Double Word Score
By Walt Scheiman
Summary
A man and wife are sitting around playing Scrabble, both are obviously
very bored, and discouraged with their marriage. There is little
dialog, all words relate to words being played in the game. Even though
they only say one word at a time their message comes through loud and clear.
Characters
Husband
Wife
Narrator
Props
Card table, Scrabble game, 2 pads of paper, 2 pencils, newspaper
Blocking
As each plays his/her word they say the word, pick up the pencil and write
down their score and pick new game tiles.
Script
(Narrator enters and stands next to the table. As he speaks the husband
and wife enter one at a time and sit at the table. Husband
is slouched down in his chair reading the newspaper, looking numb, his
wife is contemplating her next word. Both look extremely bored.)
N--Their marriage is like so many others. First there is the
husband. (he enters and sits) He works too many hours. When
he does come home he just barely has time to do the yard work. Even
if he had the time to talk to his wife she would just talk about things
that interest her. He's got better things to do. And then there's
his wife (she enters). She loves her husband but you would never
know it. She's too busy with the kids and the house work. The
kids need her, the PTA needs her, even her mom and dad need her.
But she aches for her husband to need her. Once a week they come together
to play a simple game of "Scrabble". It's the only time during the
week that they actually speak to one another or, should I say, at one another.
They have become very good at the game. And getting messages across to
each other during the course of the it. Tonight they will reach a
crisis point in their marriage. Will they make it? It will all depend
on how they put their pieces together. (narrator exits)
W--(laying down tiles) Bored! (Word she is playing)
M--(not really listening) What?
W--(tapping finger on the board, spell it out) B-o-r-e-d!
M--(sighs while laying down the paper, lays down tiles) Ditto!
W--(lays tiles) Marriage
M--(Laughing to himself, lays tiles) Joke!
W--(starting to get upset, lays tiles) Why?
M--(lays tiles, looking right at her, getting nasty) Nag!
W--(lays tiles, also nasty) Lazy!
M--(lays tiles, very Mean) Freedom!
W--(lays tiles, confused) Explain
M--(lays tiles, sheepishly) Affair
W--(lays tiles, very shocked and upset) Who? (she no longer keeps score)
M--(lays tiles, embarrassed) Work (he stops keeping score)
W--(lays tiles) Vows?
M--(lays tiles, sadly) Over.
W--(lays tiles, crying, barely able to get it out) Divorce?
M--(lays tiles, sadly)Fine!
W--(lays tiles, after a pause, still crying, still upset, pleading)
Jesus!
M--(attitude changes quickly, he reaches out to her then pulls back
and lays tiles, with compassion) Pray?
W--(lays tile, as in prayer) Help
M--(lays tiles, as in prayer) Heal
W--(lays tiles, still in prayer) Restore
M--(lays tiles, apologetically, she turns away) Sorry (He pushes board
off to the side, reaches across table and takes her hand and looks her
in the eye) Sorry.
W--(Words are no longer being played they are talking to each other,
Smiling) Forgiven.
M--Love?
W--Love.
............................................................
© 6/96, Walt Scheiman, all rights reserved.
If you use this script, please contact me at waltscheiman@whfriends.org
with the details. I would appreciate it.