The Bench In The Alley

Lisa is the main character who is dealing with this along with the breakup of her parent’s marriage and she starts cutting her arms. She comes to Christ at the end of the play while most of the others just go on with their lives. One character is suicidal and a nice Christian couple help her. This can be done at Easter as one scene deals with a discussion of the Last Supper.

14 actors (8 males, 6 females) At least 9 characters should be college age. About 40-42 min.

CAST OF CHARACTERS:

LISA: Speaks 1957 words and struggles with cutting herself. She has conflicts with both of her parents.

BECKY: Speaks 1140 words and is the strong Christian.

SUE: Speaks 774 words and is the unbelieving skeptic.

BRIDGET: Speaks 711 words and is suicidal.

CAROL: Speaks 685 words. Lisa’s Christian mother.

DAVE: Speaks 576 words. Outspoken unbeliever.

MIKE: Speaks 574 words. Bridget’s brother and bold
Christian who gets killed trying to help a friend.

BILL: Speaks 492 words. Drug dealer with a gun.

STEVE: Speaks 414 words. Lisa’s dad who is getting divorced from Carol.

TOM: Speaks 413 words. Young man becoming a drug addict.

MARK: Speaks 400 words. An unbeliever with questions.

ED: Speaks 366 words. Christian man who shares with Steve and also Bridget.

TERRI: Speaks 326 words. Ed’s wife who also helps Bridget.

JOE: Speaks 324 words. Tom’s unbelieving friend and Lisa’s brother.

Most scenes take place in an outdoor cafe setting at tables, perhaps on a college campus. Some scenes are at a bench in an alley. One scene is in a house.

Excerpt:

SCENE ONE OPENS IN AN ALLEY WITH A BENCH
Tom is sitting on the bench nervously waiting for someone. Joe and Mike enter.
JOE
There he is!
Joe and Mike run over to the bench.
TOM
(Reacting seriously)
What are you guys doing here?
JOE
Don’t do this, Tom.
TOM
Get out of here!
JOE
Come with us. You don’t need this!
TOM
I said, get out of here! How did you find me?
JOE
I overheard your phone call. You said you would meet him in this alley.
TOM
This is none of your business, Joe! And why did you bring him here?
MIKE
Tom…we want to help you.
TOM
You can help me by making yourselves scarce! And fast! You can’t be here when he gets here. He don’t like no extras! I’m supposed to be alone.
MIKE
Come on, Tom. There is a better way. You don’t need to buy that stuff. God can help you overcome this thing. He wants to help you through this.
TOM
Look, Mike, this isn’t the time or the place to start preaching about God. This guy, Bill, ain’t a friendly guy. He carries a gun on him. You gotta get out of here. I don’t want him to see you.
JOE
Come on, Tom. Just come with us. You don’t need these drugs. They’re going to mess you up, man!
TOM
You don’t know what I need! You don’t know anything about it. Now get lost, I tell you! Before you get yourselves killed!
JOE
We’re not going without you, Tom.
Tom jumps up and tries to push Joe away.
MIKE
Come on, Tom. That isn’t going to work. Let’s just go back home and talk about this.
TOM
You guys are going to mess things up! It’s all going to be messed up! You gotta leave! You gotta leave now!
Joe and Mike both go and sit on the bench and cross their arms.
TOM
Don’t do this, please! This guy is scary!
JOE
It’s three against one. What’s he gonna do?
TOM
He has a gun, I tell you! I think he would use it!
JOE
He’s selling drugs, Tom. He has no reason to shoot anybody. We’re not here to turn him in to the cops or steal his money or anything like that.
MIKE
Tom…don’t you know that this is against the law. It’s illegal for him to sell that stuff to you and it’s illegal for you to buy it. If you get caught, you could go to prison.
TOM
Well, if you two weren’t here making a big scene, this just might go down the way it’s supposed to.
MIKE
How bad is it, Tom? Do you feel like you gotta have it? Are you an addict? Because, if you are, we can get you some help.
TOM
If you really want to help me, you need to leave right now! I’m not an addict. It’s really none of your business, actually!
MIKE
Drugs are not the answer, Tom. They aren’t going to help you at all. In fact, they hurt you. They take over your body and you don’t have control over anything anymore. Is that what you want? Do you want to end up in the gutter and out of your mind?
TOM
Stop preaching at me!
JOE
Come on, man. You know the drill. You know what this stuff will do to you.
TOM
That’s just it. I do know. You guys haven’t ever tried it. You don’t know anything about it. Mike…I bet you’ve never been high in your life!
MIKE
I’d rather be high on life itself, man.
TOM
I just want to have a good time. You don’t know what that is.
MIKE
How can you call something a good time when you lose your mind and don’t remember what happened the next day? I can remember all my good times. I’m not letting foreign substances take over my body. Tom, this stuff will take over. If you are not an addict yet, you soon will be.
JOE
He’s right, Tom. You just gotta be smart, that’s all. We’re your friends and we don’t want to see you get messed up.
TOM
If you’re my friends, then you will go away and let me be!
JOE
No, Tom. That is not being a friend. A friend will pull you out of the burning building…and you are about to set yourself on fire with this stuff! I’ve seen you, man! You may think that this is good stuff when you are high on it, but when you come down… man that stuff is nasty!
TOM
It’s just a little hangover.
JOE
It ain’t worth it. Really, it ain’t worth it.
MIKE
Tom, if you could just get to know God…and walk with Jesus, then you will see a real natural high that no drug could compete with…
TOM
Oh, knock it off, Mike. Now go away…and you, too Joe! Just leave me alone and let me live my life! Okay? (Pause) Oh! There he is! Go! Quick!
MIKE
Just let us talk to him, Tom.
JOE
I hope you’re right about that, Mike.
Bill enters
BILL
(Very stern)
What’s going on, Tom? I told you to come alone. Who are these guys?
MIKE
We’re his friends.
BILL
Why are they here, Tom?
TOM
I didn’t bring them. They came on their own.
BILL
Do they know why you are here?
MIKE
We know that he is here to buy drugs from you.
BILL
And you want in on the action? I’m willing to talk, but I didn’t bring extra. I never bring extra. If you’d like, we can discuss it.
MIKE
We don’t want to buy any drugs, and neither does Tom.
BILL
Oh really! Did he tell you that, or are you trying to butt in where you don’t belong?
TOM
Just let them go, Bill…they don’t know anything…
BILL
I don’t know…they seem to know a lot. Or they think they do. Tommy, my boy…I believe we had better reschedule our meeting.
TOM
No! I gotta have it! I have the money! Honest I do! Just let them go!
BILL
I’m not holding anybody here.
MIKE
We’ll leave. But Tom, you’re coming with us.
BILL
Oh, I get it. You guys are trying to reform poor old Tommy. How noble of you. I just don’t think it’s going to work.
JOE
Look…Tom, maybe you should reschedule with him. This is not working and I’m sure you would both rather have some privacy when you do this.
BILL
Smart guy. I would say ‘listen to him’, but now I think that rescheduling isn’t such a hot idea. You guys are going to try to talk Tom Boy here out of buying from me…and out of using altogether. I don’t think I want to lose him as a customer. He’s ready to pay with cash and I got the stuff. We need to do this. You two creeps just need to hit the road.
MIKE
We’ll leave…but only if Tom goes with us.
JOE
Yeah…we’re not leaving without him. Come on, Tom.
TOM
Would you guys just go!? Please!
BILL
I think you’d better listen to your friend!
MIKE
I have a better idea. How about if you listen to us and just walk away and forget about this whole transaction?
BILL
Well…look at Mr. Boss man! I see you like to give orders. Well, I don’t like people giving me orders. I’m the boss around here and I am telling you that you need to clear out now so I can do business with my customer here.
MIKE
My friend has a problem, and I want to help him. I believe that God can help him overcome this problem. But I see before me another man with a problem. God can help you, too, my friend.
BILL
A problem? You think that I have a problem? What problem is that?
JOE
He didn’t mean it.
MIKE
You have a sin problem, Bill. You are a sinner in need of a Savior! I am here to….
BILL
What? Are you my savior?
MIKE
No. Not me. Jesus Christ. He is the only Savior of the World! He died so that you might have real life…
BILL
Oh! So you’re a preacher are you? Well, I don’t want to hear it! Go and peddle your religion somewhere else! And stay away from my customers… it’s bad for business! You people think that religion is going to take care of all your problems. Well, I’m here to tell you that it only creates a whole bunch of new ones. You want to get close to God and find peace? Well, the stuff I sell will do it a lot faster and a lot better!
MIKE
Drugs don’t lead you to God…if anything, they open up the doors to the realm of Satan. He wants to kill you and destroy you. He wants to hold you captive. You’re his slave, Bill and so is Tom…and I want you to know how you can be set free!
BILL
Shut up!
JOE
Stop, Mike. You’re not helping!
TOM
Mike! I’m begging you! Please go!
BILL
This is really getting old, Mike. How about you just walk away now before someone gets hurt?
MIKE
No one is going to get hurt. I especially don’t want to see my friend, Tom getting hurt. That’s why you need to leave and take your drugs with you.
BILL
Well, that ain’t going to happen, my friend. And this is how I know…
Bill pulls out a gun and Tom and Joe react. Mike tries to remain calm.
MIKE
That isn’t necessary. Just put that thing away.
BILL
Oh…I will…after you and your buddy have left the alley! Now go!
He points the gun right at him.
JOE
Come on, Mike. This is crazy! We don’t need any trouble.
TOM
I told you! Don’t mess with him! Now you guys go!
MIKE
Tom…are you coming with us?
TOM
Mike!
MIKE
Are you coming with us, Tom? I’m not leaving you here to destroy your life!
BILL
You boys are running out of time and I’m running out of patience!
MIKE
Tom! Let’s go! You are finished with this guy!
TOM
Okay…I’ll go! Let’s just go!
JOE
Great! Come on, Mike!
The three of them start to move
BILL
Wait one minute! Tommy ain’t going anywhere. You two are leaving now and he is staying. He’s got something I want and I’ve got something he wants.
(Points the gun at Tom)
You guys need to leave so that this doesn’t get ugly.
(Points the gun at Joe)
Now…I’m going to count to ten.
MIKE
Why don’t you put that thing down and stop pointing it at people?
Bill points the gun at Mike’s head
BILL
One…two…
(He continues to count slowly)
JOE
Come on, Mike! This is too dangerous!
MIKE
(Looking right at Bill)
I’m not leaving Tom here with this crazy man.
BILL
Five…six…
TOM
I’ll be okay…really guys! Just go! I’ll see you later! I promise!
BILL
Nine…
Mike grabs for the gun
MIKE
Let’s put this thing away!
BILL
Let go! Don’t do that!
MIKE
Come on, Bill. You’re not going to shoot anybody! Just put it away.
BILL
Stop it, I tell you! Let go of the gun!
JOE
Mike! Knock it off!
TOM
Mike! What are you doing?? Let go of the gun!
MIKE
Just remain calm.
Mike continues to try to push the gun away or grab hold of it himself. This makes Bill very nervous and very angry. He continues to keep his grip on the gun and his control of where it is pointed.
BILL
Let go! Let go!
As the two men fight over the gun, it ends up near Mike’s chest or stomach and as they fight, hiding the actual location…Mike is now trying to take it away and Bill is just trying to keep it. Joe and Tom are shouting. Suddenly it goes off. There is sudden silence. Mike grabs his wound and has this shocked look on his face. Bill backs away, still holding the gun.
BILL
You idiot!
Mike collapses and coils in pain on the ground. Bill panics and takes off running.