Purim Play Script (15 minutes)
By Amos, Peter, and Beni Wilson
CAST
Mordecai
Advisor
Person1
Person2
Bigthana
Messenger
King Xerxes
Haman
Haman's Wife
Teresh
Esther
Scene one: Vashti banished
All Boys (in one group).
Mordecai: What a feast, Oh, King.
Person1: Yes… (Look around).
Xerxes: How about some entertainment guys? Teresh, go get Queen Vashti.
Teresh: (walk away then come back) The queen refuses to obey your orders.
Xerxes: (Looking to Advisor) What should I do?
Advisor: If other women hear that the queen has disobeyed her husband and was not punished then they will all rise up against their husbands and the result would be chaos! The king must banish her.
Xerxes: Guards! Banish the Queen!
Scene two: announcement of beauty contest
All girls (milling around), Mordecai (Mordecai), and messenger (on a platform)
Messenger: The king has banished the former queen. The king now wants a new queen. All young women will have a chance at being Queen of all Persia if they come to the castle for a beauty contest. The winner will be Queen!
(All girls say things like “I hope I win” “I’m going over there right now” etc.)
Mordecai: (to Esther) Go. God may work through you to do great things if you are queen. But don’t tell anyone that you are a Jew.
Esther: Yes, Uncle.
Scene three: beauty contest
King (on throne), advisor, All Girls (about to walk on stage), and messenger.
Xerxes: Bring in all the girls.
Messenger: (Brings girls in)
Xerxes: (Looks at girls) Hmmm… I choose you. (Pointing to Esther)
(Other girls walk off weeping)
Scene four: Bigthana and Teresh
Bigthana, Teresh and Mordecai
Bigthana: Let’s assassinate the king.
Teresh: Why?
Bigthana: So that we can be kings!
Teresh: Good Idea.
(Mordecai walk away)
Scene five: Mordecai warns the King
Advisor and Xerxes sitting down. Mordecai ready to walk in.
Mordecai: (knock on the door)
Xerxes: See who that is.
Advisor: (go to Mordecai)
Mordecai: The king is in danger (whispered to Advisor)
Advisor: Ok. (Go to the guards (Person1 and Person2)) Tonight hide well in the king’s bedroom. The guards, Bigthana and Teresh, are going to attempt to kill the King. So be ready!
Scene six: Attempted murder
Advisor and Xerxes (sleeping), Person1 and Person2 (hiding), and Bigthana and Teresh (sneaking in).
Bigthana: Now Teresh be quiet!
Teresh: Ok
(Both sneak in.)
Person1 and Person2: yaaaaa (fight)
Xerxes: Send them to jail, and write this in the history books.
Advisor, Person1, and Person2: Yes, sir.
Scene seven: “Haman is coming!”
(Everyone acting busy)
Bigthana: Make way for Lord Haman
(Everyone bow except Mordecai)
Haman: (to Mordecai) you dog why don’t you bow!?
Mordecai: I only bow to God!
Haman: (asks Person2) What kind of man is this?
Person2: A Jew
Haman: Hmmm…
Scene eight: Haman’s Request
Xerxes, Advisor and Haman.
Haman: O Great King there are certain men in your Kingdom who are evil! If I have your permission I will go make a decree that they will all be killed in the month of Adar.
Xerxes: Whatever. Here is my ring.
Haman: Thank you O Great King!
Scene nine: Mordecai at the gate
Person1, Person2, Mordecai, and Esther.
Mordecai: I need to speak to Esther!
Person1 and Person2: (look at each other) Ok, But You aren't allowed in with clothes like that! We’ll get her to come out.
Esther: (come out) What is it Mordecai?
Mordecai: Haman wants to kill all the Jews!
Esther: What!?
Mordecai: Go to the King and tell him that you are a Jew and maybe he will renounce it.
Esther: The king can kill me if I go in without his permission.
Mordecai: Well I will get all the Jews to pray for you.
Esther: Ok, I will go.
Scene ten: The invitation and first banquet
Nobles are seated talking with the king.
Esther: (walk in)
All nobles: (look at Esther)
Xerxes: (stretch out scepter) You may come in Esther.
Esther: O Great king, I have something to tell you. I would like to invite you and Haman to a feast that I have prepared.
Xerxes: (To Haman) Haman, prepare to go with me. (To Esther) We will be there soon.
At the banquet. (Xerxes, Haman and Esther)
Xerxes: (look at Esther.) So what is your request?
Esther: My request is that you will come to another feast tomorrow.
Xerxes: Great! Haman and I will be there.
Scene 11: Mordecai VS. Haman
Misc. people and Girls milling about.
Haman: (walk on)
Everyone- except Mordecai: (bow)
Haman: (to Mordecai) Bow!
Mordecai: No!
Haman: The queen invited me and the king to a banquet. She thinks that I am as important as the king!
Mordecai: Oh, Really?
Haman: (Stomp off)
Scene 12: “I hate Mordecai!”
Haman and Haman’s Wife
Haman: (walk in mad)
Haman’s Wife: What is the matter?
Haman: Even though I am the second highest, even the Queen thinks so, Mordecai still won’t bow to me!
Haman’s Wife: I have an Idea. Have our servants make a gallows. Then ask the king permission to hang Mordecia.
Haman: How tall would we have to make the gallows?
Haman’s Wife: Well he is very tall.
Haman: I guess 75 feet.
Scene 13: The history book
Xerxes and Advisor Lying on couches
Xerxes: (tossing and turning in bed) I can’t sleep. Read me some of my history. That is pretty dry. It will help me sleep.
Advisor: (get up, get a book, and sit down near Xerxes) King Xerxes led out his army, against the Greeks. He decided to make a bridge out of boats across the Hellespont…
Xerxes: Not that. I want some happy history.
Advisor: Then Bigthana and Teresh conspired against the king, but Mordecai saved the king.
Xerxes: What was he rewarded with?
Advisor: Nothing I guess.
Haman: (knock on door)
Advisor: (go see who it is) (come back leading Haman) It is Haman.
Haman: King, I would like to ask you something.
Xerxes: First, I would like you to tell me what I should do for someone who has pleased me.
Haman: (looking away from the king) He probably means me. (To Xerxes) The king should give him royal robes, the king’s horse, and have someone parade him around town.
Xerxes: Go do that to Mordecai.
Haman Haman’s Wife
Haman: (Walk in sulkily.)
Haman’s Wife: Haman what is the mater?
Haman: The king made me parade Mordecai around town!
Haman’s Wife: Well the gallows are coming along nicely
Haman: Good!
Xerxes, Haman, Esther, and Teresh (ready to walk on)
Xerxes: Well, this is great food but what is your request?
Esther: Save my people and me! I am a Jew and Haman plans to kill all of us!
Xerxes: (to Haman) Is this true!
Haman: Well, um, well.
Teresh: (walk in) Lord Haman, I have good news.
Haman: (whisper loudly) Not right now.
Teresh: The gallows are done!
Xerxes: Gallows?
Teresh: (while Haman is trying to stop him) The ones that were built to hang Mordecai on!
Xerxes: What? Hang Mordecai? Hang Haman instead.
Person1 and Person2: (take Haman away)
Xerxes, Mordecai, and Esther.
Xerxes: Well Mordecai, I gave you all that Haman had.
Esther: Is there any thing we can do to save the Jews?
Xerxes: No, the decree of the Medes and Persians has been sealed.
Mordecai: I KNOW! We could help the Jews defend themselves!
Esther: Good idea!
Mordecai: (Stand up) Thus the Jews where delivered from their enemies.