This play was written for a class of twenty-two students and also performed by a class with sixteen students. The number of parts may be easily increased or decreased by changing the number of guards, advisors, and children in the chorus. If the play is going to be presented more than once different children can play Esther, Mordecai, and the king each performance.
As the children enter more strongly into their own individualities in third grade and are searching for new challenges, it is the perfect time to have individual speaking roles for the students. It is always amazing to see some of the shyest children shine onstage, while an outgoing child might be quite hesitant when reciting lines alone. This first foray into the world of learning and performing one’s lines individually adds an important new element into the social dynamic of the group.