Play #6

Sun Rise

__________________________

A short play written for

the 2018
31 Plays in 31 Days
Challenge

By Joseph Frost

Contact:
Joseph Frost
4550 Normandy Dr
Jackson, MS 39206
FrostJosephD@gmail.com
 Abraham and Sarah, bundling things together.

SARAH
It’s still dark.

ABRAHAM
We leave at first light.

SARAH
This can all be done when the sun rises.

ABRAHAM
I must be done now.

SARAH
There is no hurry.

Abraham stops, looks to her.

ABRAHAM
There is.
(a moment)
Isaac is asleep.

SARAH
He is.

ABRAHAM
You tucked him in.

SARAH
I did.

ABRAHAM
You sang to him?

SARAH
A song of mourning.

ABRAHAM
Sarah...

SARAH
I could sing nothing else.
 2.

ABRAHAM
We decided...

SARAH
I said nothing.

ABRAHAM
You sang of mourning.

SARAH
I told him it was for that calf that fell last week.

ABRAHAM
Had to put it down.

SARAH
Yes. He suspects nothing.

ABRAHAM
Nothing.

SARAH
No.

ABRAHAM
I don’t want to make the journey difficult for him.

SARAH
His long walk to the slaughter.

ABRAHAM
Please...

SARAH
You showed that calf more mercy.

ABRAHAM
This is not me, Sarah. You know my love for that boy.

SARAH
I have seen you love him. Your care. Your provision. Your guidance.

ABRAHAM
Yes.
 3.

SARAH
But now this is also what I see.

ABRAHAM
What would you have me do?

SARAH
He is our son, Abraham. And at our age. At my age. It is...

ABRAHAM
What is it? Impossible.

SARAH
It must be impossible.

ABRAHAM
He is impossible. He was impossible until he was. But there he is. You kissed his
forehead, hand in his hair, and sang a song to him. He was impossible.
(beat)
And now, tomorrow.

SARAH
Tomorrow.
(beat)
Impossible.

Abraham finishes packing, except for one thing.

Abraham indicates the knife.

ABRAHAM
Sarah.

SARAH
Yes.

ABRAHAM
Please.

SARAH
Do not ask that of me.

ABRAHAM
Sarah.
 4.

Sarah reluctantly grabs the knife by the handle.

Sarah points the knife blade at Abraham.

Sarah turns the knife and hands it to Abraham

handle first.

ABRAHAM
Thank you.

Abraham slides it into a leather sheath on the

pack.

Abraham goes to stand. Sarah comes to him

and helps him up.

They are very close.

SARAH
Abraham. I have trusted you.

ABRAHAM
Do not put your faith in me. Put it where I put mine.

SARAH
In God.

ABRAHAM
In God.
(beat)
He led us from the idol worshippers of Ur.

SARAH
To Haran.

ABRAHAM
Away from the famine.

SARAH
To Egypt.

ABRAHAM
Away from the Pharaoh. And my mistakes there.
 5.

SARAH
To Canaan.

ABRAHAM
The land of promise.

SARAH
Where he promised us that we would bear a son.

ABRAHAM
A nation.

SARAH
And forgave me my mistakes.

ABRAHAM
To give us...

SARAH
Isaac.

ABRAHAM
The same God now asks of us--

SARAH
A sacrifice.

Sarah turns.

ABRAHAM
When you looked at him tonight, as you kiss his head, as you sang... what did you see?

SARAH
I saw my boy, my promise, my gift... already dead.
(beat)
I kick now against the goads. In futility. I know that.
(beat)
It is impossible for me to do nothing to stop this.

ABRAHAM
Yet again, God tells us we will live the story of the impossible.

Sarah reaches for the knife.

 6.

Abraham grabs her around her shoulders.

They sit back on the ground, Abraham

embracing Sarah, she holding the knife.

ABRAHAM
The grave cannot hold back the promise. But God has commanded this sacrifice. With
the same mighty voice he used to breathe life into your belly. Just as a barren womb gave
life, our son will breathe again.

SARAH
He will breathe again.

They breathe quickly and heavily for a moment,

until their breaths synchronize, and calm.

Sarah puts the knife into the pack.

ABRAHAM
Sarah.

SARAH
Yes.

ABRAHAM
The sun will rise.

SARAH
It will.
(beat)
Let us pray it will rise again.

They sit for a moment.

Lights down.