What About the Children?
Characters:
Adrianne – Daughter about 19 y/o
Jahson – Boyfriend of Adrianne
Usheress Pride – Mother of Adrianne
Rev. Deacon Proud – Father of Light/ Youth Pastor
Light – Teenage boy
Boy – Teenager, friend of Light
Pastor
Dancers
Extras for Congregation
Scene One:
Usheress Pride in living room singing and folding clothes. Happy and talking to herself about God’s love. Scene is very intense. Best to avoid having children in the room. Requires a lot of emotion to carry off the seriousness of the scene.
Ush.: Oh, God has been so good to me. Lord your love is so sweet. Father the way you have forgiven a wretch like me is so amazing. (Continues to sing to herself and show signs of worshipping).
Adrianne: (Walks in followed by Jahson. Both look nervous and afraid). Mom , I need to talk to you.
Ush: Why honey of course. You know you can talk to me. Jahson, why do you look as if you saw a ghost. Have a seat child before you fall on my clean floor. (Holds Adrianne’s hands and urges her to sit).
Adrianne: Well Mom , you know that Jahson and I have been together for five years now. (Mother is nodding agreement). Well, you know that we always talked about getting married after I was finished with college. Ammm, well I…we think we will do it a little sooner…
Ush: Now Adrianne that is not what I want you to do! (Gets up and begins to pace). I don’t want you to rush into anything. You can wait. Jahson Joshua why are you pressuring my daughter! What is the big rush, you both have your life ahead of you. You are only 19 Adrianne! Where would you…
Adrianne: (Interrupts her mother) I am pregnant mother!
Ush: What did you say?
Adrianne: I am pregnant. (Looks down at clasped hands).
Ush: Jahson, what did she say?
Jahson: Mrs Pride, I can explain…
Ush: (Clenches fist and proceeds in his direction) You can what?
Jahson: (backing towards exit) It’s just that…
Ush: GET OUT! You no good piece of trash!
Adrianne: Mother you’re over reacting. These things happen all the time.
Ush: Shut Up Adrianne! Get out of my house!
Adrianne: Mother it happened to you! You should…(shuts up as mother looks at her. Jahson runs out of the house).
Ush: It happened to me? Yes it did, and my mother kicked me out. You are nothing but a good for nothing little tramp. You are just like your father – NOTHING! I want you out of my house! You have shamed me!
Adrianne: Mother please! (Sobbing now) I am sorry. I didn’t mean…
Ush: Sorry does not cut it. You are in the church! You better not even think of going there. Your shame will not follow me.
Adrianne: Mom Please…
Ush: Pack your things Adrianne. You have until the end of this week. Go make your stupid Jahson take care of you.
Adrianne: I am begging you Mom , Have mercy on me…. (Begins praying)…God please help me!
Ush: DON’T even bother to try playing holy. God does not love you and neither do I…. (Exit stage leaving Adrianne crying in a ball).
SCENE TWO:
Loud christian rap/reggae music playing as Light is dancing in the living room. Phone rings…music is lowered.
Light: Hello. (Pauses and pretends there is some-one on the other end). Look man, there is no need to go to the club….Yes I know you feel pressured by Motley, but God has your back….Yeah man, just remember that we are the salt of the earth and we cannot afford to loose our flavor…Riiight! Alright then see at Bible study later.
(Music is turned up as he continues to dance).
Deacon enters: Listen to me Light, how much time do I have to tell you not to play this demon music in my house. I can’t even bring somebody here for fear you embarrass me with this behavior. I don’t know what kind of “Light” you are.
Light: Dad, if you just listened to the words…
Deacon: I not listening to no words! You young people always want to tell people what to do…it was not like that in my days!
Light: Dad, you are being unreasonable…
Deacon: Don’t tell me I being unreasonable! I am your father you feisty boy! You young people don’t have no respect! Look at your clothes! Look at you! And is the same you come in church with your big oversized clothes hanging off…
Light: Dad not this again! I know Jesus not looking at….
Deacon: Jesus! You can’t talk about Jesus! All you do is listen to the garbage and talk about foolishness on the phone!
Light: (Looking defeated and discouraged) You’re right Dad…I don’t know anything about Jesus. I am just a good for nothing.
Deacon: Well I am glad you know that. Just turn down the raquet, I have to prepare the Sunday school lesson for tomorrow. (Exits stage.
Light grabs jacket and keys to leave. Pauses takes bible out of the pocket and throws it on the floor.)
SCENE THREE
Church scene. People are piling into the seats, Usheress Pride greeting and smiling. It is Youth Sunday. Pastor walk up to podium.
Pastor: Good morning brethren. We want to welcome you into the house of the Lord today. We at the Epis-costle Church
(Congregation applause)
Deacon Proud: Good morning every-one. Welcome. Thank you Pastor for your kind words. Saints we have a special presentation today. Our drama team has prepared for us a dance for today. Please give them a warm welcome.
(Use song by Yolanda Adams – What about the children? Either track or soloist and have the dance group do a number to it)
Congregation Applauses at the end of the presentation. Youth Pastor comes back and closes the service. Everyone begin to leave, except one young boy who runs up to Rev. Proud.
Boy: Rev. Proud! Rev. Proud! (Proud turns to face him). Where is Light today? We missed him at bible study last night. I know it must have been something major, he never misses. Rev., can I call you Rev. (Continues without pausing), Light has really helped us. He listens to us and he prays with us. I know most of the guys have been dabbling in all kind of things that were ungodly, but when Light found out he didn’t judge. He talked to us and then we eventually formed a group. Sir, I know it must have been because he has a Dad like you. Well, my ride is dashing I gotta run, later Rev.
Proud: Light? (Stands in a daze and looks in shock). What have I done oh God! (Grabs his bible to rush home).
SCENE FOUR
(Living room of Usheress Pride and Adrianne. Adrianne packing her bag to leave. Still crying. Mother walks in from church)
Ush: Adrianne, you’re still here. (Appears unsure of her words). Adrianne, look I have been so wrong. I have been so…(begins to sob) I just didn’t want you to feel what I felt, and I ended up doing just that. (Reaches over to stop Adrianne who is still packing and not looking at her mom). Adrianne, I am the one that is sorry now. I handled this so wrong. You are my child, and I do love you.
Adrianne: (Pulls away) Do you mother? I am just a TRAMP! A TWO BIT SLU…
USH: You are not! (Cuts her off) You are not. Please sit with me? Please? Adrianne today at church they did a presentation, it spoke to my heart. I am not happy, I will not lie about that, but I love you just the same. We are going to work through this together. We are also going to work on your relationship with God. Adrianne, why did you not come to me? Why did you try to hide how you were feeling about Jahson. Maybe I could have helped and prevented this, maybe I could have prayed, maybe…
Adrianne: Mom I tried to tell you when Jahson and I…and then I found out that I was pregnant…and then I was ashamed…and I didn’t want any-one to know…Mom
USH: Adrianne, I know. Listen what is important now is that you know that God loves you, and so do I. You have to make the decision to repent and go back into his arms. It will be hard, much harder than before, but I know that it is possible. We will go see Pastor together. Come on let us unpack, and we can talk about it later.
Adrianne: Mom , I am sorry and I do love you.
(They hug and leave the stage).
SCENE FIVE
(Light sitting in his room. No music.)
Proud: Light, I need to talk to you.
Light: Yes?
Proud: I owe you an apology.
Light: You are apologizing? Wow, there really must be a God!
Proud: There is no need for your sarcasm Light. (Pause and takes a deep breath). Look, let me start again. I didn’t try to understand anything about you, and I realize that I was wrong. I have always given you a hard time, because of what I saw on the outside. I wanted you to look like me, well, I wanted you to be the person I wanted you to be. I realized that God has a purpose for you just as you are. You can reach a group of people that I cannot. I never appreciated that before, but the Kingdom of God
Light: Dad, apology accepted. You’re all right too. You want to see the words of the trash I listen to?
Proud: Yeah why don’t we go listen to it in the living room.
Light: Right on.
(Music begins as they exit stage).
No comments:
Post a Comment