Pete – a man who tries to avoid confrontation, responsibility
Susan – Pete’s wife
Jim – Pete’s co-worker
Narrator
Narrator: Meet Pete Passive.
Pete: (Peering around newspaper) Pete who?
Narrator: Passive, Pete Passive.
Pete: That’s not me. I’m Pete Manning.
Narrator: Your name is Pete Manning, but you really are Pete Passive.
Pete: What are you talking about?
Narrator: I’m talking about how you live your life, how you behave and handle conflict. Take for instance last night with Susan.
(Susan is sitting at a table in the background. Lights up on Susan and Pete walks into scene.)
Susan: Look at this, Pete.
Pete: What is it?
Susan: It’s a brochure on camping at The Grand Canyon. Let’s take the kids on a real vacation this year.
Pete: Susan, you know we always go to my parents’ house on our vacation.
Susan: I know, Pete, but after 12 years of that I think it’s time we had a vacation for our family.
Pete: My parents would never forgive me if I didn’t go to their house for my vacation.
Susan: Pete, you’re a grown man! You don’t have to do everything your parents want you to do! We’re a family. We need family time together.
Pete: My parents are our family too. We’re going there and I don’t want to hear anymore about it. (Plugs his ears and walks out of scene making noise to cover Susan’s voice.)
Narrator: Now there’s a real mature way to handle conflict.
Pete: So maybe I didn’t handle that the best way, but I usually do very well with other people. I’m good at work.
Narrator: Oh, really. Did you ever consider that laziness is just another form of passivity? Let’s take a look.
(Scene comes up on a coworker.)
Jim: Hey, Pete, come over here, will you?
Pete: Sure, Jim. What’s up?
Jim: I think there’s a mistake here. If we go ahead with these plans we’ll be putting siding over two windows and a door in this house.
Pete: Yeah, I know. That’s the way I laid it out.
Jim: You did? Why would you want to cover up a door and two windows?
Pete: Do you know how much easier it is to just go right over the top of things like that?
Jim: Yeah, but won’t the owners be mad?
Pete: Nah, they won’t ever know unless we tell them. They bought the house sight unseen and hired us to fix it up at our discretion.
Jim: Do you think this is right though, Pete?
Pete: Trust me, Jim. It’ll be a lot easier, and no one will be the wiser if you just keep quiet about it.
Jim: Well, you’re the boss. I just hope the neighbors don’t tell them.
Pete: You worry too much, Jim. Take life easy, that’s my motto. I’ll get the plywood. (Walks out of scene.)
Narrator: See what I mean?
Pete: Hey, I work hard enough. What’s wrong with taking an easier way?
Narrator: Yeah, the easy way sounds good, doesn’t it?
Pete: Sounds good to me.
Narrator: Kind of like that race you were in, huh Pete?
Pete: Yeah, well I never should have signed up for a 2-mile race. I’m really a short-distance runner. You know what I mean?
Narrator: Yes, I know.
(Lights up on Susan and Jim holding poles with finish line tape. Pete runs in place pretending he is running a race. Part way there he sits down on the ground and pulls out a coke and chips. He begins to cheer the “other” runners on.)
Susan: Come on, Pete. Get up. You have to finish the race.
Jim: Run, Pete. You don’t have far to go.
Pete: I went as far as I wanted to go. I’m done running.
Susan: Then get up and walk. Just finish the race. Little Petey is waiting for you over here.
Pete: Tell him to come to me. I’m tired.
Narrator: Nice example to set for your kid, Pete. Just quit when the going gets tough.
Pete: Hey, who are you anyway and why are you on my case today?
Narrator: I’m just an interested bystander.
Pete: Yeah, well I don’t want to hear anymore from you. Go bystand somewhere else.
Narrator: There’s just one more thing I’d like to mention. (Pete plugs his ears and walks offstage making noise as he did with Susan.)
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Copyright John & Joanne Miller, all rights reserved.
This script may be performed free of charge, provided no charge is
made for entrance or for programmes. In return, the authors would like
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rights, they may be contacted at: NIJWMiller@aol.com.