Melanie McGraw as Claudia
Matthew Alexander as Pilate
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Maumee, Ohio
Palm Sunday, 1995
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Matthew Alexander as Pilate
Melanie McGraw as Claudia
Jan Cline as Mary Magdalene
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Maumee, Ohio
Palm Sunday, 1995
Curtain Picture
A Play in One Scene
By Father John R. Green
Copyright © by John R. Green
Shown with his blessing
To Loretta, My Wedded Companion and Enabler, from John R. Green, playwright
This resurrection morning drama features the loving relationship of Pontius Pilate and his wife, Claudia, and their reactions to the reported resurrection of Christ. They meet with a wildly alarmed High Priest Caiaphas and an overjoyed Mary Magdalene. Pilate's obsessive allegiance to Caesar clashes with Claudia's dedication to Christ. Their tragic, divided loyalty will separate them forever. As they contemplate the looming tragedy of a divided loyalty they kiss unto life, and then unto death. (by the Elridge Publishing Company)
The purpose of this fictional drama is to glorify Mary Magdalene who may have had a closer relationship with Jesus than any other mortal during His earthly ministry, and to honor Claudia, the spouse of Pontius Pilate, who has been canonized by the Greek Orthodox Church. (by John R. Green)
PILATE - Proculator of Judea
CLAUDIA - Wife of Pontius Pilate
MARY MAGDALENE - Devoted Friend of Jesus
CAIAPHAS - High Priest in Sanhedrin
TORNOTTO - Roman Aide to Pontius Pilate
A thinly furnished room in the Praetorium of Jerusalem
Mid-morning of the Day of Resurrection of Jesus Christ
SETTING
Pilate's plain and sturdy chair is located in center of room,
facing frontward. Three paces to both right and left of his chair,
and three paces frontward, a chair is placed sideways. The entrance to the room
is centered in the rear. A window overlooking Jerusalem and surrounding areas
is located in right front wall of room.
AT RISE
Pilate is gazing through window. Tornotto, with hands near his chest,
is standing to the left of Pilate, facing the side of the Proculator's physical frame.
PILATE (musing)
Ah Jerusalem, city of tears and haunting expectation.
TORNOTTO (marveling)
What other city observes so many people arriving from strange lands and
departing for fascinating places in one day? Jerusalem may not have grandeur,
but it vibrates with color and charm.
PILATE
The radiance of the spring time sun, piercing the foliage of Gethsemane,
adds splendor even to Golgatha. Witness how it beams on the Pinnacle of the
Temple, ol' Herod's pride and joy. Magnificent architecture!
TORNOTTO
All is normal in Jerusalem this morning - people bustling in the streets,
and the money changers have returned to the Temple.
PILATE (chuckling)
How I would loved to have seen their bulging midriffs scampering from the wrath
of that man Jesus. (turning toward Tornotto) Let it be noted that those
damnable Sanhedrin hypocrites did not dare charge him with attacking the greed and
corruption of the Temple crowd. But, nonetheless, for this action they wanted him dead.
Their prestige in Israel was diminished because of him, so they fabricated this opposition
to Caesar allegation.
TORNOTTO
Did anything about his chasing the money changers seem strange or mysterious
to your Excellency?
PILATE (nodding affirmatively)
Definitely! (pause) In the Temple he was militant and aggressive,
while before me he was pathetically mild - offered little in his own defense.
TORNOTTO
Fortunately, the palm parade erupted into nothing. Your maneuvering of that mob
was brilliant; you were indeed admirable! (pause, glances toward rear of room
as Claudia enters) Claudia!
(Pilate rushes to tenderly embrace Claudia, near center of room.)
PILATE (surveying face of Claudia)
Oh, my dear, precious Claudia, your eyes are still red from weeping,
and you continue to refuse nourishment.
(exit Tornotto)
I was so utterly happy when Rome permitted you to accompany me to this miserable outpost of the Empire, but now (shaking his head) I don't know, I don't know.
CLAUDIA
You would be happier had I remained in Rome?
PILATE (releasing his embrace of Claudia)
It never entered my mind that you would embrace the religion of Israel.
CLAUDIA
It is a glorious faith! A living faith!
PILATE (walking toward front of room)
From what I have observed of the faith of Israel, I might be impressed with
its morality if it were not for the hypocrisy manifested by its hierarchy.
CLAUDIA
Is that why you paraded the Medallion of Caesar, symbol of Emperor Worship,
through the streets of Jerusalem?
PILATE
I have never been certain of my authority here in the sight of either Israel or Rome.
CLAUDIA (forcefully)
You could have prevented the execution of Jesus. You admit that you found him innocent.
PILATE (turning toward Claudia)
Why do you torment me with such accusations? You know I wanted him spared!
You know I offered to have him freed!
CLAUDIA (shaking her hands and moving toward Pilate)
The authority was clearly yours. Why did you abdicate it?
PILATE (very distressed)
When I presented that mob with the choice between freeing Barabbas or Jesus,
I felt certain they would choose Jesus, considering how he was hailed
by the multitudes at that palm parade. I doubted that they would want one so acclaimed
to go to the Cross.
CLAUDIA (shaking her head)
Those who cheered Jesus at the palm parade were not present at his trial.
No voices were raised in support of him. (pointedly) You released Barabbas
who had committed treason against Rome and convicted Jesus who had taken no such action.
How would you explain that to Caesar?
PILATE (wringing his hands in vexation)
I thought the scourging would satisfy the Sanhedrin's lust for blood,
and after viewing his weak and mutilated body they would consider the trial closed and
depart in peace.
CLAUDIA
Regardless, Pontius, it was your decision to render, although the Sanhedrin must share
the guilt. (Derisively) And that little hand washing ceremony - whom do you think
you were fooling?
PILATE (agitated. Walks from Claudia, and then returns to her)
My beloved wife, my dear spouse, Caesar has made it unmistakably clear that
he expects his Proculators to avoid punishing innocent persons, condemn treason,
and to preserve the peace. In the Jesus trial there was no way I could comply
with all three demands. Had I released him the Sanhedrin would have accused me
of abetting treason, and stirred the people to riot, thus disturbing the peace.
What then would have been my rating with Caesar? How many in similar circumstances
would have acted differently than I did? Are there many in the Empire of Rome
who place principle above self-interest? And observe what happens to them when they do -
your friend Jesus!
CLAUDIA (moving closer to Pilate)
I have no quarrel with Caesar's protecting the innocent, condemning acts of treason
and preserving the peace. The chief complaint of many Israelites seems to be the
burdensome taxation he has imposed on them. After all, Rome permits Israel to govern itself,
except in matters; of execution, and Caesar grants religious freedom to Israel;
something he has denied all other subject nations.
PILATE (nodding his head)
Many Israelites affirm that they have fared better under Rome than did their forebearers
under Babylon and Syria. But (shaking his head) I am far from convinced that
Caesar deals fairly with me.
CLAUDIA (embracing Pilate)
May I remind you, Pontius dear, that Caesar Tiberius has not dismissed you from his service,
nor punished you for actions which have highly infuriated him. I know how hard,
and perhaps too hard, you have tried to win his praises and blessing.
I know that you bask not in the sunlight of his favor, and I doubt that you ever will.
(sighing in agony and breathing deeply) I dread for what might be in store for you,
and in my never ending love for you. I wish you had never been appointed to the post of
Proculator!
(pause, enter Tornotto. Pilate and Claudia release their embrace)
TORNOTTO (excitedly)
I beg to interrupt, your Excellency. Caiaphas is without,
and he is hard pressed to see you! His agitation is great!
PILATE (vexed, shaking right arm)
Now why has that offspring of perdition come to plague me? Show the viper in!
TORNOTTO
He wishes to see you from without the Praetorium. You are aware he would consider
himself defiled should he enter the Praetorium.
PILATE (gritting)
Let him be defiled! Let him be damned! If he desired to see me, here I am,
and here I shall remain.
(Tornotto nods to Pilate and exits. Pilate moves to seat himself. Claudia paces nervously to and from the seat of Pilate. Tornotto re-enters bringing Caiaphas to Pilate, facing him four paces away. Claudia places herself four paces to left of Caiaphas, looking toward him.)
CAIAPHAS (acknowledging)
Your Excellency!
PILATE
I am not honored by your presence. Be brief!
CAIAPHAS (trembling with agitation)
It is far from my desire to distress Your Excellency,
but I must report a most agonizing development. Rumors abound in Jerusalem that Jesus,
who died the death of a criminal, is alive and may be in the city!
PILATE (scoffing)
And you believe that?
CAIAPHAS
Not by all the stars shining over Israel do I give credence to this report.
PILATE
Well then, why does it distress you so mightily?
CAIAPHAS
May I remind you that at his trial he declared he would rise from the dead.
We worried lest his Disciples steal his body and claim he was alive.
So we decided to watch over his tomb from time to time.
PILATE (irritated)
Oh, all of this is disgusting! You know that I have assigned
soldiers to guard his tomb.
CAIAPHAS (anguished)
Yes, Proculator, but we saw no soldiers; and we found the tomb empty.
PILATE (stunned)
Are you certain you observed the right tomb?
CAIAPHAS
We are not given to error in this kind of probing.
CLAUDIA (eagerly excited)
Could he be risen? Has he risen from the dead? A parade viewer told me
that Jesus predicted he would be resurrected.
PILATE (cunningly)
How do you account for what you allege you discovered in Joseph's garden?
CAIAPHAS (anxiously)
The Disciples are responsible! We warned you about them.
(Claudia shakes her head and waves her arms ridiculing Caiaphas and Tornotto roars with laughter)
PILATE
Nonsense! Utter nonsense! You above all know that they are in hiding fearing
for their very lives. Aside from this, how could they have overcome the guarding soldiers?
(pause, searches face of Caiaphas) Now supposing the Sanhedrin stole the body
to lure the Disciples from their hiding place?
CAIAPHAS (desperately)
No, I swear by all of the Prophets of Israel that the Sanhedrin had nothing
to do with this disappearance!
PILATE (chuckling)
What if he is alive? How will you miserable blood suckers explain that to the Israelites?
(grinning fiercely) Oh, how I would love to hear your stammerings!
CLAUDIA (joyfully)
He is surely alive; I feel it in my head, in my heart and in my
bones!
CAIAPHAS (frustrated)
This cannot be! This cannot be! What are you going to do about this empty tomb, Proculator?
PILATE (emphatically)
If he is risen from the dead there is very little you nor I can do about it.
(to Tornotto) I want those soldier guards brought to me.
Also, circulate among the varied humanity on the streets and bring to me anyone
who claims to have seen Jesus alive.
CLAUDIA
Oh hasten, Tornotto! I can barely contain myself.
(exit Tornotto)
CAIAPHAS (to Pilate)
May I assume that you will take proper measures to silence all of those
who proclaim this resurrection?
PILATE (grimly)
The only ones I wish to silence at this time are you and your contemptible religious
associates. If there be a God, as you Israelites contend, he must be as bored
with you as I am.
CAIAPHAS (desperately)
You have a duty to determine what happened to that body!
PILATE (hostilely)
You dare speak of my responsibility, you despicable specimen of swine!
You make it your responsibility to facilitate the execution of an innocent man;
and then expect me to relieve your anxiety. Dead or alive, this Jesus is a threat to you.
When did your countrymen acclaim you and the Sanhedrin with a palm parade?
Obviously, he brought some joy and hope to the people of Israel,
although I am unaware of its nature.
CAIAPHAS (whining)
He claimed to be a king, and we have no king but Caesar!
PILATE
You are to leave my presence immediately, and I want no further communication from you,
nor the Sanhedrin, pertaining to this man Jesus.
CAIAPHAS
Take heed, Pontius Pilate, Rome is watching you!
PILATE (thundering)
Have you forgotten how forcefully I can deal with obstructionists in Israel?
Do you need another demonstration?
(exit Caiaphas, rapidly)
CLAUDIA (joyfully)
Oh now that he has returned to life, I will have no more of those dreadful dreams.
And I want to see him! Oh, how I want to see him!
PILATE
You mentioned seeing him on several occasions prior to his trial,
but I confess I wasn't listening.
CLAUDIA
I only saw him from a distance. But I strained to see him healing people: the sick,
the lame, and the blind. Also, I watched him at the palm parade.
(enter Tornotto)
PILATE
Where are the soldiers? Where are the witnesses?
TORNOTTO
The guarding soldiers are in a state of shock; they cannot communicate with you
at the present time. The only witness I have for Your Excellency is one who showed
much love and gratitude for this Jesus during his life in Israel. It seems that he
healed her of an affliction of the mind which the Israelites describe as demon possession
and we Romans consider as madness. She traveled with him and the Disciples.
She didn't go in hiding when Jesus was arrested, as did the Disciples.
She watched him on the Cross. And she fears not Your Excellency.
Her name is Mary Magdalene.
CLAUDIA
Mary Magdalene! Mary Magdalene.
PILATE
Do you know this woman?
CLAUDIA
No, but I have seen her from a distance with Jesus.
PILATE (to Tornotto)
Usher her in so I can dispel these ghostly rumors.
(exit Tornotto)
CLAUDIA
Please be gentle with her, Pontius. You will find a kindly approach rewarding, I am sure.
(enter Tornotto with Mary Magdalene)
PILATE (quietly, to Mary Magdalene)
You may approach and be seated (motions to chair on which Mary Magdalene seats herself.
(Exit Tornotto)
It is my understanding that you and Jesus had an endearing relationship?
MARY MAGDALENE
He was and is my entire life.
PILATE (marveling)
I doubt not your reward in following him prior to his execution.
But now you claim to have seen him risen from the dead.
This far exceeds all the claims I have heard from you strange Israelites.
(pause, as he searches face of Mary Magdalene.) Now let us be logical.
Perhaps you saw a ghost, or experienced an hallucination.
MARY MAGDALENE (emphatically)
I saw him more gloriously than I had seen him before his death. He is alive,
I tell Your Excellency, he is risen from his grave!
CLAUDIA (clapping her hands)
Wonderful! How joyful and wonderful!
(receives a warm and grateful smile from an amazed Mary Magdalene)
PILATE (impressed with Mary Magdalene)
I wish I wasn't so skeptical. Who else claims to have seen Jesus this morning?
MARY MAGDALENE
I haven't heard anyone tell of seeing Him.
PILATE (perplexed)
What about all of these rumors I have heard?
MARY MAGDALENE (proudly)
I told everyone I met about His resurrection.
PILATE
What about the Disciples?
MARY MAGDALENE
Peter and John were with me in Joseph's garden this morning,
and they witnessed the empty tomb. I saw my risen Lord following their departure
from the garden. The other Disciples are still in hiding. I told them about Jesus
commanding me to inform them of his Resurrection (shaking her head)
but they have their doubts.
PILATE (laughing)
Those Sanhedrin fools tried to persuade me that the Disciples
stole the body of Jesus from his tomb. (pause) Where hides your Disciple friends?
MARY MAGDALENE
I shall not reveal their whereabouts to you or any other mortal.
However, my expectation is that Jesus will visit with them and make himself known
to others in Jerusalem before the ending of this day.
PILATE
Your sincerity, frankness and passion impresses me deeply, and I am happy that
you are in my presence. (sighs) As I cannot accept your conclusion about
this man Jesus, I feel I shall be haunted all my days by the mystery surrounding him.
(To Claudia) I am famished. (arises from his seat) You can be certain
that Herod has dined scrumptiously this morning, and I need my repast.
Will you join me in satisfying your hunger, now that you are no longer lamenting
for your Lord?
(Claudia and Mary Magdalene arise from their seats)
CLAUDIA (rapturously)
I am in a state where my body needs are dormant.
(Pilate smiles resignedly and exits. Mary Magdalene moves toward exit door.)
Please, Mary Magdalene, remain in my presence for awhile. (Claudia motions for Mary Magdalene to reseat herself, and then occupies her own seat again.) I, too, believe that Jesus is alive. I never met him during his ministry in Israel and only saw him from a distance.
MARY MAGDALENE
I was utterly thrilled with your exhilaration and conviction during my conversation
with His Excellency. But (shaking her head) as the wife of Pontius Pilate
how do you propose to devote your life to my Lord?
CLAUDIA (breathing deeply)
How I wish I could clearly and concisely answer your question. It will be difficult,
most difficult, I fear.
MARY MAGDALENE
Situations may arise when you need choose between serving Jesus and being loyal to Pilate.
CLAUDIA
I do love Pontius. At night, I have watched him in anguish pace the Praetorium.
When the people of a country subject to Rome wish to rid themselves of a Proculator
they accuse him before Caesar of treason. Every Proculator dreads the day this might
befall him. Caesar deals furiously with those whom he perceives as being traitors.
As you know, Pontius is very unpopular among the Israelites.
MARY MAGDALENE
Devotion to our Lord doesn't require ceasing to love the human objects of our affections.
Indeed, quite the opposite is true. We are to love everybody.
But our primary love must be for Him.
CLAUDIA
Pilate is not without virtue. You always hear about his cruelty, his callousness,
his ruthlessness, as his subjects suffer and die. I wish this was not true,
But he also wants to serve justice and he is impressed when he witnesses moral courage,
sacrificial love and compassion. The trouble is he doesn't think deeply about these things.
This, I believe, is why he let Jesus die.
MARY MAGDALENE
I am truly impressed with what you have revealed to me,
and please do not doubt my sensitivity to your dilemma when I again ask how can
you serve both the Lord and Pilate? I am happy to report that some servants of
Caesar have also served my Lord well. A Roman Centurion built a Synagogue for us.
My Lord healed his son of a deadly disease. And there is Joanna, a follower of his,
whose husband is on Herod's staff.
CLAUDIA
Pilate's entire life is obsessed with serving Caesar.
He will never let anything interfere with this pursuit.
I am sure there will be conflict between us over my loyalty to Jesus.
Although I know his affection for me runs deeply, I must prepare to suffer for Jesus,
as He is prepared to suffer for Rome.
MARY MAGDALENE (joyfully)
I truly believe Jesus has another treasured Disciple.
I wish to share much with you as we serve our Lord together.
CLAUDIA
I have been wondering about your first meeting with Jesus.
MARY MAGDALENE
He healed me of a disease which had made life unbearable for me.
I felt as though I was divided into two parts, and my parts were at war with one another.
Likewise, there was deep sadness within me and a despairing of spirit.
During the healing process His wondrous love overwhelmed me. He became my life,
and I followed wherever he went. He lived his inspiring and uplifting preachings and
teachings. His compassion led him to feed five thousand famished people.
He was so warm and kind with women, being the only religious man I have known
who would converse with women, and he treated them with dignity, integrity and respect.
Unlike the Pharisees, he was merciful to sinners, and he was so patient and
tender with the Disciples. His courage knew no bounds. I will live for him and I,
if need be, am prepared to die for Him!
CLAUDIA
Now that Jesus is alive again, how shall we love and serve Him?
MARY MAGDALENE
At this time, I cannot answer such a good question. There is mystery in the air this morning.
Our Lord spoke to me of Ascending to his Father, as though he will be leaving us.
I don't understand what all of this means, but I am sure that he will inform us
as to how he wishes us to serve him before he departs. Jesus did prepare the Disciples
to preach, teach, and heal.
CLAUDIA
I don't understand his leaving us.
MARY MAGDALENE
We are both confused about this. I hear that he told the Disciples that he would be
returning to his Father in Heaven; there he would prepare a place for all of his
followers to join him.
CLAUDIA
How shall we join him?
MARY MAGDALENE
After our deaths, I assume. He warned that some will die for their allegiance to him.
CLAUDIA (sighing)
Life is so short on this mortal sphere. Why wouldn't all want to be with Jesus in Heaven?
MARY MAGDALENE (rising from her seat and approaching Claudia,
who likewise arises from her seat)
I lack words that convey what meeting you has meant to me, dear Claudia.
(clasps Claudia's hands with her hands) I must now take leave of you;
I believe the days ahead will find us together again. (releases Claudia's hands)
I want to know when the Disciples see Jesus. Once that happens they will have no fears
of leaving their place of refuge.
CLAUDIA
You have bestowed a great treasure on me today, precious Mary.
(exit Mary Magdalene. Claudia stands silently gazing after her for several moments. Enter Pilate, who embraces Claudia)
PILATE
I wonder whether you will ever realize how dearly, how deeply I love you.
But I fear for our future together.
CLAUDIA
I have fears of my own; yet, my affection for you has never been greater.
PILATE (As Claudia and he leave their embrace)
I worry how Rome will view the followers of the Galilean.
CLAUDIA
All we desire is to live with Him and for Him. We are not given to violence;
neither do we challenge the authority of Caesar to rule Israel.
PILATE
Yet, your morality and principles are in opposition to some of the ways in which he rules.
(pause) Are you prepared to be faithful to a Jesus who has been rejected by
the ruling body of the Jewish religion and, insofar as I am concerned, is dead?
(pause, Pilate and Claudia seat themselves)
CLAUDIA
I am merely a fledgling in loyalty to Jesus, but it is he to whom I shall be faithful,
not the Sanhedrin, and I believe this will be true of all of his adherents.
If he is not alive, as you contend, there would be no purpose for any to follow Him.
PILATE (grimly shaking his head)
I seem to sense the emerging of a new religion. Dear, lovely, Claudia, what gives you
cause to believe that Caesar will render the same religious tolerance to a new faith
that he has only granted the Religion of Israel? I don't need to remind you of the fate
of those who openly defy Rome. And in this new faith many will suffer and die even
before facing direct Roman hostility. The Sanhedrin will see to that. Sometimes the enemy
within the household of faith is the greatest enemy of all.
CLAUDIA
You have learned so much about the Religion of Israel, but prior to this day you have
been unwilling to converse with me about it.
PILATE (shaking his head)
I was preoccupied when you sought me. If Rome had not granted religious freedom to Israel,
we would not be experiencing this strife and contention. These Israelites constitute a
strange people. Nearly every problem they present to me has a religious connotation.
CLAUDIA (arising from her seat)
Pontius, it affords me nothing but grief to recall how you have tormented many Israelites
who have not opposed Rome with their religious practices. And what possessed you to
commandeer monies from the Temple for your water projects?
PILATE (arising from his seat)
I have seen manifestations of mercy and justice in the faith and practices of Israel
when unhampered by the Sanhedrin, the Pharisees and Zealots, such as Barabbas
who incite insurrection against Caesar. But I fear that loyalty to this Jesus will
ultimately clash with subservience to Rome.
CLAUDIA (embracing Pilate)
And how, my dear Pontius, in the event of this will you function for Rome?
What will it mean in our household?
PILATE (shaking his head)
I am barely able to please Caesar even in small ways. Should he learn of your living and
breathing in opposition to his ordinances and proclamations, I dread the consequences for
both of us, and my heart would be broken. I would likely be summoned to Rome for dire
punishment or execution. (tenderly) In this event, I would leave you in Israel
so you might be spared my fate. Should I receive a lesser sentence of censorship and
be allowed to remain as Proculator, I would have no choice but to banish you from my
presence. If such a procedure failed to placate his Imperial Majesty, you would be put
to the sword.
CLAUDIA
I wish that you would accept Christ so that we might dedicatedly live and die together.
However, inasmuch as you choose to remain loyal to Caesar at any cost,
I will love you as dearly as ever, even as you inflict suffering upon me.
If I die for Christ, I will have truly lived! I wish I felt that you have tasted
the fullness and true joy of living. (Pilate and Claudia tenderly kiss.)
I kiss you unto life; I kiss you unto death. (pause. They kiss again.)
CURTAIN
Melanie McGraw as Claudia
Matthew Alexander as Pilate
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Maumee, Ohio
Palm Sunday, 1995
Refresh