Wendy Simmerman and Dr. Eric Samuelsen and Professor April Chabries Haws, Theatre and Media Arts

This project was divided into two areas of emphasis: first, a research project examining the possibilities that the Book of Esther was written and included in the Bible as a dramatic performance text, and second, the development of a script based on the Book of Esther. Each of these two areas offered unique challenges and problems, but each part also became a fascinating undertaking.

The preliminary research that I did on the Book of Esther suggested that examination as a theatrical text was a valid and supportable way to explain the book’s presence in the Bible. Without going through the array of arguments and explanations that are detailed in the fulllength version of my research article, the main supporting evidence centered around the structure and style of the book, the lack of any certain knowledge regarding the origins of the book, and/or the presumed lack of physical existence of the characters. The various theatrical elements of the Jewish holiday Purim were also discussed, as Purim is a direct celebration of the events in the Book of Esther.

Several months into my research I came across a tiny footnote in a Greek edition of the Book of Esther that cited a secondhand source: a Roman scholar who said that a Persian claiming to be the grandson of King Xerxes 1 and Queen Esther came to Rome and hand delivered the Greek version of the account contained in the Book of Esther. This was the first and only historical account that I had come across suggesting that the account was historically authentic. As I continued my search for the origins of Esther, I realized that my theory is perhaps just as viable as any other, and certainly causes us to see Esther in a different light. Since I have yet to discover any proven explanation for the Book of Esther, I plan to continue with my original thesis. Currently I am preparing the final research article for submission to the BYU Religious Education Student Symposium in February of 2001, as well as any other conferences or journals that encourage this type of academic work.

The second part of the project was the development of a script based on the Book of Esther. This part proved more challenging. My original intent was to create an adaptation that was as faithful as possible to the original, yet rather light and humorous in tone. After work-shopping early drafts with fellow writers, it was clear that the light-hearted tone wasn’t working with a piece that deals with such dark subjects—i.e., forced marriage, assassination plots, genocide, and racial prejudice. Further drafts proved incredibly boring as I tried to tell the tale strictly as it was written in the text.

Currently, the script is being work-shopped in the WDA (Writer-Director-Actor) class in the Theatre & Media Arts Department. I am looking forward to receiving feedback from students and faculty representing a variety of experience and perspective. The script will receive a staged reading in December, although I expect the writing process to continue for some time.

This project has been an invaluable lesson to me in both research and the creative process. Preparing research for possible publication was a different experience than simply writing for a class. Besides honing my research skills, I learned to think more critically and elucidate my arguments clearly and persuasively. This was the first time that I have attempted to adapt any work into play format, and I found that it is more challenging than I expected. It is a difficult balancing act to remain true to the original text and yet create art that is interesting and new. I look forward to continuing both areas of this project and hope to find success in sharing them with others.