Summary: In this narrated pantomime play, the Holy Spirit is depicted as disembodied and speechless (except for one word at the end) by an actress in whiteface makeup on her face and bare arms who performs the with facial and physical expressions. The intention is to personify the Holy Spirit in a sacred, respectful, and supernatural theatrical style while at the same time portraying this member of the Trinity with warmth and humanity. Although the script recommends this role to be played by a female, the character of the Holy Spirit does not have to be styled as any specific gender but should be pantomime style, almost gender neutral.
Style: Dramatic/Pantomime Duration: 10-15 mins
Scripture: Multiple scripture references throughout the New Testament
Characters: Holy Spirit (female) Witness (male or female), Man, Woman
Optional: Sound effects such as the sound of blowing wind
Script
Setting: The Witness, the Man, and the Woman all stand centre stage (cs) in front of the blind where the face and arms of the Holy Spirit will be seen. The front of the blind is blocked by a curtain or flat. As they begin speaking, they move away from the blind and also open the blind so that the audience can see the Holy Spirit, who is frozen in a gesture of supplication to God the Father -- that is, with eyes closed, face upraised, and hands upraised.
(The Witness, who is at cs between the Man and the Woman, steps downstage (ds)while the Man and the Woman move downstage left (dl) and downstage right (dr). The Witness is the first to speak.)
Witness: When the day of Pentecost came, they were all gathered together when suddenly a sound like a windstorm came out of heaven, filling the entire house where they were praying, and all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit.
(Optional: As the word "windstorm" is spoken, the sound of wind is heard, gradually increasing in volume as the Man and the Woman react to it by looking upwards. The Witness repeats this scripture twice more, and each time the Man and Woman recite the following scripture in chorus:)
Both: I will pour out my spirit on all my people,
Says the Lord,
Your sons and daughter will prophesy;
Your old will dream dreams;
Your young will see visions;
Unto all my servants, men and women,
I will pour out my spirit in those days.
(The three begin to return to their positions near the blind as they say the following lines.)
(Optional: wind sfx continues):
Witness: The wind blows wherever it pleases--
Woman: You may hear its sound--
Man: But you cannot tell--
Woman: Where it comes from--
Man: Or where it is going--
(Optional: The sound of wind diminishes quickly into gentle windchimes by the words "kingdom of God.")
Witness: This is the truth --
No one can enter the kingdom of God
Unless they are born of water--
And the spirit.
Flesh gives birth to flesh,
But the spirit gives birth to--
(Here the Man and Woman, on opposite sides of the blind, each reach up a hand towards the hands of the Holy Spirit, who is still immobile. As their hands slowly move towards the Holy Spirit, suddenly the Holy Spirit seizes each of their hands. They partially bow down, as if slain by the Spirit.)
Witness: Spirit!
The one whom God has sent speaks the word of God,
And to him God gives the spirit without limits,
For God is spirit, and those who worship him
Must worship in spirit and in truth.
Listen! The Spirit gives life.
Without it the flesh is worthless.
(Both the Man's and the Woman's hands are released by the Spirit and collapse slowly, as if dead.)
For even in the smallest womb,
The Spirit begins to unfurl life
As a flower unfurls its petals to meet the sun.
(The Man and Woman go from a fetal position to a kneeling position and then stand as the Holy Spirit beckons to them.)
Witness: Yet just as the body without the Spirit is dead,
So faith without deeds is also dead.
The Spirit is a living tree that bears Many fruits,
And its fruits are--
Woman: Love
Witness: Joy
Man: Peace
Woman: Patience
Witness: Kindness
Man: Goodness
Woman: Faithfulness
Witness: Gentleness
Man: And self-control.
Witness: Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through him the spirit of life set us free from the power of sin and death.
All: We believe in the Holy Spirit,
The Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son
and with the Father and the Son
is worshipped and glorified.
Witness: The spirit is an invisible wind.
We cannot see the face of the Holy Spirit,
But we can feel its presence as it blows through us.
We are sublimated!The Spirit gives birth to spirit.
(Here the Man and Woman pick up a large black Bible, open it, and appear to start discussing it heatedly.)
Witness: The wisdom of the scriptures is foolishness to the children of the Earth!
(One of the two plays a skeptic and appears to mock the Bible)
Witness: But faith is given to those
As a gift from the Holy Spirit,
Who inspired the prophets and the scriptures,Who illuminates the word of God--
(The Spirit has been watching the skeptic and is grieved. After the skeptic steps away from the other, the Holy Spirit takes the Bible from the hands of the believer and opens it. Then the Holy Spirit lets the Bible drop into the hands of the skeptic, who appears to be in distress. The skeptic receives the Bible, reads it, then looks up at the Holy Spirit, who smiles faintly but warmly.)
Witness: --and gives the precious gift of faith.
Man: Amazing grace --
Woman: How sweet the sound --
Man: I once was blind --
Woman: But now I see!
Witness: Yet for those who live contrary to the spirit, who wound the Holy Spirit with their sinful nature, there is only--
Woman: Sexual immorality --
Witness: Impurity --
Man: And debauchery
Woman: Idolatry and witchcraft!
Witness: Hatred and discord!
Man: Jealousy and fits of rage!
Woman: Selfish ambition!
(The Man and Woman begin moving toward each other menacingly.)
Man: Dissention, envy, and fractions!
Woman: Drunkenness and drug abuse!
Man: Pornography and adultery!
(The Man and the Woman mime some simple violence towards each other, such as grabbing and pushing.)
Witness: But the Holy Spirit speaks to us in our most secret minds,
And shows us our fallen nature;
The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin
By revealing to us the truth about ourselves
And the good and perfect will of God.
(As the Witness speaks, the Holy Spirit touches the Man and then the Woman and then appears to whisper something to them. They react repentantly by miming words of apology and forgiveness to each other, then embracing.)
Woman: Do we hear his parables yet not understand them?
Man: Do we read the word of God yet not comprehend it?
Woman: In our sin, we are deceived by the evil one--
Man: And yet the love of the Holy Spirit unclouds our eyes--
Woman: And defeats the power of evil-
Man: And discloses the way, the truth, and the life--
Witness: Which is through Christ Jesus, our Lord.
(As the Man and Woman complete the previous lines, they each assume a position of prayer in front of the Holy Spirit, who begins speaking silently and lifting her/his right hand upward. The Man and Woman begin to rise.)
Witness: For the Holy Spirit is the source of wisdom and grace; the spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. No one knows the thoughts of God except the spirit of God.
(The Man and Woman are now standing and appear to be receiving things from the Holy Spirit, who makes hand gestures specific to each gift. The Man and Woman appear to be taking the gifts and applying them to different parts of themselves, such as their head, heart and so on. They grow increasingly joyful.)
Witness: No one can say--
(Both Man and Woman respond.)
Both: Jesus is Lord!
Witness: Except through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. There are Many different kinds of gifts, but only one spirit.
There is wisdom--
(The Holy Spirit places her hands on the Woman's shoulders gently and turns her to face downstage.)
Woman: Listen to me, you people who say, "today or tomorrow we will go to this place and to that place, and we will spend time there, and we will do what we have planned to do --"
You don't even know what will happen tomorrow! Instead, you should say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live, and we will do what God will have us do."
Witness: There is the gift of faith--
(The Holy Spirit holds the Man's wrists, as if supporting them, and raises them in the air.)
Man: To keep me from becoming proud, there was given me a thorn in my flesh to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me, but he said --
(The Spirit lip syncs the words along with the Man.)
Man: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power becomes greater when you are at your weakest."
(The spirit ceases lip syncing.)
Man: Therefore I will gladly boast about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. When I am weak, then I am truly strong.
Witness: The gift of prophecy --
(The Holy Spirit touches the Woman's temples with both hands, then the Woman turns and speaks.)
Woman: I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy; your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. On all my servants, men and women, will I pour out my Spirit in those days, and everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Witness: The gift of healing --
(The Woman begins convulsing and the Man rushes to support her as she collapses. The Holy Spirit touches his head, then touches his fingertips. The Man then lays his hands on the Woman and prays for her.)
Man: Oh Lord, heal your child and restore her to life. (to the Woman) Tabitha, rise up! Jesus Christ has healed you through the power of the Holy Spirit.
(The Woman rises. They embrace and gaze up at the Holy Spirit.)
Witness: The gift of tongues --
(The Man and Woman face ds and with their eyes closed begin silently mouthing a phrase of words. The Holy Spirit also closes her eyes and synchronizes the movements of her mouth with the mouths of the Man and Woman.)
Witness: And the gift of love --
(Each character, at the touch of the Holy Spirit, mimes a gesture representing an aspect of spiritual love.)
Woman: Love is patient.
Man: Love is kind
Woman: It does not envy or boast.
Man: It is not rude or self-centred.
Woman: Or easily angered.
Man: Love does not hold grudges.
Witness: It rejoices with the truth; love always protects, always trusts. Always hopes and always perseveres.
Woman: Faith.
Man: And hope.
Woman: And love.
Witness: All of these gifts and Many others are from the one Holy Spirit, who gives them freely to those who would receive them according to the will of God. But the greatest of all these gifts is ……...
(The three converse amongst themselves, whispering, as though unable to decide on an answer to the quandary.)
Witness: The greatest of these gifts is --?
(They huddle together again and whisper to one another. Then they look up at the Holy Spirit as if looking for the answer)
Holy Spirit: (mouths the word “Love” inaudibly)
Witness: Shhh! Listen!
(They all fall silent for a moment and watch the Holy Spirit.)
Holy Spirit: (clearly but softly) Love!
Witness: Did you hear?
Woman: Yes! A still --
Man: Small --
Witness: Voice!
(They all begin reaching up and softly touching the hands of the Holy Spirit, who receives their touches graciously and lovingly. The wind sfx begin again and build into a louder sound, then fade as the lights fade to black.)
…………………………………...
© Copyright Garth von Buchholz, all rights reserved. The script may not be reproduced, translated or copied in any medium, including books, CDs and on the Internet, without written permission of the author.
This play may be performed free of charge, on the condition that copies are not sold for profit in any medium, nor any entrance fee charged. In exchange for free performance, the author would appreciate being notified of when and for what purpose the play is performed. He may be contacted at: