Cast List & Descriptions

CAST LIST & DESCRIPTIONS

Leading Roles:

ANTHONY is a Roman Centurion who has been committed to Caesar all his life. He was at the top of his training class and now commands many servants/slaves, but he is not hard-hearted. At first, like many of the Romans, he feels Jesus is a nuisance, but after his encounters with Jesus he becomes conflicted over his loyalties. Anthony is also a family man and cares very deeply about his wife and two daughters as well as his servant’s son, Benjamin. With them, Anthony must portray a sense of fatherly-ness.

The actor playing Anthony needs to constantly be aware of the inner struggle of Anthony's heart and mind. In the beginning, he doubts that Jesus is who he says he is. In the second Act, he doubts whether or not he can give up his position as Centurion to follow Christ. Anthony also hides deep-rooted, hidden guilt over the loss of someone he was once responsible for. This plays a role into his decision to crucify Christ.

MARCUS is a Roman Soldier who is an extreme loyalist of Rome. He came second in training behind Anthony during their testing to become soldiers and because of this, Marcus holds an intense bitterness/jealousy towards Anthony. He is constantly trying to get under his skin to take the position of head Centurion. Marcus is Anthony's primary antagonist.

The actor playing Marcus should be mindful that he can be prideful, arrogant, and sometimes even cruel. He is quick to be cunning and ruthless and is also quick to instill violence to get his way. Marcus also can also flip a switch and be charming and polite in order to get his way.

ELI is the trusted head servant to Anthony and a Jewish slave who first becomes interested in Jesus. Eli is patient, if not timid, but a very good listener. He is also one of Anthony’s closest friends and knows him very well, often able to understand what Anthony is thinking even before he speaks. As a result, Anthony gives Eli a lot of freedom to believe in what he wishes. Eli is also father to Benjamin.

HELEN is the wife of Anthony. She is caring and loving but also knows how to command presence if need be. Gentle yet protective, Helen infuses a sense of cheery, light-heartedness whenever she speaks.

BENJAMIN is the son of Eli and is gravely ill for most of the first Act. He is happy, fun-loving, and very energetic, but can be serious when he needs to be.

JESUS is the Son of God. Commanding, protective, fierce, yet gentle, kind, and loving. His every word seems to ebb with authority.

FOR THE PART OF ANTHONY AND ELI

The setting is inside Anthony’s house. BENJAMIN lays on a cot, very sick. ELI is sitting besides him, running a cool cloth over his head. ANTHONY steps inside, quietly.

ANTHONY (softly): How’s Benjamin doing?

ELI: My son is a tough kid. He’s holding it together.

ANTHONY (quietly, hesitantly): Are you…are you…still thinking of bringing him to…to..?

ELI (glances up, surprised): Jesus?

ANTHONY (catches himself): No! I mean…maybe…I mean… Ahg! (frustrated) I shouldn’t be saying these things! I should have arrested Jesus on the spot when I saw him! (pause) But---

ELI (turns back to his son, finishes the sentence): But you’ve never heard anyone speak like he does.

ANTHONY (quietly): That woman caught in the act of adultery. He just…silenced the whole crowd with a single sentence. And then he told her he wasn’t going to judge her. Who…who does that?

ELI (softly): Someone beyond our understanding.

ANTHONY (frustrated): You’re right! I don’t understand! (sighs) People are saying he is the Messiah. The Son of God. That he has the power to heal the sick and save our souls. (pause) Do you actually believe that?

ELI (quietly): With all my heart. (long pause. puts down wet cloth with a sigh) I’m going to get more cool water.

FOR THE PART OF ANTHONY AND MARCUS

ANTHONY sits down beside BENJAMIN and covers his own head, thinking. Suddenly, there is a knock at the door. ANTHONY goes to open it up. There stands MARCUS.

MARCUS (loudly): Thought I might find you here.

ANTHONY (sternly): For a second in command, you seem to go about how you please a lot.

MARCUS (a mean laugh): Someone has to when the head of the centurions isn’t doing his job!

ANTHONY (harshly): Are you accusing me of something, Marcus?

MARCUS (shrugs): You know, (speaks condescendingly) you are many things, Anthony. But incompetent generally isn’t one of them.

ANTHONY (angrily): Enough with your games. They’re getting sickening. Out with it already.

MARCUS (accusingly): You didn’t break up the crowds when Jesus was preaching. I saw you. You had the chance and you just stood there. What kind of Centurion listens to a false teacher?

ANTHONY (with a low growl): Marcus…

MARCUS (coldly): You can’t fool me, Anthony. Not when we were in training and especially not now.

ANTHONY (through gritted teeth): What do you want?

MARCUS doesn’t respond and instead walks forward towards Benjamin very slowly.

MARCUS (towards BENJAMIN): Is this Benjamin? You’ve spoken before of one of your servant’s being sick.

ANTHONY (lowly): Marcus…

MARCUS (somewhat stiffly): He’s young. Younger than I expected. (pause) In fact, he’d be about the same age as your son would have been. (pause) How long has it been, two years?

ANTHONY (furious, turns to face him with a harsh pointed finger): Don’t you dare talk about my son, Marcus.

MARCUS (laughs coldly): See, you’ve gone soft, Anthony. Too soft. You are not fit to be the head of the centurions. That should be my job. I am loyal to Rome and only Rome.

ANTHONY (angry): I have been working for this position for thirty years! You don’t get to question my loyalty, Marcus.

MARCUS (growling): So, then when it comes down to it, will you always chose Rome? Will you always chose Caesar? (mockingly) Some fool goes around parading as the Messiah and chants “come and follow me! I can save your sons and daughters!” Do you go with him, Anthony? Or do you put him in his place?

ANTHONY (hesitantly): I…

MARCUS (snorts): That’s what I thought.

ANTHONY (finding his anger): I am not a traitor. I won’t ever be. (Marcus goes to raise his voice but Anthony cuts him off) Don’t ever speak to me like you just did, again. I am your superior. You listen to me.

MARCUS (mutters): Keep up your way of working, Anthony, and you might not be my superior for long.

MARCUS exists. ANTHONY stands there for a very long time. He looks at Benjamin. He looks at the door. Then he overturns a table, shoving it against the wall. Props fly to the floor. ANTHONY stares at it, running his hands down his face.

FOR THE PART OF ANTHONY AND HELEN

The scene is set on a street in Jerusalem. LIGHTS UP. HELEN and her daughters make their way through the crowd. They find ANTHONY at the end, standing at his, back to the crowd. When HELEN enters, the crowd freezes. Lights dim on crowd.

HELEN (happily, spots her husband and runs towards him): There you are, Anthony!

ELISHA and HANNAH run up to their father to give him a hug.

ELISHA AND HANNAH (cheerfully): DADDY!

ANTHONY (happy): Well, hello my princesses! (picks up younger daughter, HANNAH, and gives her a twirl and hugs his other daughter who is too tall to be picked up) What brings my three, beautiful girls here today? You realize I have to go back on duty soon, right?

HELEN (laughing): Oh, I know. We tried to come earlier but there’s this huge crowd outside today!

ANTHONY (sets down Hannah, looks at his wife curiously): A crowd? What do you mean?

HELEN (smiling): Just some man named Jesus causing a commotion.

ANTHONY (concerned): Jesus? What’s he doing? Is anyone stopping him?

HELEN (laughing): Oh you can put aside your soldier face for just a moment. I brought you lunch. (Hands him a basket of food).

ANTHONY (still distracted): You just said Jesus was out there! He’s a fraud and if people start listening to him, there will be chaos. I have to go stop him.

HELEN (smiling, shaking her head): Absolutely. (pause) After you finish lunch. You’re not on duty yet.

ANTHONY (slowly, smiles): I suppose I could stay a little while longer. (pauses, says with a fatherly grin) But only because I cannot keep three lovely ladies waiting on lunch.

ELISHA AND HANNAH: Yaaaaay!

ELISHA and HANNAH dig into the food and start eating, distractedly.

HELEN (sets down bread, says carefully): I went to visit Benjamin today.

ANTHONY (worried): How did he look?

HELEN (sighs): About the same. Eli was with him all morning. (pauses, looks at her husband softly) Eli is a good father, you know. (pause) Benjamin will be okay. I know that he reminds you of--

ANTHONY (quickly interrupts his wife): Never mind that, Helen. (pause) Benjamin will eventually get better, and then he’ll make a fine apprentice one day like his father. Eli is a good servant. (long pause as neither of them say anything more).

HELEN (re-gathering herself, picking up the basket of food): Okay girls (turns to daughters), your Father is a very busy man. Say goodbye! He’s got to get back to work.

ELISHA AND HANNAH: Bye, Daddy! (they give him a hug)

FOR THE PART OF BENJAMIN AND ELI

JESUS and DISCIPLES enter the CROWD as they wave palm branches and throw down their cloaks. There is celebration and fanfare. ELI and BENJAMIN are at the forefront. As the song ends, they look around.

BENJAMIN (excitedly): That was sooooo amazing, Dad! I got like, thiiiissss close to Jesus one time and he definitely looked right at me and smiled!

ELI (distracted, thinking): Yeah…that’s something, isn’t it?

BENJAMIN (concerned): Hey Dad, are you all right? I’m feeling fine, if that’s what’s bothering you.

ELI (looking somewhere far off): It’s Anthony. Do you think he’s okay? He looked pretty shaken the other week. I have barely seen him since.

BENJAMIN doesn’t respond and just looks at his father.

ELI (concerned): I hope Marcus hasn’t gotten to him already. (Narrows eyes) I don’t trust that man.

FOR THE PART OF JESUS, PHARISEES, AND ADULTEROUS WOMAN

JESUS (with powerful authority): You have heard it said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,that you may be childrenof your Father in heaven.

The scene takes place outside the temple. The PHARISEES stand in a line and MARCUS is dragging the ADULTEROUS WOMAN into the center of the street. LIGHTS UP. CROWD is yelling and screaming. MARCUS roughly drops WOMAN in the middle of the temple.

PHARISEE #1: This woman was caught in the shameful act of adultery! Not even Jesus can deny this sin!

CROWD begins to jeer and yell “STONE HER!” JESUS approaches from the side. ANTHONY and ELI approach from the other side. The WOMAN covers her head in fear. Just then her young SON runs out on stage screaming.

SON (screaming at the top of his lungs): MOMMY!!!! MOMMY! NOOO!!!!

SON runs towards WOMAN but ANTHONY reaches out and holds him back. WOMAN covers her face with her hands in absolute shame. She can’t bear to look at the son she has disappointed. CROWD begins to yell stone her again. JESUS suddenly steps in.

PHARISEE #2 (indigently): The law of Moses commands us to stone an adulterer!

Immediately, the CROWD quiets. SON sniffles. WOMAN freezes and glances up, but her hands are still over her face. JESUS remains silent. After a moment, he kneels down to write in the dirt.

PHARISEE #1 (victoriously): Jesus, do you dare go against the law of Moses!?

JESUS (standing up calmly and then looking around at the crowd): Let anyone among you who is completely without sin be the first to throw a stone.

Music underscore begins. CROWD slowly drop theirs stones and begins to filter out. ANTHONY stays and watches. MARCUS pauses when he sees ANTHONY. They stare at each other for a moment. MARCUS leaves. ANTHONY is still holding back her SON. JESUS leans down in front of the woman.

JESUS (kindly): Look up. Where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?

WOMAN (looks through her fingers): N-no sir.

JESUS: Then neither do I. Go and sin no more.