The Acts Of The Holy Ghost ~ A Play In One Act

Synopsis

• 
  Lord Harold and H.G. Taylor (Lord and Taylor) are in Heaven looking over Earth, a byproduct of a universe that was accidentally created with Harold's hadron collider. The only others around are the angels (including Michael and Gabriel). They decide to have a son by choosing a suitable surrogate Earth mother from Judea and using Harold's sperm. They decide to let him grow up on Earth. "Might do some them some good down there."
  
  H.G. (with a tube of Harold's sperm) and Gabriel go down to Judea and find Mary. Mary is impregnated. She is told to name the son "Jesse".
  
  30 years have passed. Jesse has been dabbling in scripture and philosophy, and doesn't like carpentry. He still lives with his parents. H.G. goes down to Judea to reveal to him who his real father is. He finds out he has "two gay dads". H.G. and Jesse talk about Jesse's future as a philosopher-preacher. H.G. will help him out when he can.
  
  Jesse begins a speaking "ministry" with groupies Peter, John, Thomas, Judah, and Maggie. Dynamics develop: John has a crush on Jesse; Peter doesn't want Maggie around; Maggie's in love with Jesse; Thomas doubts the whole ministry.
  
  Jesse is tempted by L.Z. Bubb, a businessman who wants to use Jesse in marketing.
  
  Jesse gives a major sermon on a mountain. Cai (Judea's chief priest) and "the teachers of the law" are upset.
  
  H.G visits Jesse again. In order to get Jesse better known, H.G. gives him some salve to rub in the eyes of some blind men so that they can see again. "People will be amazed."
  
  In Heaven, Harold and H.G. are observing goings-on in Judea. They see Cai and The Council (priests and teachers of the law) conspiring to find a way to get rid of Jesse. A council member bribes Judah to testify against Jesse.
  
  The Council sends out temple guards to bring in Jesse. He is convicted of anti-scriptural teaching, sentenced to death, and sent off to Governor Pyle.
  
  Jesse and Governor Pyle argue about the meaning of 'truth'. Pyle is pushed by Cai's mob into sentencing him to executing him.
  
  As two soldiers are leading Jesse to the the cross-making room, H.G., Michael, and Gabriel appear and knock out the guards in the hallway. They take Jesse away. When the guards come to, they are afraid they'll get into trouble for losing Jesse, so they go out and grab a poor crazy guy and take him to be crucified instead.
  
  H.G. takes Jesse back to Heaven. The next day, Gabriel and Michael take away the body of the guy in the tomb people think was Jesse and bury him somewhere else. People think Jesse rose from the dead.
  
  H.G. takes Jesse back to Earth for a final appearance.
  

Places

Heaven
Judea

Main characters

Heaven:

LORD HAROLD (HAROLD)
H.G. TAYLOR (H.G.)
GABRIEL
MICHAEL

Judea:

MARY
JESSE
JOHN
PETER
THOMAS
JUDAH
MAGGIE
L.Z. BUBB
CHIEF PRIEST CAI (CAI, pronounced "K")
THE COUNCIL
GOVERNOR PYLE

Over the next Sundays running through Easter (April 8, 2012), successive scenes of this play will be published. Link to each scene below. —pt

Scene 1      February 12, 2012
Scene 2      February 19, 2012
Scene 3      February 26, 2012
Scene 4      March 4, 2012
Scene 5      March 11, 2012
Scene 6      March 18, 2012
Scene 7      March 25, 2012
Scene 8      April 1, 2012
Scene 9      April 8, 2012
...