Coming soon: "Song of Solomon" by the Freehold Children Theater

True Disciple

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It is with great pleasure that I announce the next project I and my teenage students of Bible College have worked on. After our great success with our roleplay of Oholah and Oholibah (I will post the screenplay of that later on), we have decided to act out another part of God's Holy Bible: Song of Solomon!

The Freehold Children Theater has the same objective as other Christian children's theaters: to bring the Message of the Bible to our children by visualizing it. Of course, the difference here is that, while other Christian denominations only act out the parts of the Bible that fit within their narrow-minded, liberal worldviews, we intend to act out the entire Bible, eventually.

As you all know, Song of Solomon is a Book that explains the proper way for young, unmarried couples to behave in their preparations for marriage. Before our first performance after Sunday Service next week, I can already proudly present you with an excerpt of the Screenplay, covering Song of Solomon 4 and 5.

The main characters will be played by Jesse Thompson (14 yr) as the male protagonist (M), and Deborah Auster (15 yr) as the female protagonist (F). Orange denotes a choir of 6 other girls (G).

Song of Solomon 4:

M enters the stage again, where F is standing smiling modestly at the audience

(Exuberantly gesturing at F's delicate features) "Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes within thy locks (M lets his hand slide gently through F's long hair): thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead.(gestures at a far away mountain)
Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; (M gestures at F's teeth, while F smiles her broadest smile) whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them.
Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, (F brings her lips slightly forward) and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks. (M lifts F's locks to reveal her temples)

Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury (both M's hands follow the form of F's neck), whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.
Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, (M gestures at F's protruding bossom, while F imitates two happily skitting roes with her hands in front of her bossom) which feed among the lilies.
Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.
Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee. (again reverentially tracing her form from tip to toe in the air with his arms)

Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards.
Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse (M clenches both fists dramatically in front of his chest); thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, (F winks at M) with one chain of thy neck. (F slightly lifts one of the gold chains around her neck, and makes it tingle slightly, while smiling at the audience)

How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices! (M sniffs F's hairs adoringly)
Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb (M pretends to catch the honey dripping from F's mouth): honey and milk are under thy tongue; (F opens her mouth and shows the audience the bottom side of her tongue) and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon. (M sniffs, again adoringly, at F's clothes)

A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. (M pretends that he would be separated from F by a wall, which he touches and feels in an attempt to find an opening to get to her)
Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard,
Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices: (again, exuberantly gesturing when describing the fertility of F as a garden)
A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon."

While M still tries to get into the garden, F sings:

"Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, (lifts her arms high in the air to catch an imaginary wind) that the spices thereof may flow out. (F imitates with her hands a stream flowing out of herself) Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits."
(F opens an imaginary door in M's imaginary wall, and beckons him in)

Song of Solomon 5:

"I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: (spreads his arms for her) I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk:" (M sits down in front of F and pretends to be enjoying the sun)

"eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved." (G joyfully raise goblets overflowing with grapejuice)

" 2I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled (opens her arms to embrace him): for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. (F weaves her hand through her hair, shaking dewdrops out of it)
3I have put off my coat; (F puts down her coat) how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them? (F shows her washed feet at the audience)

4My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door (M stretches out his hand to F's door), and my bowels were moved for him. (F grasps with her hands on the lower part of her stomach)
I rose up to open to my beloved; (F opens her hands again) and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock. (F moves her fingers, showing the audience the thick, spicy fluids dripping off her hands)

I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: (M swiftly leaves F's embrace and stands at the side of the stage, leaving F distressed) my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. (F pretends to search for M)

The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, (two watchmen enter the stage and pretend to hit F) they wounded me; (F moves her hands over imaginary wounds all over her body) the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me. (the watchmen tear off F's veil, which she put on when starting to search M)
I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love." (slowly lays herself down in despair)

"What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?" (G make disparaging gestures, looking at F dismissively, who then continues to move on to M, at the side of the stage)

"My beloved is white and ruddy, (F shows M's beautiful Caucasian features to the audience) the chiefest among ten thousand.
His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven. (M shakes his hear, and shows it to the audience, while F gently caresses it)
His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, (F gestures at M's eyes) washed with milk, and fitly set.
His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: (F sniffs M's cheeks) his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh. (now, F tries to catch the myrrh dripping from M's lips)
His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires. (With one hand, F takes M's right hand, the other hand F lays on his belly)
His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. (F traces his strong stature in the air with her hands)
His mouth is most sweet: (F pretends to taste M's lips) yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem."

This is a slightly shortened version of these Chapters; in the performance next Sunday, we will present you with a more expanded performance of these Chapters, as well as the other eight of Song of Solomon!

Jesse and Deborah were delighted to take part in this play as main characters, and we had a great time together, both when one of them practiced alone while I performed the role of the other player, as well as practicing together later on, when they knew the script better, under my supervision. I hope you will enjoy it next sunday!

Yours in Christ,

True Disciple