes on stage and rolls Rich Man over the edge (with her foot?)]

and he landed up in Hades where he was in great pain [ Rich Man writhes in pain and makes "ouch, ouch!" noises indignantly]

and he looked up and saw Abraham, far away, with Lazarus at his side. So he called out:

[Rich Man]

"Father Abraham! Take pity on me, and send Lazarus to dip his finger in some water and cool my tongue, because I am in great pain in this fire!"

[ Abraham meanwhile is standing on a box over in "heaven" - the angels are either side of him holding "harps", in each of Abrahams following speeches he is accompanied by the angels twanging the harps and making "angelic" voice noises]

[Abraham replies "accompanied" by angels]

"Remember, my son, that in your lifetime you were given all the good things, while Lazarus got all the bad things. Now he is enjoying himself here [ Victory sign form Lazarus] while you are in pain. Besides there is a deep pit lying between us, so that those who want to cross over from here to you cannot do so, nor can anyone cross over to us from where you are."

[ Rich Man replies ]

" The I beg you, father Abraham, send Lazarus to my father's house, where my brothers live. Let him go and warn them so that they, at least, will not come to this place of pain."

[ Abraham and angelic accompaniment ]

"Your brothers have Moses and the prophets to warn them; they should listen to what the scriptures have to say"

[ Rich Man ]

" That is not enough, father Abraham! But if someone were to rise from the dead and go to them, then they would change their lives"

[ Abraham, initially with accompaniment ]

"Listen, my son, ...... [ to angels ] Cut, the angel noises! [ Angels depart in a huff ] ... as I was saying. If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, then they will not be convinced even by someone who rose from the dead!"

[Exeunt]

Merv Duffy