Do The Right Thing! Be strong, have courage. But having courage isn t at all easy, and it is especially tough when you don t know where to look for help. But we need to remember that God has made it very plain that with His help, we can get through anything! Key words: courage children obey obedience Cast: This drama involves three actors, any age or sex. Set, Costume: No particular set or costume necessary. Sound: The actors could be wearing lapel microphones, if available. Scene opens as Maggie enters stage left. She begins talking to herself as soon as she is at center stage, and is looking around, very nervous. Man, this school sure is a whole lot bigger than my old school. I mean, you practically need a map to get to the bathroom! (Pauses for a moment.) Which reminds me, I should really check into that to avoid any problems later on! Wouldn t want to have to do the 300 mile race to the bathroom, just to find it was at the other end of the school. I feel so alone. If only I knew someone to be friendly with. Look at all them. Just interested in their own friends, don t even care that I m all alone here. I just wish I knew some people, that s all! Frustrating is what it is! Just cause my Dad gets a big promotion he feels he has to move us all clear across the country. OK, so I moved, doesn t mean I have to be happy about it! I had plenty of friends back home! (Stops to think.) I wonder what everyone s doing now. I miss them, know what I mean? Let s see, there was Mikey. I betcha Mikey s got some new joke to bore everyone with. Knock knock. Who s there? Yeh, that s Mikey all right! And don t forget Rhonda! Rhonda probably has new jeans to show off! (sigh) I sure miss them you know. Mom and Dad say I am supposed to ask God for courage as I make new friends, but I kinda think that God is a little too busy with other things than to be worried about me making friends! Things like global warming, third world disasters and the common cold are just a tad ahead of my friendlessness I expect. Anyway, I really should find my way to the cafeteria before all the food is gone. Gives me a great opportunity to sit all alone and eat while all around me people are enjoying their life experiences.
Maggie starts to look around as Carmen and Dana enter stage left. Carmen and Dana smile at Maggie and walk up to her. Carmen, tapping Maggie on the shoulder: Hi! Can we help you find something? Carman: Oh, that would be great, thanks! I am new here and I seem to have lost the cafeteria! The cafeteria is lost again? Third time this week. This guy looking for indigestion keeps taking our cafeteria. No, you don t understand, I am new here, I can t find my way to the cafeteria. Carmen and Dana laugh. Why would you ever want to find your way there? Maggie, confused: Because I am hungry? You must be new here, cause no one goes to the cafeteria when they are hungry! You would have to be starving and near death before you go there to eat! Maggie, still confused: Dana, turning to Huh? Carmen, what did it say on the lunchboard menu today? I think it was I Can t Believe It s Not Chicken Surprise! Dana, turning back to Need I say more? Maggie, shocked: Well, I guess I ll skip lunch today. Good. Then you can sit with us and make fun of the principal! Pardon? Oh it s lots of fun! When we are done with that we can throw spit balls at the school secretary! Huh? We have the perfect place to hide out! We climb into the air conditioning duct and we get a great shot at the water fountain when Mrs. Hillson Page 2
moves her chair over near the wall. And when she is away cleaning up the mess, then we can sneak into her office and get money out of her purse. But that s stealing. Not much gets by you does it little lady? So, what s your point? My point is that these things you are doing are not only wrong, they are illegal. You could get thrown out of school, arrested. Been there, done that. It s no big deal. They just lecture at you about being, (mimics), mature young people! Puhlease! Yeh! (mimics) Remember to practice positive lifestyles! Yeh, right! I can t believe what you are saying! You actually do this sort of thing? Yes we.. do this sort of thing! Then we round out the hour by writing graffiti on the walls of the bathrooms! Come on, let s do something, OK? This place is bor-ing! Yeh, you can come with us, Maggie, we will look after you, show you around, teach you the ropes. Happen to have a cigarette? No! I think smoking is disgusting! Disgusting, huh? Who have we got here, little Miss Priss? Don t know how things were back where you came from, but around here everyone is loose, OK? Listen, bunch of us are getting together at my house tonight. Why don t you come over? My folks are out of town, just us guys around. Far out! I suppose you have the key to your dad s liquor cabinet? What do you call this? (holds up key, Carmen and Dana high 5, excited) What if your parents find out what you were doing? Carmen s folks are cool, they wouldn t care. Her mom even gave me a drink when I had a sleepover there last year. She s a way cool lady. You know, as fun as that all sounds, I really don t think those are the things we should be doing. Page 3
Dana, disgusted: Oh, puhlease! Don t tell me you are one of those religious types that always worry about what others think? Fun, fun, fun, aren t you? I don t see where we have to worry about you fitting in to our group! Not! Well, I am a Christian, so I guess that makes me a religious type, and I do care about what others think. However, there is one person in particular that I care about what He thinks of me. Who could this person be for you to be so worried with what he thinks? Don t tell me, it s Mr. Carpenter, the principal, right? Kissing up to the principal! That shows class! You truly are a winner, aren t you? Look, let s put it this way...are you with us or not? Dana and me, we are willing to help you, introduce you around to the fun guys, but we won t put up with any goody-two-shoes garbage, understand? Yeh, so what s it gonna be? Are you in or out? I would really like to be your friend, but if you are doing those kinds of things you don t need me as a friend. Look here, we have tons of friends! We do not need you, cream puff. We just felt sorry for you, wanted to show you a good time. And this is how you repay us? Don t care much what people think of you, do you? I care about what God thinks of me. So you phone up God, do you? Ask Him if He loves you... Hey, sign me up! You know what s your problem Maggie? You don t have enough courage to go out and have a good time. So you just hide behind this religion nonsense. Give me a break! Depends what you think of as courage I guess. If you think courage is just being able to do whatever you want, go right ahead, no one can stop you. But God says that these things are wrong and that we shouldn t do them. God is telling me what s right and what s wrong, and like I m supposed to pay attention? As if! The Bible says, one day every knee will bow. Page 4
Sorry, this kid isn t the knee bowing type. Knee bowing is for cowards who don t have the courage to stand on their own. Me neither, so save your preaching! Some of us have the courage to stand, we don t need any imaginary God to provide support. I wouldn t think of preaching to you. But if you ever feel as though you need God in your life, please come and talk to me. But you know what? You are talking about courage, my courage comes from God, so my strength isn t my strength at all, it s from God. But, guess what, right now I think He would be pretty pleased with my courage! Carmen and Dana walk away in disgust. Okay, maybe I understand now what Mom and Dad were talking about when they said I would need courage when making new friends. I have to be careful that the people I hang around with are showing obedience to God so I won t be tempted to disobey. Maggie smiles to herself. There s still some time left for lunch. Maybe I will show some courage in the cafeteria and try that I Can t Believe It s Not Chicken Surprise! Please God, help! Maggie exits stage right. Page 5