A Short Play about Jesus' Last Supper
From the Viewpoint of the Women Who Served Him


Above: Ezekial, the servant, welcoming the audience and introducing the play.

(all photos from the original Trinity production.
For more info about the Original Production, CLICK HERE)

About the Play

Written by Kevin M Reese

First Presented by Trinity United Methodist Church, Fort Dodge, IA
on Maundy Thursday (April 13), 2006.

CAST:
(Original cast:  10W/3M/2B/1G, optional Pastor)

The Women:

The Men:

The Children:


Above: The church sanctuary as the setting for the play

Sets: 
Simple!  3 tables and a stool is all you need for the kitchen where the women are preparing and serving the Passover Meal to the Disciples, who are in the Upper Room, just off from the kitchen. 

Running time:
Approx 25 min (not counting Communion)

Plot:
Ezekiel, the servant to the owner of the Upper Room, invites us to the place where Jesus and his Disciples are to celebrate their Passover Meal (which will turn out to be his Last Supper).  There, in the kitchen, we see the women of Jesus' group busily preparing the traditional Passover Seder meal.  Course by course, they prepare the meal.  Course by course they serve the meal to the Disciples and return to the kitchen to report what they saw happening in the Upper Room-- and how it affects them.  The only Disciples we see are Judas and Peter as they pass through the kitchen on their way to the Upper Room.  The women sense that something is happening.  The play ends after Jesus and his Disciples have finished their meal, headed off to the Mount of Olives, and the women finish cleaning up.


Above: One of the children recieving instructions from his mother.

This play is about Jesus from the perspective of the women who knew him best.  Through the well-known events of the Last Supper these women reflect on the life of Jesus and his affect on mankind.  We see the Last Supper from a different angle, from a different perspective than usually depicted in stories about this event in Jesus' Passion.

This is NOT your typical Last Supper Drama.  This play uses the well-known setting of Jesus’ Last Supper as a spring-board for a little different perspective– and a few "What ifs?" "Whys?" and "Why nots?" in for good measure.


Above: Mary shares a tender moment with her other son.

During Jesus’ time, it was usually women who served meals, did the laundry, fetched the water and all the other "menial" chores. From what we find in the Bible, there were a number of people who constantly traveled with Jesus, many of whom were women. Undoubtedly, those women took up the many caring tasks of the group. We know at least some of the names of the women who were there for the crucifixion. By a sort of "reverse engineering," it's a safe assumption that the characters in this play could very well have been around Jesus during the Last Supper.


Above: Peter realizes there are many named "Mary" in the Kitchen.

That's what this play is all about.  Using the traditional Jewish Pesach (Passover) Seder that was most likely the same format that Jesus and his Disciples used, we follow the women as they serve each course and listen to what they witnessed as they were in the Upper Room. With humor and tenderness, we understand-- from their perspective-- the significance of Christ's last moments with his Disciples. 


Above: Mary assures Peter and Judas that everything is ready for the meal

At the time during the Seder where Jesus very likely passed around the Bread and the Wine, the audience is invited to partake in communion, after which, the play continues.

 © 2006, Kevin M Reese. All Rights Reserved.