from The Worship Drama Library Volume 2 By Mike and Colleen Gray

Transcription

1 Lillenas Drama Presents DIFFICULT DECISIONS from The Worship Drama Library Volume 2 By Mike and Colleen Gray Theme: Tough love, parenting, roots of co-dependency Characters: Two: one man and one girl (teenager) MANDY: an irresponsible 16-year-old teenager RICHARD: her father, a prominent and popular local government official Tone: Serious Running Time: Five minutes Synopsis: Mandy is a 16-year-old daughter of a prominent and popular government official. Earlier in the day she was stopped for a routine traffic violation and found to be in possession of an illegal drug. Because of her father, she was not arrested but was instructed to have her father contact the local police chief. This sketch begins with Mandy discussing with a friend over the phone how she will convince her dad to pull some strings and get her out of this bind. Her father arrives home after a hectic schedule, and Mandy slowly and gingerly tries to break the news to him. In a difficult scene, we witness how the father is torn between his love for his daughter, her pleading for her daddy s help, and his realization that his protection may not be in Mandy s best interests. This realistic scene ends with the father wrestling with the problem, but no solution is given. Setting/Props: This sketch takes place in a living room. Props: phone, briefcase. Note: Feel free to adapt MANDY s speech to reflect the slang of the youth in your area and time. (The sketch begins with MANDY lounging on a easy chair, talking on the phone. We hear only her side of the phone conversation.) MANDY: Don t worry! I ve got this covered! (Pause) NOT! Listen, think it through, we didn t get busted, did we? No way are they going to come to my house in a patrol car and haul me or anyone else off. My dad would never allow it! (Pause) We re in the clear, besides I think there s some kind of law about our rights or something. (Pause) I don t know, but you always read about cases getting thrown out of court because the cops screwed up. (Pause) Of course he screwed up. (Laughing) He didn t bust us, did he? Man, were Johnny and Bill sweating it out in the backseat! They are strictly amateurs! (Pause) Yeah, he was kind of cute.

2 (Pause) Sure, cops can be cute, don t you ever go to the movies! Get a LIFE! (Pause) Double NOT! No way would a cop ever ask out a junior in high school! Course, he may not be a cop for long! Why when Dad hears our side of the story, that cop may easily be history! (A door slams offstage) Gotta go, I think the Mayor (said with great exaggeration) is home! (Pause) Relax, I can handle it. Connections are the key, and my dad has more connections than anybody. Call you back with all the details. (MANDY quickly hangs up the phone, grabs a magazine, and pretends to be reading as her father enters. Her father is returning home from a hectic schedule, but only for an hour. He has a budget meeting planned later in the evening.) RICHARD (tired): Hi, Princess! MANDY (hops up and gives her dad a hug around the neck): Hi, Daddy. I m glad you re home. RICHARD: Me too. MANDY: How was work at the office? Did you kiss any babies today? RICHARD (smiling): Not today, only have to do that in an election year. MANDY: I m glad. (Feigned hurt) Makes me jealous, you know! RICHARD (sighs, pulls out some papers, and starts shuffling though them): If the city can t get this budget in line, you probably won t have to worry your pretty little head about that. The people of this fair city will find someone else to complain about. MANDY: Well, I think you re best! In my mind, there s nothing you can t do! RICHARD: Thanks, Princess. Next year during the election, I ll make you my campaign manager! Where s everybody else? MANDY: Mom left a note on the fridge. Her tennis lesson got moved, so she took Tommy along to the Club. RICHARD: Tommy went willingly? MANDY: Ah, the little rugrat just puts up a scene to make you think he s bored. One of his favorite things to do is to push his face against the glass and make weird faces at the ladies doing aerobics! He says it takes their minds off of their misery! RICHARD: How considerate of him. MANDY: Dad, how about you and me going out to eat? You know, just the two of us? RICHARD: Love to, Mandy, but I got this budget meeting at 7:00. I need to go over some of these notes. This one is going to be a war. Things need to be cut back,

3 and everyone thinks it should be someone else s program. Theirs is too important. How about ordering in a pizza? MANDY: Great, any special topping? RICHARD: Whatever! (Pause as MANDY s father is busy working. MANDY hesitates, debating how to bring up her problem. Finally she hits upon an idea.) MANDY: Daddy, I ve got an idea on how to trim the budget? RICHARD (not really listening): Sure, shoot. MANDY: Cut back on the police force. RICHARD: That would definitely make me more popular with crooks! Unfortunately, they don t usually vote. MANDY: I m serious, Daddy. And I know where you could start! Today a cop was so rude to me. RICHARD (turning his attention to MANDY): A cop? Rude? MANDY: Yeah, just because he had a badge and a gun, he thought he was God! RICHARD (concerned): He pointed a gun at you? MANDY: Well, no, but it was right in front of my face. It was huge and very scary. (Starts to cry) RICHARD: Wait a minute, I m lost. MANDY: It was in his holster, but that was where everyone could see it. RICHARD (putting away his papers): OK, start from the top. Tell me what happened. MANDY: Lisa and I were driving around after school, and this cop just pulls me over. Right out of the blue. They can t do that, can they, Daddy? RICHARD: They need cause. Did you do something wrong? MANDY: Not really. RICHARD: Perhaps you should define not really. MANDY: I was trying to find a different radio station and I drifted a bit over the center line. As soon as I saw it, I pulled back. It was a quiet street, no one around. Could have happened to anybody. But this cop pulls me over as if I m some criminal!

4 RICHARD: Did you explain it to the officer? MANDY: I did, but then he asked to see my driver s license. (Pause, at least five seconds) RICHARD: Did you forget your purse, so you didn t have your license? MANDY: No, but when he saw what was in my purse... RICHARD (afraid to ask): Mandy, what did he see? MANDY (this line is said rapid fire): Honest, Daddy, I didn t know it was in there. Lisa got scared and put the stuff in when we got pulled over. It was Lisa s. So when I opened my purse, there it was right on top. (Trying to act angry) He made us get out of the car and put our hands on the top as if we were some type of hardened criminals. Can you believe that? I mean... RICHARD (stopping her): Mandy, what kind of drugs? MANDY (trying to justify): Just a little weed. RICHARD: Weed? MANDY: Marijuana! Hardly any at all. I think she got it as a joke or something. RICHARD: That s not a joke. Mandy, I want it straight. Was it really Lisa s? MANDY: Yeah, it was. I really didn t know it was there. RICHARD (pause): Have you used this stuff? (No answer, four or five second pause) Oh, Mandy. MANDY: It s not that big of a deal. And I only do it when it s safe. Never when I m driving. And only two or three times. I don t really like the stuff, but it s tough to say no when all of your friends are there. RICHARD: But if you were stopped and found in possession of an illegal substance, why wasn t I called? MANDY (hopeful): We didn t get busted, I mean arrested. I guess when they saw the car was registered in your name and saw my last name on the driver s license, they put two and two together. RICHARD (wary): You didn t mention it? MANDY: No...but Lisa might of. Anyway, (pulls out a piece of paper) you re supposed to call some man named Jack Carlson. Here s his number. You know him? RICHARD: Jack Carlson is our police chief. We go way back. MANDY (softly): Daddy, if you just explain it wasn t my stuff, maybe get them to look the other way just this once...

5 (RICHARD sighs heavily, which stops MANDY. Pause, as he sits, deep in thought.) MANDY: What s the matter, Daddy? RICHARD: Mandy, when s this going to stop? MANDY: Come on, Daddy, we re just kids. Everybody makes a mistake. I m sorry, and I promise this will never happen again. (Each line is said a little louder than the previous as each character reacts.) RICHARD: That s what you said when you got caught shoplifting. MANDY: It was only a 99 cent pair of cheap earrings. I was stupid to take the dare, OK, but I thought you forgave me for that. RICHARD: I did! MANDY: Daddy, I know you can take care of this for me. If I m going to get into Princeton, I can t have this on my record. Don t let this one mistake haunt me. RICHARD: Maybe you should have thought of that sooner. MANDY: Think of what this would do to Mom, and you re up for reelection next year... RICHARD (sharply): That s enough! (Long pause, five to six seconds) MANDY (quieter): Daddy, I know I made some mistakes, and this one is a doozy. Just help me out. (Moves the phone closer to her dad) I ll make it up to you, I promise. No more drugs, no more trouble, but I need you. (Slowly RICHARD takes the phone.) MANDY (softly): Thanks, Daddy, I knew I could count on you. (MANDY kisses her dad on the cheek, lays the piece of paper on the stand so her father can see it, and leaves. RICHARD picks up the phone, sighs, looks at the paper, and begins to dial. He stops halfway through and hangs up the phone. He looks off toward the direction MANDY has gone.) RICHARD (tenderly): Mandy, my little Mandy. When you broke your doll, I could fix that! When you skinned your knee, my hugs and kisses were all you needed. But now, you re breaking other people s lives...you re breaking my heart. When do I let you go? (The father looks at the phone, back toward the direction where MANDY exited, and the lights fade.)

6 The purchase of this sketch entitles the purchaser to make photocopies of this material for use in their church or nonprofit organization. The sharing of this material with other churches or organizations not owned or controlled by the original purchaser is strictly prohibited. The contents of this sketch may not be changed or reproduced in any other form without written permission from the publisher. Please include the copyright statement found below on each copy made. Questions? Please write, call, or Lillenas Publishing Company Phone: Drama Resources Fax: Web Site: P.O. Box Kansas City, MO The sketch collection The Worship Drama Library Volume 2 (MP-690) is available for purchase from Lillenas Drama or from your local Christian bookstore. For a full description of the rest of this collection, or to purchase other individual sketches, refer to