Disappointing Drama

 Brief: a drama skit on the Great Disappointment in 1844.
Written: Scott Wegener
Performance: Castle Hill Seventh-day Adventist Church,  October 22, 2016

The preacher of the day comes in the regular entrance to the church, behind the congregating, and shouts "Jesus is coming, today's the day!" And two or three musicians follow, starting happily into the hymn 'When we all get to heaven', walking down the isle behind the preacher. 

As they get to the front, the preacher starts recruiting other planted musicians to the stage and they all start joining in playing the chorus of the hymn, over and over.

The music really builds until it's super fun and a grand jam session: drums, piano, violin, guitars, etc  and peaks with a full sounding organ.

(Optional: an invitation is given for the audience to clap along at the peak, or even stand up too.)

Once finished recruiting, music jamming away, the preacher ends up standing in the middle of the stage, back to the audience, looking up to the sky, maybe hands in the air with their Bible, while everyone plays grandly around behind him.

But, after one complete chorus, musicians start to drop off, starting with the Organ and working down to the quietest instruments, and they slowly, one by one, sit back down a few seconds after each other, and the music slowly starts to die until the final person stops mid playing and walks off, giving the preacher a consoling squeeze on the shoulder on the way off. A lone cricket sound effect is heard, which was started during the peak of the song can be heard for a moment of eerie stillness.

The preacher turns and walks to the microphone and starts straight into their message (no banter). "It was October 22, 1844. The world was a buzz with anticipation..." 

Optional ending 2: if lead role isn't the preacher of the day: The lead actor turns, expecting to speak to the musicians but there's no one there. "I don't.... (Turns) Understand?" they say, possibly with tears in their eyes. Opens Bible and walks out reading intently.