SEEDS OF REFORM A Collection of Short Plays of Remarkable Men and Women Whose Lives and Writings Provided the Foundational Underpinnings that Became the Reformation by Delvyn C. Case, Jr. John Wycliffe John Hus Joan of Arc Savonarola Martin Luther William Tyndale SEEDS OF REFORM Copyright © 2020 by Delvyn C. Case, Jr. All Rights Reserved CAUTION: Professionals and amateurs are hereby warned that SEEDS OF REFORM is subject to a royalty. It is fully protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America, the British Commonwealth, including Canada, and all other countries of the Copyright Union. All rights, including professional, amateur, motion picture, recitation, lecturing, public reading, radio broadcasting, television, and the rights of translation into foreign language are strictly reserved. 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Table of Contents SCATTERED ASHES.....................................................................7 (Set in 1415) JOHN HUS: ONE HUNDRED YEARS BEFORE THE SWAN..13 (Set in 1415) JOAN OF ARC..............................................................................19 (Set in 1429) SAVONAROLA: THE STEPS TO THE GALLOWS.................24 (Set in 1498) UNCHAINING THE BIBLE: LUTHER AND THE EARLY REFORMATION...........................................................................31 (Set in 1517) WILLIAM TYNDALE: ANTWERP 1535..................................36 (Set in 1535) SCATTERED ASHES (Copyright © 2001, 2012, 2013, and 2020) JOHN HUS: ONE HUNDRED YEARS BEFORE THE SWAN (Copyright © 2002 and 2020) JOAN OF ARC (Copyright © 2001, 2002, and 2020) SAVONAROLA: THE STEPS TO THE GALLOWS (Copyright © 1996, 2000, and 2020) UNCHAINING THE BIBLE: LUTHER AND THE EARLY REFORMATION (Copyright © 2003, 2004, 2017, and 2020) WILLIAM TYNDALE: ANTWERP 1535 (Copyright © 2001 and 2020) SCATTERED ASHES Characters GRAVEDIGGER #1, age 30 GRAVEDIGGER #2, age 20 Time Afternoon, Summer 1415 Place A graveyard—burial site of John Wycliffe, Luttersworth, England Set/Costumes/Props Headstone (of John Wycliffe) downstage right of center stage with plants around the area that is a grave. In the grave is a pile of bones (not seen by the audience). On the edge of the grave is a large burlap bag with a tie. GRAVEDIGGER #1 and #2 are dressed in baggy pants, tunics, belts, and boots. GRAVEDIGGER #1 has a short shovel, a large burlap bag and a rope tie for the bag. GRAVEDIGGER #2 has a long shovel. Synopsis At the command of the Church Council of England, two gravediggers remove the bones of John Wycliffe to be burned and scattered in the River Swift. (black out) (As the lights come up, GRAVEDIGGER #1 and #2 enter from the stage right exit and cross to downstage right of center--area of the grave. Each carries a shovel) GRAVEDIGGER #1 (as they cross) Won't take long to finish what we started 'fore lunch. (As they cross they spot the grave and stone at edge of stage) GRAVEDIGGER #1 (cont'd) (pointing to grave and stone) There. (GRAVEDIGGER #1 and #2 reach the grave) GRAVEDIGGER #1 (cont'd) Help me down. (GRAVEDIGGER #1 grabs arm of GRAVEDIGGER #2 and “jumps” into the grave. GRAVEDIGGER #1 starts to dig. GRAVEDIGGER #2 stands stage left of the grave and watches GRAVEDIGGER #1 dig) GRAVEDIGGER #2 What'd he do? GRAVEDIGGER #1 He was a heretic. GRAVEDIGGER #2 What's that? (GRAVEDIGGER #1 stops shoveling and looks at GRAVEDIGGER #2) GRAVEDIGGER #1 Someone who disagrees with the Pope and the bishops. GRAVEDIGGER #2 Their scandalous lives? Their treatment of the people? Who wouldn't? GRAVEDIGGER #1 (holding finger to mouth) Hold your tongue. It's dangerous to speak out. (GRAVEDIGGER #1 shovels) GRAVEDIGGER #2 What'd he say 'bout the Pope and bishops? (GRAVEDIGGER #1 stops shoveling and looks at GRAVEDIGGER #2) GRAVEDIGGER #1 That the Bible, not the Church, is the authority for Christian beliefs. GRAVEDIGGER #2 Strong words! GRAVEDIGGER #1 He's the one who translated the Bible into English, too. GRAVEDIGGER #2 What good's the Bible in Latin? Only the priests can read Latin. GRAVEDIGGER #1 The clergy's said don't worry 'bout it. They tell us what we need to know. GRAVEDIGGER #2 What's wrong with reading the Bible for ourselves? GRAVEDIGGER #1 I don't know. You ask a lot of questions. (GRAVEDIGGER #2 shrugs his shoulders. GRAVEDIGGER #1 returns to shoveling) GRAVEDIGGER #2 Who was it again? (GRAVEDIGGER #1 points to the headstone) GRAVEDIGGER #1 Read it yourself. (GRAVEDIGGER #2 crosses to the stone and wipes it off with his hand) GRAVEDIGGER #2 (reading) “John...Wycliffe.” GRAVEDIGGER #1 What's why his followers who've been burned at the stake have a page of the Bible tied around their necks. The Church Council's declared his followers to be heretics as well as Wycliffe himself. They've rounded up his followers and executed them all. Now we're to remove Wycliffe's bones from Holy Ground. (GRAVEDIGGER #2 is amazed. GRAVEDIGGER #1 continues to shovel) GRAVEDIGGER #2 This is fourteen fifteen. Wycliffe's been dead...(counting on fingers) twenty, thirty... GRAVEDIGGER #1 Forty... GRAVEDIGGER #2 Forty years. What'll that do? GRAVEDIGGER #1 We burn his bones and...(scattering motion with his hand) scatter the ashes over the River Swift. (GRAVEDIGGER #1 stops shoveling because he finds he bones) GRAVEDIGGER #1 Found 'em. GRAVEDIGGER #2 And that'll... GRAVEDIGGER #1 (pointing to bag) I'll take that now. Stop his influence. GRAVEDIGGER #2 (with disbelief) (handing bag to GRAVEDIGGER #1) C'mon. (GRAVEDIGGER #1 fills the sack with bones and picks up the sack. He shakes the sack and bones make a sound. He picks up his shovel) GRAVEDIGGER #1 That's what the Church Council thinks. (holding out hand) Help me. (GRAVEDIGGER #2 takes the hand of GRAVEDIGGER #1 and jumps out the grave. He motions for GRAVEDIGGER #2 to shovel dirt into the grave) GRAVEDIGGER #2 Why do I always get this part? (GRAVEDIGGER #1 motions for GRAVEDIGGER #2 to shovel. GRAVEDIGGER #2 shovels dirt into grave and pats down the dirt on top. GRAVEDIGGER #1 shakes the bag and the bones make a sound) GRAVEDIGGER #2 (cont'd) Got everyone? GRAVEDIGGER #1 What? GRAVEDIGGER #2 (pointing to bag) Every bone. How many are in there? GRAVEDIGGER #1 A hundred or so. (frustrated)I don't know! I've never counted them before, on anyone, ever. GRAVEDIGGER #2 (sing-songy) If you miss even one...(holding up fifth finger and pointing to it with index finger) tiny bone, it won't work. GRAVEDIGGER #1 Don't make fun of me! I don't know how it'll work. It's just my job... (pointing at GRAVEDIGGER #2) and yours. I got all I could find. That's all. (pointing stage right) Let's go. (GRAVEDIGGER #1 turns toward stage right. GRAVEDIGGER #2 touches GRAVEDIGGER #1 on shoulder and GRAVEDIGGER #1 turns back toward GRAVEDIGGER #2) GRAVEDIGGER #2 What if his influence spreads like his ashes do in the river? GRAVEDIGGER #1 You ask too many questions. The Pope and the bishops'll be mad. Many more'll be sent to the flames. GRAVEDIGGER #2 (shaking head) This isn't going to work. Already English Bibles are all over London. Soon they'll be here, too. GRAVEDIGGER #1 (defensively) I TOLD YOU, I GOT EVERY BONE I COULD FIND! (GRAVEDIGGER #1 and GRAVEDIGGER #2 cross toward the stage door and exit stage right) (black out) END OF PLAY

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