Today I am thrilled to announce the release of Hadassah, a new One-Act Play!
This script is special to me. The play has three characters (all female) and consists of three brief scenes (totalling about 10 minutes in performance), but in a little time it packs a big punch.
In brief, this one-act play imagines Queen Esther before she was queen. Although the Bible doesn’t tell us much about her life as the adopted daughter of her cousin Mordecai, it does tell us that her Hebrew name was Hadassah, whereas Esther was her Persian name.
In the script, we see Hadassah as a young woman living in exile among Jewish family and friends in Susa, the capital of Persia. The idea of becoming queen, I think we can say with certainty, never crossed her mind. On the contrary, she probably had her own plans and dreams that were wrecked when the king’s edict required young women across the kingdom to join his harem.
Hadassah portrays the young Esther as content with her current life: she has loving adoptive parents, a devout Jewish community, and bright hopes for a future with a family of her own. But after the king of Persia deposes his queen, Hadassah faces the stunning, horrifying possibility of being taken into the palace, never to come home again.
In the end, this short but poignant play explores Hadassah’s struggle and ultimate choice to trust God’s unseen plan, despite her anguish as her dreams crumble around her.
A few more details:
What is the script’s overall tone? Unlike many of our skits, Hadassah is not comic. Instead, it’s suspenseful, emotional, surprising, and deeply thought-provoking.
In what contexts can Hadassah be performed? The play is perfect for a church setting, since it’s serious, Biblical, and challenging. It’s also ideal for a drama program in a Christian school or homeschool co-op, since it’s short and only requires simple props and costumes but nonetheless provides the performers ample opportunity to practice portraying deep character development and emotion. Also, like several of our skits, Hadassah meets One-Act Play guidelines for both Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) conventions and Florida Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (FACCS) fine arts competitions.
Can I preview the script? Yes! As mentioned, Hadassah consists of three short scenes, and I’m sharing the complete first scene for you to view for free: Hadassah, Scene One. If you read this opening scene and would like to look through the rest of the script to determine whether it’s right for your drama team, simply email us at kittywham@gmail.com and we can arrange a full-length preview for you.
You can learn more about Hadassah here in our Shop, or send any questions to kittywham@gmail.com. Meanwhile, enjoy reading the script’s first scene!
