The Civil War
Author: Robby Van Arsdale
Major Theme: God’s guidance through hardship
Source: (Love your enemies and do good to those who persecute you) Matthew 5:43-48
Main Cast: 5 Female, 4 Male
Sample: First and final plays from Out of the Frying Pan
A group of Union spies are planning a secretive campaign south of the front, into enemy territory. The group nearly disintegrates over the inclusion of two unorthodox female spies from the Pinkerton Detective Agency, but eventually the uptight Army Lieutenant is able to accept the message of Peter’s sheet, that people who are different are still God’s people. Each group member is tasked with a specific task once they’re safely in Richmond, but each person runs into some sort of trouble. One is captured and nearly turned over to the Confederates until she risks telling the truth and discovers that one of her captors is working with the North. Another stumbles on a series of lies but is rescued by a woman he didn’t realize was working with him. Two are caught trying to blow up a railroad bridge and taken to prison. One, however, is let free because the confederates weren’t expecting a woman spy. Things are looking worse and worse. Despite almost miraculously escaping their consequences every time, the group’s mistakes are catching up to them, and now it looks like there might be a traitor. Thursday sees the last two members of the group devising a plan to stop the Confederate reaction, now that they know there are spies. However, surrounded in the woods and with no options, it looks like even prayer won’t be enough to get the spies out this time. Judah turns on the Lieutenant and becomes a double-agent.
By Friday, it becomes obvious to the whole group that there’s a traitor in the mix. All eyes turn to Judah, the Southerner who joined the North, but as it turns out, he’s the one willing to sacrifice himself for the good of the group, even if they don’t accept him.
