All he gets for a Thanksgiving dinner is a roll, but he is so hungry, that it tastes wonderful. After living like them for a time, he finally wakes from his dream and vows to change his attitude and be grateful for the things he has.
10 children plus extras (mixed)10 minutes.
Excerpt:
VICTORIA: Are you upset about the Thanksgiving thing?
JASON: Our parents have gone totally loco!
VICTORIA: Why can’t we be normal Christians? Most other families are meeting for dinner and being together as a family! We have to do the outreach thing!
JASON: I don’t mind doing something for someone, but does it have to be the homeless?
VICTORIA: Well, we’ve never done it before. Maybe it’s not that
bad.
JASON: Ha! You wanna bet? Homeless people are dirty and they smell! You know that they never take baths!
VICTORIA: Never?
JASON: How are they going to take a bath? They don’t have a home. They don’t have bathrooms.
VICTORIA: They don’t have bathrooms?
JASON: No. They have to go to public restrooms. But they don’t
have showers or bathtubs in public restrooms! I was at the post
office one time with dad, and this homeless guy came in and he
smelled so bad! I thought I was going to throw up!
VICTORIA: Oh, gross! How are we going to be able to dish up all
that food when they look so bad and smell so bad?
JASON: It is going to be the worst Thanksgiving ever!
JILLIAN: (Entering with Jasper) Hi you guys.
VICTORIA: Jillian! Jasper! I didn’t know you guys were here
already!
JILLIAN: Your mom told us to come upstairs. She said you were in here. What’s up, Tori? You guys seem bummed about something.
JASON: It’s the worst. Our folks have gone totally mad! They are
taking away our Thanksgiving!
JILLIAN: What do you mean?
VICTORIA: We are spending Thanksgiving at the Rescue mission serving food to the homeless.
JASPER: Cool.
JILLIAN: Oh, we did that one year.
VICTORIA: Really? How was it?
JILLIAN: Oh, it was fun.
JASON: FUN??! How could it be fun? Didn’t they smell bad?
JILLIAN: Well, yeah, I guess they did.
JASPER: Yeah! They smelled real bad!
JILLIAN: They were dirty and everything. But they were so happy to get a nice Thanksgiving dinner. My folks wanted us to see how people who don’t have much really appreciate every little thing they get.
JASON: That’s what my mom and dad said. They think we take for granted all of our stuff that we have.
VICTORIA: They think that we will learn to be more thankful, if we see how the poor people live.
JILLIAN: It’ll be alright. Just don’t wear anything valuable.
JASON: What do you mean?
JILLIAN: Like that nice new watch you got. They would never have something like that. If they get the chance, they might steal it off of you and sell it.
JASPER: They took my windbreaker.
JILLIAN: That’s because you took it off and laid it down someplace.
VICTORIA: So, we shouldn’t wear nice clothes that day either.
JILLIAN: Well, if they are too nice, then they will probably stare
at you. No matter what you wear, you will look a hundred times better then them.
JASON: My life is over! I can’t believe I have to do this!
JASPER: It ain’t so bad. It’s just for one day and then it’s over.
At least you’re not a homeless person and have to live like that
yourself.
JASON: That ain’t ever going to happen to me! My dad has a good job. We have a big family. I’m going to get a job. My dad says that I will go to college and if I study hard, I can make a lot of money and buy a nice house like this some day.
JILLIAN: I hope you’re right, Jason.
VICTORIA: Come on, Jillian. Let’s go to my room. The boys are
going to play video games and watch a DVD. Maybe we can play some music. I got a bunch of new CD’s!
JILLIAN: Great! (They exit)
JASPER: Will your parents let us stay up late?
JASON: They will tonight. We can get in our sleeping bags, and
then watch the DVD from there.
JASPER: Okay. (Lights go out)
(As the lights come up, there are 4 poor, homeless kids sitting
around a little fake fire trying to warm themselves. In the
background are 6 more homeless kids huddled around a fire. The others have left the stage and the setting is new.)
PETE: (Enters) I found some more sticks for the fire. (He puts a
few twigs on the pile there and pretends to warm his hands)
CHERYL: Anybody got anything to eat?
TRENT: You must be joking! When I get hungry enough, I’ll go and try to find some for us.
CHERYL: Find some where?
TRENT: I know where there are some good garbage cans….As long as you get there before the other bums.
PETE: The best ones are behind the restaurants.
OLIVIA: Remember when we used to eat inside the restaurants?
TRENT: I’m starting to forget.
JASON: (Enters wearing an old coat over his clothes so you only see the coat. He sees the fire and approaches to warm himself) Oh, you got a fire going! Can I warm myself?
CHERYL: Go find your own fire! There’s no room here!
JASON: (Shocked at her reply looks at her) Cheryl? Cheryl is that you?
CHERYL: Oh, Hi Jason. What’s up?
JASON: I should ask you that! What are you doing here? And Pete! Trent! All you guys! What’s going on?
TRENT: Times are hard, buddy. My dad lost his job and then we got evicted. My mom took us to a shelter but they didn’t want kids. My dad wanders the streets looking for food and brings it to me.
JASON: That’s horrible!
CHERYL: My dad ended up in prison and my mom is in a rehab hospital. They put me in a foster home, but I ran away because they were mean to me.
OLIVIA: My parents didn’t want me. They never paid attention to me and I was feeling like I was nobody. So, I decided to show them, and I left. I want to go back now, but I’m afraid.
JASON: I can’t believe you guys are all out here like this! You’re
all my friends!
BRAD: (Had his head down, finally looks up) What’s your story,
Jason?
JASON: Brad? Brad Johnson? You’re the president of our Sunday School class!
BRAD: Sometimes life takes a bad turn! You gotta just go with the punches!
JASON: Huh?
BRAD: What’s your story, poor boy? How’d you end up here?
JASON: (Trying to remember) I don’t know.
CHERYL: Hey, what happened to that nice watch you used to wear all the time?
JASON: (Looks at his wrist) My watch! It’s gone! Oh, wait, now I
remember. I sold it to buy this coat.
TRENT: You got ripped off man! You could buy a whole wardrobe with that watch!
JASON: I was cold and this bum said he would trade me. I figured I didn’t need the watch as bad as I needed to be warm.
TRENT: No, man! You take the watch to the pawn shop and get cash for it. Then you go to the thrift store and buy some really good stuff! (Pause) Oh, well… too late now.
JASON: How did you know all that? (Pause) Well, this can’t be for very long.
CHERYL: Yeah, that’s what they all say. How are you going to get out of here? It’s hopeless.
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