DRAMA—THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY, YEAR B
Bible reference: Mark 1:14-20
THE MOTIVATOR
CHARACTERS: Marlena, a motivational speaker (super confident, polished presenter, could have an American accent if desired), person to introduce Marlena (Pastor could do this), little old lady, person to do voice-over.
PROPS: Microphone for Marlena to hold, microphone for voice-over.
(Introducer enters)
INTRO:
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Today we welcome Ms Marlena Spruiker from Magnificent Thinking Enterprises, and she is here to give us some information about setting priorities. (Leads audience in applause as Marlena enters, then exits)
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MARLENA:
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Hellooo everyone! (Waits for audience response; if poor repeats Hello again until she gets a decent response) Great! Fantastic!
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(Simpering) Oh what a pleasure to be here among you nice people! It’s such a joy for me to come and talk to ordinary folk like yourselves. You know what? We’ve been sitting here a whiles, and I don’t know about you, but I’ve got a sore tushie! You too! (Giggles) Well, we’d just better do something about that!
OK, everyone, stand up. Come on! That’s it! Stand up. (Hopefully, the audience stands!) Now turn to the person on your left. OK! Great! Now put your hands on the shoulders of the person in front of you. OK! Great! Oh boy! You guys are great! Now give your friend a massage! (Audience massages etc) OK! Now turn around to the right! That’s it! Now give that massage back! You got it! Wow! OK! You-all sit down now! (Marlena establishes quiet)
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Do you want to go places? Do you want to be successful? You do! Do you know that you don’t have to have a great brain to be successful! You don’t have to have great talent to be successful! You don’t even have to win a lottery to be successful! But, and it’s a big but, you just gotta have some goals People! You know! Some years ago, I was just like anybody. I had a so-so job, a so-so car and a so-so marriage, my life was good, but it was just so-so. I wanted bigger! I wanted more! I wanted a better life! I was tired of mediocrity! Do you get tired of the mediocre? Yeah! Well, you know what I did? I made a list (Pauses quizzically, appearing to hear something, barely heard whispers of voice-over begin)
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VOICE:
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(Voice over whispers very softly, slowly, building gradually to very loud whisper. Practice will be needed to get the volume right so that it becomes steadily more annoying but doesn’t drown out Marlena or the old lady) Follow me, follow me, follow me, follow me. Fishers of people. Follow me, follow me, follow me, follow me. Fishers of people. Follow me, follow me, follow me, follow me etc.
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MARLENA:
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Now! What’s that you say? How does a simple little ol’ list make you successful? Well...(Pauses, again listening) Well, guys, this is no ordinary list I’m talking about! You’ve heard the saying, People don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan, haven’t you? (Pauses, getting annoyed with whispering sound, says facetiously)
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Well, you know, I just think someone might have failed to plan your audio system! (Taps her microphone to check it’s working. An elderly woman gets up out her pew here and begins to make her way slowly to the front to where Marlena is speaking. Marlena says to sound operator ) Everything OK? (Pause) OK! (Pause) Fine! OK! (Addresses audience) The list I made was what I wanted to achieve in the next 20 years...(Stops angrily because the whispers are getting really loud now and she has noticed that the elderly woman is coming towards her. Talks to woman, trying to hide her anger)
Well, helloo there! Are you looking for the way out? (The old lady slowly walks to Marlena. The building is reverberating with the loudly whispered voice-over. The little old lady stops beside Marlena and puts a hand on her arm, turning to her. As the voice-over suddenly stops she says...)
OLD LADY:
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Honey! You can talk about goals for the rest of your life. But no goal is going to be worth its salt if it doesn’t include Jesus. (Old lady slowly moves off and exits)
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(Marlena looks flustered. She is lost for words. She faces the audience about to launch back into her speech, but no words come. Biting her lip she becomes extremely embarrassed and runs from the building totally humiliated)
© Michelle Pitman 1998
Permission is given for the owner of this disk to make sufficient copies of this script for their group or congregation, for rehearsal and performance purposes only.
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