Drama One

Stage can be set simply with three “areas”: a breakfast area (table and chairs), an office area (desk with computer), and a living room area (couch and television)

Opening scene: A middle-aged couple at breakfast. He is sipping his coffee; she is reading a paper whose front-page banner heading, “NO PLACE FOR LATEST REFUGEES?”, is visible to the audience.

Bill: I had a dream about Bob last night.

Susan (not paying full attention): Your brother Bob? What’d you dream?

Bill: It was kind of a strange dream. He needed my help for something, but I couldn’t understand what.

Susan (putting down her paper): Wouldn’t he say why?

Bill: It was like he was trying to tell me. I just couldn’t understand what he was saying. He needed me to do something. It was – I don’t know, nothing, I’m sure. (shakes his head, then smiles)

Susan: Well, you’ve had a lot on your mind lately. I wouldn’t worry about it.

Bill: I think I’ll call him today anyway. We haven’t talked in a while.

Susan: That sounds like a good idea. (looks at watch) My. goodness, it’s time to go. Did you hear the weather today? (snaps on the radio)

Radio Broadcast: …the drought is not only creating famine conditions across that nation and its neighboring countries, but it is also dramatically increasing the risk of illness…

Susan (turning off radio): Looks like we already missed the weather. They’re on to the news. Better take an umbrella anyway.

Bill (standing and collecting his belongings, as his wife does, too): Thanks, honey. See you tonight.

Man exits offstage; woman goes to office area.

Scene two: The woman is seated at the desk, looking at her computer screen. She reads something that interests her, then picks up a phone and dials. Her husband answers.

Bill: William Jennings.

Susan: Hi, honey. It’s me. Listen, I just had a funny email from Katie.

Bill (slightly alarmed): From Katie? Is everything okay?

Susan: I’m sure it is. She just said she had something she needed to talk to us about – then she wrote a lot of stuff about how glad she is to be in college, and how much she is learning, and how it’s changing her view of the world. I’ll forward it to you. (executes some commands on the computer)

Bill: Yeah, please do. I wonder what she wants to talk about.

Susan: I don’t know – she told me only last week that her savings from work were holding out fine for spending money. Listen, would you please call her, after you read the email? It would put my mind at ease. I’ll think about it all day otherwise.

Bill: I’d be happy to, but if it’s something important, she may open up to you a little better.

Susan: I don’t know. Sometimes she’ll tell you things that she won’t tell me. Anyway, I can’t. I have to go into an all-day teachers’ seminar. I don’t know why. It’s something about worldwide literacy rates, some speaker from some little country somewhere. I know I won’t be able to concentrate.

Bill: Don’t worry, Susan. I’ll call her, and I’ll leave you a message when I hear something. Check your voice mail. Love you.

Susan: Love you, too. Beep me if it’s urgent. See you at home.

She exits offstage, then returns to sit on the living room couch, looking at the TV.

Scene Three, the living room area: Bill comes in the door, and Susan gets up to greet him.

Susan: I got your message about three – thanks! It sure took a load off my mind.

Bill: Yeah, me too. Katie couldn’t really talk when I called. She was on her way to class. She wants to talk to us more. She said she would try to call tonight, or if not, over the weekend. She’s really excited about this thing. But I’m glad you and I have a chance to talk about it first.

Susan: Absolutely. Frankly, I’m a little surprised by this. I mean, Katie hasn’t really been the type to want to….

Bill (laughing): What, to help others?

Susan: No, that’s not what I meant. But to spend her summer on an international relief trip? Tell me you saw that coming.

Bill: You’re right, I didn’t. But she’s changing….growing. That’s a good thing.

Susan: I’ll still need to know a lot more before I…

A ringing telephone interrupts her.

Susan: I bet that’s her. (answers phone) Hello, Jennings residence. (slight pause) Oh, hi, Bob! How are you? (slight pause) Great! And Terry? (slight pause) Wonderful. (slight pause) Yes, we’re all fine. (slight pause) No, he’s right here. Just a sec. (puts her hand over the phone and addresses her husband) It’s your brother.

She hands him the phone and seats herself on the couch facing the TV.

Bill: Oh, yeah. I left him a message this morning. (takes phone) Bob! Great to hear your voice! (slight pause) No, nothing wrong. I just wanted to get caught up. I had a dream about you last night and just thought I’d call and see how you’re doing. But listen, we’re expecting a call from Katie. (slight pause) Yeah, doing great. She wants to go overseas this summer and she’s calling to talk to us about it. Can I call you back after dinner? (slight pause) Wonderful. Love to Terry. Bye.

Susan (staring at the TV): Bill, look at this.

He comes around to face the TV.

Bill: What?

Susan: Well, who does that look like to you?

Bill (looks closely for a minute and then says with slight disbelief): The Kendalls?

Susan: Don’t they look just like them?

Bill: They really do. What is this?

Susan: It’s footage of that big flood out west. Apparently this family lost their home.

Bill: Well, thank goodness the Kendalls are safe next door – and so is their house. But they sure do look like them.

Susan: Your brother, our daughter, our neighbors – they’re all safe. That really is something to be thankful for.

Bill: You’re right. I didn’t realize how worried I was about Bob and Katie, thinking they might need help. But now I can tell, because I’m relieved. And grateful.

Susan: I’m sure there will come a time when Katie or Bob or the Kendalls or someone we know really needs our help – I just hope we recognize it when it happens and can do something about it.

Bill: Me, too.

Phone rings.

Susan: That’s got to be Katie. Hello, Jennings residence. (slight pause) Oh, hi, Cindy. (listens for a moment, looking slightly impatient, then puts her hand over the receiver and addresses her husband) It’s Cindy from church. She wants to know if we’ll be part of the Week of Compassion committee this year. (returns to listening and addresses caller) Cindy, I’d like to talk to you about this some more, but right now is not a good time. We’re waiting for Katie to call. (slight pause) No, nothing wrong…in fact, she’s doing great. She’s just thinking about going overseas this summer to help…

She has a realization at this moment. Her expression softens and she gives her husband a knowing look.

Susan: Actually, Cindy, this is a great time to talk. How can we help?

The End


Drama Two

Chris, a teenager, sits at a computer, looking at the screen and typing occasional commands.

Friend One enters.

Friend One: What’s up?

Chris: Online shopping, on eBamazonoogle.com.

Friend One: eBamazonoogle.com? That new web site that’s supposed to have everything? “The perfect site for the perfect gift?”

Chris: Man, it’s awesome. They’ve got this search engine, and you just type in who you’re shopping for, and boom – it prints out a list of stuff!

Friend One peers closely at the screen.

Chris: Like here – I’m gonna get something for my little brother.

Friend One: Is it his birthday?

Chris: No. It’s just, like, he’s got this chance to play in this big piano recital in a couple weeks, and he’s totally nervous. And he’s really good! But he just doesn’t think he can do it, so I want to, like, get him a gift to make him feel better. Watch this.

Chris types into the computer for a few seconds.

Chris: Voila! The perfect gifts: a Spiderman lunch box; a complete set of Hot Wheels, vintage, still in the original box; and, if I want to spend a little more, a digital camcorder.

Friend One: Those are the perfect gifts??

Chris (crushed): What, you don’t think he’ll like ‘em?

Friend One: Well, no. I mean, if he’s so worried about his recital, maybe he’d like it better if you just talked to him about it. Or if you took over his chores for a few days so he could have extra time to practice…something like that.

Chris (looking amazed): Huh! I hadn’t thought about anything like that. (looks contemptuously at the computer) That’s way better than any of this stuff. How’d you think of that?

Friend One: I dunno…I think you just need to think about what will make a real difference to the person you give it to, like think about what you would want if you were in their place.

Chris (continues to look impressed): Well, he’s gonna love it. I’m gonna go tell him right now.

Chris hurries out. The friend sits down at the computer and begins a little tentative typing. Enter Friend Two.

Friend Two: Hey Marcus – what’re you doing?

Friend One (a little sheepish at being caught): Hey, Gina. I’m just checking out eBamazonoogle.com

Friend Two: “The perfect site for the perfect gift?”

Friend One: Well, not really. Actually, I don’t think it’s all that great. But to be perfectly honest, I’m just not sure about some gifts I need to buy, and I just thought it couldn’t hurt to look.

Friend Two: Gifts for who?

Friend One: Well, we were talking in church about all the people in the world who need help. Like refugees. I mean, war, famine, drought and natural disasters create thousands of refugees every year. What’s the perfect gift for them? And people who can’t read, who can’t support their families or develop their communities because they don’t have the skills. (He types for a moment, then speaks) Do you think they would like high-resolution sports binoculars? Or a set of cut-glass stemware?

Friend Two: You’re kidding, right?!

Friend One: Yeah…..but I still don’t know what to do about it.

Friend Two: Well, I just ran into Chris, and he was all excited because he had found the perfect gift for his little brother – and he didn’t find it on eBamazonoogle.com. He said someone really wise helped him figure it out.

Friend One: Chris said that?

Friend Two: Yeah, he did – and he said that this wise person told him that if you want to give a really great gift, you should try to think what would make a difference to the person you give it to. Maybe that advice would work for you.

Friend One: Maybe it would! (looks at the computer screen, then switches the computer off)

Friend Two: What are you going to do now?

Friend One: I think I know a great way to make a difference to the people I was telling you about. It’s WOC. I heard about it at church.

Friend Two: WOC?

Friend One: Week of Compassion. It’s a ministry that thousands of Christians give to every year. Week of Compassion raises money for disaster relief, gives aid to refugees, helps develop communities around the world, all kinds of stuff. It’s almost 60 years old. (pause) And I think
Week of Compassion just might be the perfect idea for the perfect gift.

Friend Two: I think you’re right again.

THE END