The Bench

This story is about 8 college students and little scenes from their lives as they interact on campus. Becky and Jim try to share their faith as much as possible, but the real opportunities come when they aren’t expecting them. At the end, the students are headed home and meet one last time at the bench, with more thoughts about Christianity coming into every conversation. One girl, Lisa…is about to make that leap, as she leaves the bench. (Lisa has the most dramatic scene as she is found out by her friends that she has been cutting herself) This would work well at Easter as there is a scene where they discuss the last supper. Easy set with just the park bench, and the study hall. This play contains the skit, “Cutting” which is for sale elsewhere on this site.

Cast of 12. 8 college age students (3 males, 5 females) 2 male professors, and a young married couple. (12 actors) about 42-45 mins.

CAST OF CHARACTERS:

BECKY: A Christian college student who shares her faith…sings a solo and by far the largest part with the most lines.

JIM: A Christian college student who is also good at sharing his faith.

LISA: College student who is involved in cutting herself, but gets saved at the end.

SUE: Unbeliever, college student

FRED: Married, Christian Professor

TOM: Unbeliever, college student

KATHY: Cynical unbeliever, college student

MIKE: Married Professor who wants a divorce.

SHARON: Suicidal college student.

MARK: Unbelieving college student.

TERRI: Married woman who helps Sharon.

ED: Terri’s husband.

Excerpt:

LISA: So, Kathy…I saw you last night with that Brad guy. Was that a date?
KATHY: Yeah, I guess you’d call it that.
LISA: Oops. Didn’t work out, huh?
KATHY: He was nice enough… but just like so many men…they only have one thing on their minds.
LISA: Oh. Invited you up to his place, huh?
KATHY: Well…they don’t care where! They try to invite themselves back to my place, or even to the back seat of the car…they don’t care! I’m just not ready to get that intimate with some guy I barely know.
LISA: But if you really liked him and you hit it off with him?
KATHY: I don’t know. Can you really know a guy well enough on the first date to end it that way?
LISA: So you think it’s better to wait till the second or third date?
KATHY: I don’t think it is something that you can put a number on like that. To me it is a very personal and special thing. (The girls notice that the guys are listening)
LISA: You guys are obviously listening to our conversation; do you want to join in?
MARK: Oh no. You go ahead.
KATHY: You must have an opinion on the subject…I think a man’s perspective is always good. Besides, I’m curious.
MARK: What do you want to know? Which date I think is appropriate to go all the way?
KATHY: Like last night for instance? Oh…do you guys know Brad Holtsenberger? (They shake their heads no) Good. Then this won’t get back to him. I could tell that he wanted to come up to my room for some recreation, if you catch my drift, and I was really disgusted by that. What a creep!
MARK: You should just be flattered that he found you attractive and that he was into you.
KATHY: Yeah… I suppose…but was he really into me? Did he really care about my feelings and about what I wanted? Or was he only thinking about what he wanted?
MARK: I see your point. I guess you are right. I try not to come across like that. I think couples should probably wait till they know its right.
KATHY: What about you, Jim? You’re being pretty quiet.
JIM: I doubt you guys want to hear my opinion.
KATHY: You bet I do!
LISA: As long as you’re honest.
JIM: Okay…I warned you. I think any type of pre-marital sex is wrong.
KATHY: Whoa! That went out decades ago! What are you…puritanical?
LISA: What’s that?
KATHY: The puritans were the people who settled in New England in the 1600’s. You know, the Pilgrims!
JIM: There are a lot more people who believe the way I do than you might think. I base my views on the Bible. Because I’m a Christian, I follow the teachings of Christ and the teachings that are throughout the Bible. Sex is only for marriage.
MARK: Well, that would solve the whole “safe-sex” issue!
JIM: Exactly. That is not something I get too concerned about. When you know sex is only something that comes after marriage, you don’t have to dwell on it much. That day will come or not, and I just don’t worry about it.
KATHY: So, you believe that because you are a Christian, then sex before marriage is a sin and if you do that…what? You go to hell?
JIM: Fornication is a sin, yes. Like so many other sins. But with that sin, you are causing someone else to enter into that sin with you. By practicing abstinence, you not only keep from sinning, you also avoid sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies, and all the other drama that comes with that kind of relationship. As for going to hell…
KATHY: That’s interesting. Archaic, but interesting. I would be like…this guy is a gentleman… and then eventually I would be like…what’s wrong with me?
JIM: Yeah…I solve that problem by only going out with Christian girls…or simply not dating at all.
LISA: But what if you get married and find out that you and your wife aren’t good together?
MARK: I was thinking the same thing! You gotta find out first! You gotta find out if you’re compatible.
JIM: Marriage is a whole lot more than sex. You need to focus on other areas rather than sex to see if you are compatible. I think that the sex will just work.
MARK: Well, I guess you have to think that, since you ain’t getting any before!
JIM: Hey… if God brings two people together, and they love each other… I think all the rest will be just fine. After all, that’s the way He planned it. My folks did alright. My grandparents, too.
KATHY: Do you really think they waited? Come on, now.
MARK: Hey…in those days, people really did wait. I bet my grandparents waited. I should ask them.
KATHY: Ask your grandparents if they had sex before marriage?
MARK: Oh. Maybe not.