Good Samaritain

[saphireSue]

this story is not original to me, but we do this skit in our ministry and the way we do is origional to us, or atleast I've never seen anyone do it like ours. So I thought I'd post to give you another idea or skit. We tried to up date ours into today's time.

Clown's needed 6 but can be done with smaller number, adding to costume for different charactures.

c1-victim, robber, Lawyer, business man, and wealthy woman, good samaritain.

props. I explain as I go..

C1 strolls like he's walking through the park, robber comes up and hits c1 on the head our victim drops to the floor but every time the robber tries to get the money he gets tickled and reacts, with the robber hitting him 3 times to knock him out.

Lawyer is first to come by and she's donned a jacket over her costume, carries briefcase and an oversized buisness card and on the back is $$$ signs. She sees the victim goes to his aid, shows him and the audience her card then flips it over and shows the $$$ signs, victim pulls out pockets to show he has no money, lawyer tosses card and exit stage.

next clown has donned a jacket and carries a cell phone, having a heated [silent] discussion walk all around and over and just out of reach of the victim, almost stepping on him, when he realizes that there's a guy on the floor, he just ignores him and walks off stage still on the phone.

Next clown has added a crown, big jewels to her costume comes out all high and mighty admireing her hair, jewels , fingers etc. nearly misses clown on ground, who tries to attract her attention. She of course makes a discussing gesture and runs off stage

Good samaritan comes out sees victim, dust him off and they exit together.

this is done as a silent skit, our victim, react with each person, with gesture and facial movements and with audience with each charcture that comes out. {hard to discribe actions, writing it, but it gets a good many laughs and I always ask the audience if they recognize it, and so far every one knows the story.

[tim]

I like the concept. I'd be interested in knowing how the Samaritan acts upon entering the stage. How does he discover the man lying on the ground? What is his initial reaction? Does he struggle over stopping to help or go right to it? How do we know that he is someone somehow different, less important, despised in his own personage? I think that it is in details like this which can make the skit truly human and real in connecting with an audience.

[saphireSue]

Rooney usually plays this part, She comes out sees the victim, does a take with the audience "OH MY" and rushes to his aid.

In the Bible the good Samaritan doesn't hesitate to help the victim.
Our victim by the way is the Hobo of the group.

[tim]

Originally Posted by saphireSue

In the Bible the good Samaritan doesn't hesitate to help the victim.
Our victim by the way is the Hobo of the group.

I like the fact the he is a hobo. I think, perhaps, that says something. (Though in the original story it would seem that the man has means.)

That said, how do we know that he doesn't hesitate. Obviously, it is just a story, a parable. And the lack of hesitation certainly says something. But that isn't usually how things work in real life. Instead, we are appalled, disgusted, fearful. It is only with courage that we overcome it and take the risk of identifying with another enough to help him.

We are told that the Samaritan was "moved to compassion." But how, exactly, we are left to wonder and interpret on our own.

If I were doing such a skit (perhaps in clown, possibly otherwise), I think I would place the setting in downtown Chicago late at night on a lonely street (by an alley) which one, nonetheless, must pass through to get from somewhere important to the comfortable confines of one's home. The man on the street would be a homeless, dirty beggar. The first person to pass is a sophisticated suburbanite lady who looks down upon this hobo; the second a rural Illinoisan visiting town that is fearful; the third would be a slick New York attorney doing business here who, alone, actually responds to the call while walking by and stops to take interest in the downtrodden bum, providing him with both immediate care and long term opportunity.

[tim]

Or perhaps, as another idea over the course of an entire show, building up a particular clown as the despised one for whatever reason, then having him be the one to show mercy in this skit at the end of the show.