Presentation time: 90 minutes

Characters

• Stephen, A young man full of the Holy Ghost during the drama

• Elias, Stephen’s father, a devout Jew

• Saul of Tarsus, Elias’ second cousin, an even more devout Jew

• Benjamin, A older brother of Stephen, but not as devout.

I Stand Alone covers moments in the life of Stephen. It begins at his death, but quickly goes back to an earlier time when he first came in contact with ‘those Jesus people’. The play explores his relationship with his brother – Benjamin – and his father – Elias. As time progresses we see Stephen mature into a strong Christian man who eventually is appointed a Deacon of the church, willing to face death for his savior.

The strongest threads are those between Saul and Stephen, then Stephen and Benjamin. Their arguments create the basis for our understanding of the Jewish mind and thought vs. budding Christian ideals.

Interwoven through the mix is Benjamin’s duality and the recurring visitor, Saul of Tarsus. In this play Saul is a distant relative of the family. This has no basis in historical fact, but not impossible. Saul provides the extreme views of the Jewish faith and is the tool used by Benjamin to promote his ends.

Benjamin is the protagonist, not the father. He is manipulating behind the scenes for his selfish ends. He shows a different face to each of the other characters. To Elias he is the faithful son. To Stephen he is the protective brother. To Saul he is the spy. He sees himself as the only one worthy of respect. (Shakespearean buffs may see the resemblance to Edmond and Edgar in Richard the III)

Setting:

There are three locations in this play.

• The home of Elias and his sons.

• A back wall of the synagogue

• A location where Stephen is stoned.