BACK ANANIAS2 7'?m4f Why were Ananias and Sapphira killed? (scene: three chairs in semicircle facing audience) JESSICA -- (enters backward) Please come in and sit down. (all other characters act guilty) SUZANNA -- (enters) Will someone please tell me what we're doing here? JESSICA -- I think you know why you're here. MARIANE -- (enters) Well, I don't. Am I being accused of something? JESSICA -- (enters) Noone is accusing anyone at this point. Please have a seat. (motions to chairs) LUCIANE -- I don't know what I'm doing here. I already told the police everything I saw. (All sit, cross legs in unison) SUZANNA -- Police? Did she say POLICE? Did somebody break the law? JESSICA -- Yes. LUCIANE -- No. SUZANNA -- Well, which is it? JESSICA -- Yes. LUCIANE -- No. JESSICA -- I'll do the talking here. LUCIANE -- Very well. MARIANE -- Will someone please tell me what this is all about? JESSICA -- There's been a murder. LUCIANE -- No, there hasn't. MARIANE -- Murder?! JESSICA -- No, you're right. There's been TWO murders! LUCIANE -- No, there hasn't. MARIANE -- Two murders?! JESSICA -- You (points to Luciane) keep quiet. I'll get to you later. LUCIANE -- Very well. JESSICA -- As I said there have been two murders. And someone in this room knows more about it than they're saying. SUZANNA -- You mean you think one of US is a MURDERER?! JESSICA -- If the shoe fits.... SUZANNA -- I... I have no idea what you're talking about. JESSICA -- You knew the victims, didn't you? SUZANNA -- I'm very wealthy. I know lots of people. And lots of people know me. JESSICA -- Don't play coy with me. I'm talking about Ananias and Sapphira. They wound up dead after they sold you some land. SUZANNA -- It was a coincidence, that's all. I buy and sell a lot of land. JESSICA -- How much did you pay Ananias and Sapphira for their land? SUZANNA -- How much? JESSICA -- Yes. SUZANNA -- How much did I pay them? JESSICA -- Yes. SUZANNA -- How much did they say they sold it for? JESSICA -- I'm asking the questions here. SUZANNA -- Alright, I paid them... I paid them 400 drachmas for their land. MARIANE -- 400 Drachmas?! JESSICA -- What's the matter? Does the number 400 mean something to you? MARIANA -- No. I don't know anything. JESSICA -- I think you do. You knew the victims too, did you not? MARIANE -- Victims? What victims. I didn't know any victims. JESSICA -- You had dealings with Ananias's wife Sapphira on the day of the murders, did you not? MARIANE -- It was a business acquaintance. Strickly business. I had no reason to kill anyone. JESSICA -- Just answer the question. MARIANE -- Alright. Sapphira came to my bank the day.... the day she died. (stands, shouts) But, I didn't kill her I swear! JESSICA -- Sit down. Noone is accusing you of murder... MARIANE -- (sits) Oh. JESSICA -- Yet. MARIANE -- (gasps, pulls out hanky, cries) JESSICA -- Sapphira deposited money in YOUR bank on the day of the murder, did she not? MARIANE -- How did you know that? I never told anyone... JESSICA -- And how much money did she deposit? MARIANE -- She asked me not to tell. JESSICA -- How much?! MARIANE -- 400 Drachmas. JESSICA -- Uh huh! MARIANE -- But... I didn't take any of it! It's still on deposit. You can check for yourself. JESSICA -- Yes, but on the day of the murders, while Sapphira was in your bank depositing 400 drachmas, Ananias was not with her, was he? MARIANE -- No. JESSICA -- Does anyone know where Ananias was while Sapphira was at the bank? MARIANE & SUZANNA -- (point at Luciane dramatically) At her house! JESSICA -- Uh huh! The plot thickens. And just what was Ananias doing at YOUR house on the day of the murders? LUCIANE -- I'm telling you, there were no murders, there were no wounds, there was no poison, there was no sign of struggle. Ananias and Sapphira merely.... JESSICA -- Both victims died at your house, did they not? LUCIANE -- Yes, but... JESSICA -- Then answer the question. What was Ananias doing at YOUR house on the day of the murders? LUCIANE -- (sigh) Alright. Ananias came to my house because Peter and Paul were there. He came to donate money to the church. JESSICA -- Uh huh! MARIANE -- I don't get it. JESSICA -- Neither do I. But we're getting close. I can smell it. LUCIANE -- I smell something, but.... JESSICA -- How much money did Ananias donate to the church? LUCIANE -- He donated 400 drachmas. JESSICA -- Uh huh! That's exactly the same amount that Sapphira deposited at the bank and it's exactly the same amount that they received in payment for their land.. MARIANE -- Are you saying you think we all conspired to kill Ananias and Sapphira? JESSICA -- Oh, I hadn't thought of that, but it's not a bad idea. LUCIANE -- It's a bad idea. JESSICA -- (paces) Alright, let's piece this together. Ananias and Sapphira received 400 drachmas in payment for their land. But 400 drachmas to the bank plus 400 drachmas to the church equals 800 drachmas. Something doesn't add up. (points at Suzanna's nose) Does it?! SUZANNA -- (shouts) Alright! Alright! I lied. I didn't pay them 400 drachmas. I paid them 800 Drachmas for their land. (stands, shouts) But I didn't kill them, I swear! (pulls out hanky, cries) JESSICA -- Sit down! SUZANNA -- (sits, cries) JESSICA -- Why did you lie about how much you paid for their land? SUZANNA -- They asked me to. JESSICA -- Ananias and Sapphira ASKED you to lie? SUZANNA -- Yes. JESSICA -- Why? SUZANNA -- Because they wanted everyone in the church to think they were generous people. They were going to tell everyone that they donated the entire proceeds of the sale to the church. JESSICA -- Uh huh! MARIANE -- What does that mean? JESSICA -- I have no idea. Who would kill them for lying about how much they gave to the church? LUCIANE -- God would. ALL -- (gasp) God would!? JESSICA -- You mean God struck them dead? LUCIANE -- Yes. JESSICA -- Why would God strike them dead? LUCIANE -- Because none of you are Christians. JESSICA -- What does that have to do with anything? LUCIANE -- If God had allowed Ananias and Sapphira to get by with lying, you non-believers would have spread the word that it's okay for Christians to lie. He couldn't allow that. SUZANNA -- Why would he do that? LUCIANE -- You see, the church is just starting. And Jesus called himself "the way, the TRUTH and the life". A man who calls himself TRUTH could not allow his church to be built on a foundation of lies. (all stand and move to exit together, leaving Jessica) MARIANE -- That sounds logical. SUZANNA -- Wow! This Jesus must really be who he said he is. MARIANE -- Tell me more about this guy Jesus. SUZANNA -- Yeah, you mean he never lied? LUCIANE -- Never. He's God in human flesh. MARIANE -- Oh, wow! JESSICA -- (follows) Hey, wait a minute! I'm not through with my investigation yet! Where are you going?! �2013 Bob Snook. 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