The Story of Lilith The Samhain Playlet 2006
at MoonPathCUUPS.Org
(c) 2006 MoonPathCUUPS

Credits to Genesis within the King James Bible and the poetry of
Pat Parnell from Medusa and Perseus III: Lilith

Cast:                               Props:
Lilith - Emily                      Throne/Chair
Yahweh - Frank                      Beach Towel
Adam - Max                          Budweisers
Eve - Beth                          Snake Boa
Storyteller - Jingles               Mirror
3 Narrators                         Bed Animals
Light Person - Ken/Janine           Long-Stemmed Rose

(Spelcastor quiets the crowd and introduces the story of Lilith.
There are two creation stories back-to-back in the Book of Genesis.
Lilith was the first wife of Adam. Lilith lives within the
traditions of Islam, Christendom, and Judea. She was the first
woman who would not submit.)

(Marcus reads. The lights dim.  God strides onto the floor and
demonstrates much bad acting.)

God speaks:

In the beginning, there was God, Yahweh, (pause) and God created
the Heaven and the Earth.

And the Earth was without form, and void. And darkness was upon the
face of the deep. 

And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. (Light one
of the incandescent track lights.)

And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light
from the darkness. 

And God called the light Day, and the darkness, he called Night. 

And this was the morning and the evening of the first day.

(Pause.)

And then God created the firmament. (Spelcastor) What's firmment?
(Marcus continues) That's the Heavens. And God called the firAment
Heaven and separated it from the waters.

(A throne/chair is brought out onto the floor.)

And this was the morning and the evening of the second day.

(Pause)

And God created Earth, the dry land, and the Earth brought forth
grass, and fruit trees, and God saw that it was good. 

And this was the morning and the evening of the third day.

(Pause. Many Cheers, Yah God!))

And God created lights in the Heavens: the Sun, the Moon, and the
Stars. (More lights come on.) And let them, the Sun, the Moon, and
the stars, be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years:
to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was
good. 

And this was the morning and the evening of the fourth day.

(Pause)

And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving
creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the Earth: and
God saw that it was good.

(Toss stuffed animals into center.)

And this was the morning and the evening of the fifth day.

(Pause.)

And God said, Let the Earth bring forth living creatures after his
kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the Earth after his
kind: and it was so. 

And God said, Let us make humankind in our image, after our
likeness: and He created male and female.

(Adam and Lilith appear and stand side by side.)

And God blessed them, said be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish
the Earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the
sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that
moveth upon the Earth. 

And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very
good. 

And this was the morning and the evening of the sixth day.

(Pause. Much applause. Yah, God!)

And on the seventh day, God ended his work which he had made; and
he rested on the seventh day from all his work.


(God sits and relaxes in throne/chair, pops a Budweiser, and
watches.)

(Spelcastor continues the narration.)

Thus Adam and Lilith were created as equals. (They shake hands.)
They were to be companions, ruling the Earth together. Yet Lilith
was woman, and Adam was man. There was no peace in Eden.

(Adam and Lilith circle room looking each other over. They return
to center. With much enthusiasm, Adam lays out a beach towel and
spreads it on the floor. He stands at the head of it and gestures
to Lilith to lay on it.)

(Lilith strides to the foot of the towel and defiantly gestures to
Adam that he lie on it.)

(God begins to take interest.)

(Adam and Lilith circle the towel, clench fits and gesture at each
other.)

(God gets up and walks over to Adam. He points at Adam's rib, has
an obvious idea, and gives a thumbs-up. He puts his arm around
Adam's shoulder and walks him over to the thrown.)

(Lilith watches with scorn.)

(God pulls out a couple Budweisers. They pop the tabs, and walk off
stage together with God gesturing as he explains his revised plan.)

(Lilith stands defiantly and DeepSea speaks.)

I am Lilith
Child of a one-time coupling,
Hero and snake goddess combined.
Passion and anger,
Are mixed within me.

(Lilith, wearing a snake boa, strides about gesturing and pointing
at Adam and Yahweh.)

I was Adam's first wife,
I knew Yahweh,
Him and his pretty little garden,
And all his rules and regulations.

(Adam wanders back and stares at Lilith.)

But, I wanted the new-formed man,
Innocent, unaware,
Someone I could shape, make my mate.

But even new-formed, he was still a man, 
Wanting his woman subservient.

I am no one's daughter, 
Proud, hot-headed, subservient to no one.

(Lilith gestures to banish chair and Adam. She steps toward the
audience, ignoring Adam.)

I escaped to the Red Sea, 
My flowing hair, a comet's tail behind me.

Yahweh sent his angels after me, but I was bold.
I pronounced the unpronounceable name of God,
And the angels fled in terror.

Some say I was the serpent who tempted Eve,
Making trouble for the second wife.

In the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo
Painted the serpent with breasts,
And a woman's face and hair.

(An Eve appears holding rose.)

But after Eden, I came to Eve,
when Adam was in the fields. 
I showed her - the poor innocent - the wifely arts.
Cooking, sewing, spinning and weaving, 
Preserving food.
Birthing, nurturing.

(Pause.)

"Someone had to help her out.
Not the arts of the bed, though.
She won't need them with him!"
I said and laughed.

(Eve fades off. On the other side, 
a jewish-looking storyteller appears, pointing at book, waving his
arms.)

The storytellers called me Demon,
For daring to challenge the king.
They loaded all their fears on me,
The scapegoat.
"Beware of Lilith," the storytellers say:
"She hides behind your mirrors, watching you.

(Lilith picks up a mirror and banishes Storyteller.)

All mirrors, they say, are Lilith's gateway,
to her caves beneath the sea."

Throughout the years, I have been
Viewed with dread - and fascination.
Eternal Temptress, incubus and succubus,
Satan's Bride, mother of demons.

(Lilith gesturing at the audience.)

I am blamed for witches, those poor women.

(Pause for laughter.)

I combine the wisdom of the body,
The wisdom of the mind,
The wisdom of the spirit, 
a sacred trinity.

Through dreams, I teach the joy
Of complete union,
The promise Adam wouldn't give me.

(Adam stands puzzled.)

But woe to those who violate my vision,
demean love, deny it, take it by force.

I leave them with perpetual erection,
Adam-like, always unsatisfied,

(Adam stares at his loins doing "poor me.")

While I return, laughing,
triumphant, leaving my star-shaped
footprints on the shore.

(Lilith speaks:)

Come join me outside for my sacred ceremony!

Let the Ritual begin!
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