The Characters

Attention: It is intended that this show will be produced in the near future in the greater Nashville area. If you are interested in becoming part of this upcoming production either as cast or crew for  "Pilgrim a new musical", including the actors, singers, dancers, directors, choreographers, and designers who bring the show to life, please leave your name and contact information at:

trevorbest@att.net 

or text to:

661-753-7153

The Choir

This is the choir of the St. James Cathedral in the opening scene. It can be smaller or larger as the production demands or can accommodate but should be about 50. They sing the prelude; “He Who Would Valiant Be” at the Lesser Festival for John Bunyan on August 30, 1988, his Trecenti.

The Minister

 He is Anglican, about 55 and wears the traditional black cassock

2 Prisoners

 One, seems to be a bit more calloused, is confined to a cell U.L. of the common space where Bunyan is seated at a table. The other roams freely and has an attitude that is lighter and positive. The first is older, perhaps in his fifties. The second 30 – 35.

Sisters of Mercy: A charitable order of the Anglican Church; they are conducting a service in an adjacent room. One of the sisters (age 35) enters with Mary (age 6), Bunyan’s daughter and brings her to visit briefly with John. The Sister wears the traditional off-white cassock

John Bunyan (Narrator) 

He is seated at a table D.L. and is working on a manuscript. He is in his mid-forties and is in prison for violating the Conventicle Act of 1592 which forbade preaching/teaching unless licensed by the Church of England. After a brief verbal spar with several of the prisoners he persuades them to let him read a rough draft of his new manuscript, “the Pilgrim’s Progress”. He reads this story as if he were seeing it in his dreams. The revelation of Christian's journey is something he wishes to share with community. He uses the first personthroughout the text, though somewhat infrequently, and he often addresses the reader directly.  The reading morphs into the first scene of the play with John as the narrator.

Graceless/Christian

Formerly known as Graceless, or just 'Man', Christian is the protagonist of Bunyan's allegory. He is every man, and he is meant to inspire readers, just as his story inspires other characters in Pilgrim's Progress. His intelligence and worldliness improve a great deal over the course of the text because he learns from each misstep. He proves that tenacity and diligence, when matched with God's grace, are the keys to entering heaven. He stops at nothing in order to achieve his salvation, even through it means leaving his family and his hometown behind. He is eager to share what he has learned with other pilgrims along the way, but he is humble enough to absorb their teachings as well.

Gracious 

Graceless’ wife; 30-35, originally mocks her husband for wanting to take this pilgrimage. She is also from the City of Destruction and has other relatives that live there too. Able, intelligent and a caring mother, she is unable to make the decision to join her husband because she is torn by her desire to be practical and her devotion to her husband. Later, regretting that she did not go with her husband in the first place, she decides to follow him to the Celestial City taking along her children Sam and Emily.

Sam and Emily

 Ages 7 and 8; Emily is the older. They love their father and are devoted to their mother and are disappointed that their father will be leaving them. They certainly do not understand where he is going or why. Later, they are overjoyed that their mother has consented to follow after their father.

Townspeople

Man

Evangelista

The Evangelist appears to instruct Christian how to rid himself of his burden. He tells Christian where to go and occasionally reappears to set Christian back on track or help him out of a tight spot during his journey. His name is directly derived from the Bible, since the writers of the gospel are referred to as the evangelists. The term comes from the Greek word for "good news." The Evangelist always comes with good news, for it is his message that leads Christian to salvation.

Oliver Obstinate

One of the first men that Christian encounters as he leaves on his pilgrimage. Obstinate eventually refuses to accompany Christian on his journey, and later publicly mocks him for leaving.

Paul Pliable/Faithful

Pliable starts out as Obstinate's travelling partner, but he agrees to accompany Christian even when Obstinate turns back. Pliable leaves Christian at the Slough of Despond, however, because he is frustrated by the difficulty of the journey and the limitations of Christian's knowledge.

Sir Worldly Wiseman/Samuel Secular

He presents the first real temptation for Christian to stray from his righteous path. He tells Christian to ignore the Evangelist's advice, and that he can shed his burden by going to the town of Morality and following the guidance of Mr. Legality and his son.

Noble Steed

Wiseman's horse

Mr. Hypocrisy 

Mrs. Hypocrisy

 Stragglers along the way always looking for a short-cut

Monsieur Guardien

Guardien is the porter at the Chateau du Beau, the first bastion of help along the way on Christian's journey.

Piete

Guardien;s wife; She quizzes Christian and is impressed by  knowledge of the faith.

Celeste

Charite

Discretion

Their three daughters

Honnetete

Their son-in-law

Apollyon

Apollyon is the fiendish monster who inhabits the Valley of the Shadow of Death.  He is the Proprietor General of the City of Destruction.

His Minions

Michael, the Archangel

The Trecenti

Faithful

Faithful, formerly known as Pliable is Christian's first companion on the pilgrimage and who Christian had first tried to get to join him on his journey to the Celestial City. They meet up after Christian passes through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and the two share enlightening conversation and how he had a change of heart after he had decided to remain in Destruction. Faithful becomes a martyr at Vanity-Fair, where he is burnt at the stake on trumped up charges of inciting a riot. Faithful's testimony, comportment, and noble death inspire Esperanzo to undertake the pilgrimage, and he becomes Christian's next companion.

Lady Talkalot

Lady Talkalot is a caricature most likely of a member of one of the non-conformist sects, likely the Ranters, who meets Christian and Hopeful on their pilgrimage. Bunyan was critical of these non-conformists' beliefs and practice. So, Christian is hard on Talkative during their discourse. Christian (like Bunyan) is concerned, particularly, that Talkative spends too much time talking about the sincerity of her faith, and not enough time actually being faithful.

Ladies of the Parish Home Mission

Mr. Edgewise

The Guard

The Townspeople of Vanity

Queen Charlotte the Great

The authoritarian leader of Vanity City. Some scholars suggest that she is specifically supposed to represent Elizabeth I or, perhaps. Mary, Queen of Scots .  As the judge at Faithful's trial, she represents the cruelty and absurdity of the judicial system, from Bunyan's point of view.

Solicitor General

Prosecutor for the people and the jurisdiction of Vanity City. 

Chief Counsel

Defense Counselor for Faithful and Christian at their trial Vanity City

Edward Envy

One of the witnesses who testifies against Faithful at his trial in Vanity.

Scarlette Superstition

Another one of the witnesses against Faithful.

Octavious Opportunist

The third and final witness who testifies against Faithful.

Esperanzo

He is the chief officer of the Queen's security detail and her Charge d'affaires. Inspired by Faithful's death, Esperanzo helps Christian escape as he awaits sentencing for his association with Faithful. He joins Christian on the pilgrimage as they flee Vanity. A loyal companion and good interlocutor, Esperanzo and Christian are equals on the pathway to heaven.  He sees promise in situations where Christian does not, like in the dungeon of the Chateau du Chagrin.

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Monsieur Chagrin

The Giant, Chagrin traps Christian and Esperanzo in the Chateau Chagrin, representing the temptation of despair. His relative size is indicative of the magnitude and gravity of the temptation of despair. 

Mefiance

Mefiance is Giant Chagrin's wife. She is more vicious than her husband, and wants to kill Christian and Esperanzo, in spite of the fact that they are worth more alive than dead.

Simon and the Zealots

The shepherds trace their ancestry back to the Temple Shepherds of Jesus' day whose primary function was to groom spotless lambs for the Passover. They also witnessed Jesus' birth in Bethlehem; consequently the celebrate the birth of the Christ Child in grand style whenever pilgrims pass through their community. 

Naomi 

His wife 

Andrew

Zachariah

Ester

Simon and Naomi's family

The Enabler

The Huntsman's assistant

The Huntsman  

The Enabler and the Huntsman are bounty hunters from Vanity City and trick Christian and Esperanzo into believing that they are lost even though the Shepherds had warned them to be on the look-out for characters like them. Esperanzo is captured briefly while Christian escapes. Fortunately he is able to rescue Esperanzo and they continue their journey.