Characters Welcome: Old Testament Edition

What does a bed warmer, a beauty contest, and a game show called "Outta Time" have to do with the Bible? In Characters Welcome: Old Testament Edition, everything!
Characters Welcome is a collection of 10 mini plays that can be used for Summer sermons, Bible studies, or just plain fun. Each script includes a link to the source text in the Bible, a prop list, and questions to consider after reading the script. Imagining your way to a production is easy.
Characters Welcome introduces readers to the people behind some of the most familiar (and a few less familiar) stories in the Bible. Monologues, imagined scenes, and poetry help create a theatrical bridge between the characters of the Old Testament and the world we live in today. What would it look like to put King Ahab on trial for the murder of the prophet Naboth? What compelled Tamar to sleep with her father in law? How did family dynamics play into the court drama between David, Bathsheba, and Solomon? What do any of these people have to do with me?
Originally written as a summer sermon series, these well researched studies are filled with wit, wisdom, and humor. Each meditation has lead to further conversations about what the characters were like and how the listener related to the character. Many people reported going on to research more about the texts on which the sermons were based.
Characters Welcome can be used as a study for a pastor to explore some midrash around a particular character in the Bible. It can be used to ignite conversations about how things were and how things are. It can be used to start conversations about the hidden struggles people face. It can be used as supplementary material for Bible Study groups. Alas, it can also be read just for fun.
An introductory section entitled: Filling the Gaps helps readers to imagine and produce their own Characters Welcome scripts.
Scripts include:
Meet Abishag: A beauty contest is held to choose a companion for King David.
Meet Ahab: Part 1 of a 2 part drama that illustrates the tension between church and state. Accused of murdering the prophet Naboth, King Ahab is put on trial. .
Meet Jezebel: Part 2 of a 2 part drama. Jezebel testifies on behalf of her husband, King Ahab.
Meet David: Part 1 of a 3 part drama exploring the impact of secrets in family: As King David ages, he reminisces about his life by looking at an old family photo album.
Meet Bathsheba: Part 2 of a 3 part drama. As King David is dying with his wife and son beside him, Solomon has questions.
Meet Solomon: Part 3 of a 3 part drama. After David and Bathsheba’s death, a troubled King Solomon wrestles with a balance between faith, family, and country.
Meet Hagar: A world weary ex-slave reflects on her tumultuous relationship with Sarah and Abraham.
Meet Job: A poem based on the Book of Job and our eternal struggle with why bad things happen.
Meet Malachi: The minor prophet Malachi answers questions about our relationship with God.
Meet Tamar: Tamar reads her story from the Bible and offers insight as to the circumstances that lead to her sleeping with her father-in-law. She describes the struggles of a single woman in her culture.

Characters Welcome will invite the reader into a playful and meaningful relationship with scripture and those of us who continue to wonder about these ancient words.