2012 National Women’s Day Skit
LOVE RADIO
Love Revealed: The Ruth Episode
by Cherí Walters
(SOUND EFFECT: Upbeat music swells, fades as Announcer begins.)
ANNOUNCER: Good morning, this is Love Radio, L-O-V-E, coming direct to you from
the heart of God.
(SOUND EFFECT: CHIME—think old radio shows, or the old NBC chime)
You’ve tuned in just in time for the newest installment in our ongoing drama, “Love
Revealed,” with amazing true stories of how God reveals His love in personal and
powerful ways.
(SOUND EFFECT: APPLAUSE.)
In today’s episode, we join three weary travelers—a mother-in-law and her two
daughters-in-law – on the road to Bethlehem. It may not sound like the beginnings
of a great show, but stay tuned….This story is so compelling, it has its own book in
the Bible—the book of Ruth!
(SOUND EFFECT: Theme music—perhaps old soap opera organ music, or orchestral
music.)
Life has brought these women one tragedy after another. First the oldest woman’s
husband died, then one and the other of her grown sons also died, leaving behind
three widows—Naomi, and her daughters-in-laws, Orpah and Ruth.
(SOUND EFFECT: Footsteps)
Now grief-stricken Naomi has decided to return to her hometown, and we join her,
Orpah and Ruth on the road.
NAOMI: (Kindly, but wearily) My dear daughters, I appreciate how you treated my
sons, your husbands, but it’s time for you to think of your futures. Go back home to
your own mothers. And may God give each of you a new husband and a new home!
ORPAH and RUTH: (together) No, we’re coming with you!
(SOUND EFFECT: Footsteps stop)
NAOMI: Go back, my girls. I have no more sons to give you, and I’m too old for
another husband. There’s no future for you with me (pauses). God has given me a
>>over
bitter pill to swallow, but there’s no need for you to share all of it, too. Thank you for
your kindness but—go on back to your homes.
ORPAH: (Sniffling, crying) All right, I will do as you say. Goodbye.
NAOMI: Goodbye, my dear Orpah. God bless you . . . (pauses). Ruth, what are you
waiting for? Go on. Catch up with Orpah, and go on back to your people and your
gods.
RUTH: (Emotional, but firm) Don’t make me leave you! Wherever you go, I’m going.
Where you live, I’ll live. Your people are my people, your God is my god. Where you
die, that’s where I’ll die and be buried. So help me, God—nothing is going to come
between us.
NAOMI: (Gently) All right, all right. I can see that your heart is set on this.
(SOUND EFFECT: Footsteps resume)
ANNOUNCER: And so the two of them, Naomi and Ruth, traveled on to Bethlehem.
(SOUND EFFECT: Crowd noises, especially women’s voices, in background; perhaps
some cow and sheep noises, too; footsteps stop.)
When Naomi’s old friends saw her, they couldn’t believe their eyes!
WOMAN #1: Is this really our Naomi?
WOMAN #2: She’s back after all these years!
NAOMI: Don’t call me Naomi—that means pleasant, and my life is anything but!
Instead, you should call me Mara, or Bitter, because the Almighty has dealt me a bitter
blow.
(SOUND EFFECT: Crowd noises stop; melodramatic organ music under Announcer’s
voice)
ANNOUNCER: Will Naomi’s life get bitter or better? Will Ruth regret her decision to
stick with her mother-in-law? Stay tuned for more of our ongoing drama, “Love
Revealed.” But first, a word from one of our sponsors.
END OF SCENE ONE
(SOUND EFFECT: Commercial music plays, fades over Betty Crock’s voice)
BETTY CROCK: Hello, this is Betty Crock, with a brand new product from our test
kitchen—Love Bars! These single-sized servings of love are perfect for you loners
and solitary types who just get along better with others when you’re not actually with
them—
ANNOUNCER: (Interrupts) Uh, Betty, excuse me— 2 LOVE RADIO—Love Revealed: The Ruth Episode
>>continued
BETTY CROCK: (Doesn’t miss a beat; smiles brightly) –you know what I mean! That’s
right, you can enjoy Love Bars in individual portions—
ANNOUNCER: (interrupts) Betty, I don’t think—
BETTY CROCK: (Glares at Announcer briefly, but keeps talking and pastes her smile
back on her face) –without having to get involved in messy relationships, friendships
with people you don’t really like, obligations to—
ANNOUNCER: (loudly) Betty!!
BETTY CROCK: (Annoyed, but still smiling a fake smile) Excuse me, but I wasn’t finished yet.
ANNOUNCER: Betty, there are no individual servings of love. There’s always . . . there’s
no such thing as solitary love.
BETTY CROCK: No?
ANNOUNCER: No. For one thing, it can’t be solitary because God is love, so He’s
always there. For another thing, He created us for relationship with Him and with each
other—it’s hardwired into us—so “solitary love” is a contradiction in terms.
BETTY CROCK: (Her perkiness deflated) Oh.
ANNOUNCER: Real love—God’s love—is enjoyed and expressed in worshipping Him,
in connecting with others, in serving and showing compassion to all the people He has
created and loves.
BETTY CROCK: Well, that’s everyone.
ANNOUNCER: Exactly! Nothing single-sized about it!
BETTY CROCK: (Thinks for a moment, then perks up) I know . . . I’ll work on
community-sized portions of love, designed to expand when shared with large groups
of people! Back to the test kitchen!
(SOUND EFFECT: APPLAUSE)
END OF COMMERCIAL
(SOUND EFFECT: Commercial music plays, fades over Announcer’s voice)
ANNOUNCER: You’re listening to Radio Love L-O-V-E, coming direct to you from the
heart of God.
(SOUND EFFECT: CHIME)
You’ve tuned in just in time for Part Two of the newest installment in our ongoing
drama, “Love Revealed,” with amazing true stories of how God reveals His love in
personal and powerful ways. >>over
2012 National Women’s Day women.ag.org 3
(SOUND EFFECT: APPLAUSE)
Let’s return to Naomi and Ruth as they adjust to their new life in Bethlehem.
(SOUND EFFECT: Voices, male and female, in the background)
It’s harvest time, and with Naomi’s blessing, Ruth goes out to work. She’s walking
behind the reapers, picking up the leftover heads of barley grain to feed Naomi and
herself. Little does she know that she is working in a field owned by Boaz, a relative of
her late father-in-law.
BOAZ: Who is that young woman? I’ve never seen her before.
FOREMAN: Oh, Mr. Boaz, that’s the Moabite girl who came back with Naomi. She
asked if she could follow us in the field. What a hard worker—she hasn’t taken a break
since she got here early this morning.
(SOUND EFFECT: Background voices stop)
ANNOUNCER: Boaz, aware of Ruth’s devotion to Naomi, gives orders to his servants
to treat her well, even dropping extra grain to make her work easier. He welcomes her,
invites her to share in the harvesters’ lunch, and sends her home with a full sack of
barley.
NAOMI: Whose field were you in today? God bless whoever took such good care of
you!
RUTH: His name is Boaz.
NAOMI: Boaz! Well, God hasn’t deserted us after all! That man, Ruth, is one of our
closest relatives—he’s in a position to provide for us.
(SOUND EFFECT: Theme music under Announcer’s voice)
ANNOUNCER: Suddenly Naomi’s hope is rekindled, and life doesn’t seem quite as
bitter. Ruth spends the rest of the harvest in Boaz’s field. Then the day comes when all
the grain is gathered.
(SOUND EFFECT: Music fades down)
NAOMI: Ruth, it’s high time I helped you for a change. Boaz is our close relative and
a good and kind man. He’ll be celebrating the harvest tonight and sleeping at the
threshing floor to guard his crop. Here’s what I want you to do.
ANNOUNCER: Naomi lays out a plan for Ruth that sounds a little strange to us these
days, but was an acceptable way for a woman to request marriage. Ruth follows
Naomi’s instructions to the letter, lying down at Boaz’s feet in the middle of the night.
BOAZ: (Startled, sleepy) Who is it? Who’s there?
RUTH: It’s me, Ruth. I’m asking you to cover me not only with the edge of your cloak,
but to take me under your protecting wing. >>continued
4 LOVE RADIO—Love Revealed: The Ruth Episode
BOAZ: God bless you, my dear! Don’t be afraid, I’ll do all you ask, for everyone in town
knows you to be a woman of noble character.
(SOUND EFFECT: Theme music under Announcer’s voice)
ANNOUNCER: Boaz wastes no time, taking the necessary legal steps that allow him to
marry Ruth and bring her and Naomi under his protection. He and Ruth are married, and
God blesses them with a son.
(SOUND EFFECT: Theme music fades down; we hear Naomi softly humming)
And what about Naomi, who once described her life as bitter? She’s enjoying God’s love
revealed to her through the unwavering devotion of Ruth, the kind protection of Boaz,
and the sweetness of a baby boy.
(SOUND EFFECT: Music swells)
That’s all for today. This is Love Radio, saying, keep your eyes and ears open for
examples in your life of Love Revealed, your own amazing true stories of how God
reveals His love in personal and powerful ways.
(SOUND EFFECT: APPLAUSE)
THE END
LOVE RADIO Production Notes
CAST:
Announcer: Male or female; needs a good, hearty “broadcasting” voice
Naomi: Older, solemn woman
Orpah: Younger, but sad, woman
Ruth: Younger woman
Woman #1: (see notes below)
Woman #2: (see notes below)
Betty Crock: Chirpy, with a perky, insincere smile
Boaz: Big, booming voice
Foreman: deeper voice
Some parts may be played by the same person. Betty Crock could also voice Orpah and
Woman #1, and even Woman #2, if she can do several different voices. The Announcer,
if male, could also voice the Foreman. Have some fun with different accents for the
“lighter” characters. Part of the fun of a radio skit is getting to see the illusion created
with one person playing multiple roles, as well as watching the sound effects being
generated. (For actual examples of radio shows, you can check youtube.com for
episodes of “Prairie Home Companion,” especially the “Guy Noir, Private Eye”
segments. See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1mpC97D8cs&feature=relmfu.)
>>over
2012 National Women’s Day women.ag.org 5
SOUND EFFECTS:
For some sound effects, like the music cues, you’ll probably want to use recorded
effects. Some good sources are old radio show recordings. Chimes can be done live
or recorded. But the footsteps, background voices and noises, and applause are
much more engaging when produced live.
Footsteps can be done by 2 or 3 of the actors holding up shoes or sandpaper blocks
to the microphone and hitting them together (but not too hard), heel to toe.
Background voices and cow/sheep noises can be generated by whatever actors are
not doing dialogue. They should take a step or two back from their microphones; for
background voices, make indistinct, mumbling noises (but no recognizable words),
varying tones. For cow and sheep noises, have actors make actual cow and sheep
noises—only, not so loud that they overwhelm the dialogue.
Applause is an opportunity to encourage audience participation, with one or two
people up front who hold up applause signs at the appropriate times.
PERFORMANCE TIME OPTIONS:
The skit in its entirety is about 10-11 minutes long. You have 3 shorter options:
1. Delete the middle section, which is the “Commercial.” The music fading up and
back down can serve as the bridge between Parts One and Two of “The Ruth
Episode.”
2. Delete Part Two of “The Ruth Episode”, if the speaker is telling the story of Ruth as
one of her examples of Love Revealed.
3. Delete both the “Commercial” and “Part Two”, again, if the speaker is using the
story of Ruth in her message.
4. Present Part One, Commercial, and Part Two at different times throughout a service, or
even present Part One in a previous service (Sunday a.m. or the previous Sunday) to promote
the National Women’s Day event.
CHERÍ WALTERS is a writer, speaker, musician, ordained Assemblies of God minister,
pastor’s wife, district presbyter, mother, and now, grandmother. She has written over 100
articles published in Christianity Today, Worship Leader, Pentecostal Evangel, and more,
plus skits and monologues. She currently serves as secretary for Southern California-Nevada district Women in Ministry for the Assemblies of God.
6 LOVE RADIO—Love Revealed: The Ruth Episode