Ruth the Moabite

 

 

play by Ruth Salles

This play tells the story of Ruth the Moabite. According to the Old Testament, the Moabites descended from Moab, grandson of Aaron, brother of Abraham. In turn, Abraham's grandson Jacob was called Israel, by the divine being with whom he wrestled. Hence, their descendants were called Israelites. Ruth, the Moabite, married the Israelite Boaz in Bethlehem and was the great-grandmother of King David, which makes her, despite being considered a foreigner, an ancestor of Jesus.

To the beginning and middle songs the author has tried to give a tone of Hebrew music, but the music teacher can modify them, if she finds it more convenient for them to be in a major key. The second song is the same as the play A Estrela de Belém, 4th grade. The last one – the psalm of David – is also in the play Saul and David, 3rd grade. The class teacher decides whether the children sing the entire psalm or just half of it.

All the characters are part of the Choir. Each one stands out from him when it comes his turn to act in front. When her role ceases, or is interrupted, the character returns to the Chorus.

CHARACTERS:
Choir / Naomi / Husband and two Sons of Naomi / her daughters-in-law Orpah and Ruth / two Moabite Women / two Women of Bethlehem / Boaz and the Reapers / Angel / Samuel / David / Goliath / Saul.

CHORUS (sings and talks, while Naomi passes by, with her husband and two children, walking from left to right):
“Naomi, Naomi,
Bethlehem was their home.
But there was a lot of hunger,
and she went to Moab.
the river jordan
in front found.
With her husband and children
she then crossed over.”
(speech)
– And he went a long way on his journey,
with faith in God and a lot of courage.
(husband and children return to choir)

NOÊMI:
– I am Naomi, from Bethlehem,
and I live now in Moab,
because I left my land
until the famine there ends.

CHOIR:
— But the Lord took his children,
that He had lent you.
She also took her husband,
took the three to his side.

1st MOABITE WOMAN (stands out and speaks to Naomi):
– Now, Naomi, you only have
the widows of his two sons,
(points to daughters-in-law, who stand out)
Orfa and Ruth,
their Moabite daughters-in-law.

2nd MOABITE WOMAN (highlights):
- And they are still so young,
Orfa and Ruth…
They must renew their lives.

NOÊMI:
- There's no question about that,
good Moabite friends.
I wish them all the best.
And I'm going back to Bethlehem,
where my relatives live,
for there the famine ended.
(she talks to Orfa and Ruth):
- Come back, come home
from your parents, dear daughters-in-law!
My God will be generous,
will give them new husbands.
And I return to my people
never forgotten by me.

ORPH:
- I wanted to follow
my good mother...

NOÊMI:
– No. This is your place,
with his people, with his god.

ORPH:
– So, Mother, goodbye!
(returns to the choir with the two Moabite women)

NOÊMI (to Ruth):
– Ruth, stay here too,
for I return to Bethlehem.

RUTH:
“Don't insist that I stay.
Without you I won't be.
I don't want to say goodbye to you.
Wherever you go, I will go.
Your people will be my people.
Your God will be my God.
May He treat me strictly
if I'm not with you either.

(The beginning melody can be played on the flute as they walk from right to left, where is Belém.)

1st WOMAN OF BELÉM (highlights):
– Look! It's Naomi arriving!
Here comes Naomi from Moab!

2nd WOMAN OF BELÉM (highlights):
– She brought a Moabite with her!
Who will she be? Who will be?

NOÊMI (hugs the women):
- How good it is to see friends!
(introduces Ruth)
This is my daughter-in-law Ruth.
Only her God left me.

1st WOMAN OF BELÉM:
– They arrived at the time of harvest.
Our men are already on the job.

2nd WOMAN OF BELÉM:
– The barley is not quite ripe,
but if it matures too much,
its grains fall off the cob.

(Booz and the reapers stand apart from the chorus and speak in rhythm, with scythe-scythe gestures.)

BOOZ WITH THE REAPERS):
- Men
with the sickle,
boys
with the sickle.
Later
the miller
grinds us
every grain,
give us
the flour.
work
with the sickle,
work,
brothers.
Later
the women
Pharaoh
our bread.

RUTH (follows, with gestures of picking up ears left behind):
- The Lord will bless
the owner of all this field
that men are reaping.
And I'll glean every ear
that they left behind,
to help mother Naomi,
for she makes the bread.

BOOZ (to a reaper):
– Who is the girl gleaning?
the ears that are fallen?

HARVESTER:
– Arrived from Moab with Naomi.
It's your daughter-in-law, who is a widow.
Her name is Ruth the Moabite.

BOOZ (to the reapers):
- Drop a lot of ears
for this girl to glean.
I've been working since morning,
has been gleaning without tiring.

(The reapers can repeat half their line of the reaping rhythm, and Ruth reappears gleaning behind them.)

NOÊMI (when Ruth comes home from work):
- Aren't you tired, my daughter?

RUTH:
- No, Mother, and God bless
the owner of this entire field.

NOÊMI:
“He's Booz, and he's related to me.
Will definitely come here.

(Booz comes over and greets Naomi and Ruth. Then they all go to the choir.)

CHOIR:
– Ruth the Moabite continued
always gleaning the barley
that was left by the field.
Booz looked at her kindly.
and decided to marry her.
(Booz and Ruth [in white veil] stand out)
An angel comes from behind her,
of the foreigner, the Moabite! (the angel stands out)

(Here, the scenes with David can be played to the side, or in front, first Samuel anointing his head with oil, then David defeating Goliath, finally with Saul. Ruth must remain detached from the choir until the end, with the angel blessing her.)

ANGEL:
– Yes, this is Ruth the Moabite.
Your great-grandson will be a shepherd.
As a boy he will be anointed
by the prophet Samuel,
who obeys the God of heaven.

(David comes with his staff toward Samuel, and the choir sings.)

CHORUS (sings):
“Little shepherd, little shepherd,
with your staff in your hand,
shepherd the sheep,
the flute takes the sound...
The day breaks slowly,
that the sun comes to light,
the sun comes to lighten.”

SAMUEL (gestures to pour oil on David's head, anointing him):
– This will be in the future
the great king of Israel.
(Samuel returns to the choir)

ANGEL:
– David, when he was a little shepherd,
wanted to face the Philistines.

DAVID (Goliath is on the other side):
– I have a lot of faith in God.
In your power my soul trusts.
And without armor or shield
I defeated the giant Goliath.

(He makes the gesture of turning the sling three times and Goliath falls)

CHOIR:
– After Saul, who will be the king?

ANGEL:
- David!
Twenty-eight generations will pass.
And then it will be born,
as your descendant,
the envoy of the Lord,
our Savior.

(The characters join the chorus except the angel, Ruth and David, who sits on the floor at Saul's feet, harp in hand.)

ANGEL:
– Ruth the Moabite,
came to Belém
out of love for Naomi.
with that love,
she brought a little lightning
of the great light
that slowly came to us:
the Savior Christ Jesus.

CHOIR:
- With your love for God,
will David
in the psalms he composed,
sensed
who would come later?

ALL (sing the psalm):
“The Lord is my shepherd, and I will not want.
In green meadows He makes me rest.
And take me to the cool, calm waters,
and remake my soul.
Along the straight paths, he leads me
for your name's sake.
With your staff and your staff,
I will be supported.
And if I must cross the gloomy valley,
I have nothing to fear, for He is with me.
And prepare my table,
my cup overflows,
will anoint my head.
Your divine grace, infinite wisdom,
will be following me.
And there in the house of the Lord
I will be residing.”

 

End