Act Two Blocking Notes
Jesus walks in, grabs a sizeable book from the shelves and sits down in the chair by the teacher’s desk—downstage SR—and reads.
Group one enters: Jeffrey, Robin, Becca, Emily, Katherine
Group two enters: Caroline L, Meredith, Sophie, Clare, Peggy,
Gilmer and Herb come in and begin a lengthy discussion upstage SR. Herb is facing CS, Gilmer faces SR. Gilmer seems to be pleading with Herb for answers. He is half listening.
Group three enters: Joanne, Caroline N, Peter
Lamar and a few others enter and as they approach Group two, they all starts to sing “Learn Your Lessons Well”. Jesus doesn’t turn to look, but smiles.
Judas enters and proceeds across the stage to downstage SL and sits by himself. Peggy moves over and tries to strike up conversation with him.
Sonia walks in and stops upstage SL, just beside Gilmer and Herb and stares at Jesus. Herb stares at Sonia. Gilmer is angry at Herb for this. Music starts—everyone freezes. Sonia proceeds to Jesus as she sings the first verse. As she reaches him and begins the dance, he unfreezes. Everyone else unfreezes and watches in amazement.
After Jesus sings his verse, the students get up and proceed with the chorus song and dance. After the song, everyone goes back to where they were. Sonia backs up toward entrance, then joins the SR group --Judas, Herb and Gilmer, and others, eyeing Jesus as she sits with Herb. Gilmer watches Sonia. Judas watches Jesus also.
Jesus returns to his position on the chair with the book.
Jeffrey. Peggy and Lamar are SL.
Center is clear and three teachers stomp in and form a triangle CS. Jesus stands, puts the book on the desk and says “Stop. It has begun.” Everyone pauses.
Dialogue with teachers, Jesus with some input from Judas.
As Alas for You begins, actors freeze. Jesus sings song weaving through teachers. After the first verse, kids start to make paper airplanes and wads of paper. At end of song, teachers huff off. Kids throw airplanes and wads. Jesus says stop in a sarcastic way. “Now. Now” or “Oh. No. Stop.”
Jesus next line is done very passionately. After “But take care...” his mood lightens.
Jesus and Lamar do a little lesson. Herb is talking to Sonia. Gilmer is seething.
At the end of the lesson, Gilmer throws Sonia CS, dialogue progresses ending with Gilmer dropping the book on the floor with a “whatever”. Jesus helps Sonia up and escorts her to SL then starts to exit. Peggy comforts Sonia. Judas gets up to follow Jesus. Jesus turns and in a respectful way directs him DSL. Instead, Judas backs up, upset, then runs out the door. Jesus stands still, knowing what is about to happen.
Scene freezes. Sonia and Peggy sing “By My Side” from SL. Judas and the Principal enter the stage steps from the SR door after Sonia’s first verse. Jesus stands, thinking. Students are solemn, comfort each other. Pantomime begins with “Oh, please take me with you”—Judas explains activity of the classroom, how Jesus slapped him, etc. and Principal assures Judas that he will take care of it. After the fourth “by my side”, Judas faces forward and delivers his lines “Then the man they call…”. Chorus finishes with three more “by my sides”. Spot goes off Judas and he and the Principal exit.
As Jesus starts with much lightheartedness “Now when the son of man...” Judas comes back in and as he crosses to DSL, he bumps Jesus. Jesus pauses, and then proceeds. Group breaks up into sheep, goats and observers, who go sit on the bookshelves upstage. At end of lesson, sheep celebrate and Jesus joins the group in back, scene freezes.
Jeffrey sings “We Beseech Thee”. Scene unfreezes after first line. Things are tense, so everyone is trying very hard to have fun and relieve some stress. During the moment in the choreography when students are lined up behind Joanne, Principal comes in. Teachers poke their heads out from behind him. They all run off. The second the students line up behind Joanne, Principal and teachers stand with arms folded, angrily looking at students as students pretend to write or read while looking over their shoulders at the teachers and Principal. Teachers and Principal huff off and song proceeds.
At the end of the song, everyone is so elated, hugging and talking, laughing. Jesus congratulates Jeffrey then slowly and purposefully wipes his chalk mark off. Jesus continues wiping everyone’s. They begin to wipe each other’s marks off. Mood is solemn. They look at each other in a different way. They are all independent again.
The school bell rings and everyone gathers up their things to leave, bidding goodbye to Jesus. Sonia, Judas, Joanne, Lamar, Peggy, Robin, Gilmer, Herb and Jeffrey decide to hang back. Jesus tries to shoo them out, but they stay. They gather in a circle on the floor. Before they sit down, Herb and Gilmer smile at each other and decide to sit together. The students happily talk together, then Jesus delivers his line “I tell you this…”. Judas stands as he delivers his. When Jesus says “do quickly…”, Judas looks around at the other students, slowly goes to leave, then runs out of the room. Everyone is pensive. Jesus goes to his bag, pulls out bread and water bottle. Gets cups from the shelves and begins to divide up the bread and pour drinks for the students.
Judas enters stage steps and sings “On the Willows” as group partakes in communion. Judas hangs his head as the song finishes, then slowly exits.
Jesus delivers line and sits on desk to pray. Students lean on each other, and start to fall asleep. Peggy/Joanne delivers “everyone else” line.
After “will be done”, Principal enters and stomps his feet/slams the door/wacks a ruler down. Students get up and cower SL. Judas enters, Principal whispers to him, looks sternly at Jesus, then exits. Judas approaches Jesus –he is torn, then turns to go. Students surround him staring at him angrily. He turns back to Jesus and runs and hugs him—child-like around Jesus’ waist. Jesus pulls him away, removes his own tie and hands it to Judas as her says “Friend, do quickly….”. Principal and teachers walk in and escort Jesus out.
Herb puts his fists up to fight Judas. Backs away at Jesus’ request. Teachers, Judas and Principal push Jesus out the door as he delivers his last line loudly. Students are dumfounded, return to sit in the circle, huddling together and consoling each other. Stage is red.
Principal, teachers and Judas escort Jesus to the front steps entering by way of the side door and position him in the center which is uplighted. Judas removes his tie and the Principal and Judas tie Jesus’ wrists to the “cross”. Jesus and the students sing. Long black out at end of song. Jesus, Judas, Principal and teachers exit. Spot on Peggy as she stands and sings “Beautiful City”. Student watch her, smile and comfort one another. A wave of optimism begins at second “We can build a beautiful city….”.
Sonia rises and sings the first “Long live God” A cappella? Her and Peggy side hug. Everyone stands and joins in. Other students return singing. There is reunion, smiles, hugs. Sonia goes to Gilmer, they hug. Jeffrey and Robin are arm in arm. Everyone ends up arm in arm across the stage. Black Out.
End.
