Heaven's Distant Shore

A play
for three men and one woman
Full Length -- Single set
Running time: 1 hour 40 minutes

An American Christian missionary is kidnapped in Laos; his attempts to escape martyrdom lead him into the care of a Laotian scarred by past American interference in his country.

Plot Summary

David -- an American evangelical Christian on mission in Laos -- and his party are kidnapped and taken to a paramilitary encampment, far in the mountains. David learns from his fellow missionary and onetime lover Caroline that the party intended to be kidnapped, to martyr themselves. David, already having a crisis of faith, attempts to escape by befriending Nouhak, an ostracized guard and son of a Laotian convert. Nouhak helps David plan his escape, and in exchange David helps Nouhak with his "bad jobs," but when the jobs become increasingly harmful to the other missionaries, David must choose between stopping the present injustice and redeeming past ones.

Back to the top

Character Breakdown

DAVID, male, early 30s, born-again missionary from Chicago, converted from Judaism.

CAROLINE, female, early 30s, another missionary, from Corpus Christi, born into the faith.

RAYNALDO (RAY), male, 50s, from all over the U.S.A., ex-biker, now born-again Christian missionary.

NOUHAK, male, 30s, a soldier in the Laotian People’s Army.