Description

There are no “reverse tape and correct” options in life.

There are no opportunities to undo what we have done, improve on decisions we have made, retrieve and change unfortunate and hasty words we have spoken.
How would the innkeeper, using hindsight, have handled the situation when a young man and his very pregnant wife knocked on his door.
Peter was confronted while watching the trial of Jesus from a safe spot back in the shadows. And he denied even knowing Jesus. Would his “re-engineered” words have been different?
And it is the same today. . . words said in family, or among friends and acquaintances can’t be taken back, and re-doctored.
There is no second chance, no “retakes” on what we have done, what we have said, or decisions we have made.
Oh, if only for a second chance. . . .
I have always felt a playwright shouldn’t have a favorite script, but this is one of mine. . . .
Useful for Christmas, Easter or, even better, at any time of the year.

Cast:    1, monolog (m or f)

Bible Reference:    Proverbs 12:18

Set:      bare

Lighting:        standard

  Sound:     wireless mic if available

Song:     none

SFX:       none

Costumes:      standard

Props:

• star, small cross and a photograph frame are on a table

Special Instructions:   none

  Time:   12

Sample of script:  

actor comes on stage, picks up a star, thinks, speaks

It was late at night after a long and frustrating day.

The business owner and his wife had finally come to the end of the day, a day filled with looking after tired, and often impatient, travellers.

Finally the opportunity to take a seat, close weary eyes, celebrate the fact they had survived the day.

Slowly the pressures of the day gave way to beautiful, blissful rest . . .  and soon to nod off in their chairs.

A sharp knock on the door shattered the solitude of their rest . . .

Ignore it, it will go away. . .

Again the knocking, louder this time.

And a man’s voice . . .

“Please, let me in!”

“My wife is ill . .  I need help! . . .  Somewhere for my wife to lay down.”

“This isn’t a hospital and I am not a doctor,” the business man shouted back.  “There is a doctor’s office two blocks down the street; you will see his sign. . .”

And the reply:

“We have no way of travelling a few steps, let alone a few blocks. . . Please, I beg you . .  let us in, just give us somewhere for my wife to sit down!”

“I told you! . .  We have no place for you, we can do nothing for your wife’s condition, now off you go before I set the dogs on you!”

The voice outside now pleading:

“But sir, my wife is about to give birth . . .”

actor takes a few steps, sets down the star and picks up a small cross, speaks

In another town and in another time a man stood in the shadows, watching as a man was being taunted, bullied, slapped, ridiculed.

And the pain and hurt on the face of the man watching was as real as that on the face of the victim himself.

Every ounce of decency within him made him want to rush out into the crowd and rescue the man who was being attacked.

Not only was this an unprovoked attack on an unarmed and defenceless man, but, to make the situation even worse, the man being attacked was the best friend of he who stood watching.

“How dare you attack my friend?”

“Leave him alone, you ought to be ashamed!”

“If you must take out your hate in such a primitive way, . . . then leave him alone and let me suffer in his place.”

“Take me and let him go free!”

Those were the words the man felt compelled to say, . . .

But not a sound came from his lips.

To make matters worse, a conversation which took place between the two friends just hours before predicted that this would happen.

Just then a person in the crowd looked into the man’s face, saw the tears streaming from his eyes, and shouted to all . . .

“Look everyone! . . . This man is crying for the criminal!”

Others around picked up the cry:

“You feel sorry for guilty one, do you?”

“Perhaps this man here is equally as guilty!”

“At the very least, certainly a friend of his!”

The man tried to move more deeply in the shadows but the crowd would not give in.

“You are a friend of his, aren’t you?”

The look on the man’s face quickly changed from compassion for his friend to fear for his own life.

And he screamed out . . .

“That is stupid talk . . . I have never seen the man before in my life!”

(pause, listens)

Was that a rooster crowing?

actor walks a few steps, sets down the cross and picks up a framed photograph, speaks

That ungrateful child!

All that I have done for him over his 15 years of life, and this is how he thanks me!

If he is going to live under my roof he will follow my rules!

(pauses, looks up, desperate)

I simply can’t go on, the arguments, the constant bickering.

I . . . simply . . . can’t!

(pauses, angry)

He is headstrong, unbending, refuses to accept my authority.

And he causes conflict between my wife and I . . .

My wife feels I am too rigid with him.

But, the boy needs to accept authority; after all I am his father.

(pauses, thinks)

His . . . father . . .

Not like my father was to me . . .

The kid doesn’t have any idea of just how good he has it in my house.

If he thinks I have rules, he should have seen how it was when I was a kid!

My father . . .
My father . . ruled our home like a tyrant!

If my son could see how it was when I was growing up . . .

When I was a kid growing up, I mean, things were . . . you don’t wanna know . .

And finally, one day, after the worst fight ever,  . . . my father yells out:

“You ungrateful little punk! . .

“Get outta my house! . . .

“I don’t never want to see you again!”

(pauses, thinks, wipes his eye)

And my father never did see me again . . .

My father died . . . heart attack . .  later that night . .

(pauses, emotional, wipes his eyes, shakes his head, recovers)

So, look, no 15 year old kid needs to tell me about growing up with rules!

I’ve been there. . .

My kid’s got it good . . . believe me!