Book 10 of the 19 X 19 CHALLENGE

The Lover at the Wall

3 Plays on Baha'i Subjects
by Mark Perry

The Lover at the Wall consists of three dramatic works inspired by the history and teachings of the Bahá'í Faith, but intended for a wider audience. While the plays vary in genre and setting, they do have similarities. Each contrasts the sublimity of God’s love with the fragility of His followers, who face complicated moral dilemmas. These souls struggle to transcend obstacles that test their devotion and, as they progress, they witness the transformative power inherent in the divine message of unity.

1. A New Dress for Mona

Shiraz, Iran. 1982. When rising persecutions threaten her father, Mona speaks out against the injustice, only to draw the fanatic's eye to herself as well. What is a 16-year-old to do? A special dream seems to point the way, so Mona follows. But how long can her resolve last? Can her love extend even to the executioner?

2. Band of Gold

When two college-age youth—one Persian, one bi-racial American—want to marry, their families struggle to accommodate the couple's wishes with their own preferences and expectations. Soon though, talk of the marriage reveals divisions within each family, and it is to the other families that each must turn for support.

3. On the Rooftop with Bill Sears

His life is a dream-come-true, but whose life is it? Follow 1950s TV personality Bill Sears on a journey both entertaining and poignant as he unravels the secret of a childhood vision and realizes the unyielding demands of a true calling.