TITLE: Masks By Kimberley Stokely 03/16/06 |
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(Dramatic readings are not memorized, although the actors should be very familiar with the script so they don‘t have to keep bobbing their heads up and down to read their lines. The actors should sit on stools or stand with the scripts placed on music stands in front of them. The lines are said out to the audience not to each other.)
(Four women dressed in black sit on stools in front of the congregation each holds a plain white mask, preferably on a stick to make it easy to put up and down)
JEAN Another phone call from Mary’s teacher, what am I going to do with that girl? I don’t know how to handle her anymore. She never use to give us problems. We used to talk about everything. I just wish we could talk again, instead of
fighting all the time.
(Patty puts her mask up)
PATTY Hi Jean! How are you?
JEAN (puts mask in place) Hi Patty! I’m fine! Just fine! And you?
PATTY Wonderful! I’m off to Cancun next week!
JEAN Cancun! Lucky you! How does Joe get the time off from work?
PATTY (mask begins to come down, pops up again) Well, Joe and I...How is your daughter? I saw Mary at the football game last week, what a beautiful girl!
JEAN (Mask begins to come down, and then pops up again) Well,
Mary’s not....She’s just fine.
PATTY Wonderful! Well, I have to run!
JEAN Yes, well, call me when you get back from Cancun!
PATTY What? Oh yes, we’ll do lunch! (brings her mask down) Jean is so lucky. Beautiful daughter on the cheerleading squad, never gives her any trouble. A wonderful husband. And then there’s me...
All I ever wanted was a child God. What did I do wrong? And now I’m losing my husband? How could I tell her I’m going to Cancun alone? That Joe asked for a divorce? Seven years of marriage and what will I have left? A house, a car, a job...
SARA (mask in place, overly happy) Patty! We missed you at Bunco last week! Was it the flu?
PATTY (mask in place) Oh, no. Just something I ate for dinner I guess. How about you? How is your family?
SARA Me? (mask starts to come down, pops back up) Oh same old,
same old. You know how it is...Never a dull moment.
PATTY You can say that again.
SARA Well, gotta run. See you next month at Bunco.
PATTY Yea, I’ll see you there.
SARA (mask comes down) Patty is so lucky! She’s got it all. A great job, a beautiful house, no kids to tie her down. All I seem to do is change diapers, wipe spaghettios off the table, vacuum Cheerios off the floor...I don’t know who I am anymore. I’m just Emily’s mom, or Jake’s mom, or Bill’s wife. I know I should be happy, I am grateful God for everything you’ve blessed me with. But lately, sometimes....I just want to run away. To start over again...To try and remember who I really
am...(looks up, spots Jean’s daughter, Mary. ) Oh look, it’s Jean’s daughter Mary. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be a teenager again, without any worries? (Puts mask up in place) Hello Mary what are you doing here?
MARY (mask up in place) Oh hi Mrs. Greer. I’m just picking up a few things for school. How are you?
SARA Oh just fine...we sure miss having you baby sit. Bill and I haven’t gone out for months.
MARY Well, I miss the kids...(mask begins to come down, pops back up) things have been really busy with school.
SARA And your new boyfriend!! Oh to be young and in love again! Well, I have to run pick up the kids from my mother’s. Never a moments rest!
MARY Bye Mrs. Greer. (mask comes down) I wish I didn’t have a boyfriend. But he’s the most popular guy in school. I can’t break up with him, my friends would never speak to me again. All the partying, I don’t even like to drink, but I have to, or else I don‘t fit in ...My grades are shot this quarter but there’s no time to study. And then my Friends made me feel like a jerk because I didn’t want to skip school today...I had to go with them to the mall. But my mom’s gonna freak when she finds out. I wish we could talk like we used to. I just need someone to talk to.
JEAN (mask up) Well it’s about time you got home young lady! Your teacher called. Where were you during algebra today?
MARY (different mask up) None of your business mom! Gees,
what difference does it make? What does algebra have to do with my life any way?
JEAN Where do you think you’re going? You come back here and talk to me!! Mary!!! (Brings mask down) Mary? Please? Can we just talk?
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