Okay, Mr Playwright . . . here are a couple of men that I love to study and they are always overlooked or not really researched, so we miss out big time:
One is Jephtha from the Book of Judges. He was what we would call today a gang-banger . . . an illegitimate son who, because of his birth, couldn't inherit with the other sons.
But he had great leadership skills, and became a gang-banger. GOD saved him and used those skills to deleiver Israel.
Here is the catch. Jephtha never really got over his insecurities, so he thought he had to make a vow and promise the first thing that came out of his house. GOD didn't require it, Jephtha did because he wanted to make sure GOD was with him. But GOD WAS with him, his vow was rash. Had Jephtha just been delivered from his insecurities, he would have never made the vow!
Bring some background to that story, and you have a great play that could touch many people, young and old alike!
The other is Gideon, also from the Book of Judges. Gideon is always called a coward, but actually that is not at all what his problem was. The enemies were terrorists (also a very contemporary issue) and the people were weak.
Portray Gideon as a young leader who has to battle insecurities, fears, and people who say that they will go with him but leave the minute he calls the fearful to go home.
So, I KNOW you could make these characters three dimensional and just go to town with the play, Bro Peachy!
Also, I like Boaz. An old man, saved and rich, but kind of accepting the fact that true love wouldn't be his so he contents himself as a successful saved businessman. Then, young beautiful Ruth comes into his life. Think Boaz might have had some internal re-adjusting to do to accept the blessing of a young beautiful wife, as old as Boaz was?
That give you any ideas? Let me know what you think!
