Ten Plays For Church

THE DEVIL’S SCHEME

THE DEVIL’S SCHEME is a play about how the Devil may select his victims. Once a victim has been selected, the Devil’s aim will then be to try and alienate his victim from God’s love and care. He will use his cunning and subtle ways to cause his victims to doubt their belief in God and God’s belief and love for his people.

The Devil’s time on earth is short, so he will want to maximise his opportunities and take them. Jesus says in Luke 5:3l, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick". The Devil’s philosophy however is, "It is not the sick that need corrupting, but the healthy".

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Running time : 10 minutes

CHARACTERS/PROPS                 Announcer - none

                                                               No-Med - Clip-board

                                                              The Devil - none

                                                             Alcoholic - Bottle, chair

                                                               Teacher - Black-board, magazine

                                                               Bishop - Book

                                                             Woman - Chair, writing-pad and pen

(A bell rings to signify the start of the play. The scene opens with the Devil’s

assistant NO-MED, holding a CLIP-BOARD and glancing through the pages.

ANNOUNCER :

This is a story about the Devil. Right now the Devil is bored and restless and is hungry for a victim he can tempt away from God. Over there, (Pointing to NO-MED), that’s No-Med. He’s the Devil’s assistant and it is his job to find a victim. Now the victims you are about to see, can’t see or hear what’s going on.  But we can. Let’s see what happens.

       (the ANNOUNCER leaves the stage. THE DEVIL enters  miserably.   NOMED sees his master and goes over to him and greets him with an exaggerated bow).

NO-MED (grovelling) :

 Your Majesty. Prince of Darkness, Master of Pain, Maker of trouble...............

THE DEVIL (irritably) :

 Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, enough. (Waves NO-MED away with his hand).     What have you got for me anyway?

(An ALCOHOLIC enters the stage drunk. Carrying a BOTTLE, he staggers as  he makes his way to a CHAIR and sits himself down on it. He then falls asleep.  NO-MED walks over to the ALCOHOLIC looking through the pages of his CLIP-BOARD).

NO-MED :

 Well, what about this one? (NO-MED points to the ALCOHOLIC).

(THE DEVIL walks over to stand beside the ALCOHOLIC and looks him over).

THE DEVIL :

 Urrgh. Horrible piece of work isn’t he?

NO-MED :

 Now this one, oh yes, this one likes a good drink….and I mean a good drink. I mean your Royal Ugliness, he likes to drink by the glass.

THE DEVIL :

 So? There’s nothing strange about that.

NO-MED :

This big? (NO-MED indicates with his hands that the glass is three feet tall, after which he returns to looking through his CLIP-BOARD, and continues.) He’s an alcoholic. Doesn’t care about anyone else so long as he gets his drink. A really pathetic creature if ever there was one.