Offstage: (with mikes) two persons as readers.
Technical notes: both readers need a lot of reverb on their voices; parts for Red and Green apply to both actors and readers; 2 sound clips of MC Hammer, “Can't Touch This” (first begins at 2:39, second begins at 2:49);
Direction: Readers read slowly, deliberately with emotion; actors...over-act for effect, try to reflect what the readers are saying as though they were your own thoughts
0 seconds: begin music (fades up);
4 seconds: begin center blue light fade up moderately fast (3 seconds).
8 seconds: begin left and right lights fade up together moderately fast
(3 seconds)
20 seconds: begin music fade down slowly (5 seconds)
25 seconds: All 3 lights will be up and music is out)
Red: (trying to look over a high fence at the person in the center) Who's that over there?” It looks like....well, I think it's a person standing in a very strange way. I wonder why?
Green: ( trying to look over a high fence at the person in the center) Who's that over there? It looks like....well, I think it's a person standing in a very strange way. I wonder why?
(Green light fades to dim fast. Green actor freezes)
Red: (pacing, looking at Blue) It looks like a friend of mine....I can't be sure. She seems to be pretty sad...I wonder what's wrong? I wonder what happened? Maybe something happened at school today...she could have had an argument, or maybe she failed a test. (stops and looks brightly at audience) I know...she found out her boyfriend was seeing somebody new...(shakes her head) no, that's probably not it...I wonder what's wrong?
(Red light fades out as Green light fades up fast. Red actor freezes)
Green: (resumes looking at blue) You know, that really looks like the new girl I met at work last weekend. She said her family just moved here last summer from out of state. I remember when we moved here from California several years ago, and it was really hard on me. I wonder if that's what's wrong?
(Green light fades out as Red light fades up fast. Green actor freezes)
Red: I wonder if she feels like I did last month when I backed into a telephone pole in drivers' ed? The rest of the kids in the car laughed their heads off, and I felt like I was about 2 inches tall. I wanted to open that door and run as far away as I could...(pause)... I just can't take it when I mess up.
(Red light fades out as Green light fades up fast. Red actor freezes)
Green: If she's anything like me, it would really help her to talk about whatever it is that's wrong. Even though I don't know her that well, she probably could use a good friend...(pause)...But should I go over there and talk to her right now? ...I really get scared doing something like this, because I don't know what the person will do...will they ignore me and walk away or will they say something mean to me? Or maybe there's really nothing wrong, and she'll think I'm crazy...oh, wow, what should I do?
(Green light fades out as Red light fades up fast. Green actor freezes)
Red: I knew if I went home and told my dad, he would probably say that he wasn't surprised, that I would probably be a lousy driver like mom. And if I had called my mom, she would have said it was no big deal, and then she would have wanted to talk about all the new stuff going on in her life... (pause)...sometimes, it's just better to not say anything at all...it doesn't help, and sometimes it just makes things worse.
(Red light fades out as Green light fades up fast. Red actor freezes)
Green: Well. there's one thing for sure...she is not having a good day, and if I were her, I would want someone to try to help.
(Red light fades up as Green light fades out as Green walks to Blue; Green puts her hand on her shoulder, Blue looks up at her)
Red: Oh, look...someone is talking to her! That's a great relief. At least now I don't have to feel guilty about not talking to her. I'm sure that that other person will be much better at helping her, if that's what she needs. (Blue light fades down to dim) And who knows, maybe she was really okay and just wanted to left alone. Yeah, it's probably better if I didn't get involved...(pause)...It's not that I don't care, but I've got too much stuff in my own life to deal with.
Red: (turns around slowly so back to audience and drops head...freeze in this position Tape on as Red begins to turn around; Red light fades slowly to dim when music full up.)
............................................................................
© Fred Lane, Crosswind Community Church, All rights reserved
This play may be performed free of charge, on the condition that copies
are not sold for profit in any medium, nor any entrance fee charged. In
exchange for free performance, the author would appreciate being notified
of when and for what purpose the play is performed. He may be contacted
at: advpastor@gmail.com