A Tavern on the Third Day

A Tavern on the Third Day”

Title: Rumors in the Smoke
Target Length: ~3,300 words
Tone: Uplifting, encouraging, gently humorous (without mocking Jesus or the resurrection)

Cast (Part 1)

• TAVERN KEEPER (wry, warm, practical; comic timing)

• MARCUS (weary Roman soldier; dry humor; guarded)

• EZRA (skeptical merchant; sharp, cynical, witty)

• NAOMI (grieving mother; tender strength; calm humor)

• LEVI (curious young teen; earnest, observant, unintentionally funny)

• YONAH (laborer/fisherman; street voice, emotional)

• DINAH (patron; gossip-energy, dramatic)

• SHIMON (patron; anxious, fearful)

• RIVKA (patron; hopeful, cautious)

• MALCHUS (informant/runner; smug, threatening)

• NARRATOR / SCRIBE (optional; can be shared by any ensemble member)

• ENSEMBLE / PATRONS (2–6; also play flashback crowd voices)

Setting

A run-down tavern near Jerusalem, early morning on the third day after the crucifixion.
A few stools, a rough table, a clay jug, cups, a small “fire” lantern, and a ragged curtain for a back room.

Style Notes

• Humor should come from human awkwardness, irony, and small misunderstandings—not from sacred moments.

• Flashbacks are brief and warm, marked by a lighting shift and a designated “flashback zone.”

• Resurrection is not staged. It spreads as rumor and testimony.