By Kristen Gatenby
This drama is about the fear we often have of sharing the gospel with our friends. It uses humour to show that we have words of life to share, and there is nothing to be afraid of.
Romans 1:16 "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile."
Marie - Nervous
Jamie - A passer-by
(Marie is sitting on a table centre stage. She has a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, and spends a little while sorting it out so that she can hide under it. Finally, Marie gets the blanket over her head so that she is completely covered. Jamie enters, and notices the shape under the blanket. Jamie is curious...)
Jamie: (Tapping Marie's shoulder) Um, excuse me?
Marie: (startled, she almost falls off the table) What?!! (Throws the blanket back off her face)
Jamie: What are you doing?
Marie: Nothing… I'm not doing anything! I'm just ... nothing!
Jamie: You look like you're hiding.
Marie: (quickly) Me? Why would I be hiding? I'm not hiding. How could you think I was hiding? (Pulls the blanket back over her head)
Jamie: Well, if you aren't hiding, what are you doing?
(Marie slowly pulls the blanket away to show her face.)
Marie: (reluctantly) I'm just ... getting to know this blanket better.
Jamie: Is it a nice blanket?
Marie: Mmm. Lovely. Very soft. (Offers a corner of the blanket for Jamie to touch)
Jamie: You aren't really interested in that blanket, are you?
Pause. Marie looks embarrassed.
Marie: ... No.
Jamie: What are you really doing?
(Pause)
Marie: ... Hiding.
Jamie: Why are you hiding? (Pause. Marie does not answer. Jamie sits up on the table next to Marie) Well?
Marie: (Throws the blanket back off her head) I can't do it!
Jamie: Pardon?
Marie: It's too scary! (Hides again)
Jamie: Scary? What's scary?
Marie: They might ... (Stops)
Jamie: Is someone out to get you? What?
Marie: (Peeking out of blanket) They might ... laugh at me.
Jamie: Pardon??
Marie: (Moves the blanket a bit further down from her head, to explain patiently) If I do it, they might laugh at me. They might not like me any more. They might even talk about me behind my back. They'd say "There goes Marie. There goes that weird person." I'd never live it down.
Jamie: You're scared about someone talking?
Marie: You make it sound so silly.
Jamie: Well, you are being a bit strange.
Marie: Oh, great. Now you're laughing at me. (Begins playing with the blanket, sulking)
Jamie: I'm not laughing at you. I just don't know what the big deal is.
Marie: The big deal is that I have to go out there, stick my neck out, and watch all my friends run away.
Jamie: It must be a pretty embarrassing thing you have to do, if it's causing this much trouble.
Marie: It's not that it's embarrassing. It's just - They'll never invite me anywhere again.
Jamie: And you wouldn't like that.
Marie: They'll think I'm a complete moron.
Jamie: ... And hiding under a blanket makes you look normal...
Marie: You don't understand anything.
Jamie: You're right. I don't.
Marie: Look, it's like this. I have to tell my friends something, but they're not going to like it very much. I know it's important, but my friends are important, too. If I tell them, they might run away, and I'll be left alone. Friendless. Destitute. It would be awful. (Looks depressed)
Jamie: What do you have to tell them?
Marie: Oh no. I don't want you to think I'm mad too.
Jamie: Don't worry. There's nothing you could say that would change my opinion of your sanity.
Marie: (missing the point) You wouldn't be saying that if you knew what it was. You'd run a mile in a second...
Jamie: I promise I won't laugh. Or run.
Marie: But I can't tell just anyone, you know. It's very special information. Lifesaving, even.
Jamie: Sounds important.
Marie: It is. Vitally.
Jamie: (the penny drops) Hang on a second. Let me get this straight. You're telling me that you have very special, vital information...
Marie: (nodding) Yep.
Jamie: Information that can save lives...
Marie: (still nodding) Uh huh.
Jamie: But you aren't going to tell anyone because they might find it funny.
Marie: I wouldn't put it quite that way, exactly...
Jamie: Well, how would you explain it?
Marie: I ... I don't know. I just - well, I wouldn't say it that way.
Jamie: So are you going to share this lifesaving news with me?
Marie: (pauses) I ... no. I can't!
Jamie: Why not?
Marie: 'cos ... 'cos ...
(Jamie and Marie say their last lines in unison:)
Jamie: ... It's too scary?
Marie: ... It's too scary!
(Jamie throws hands in the air, and walks off in disgust. Marie is left hiding under the blanket again.)
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© Kristen Gatenby, 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. She may be contacted at: westichick@yahoo.com.au