BACK GUILT 6'?m2f Guilt, forgiveness, salvation, mental health LIZ -- (enters, begins crossing along front lip of stage, holds out hand, shouts, turns as imaginary taxi goes by) Taxi. Taxi. AMY -- (enters opposite) Hello Elizabeth. LIZ -- (turns) Amy. Oh, ah, hi. AMY -- Can I offer you a ride? My car is right over there. (points offstage) LIZ -- Um. No, thanks. I'll just take a cab. (turns, raises hand) AMY -- It's no trouble at all. I'm just killing time until my next appointment. LIZ -- (turns) Um. No, thanks. I'm fine. (turns, raises hand) AMY -- Elizabeth, is something wrong? LIZ -- (turns) Wrong? You think something is wrong? No, I'm fine. AMY -- You seem to be avoiding me. LIZ -- Not really. AMY -- You just came out of the Medical Arts Building (points offstage) Are you sick? LIZ -- No. Oh, no! I'm not sick. You know me, I've never been sick a day in my life. (turns, raises hand) AMY -- Then what were you doing in the Medical Arts Building? LIZ -- (sighs, turns) Alright. If you must know I was getting a second opinion. AMY -- A second opinion. LIZ -- Alright, if you must know it was a THIRD opinion. AMY -- A third opinion. LIZ -- Yes. AMY -- About what? LIZ -- Oh, don't worry. I don't have cancer or AIDS or anything. AMY -- So, it's nothing physical. LIZ -- No. Oh, no! AMY -- (pause, tilts head) LIZ -- Alright, if you must know I was seeing a clinical psychologist. AMY -- Uh huh. LIZ -- Listen, the last thing I need is for all of my friends to think that I'm a head case. I'm not crazy. AMY -- Uh huh. LIZ -- I'm not! AMY -- Okay. LIZ -- Alright, if you must know, the reason I'm here is about this guilt I've been feeling. AMY -- Guilt? LIZ -- Yes. The clinical psychologist (points over shoulder) said that I shouldn't be burdened with guilt over something that happened in my past. He suggested that I come twice a week for a year to talk it out. AMY -- And this was a third opinion? LIZ -- Yes. AMY -- What did the other two psychologists say? LIZ -- Well, well, they all agree that I shouldn't be burdened with guilt over something that happened in my past. The Psychiatrist said that I have issues with my mother that intensified the guilt. AMY -- So, you also went to a psychiatrist? LIZ -- To a psychoanalyst too. HE said that I had developmental trauma that kept me trapped. He said that once I work out where I was stuck in my development, I would be free to mature normally. AMY -- I see. LIZ -- Listen, you're not going to spread this around, are you? AMY -- Of course not. This is a very personal matter. LIZ -- Good. AMY -- But, listen, maybe you need a fourth opinion. LIZ -- A FOURTH opinion? AMY -- Yes. LIZ -- From who?! I've talked to every branch of the mental health field! AMY -- Yes, but have you talked to your pastor about this? LIZ -- My pastor? AMY -- Yes. LIZ -- No. AMY -- Why not? LIZ -- I don't have a pastor. AMY -- That's too bad. LIZ -- Why? What could a pastor tell me about mental health? AMY -- Perhaps the reason you FEEL guilty is because you ARE guilty. LIZ -- Wow! I never thought of that! The mental health professionals all said that I SHOULDN'T feel guilty. AMY -- You shouldn't. LIZ -- You're not making any sense. You just said that the reason I FEEL guilty is because I AM guilty. AMY -- That's right. LIZ -- Then, I don't see any way around this. See, if the problem is my mother's influence, all I have to do is remove my mother's influence. If the problem is arrested development, all I have to do to deal with the guilt is remove the blockage to my development. But if my problem is that my guilt is real with no outside causes, how can I deal with it? AMY -- Forgiveness. LIZ -- Forgiveness? AMY -- Yes. LIZ -- How many months does it take to go through that process? AMY -- No months. The process is instantaneous. LIZ -- Pardon me for saying so, but this sounds too simple. It's too good to be true. AMY -- Actually, the word I use is MIRACULOUS. LIZ -- Oh, this is a god thing. AMY -- Elizabeth, the guilt your feeling is an offense against God. You can go through months and years of therapy and still not address the root cause of your guilt. LIZ -- So, you're saying that if I get God's forgiveness, the guilt will go away instantly? AMY -- Well, yes. But it's not quite that simple. That's why you should talk to a pastor. In addition to offending God, you jammed up your life with excuses and rationalizations for your guilt. LIZ -- You're telling me?! AMY -- A pastor can help you unwind the tangle that you created to cope with your guilt. But forgiveness for the guilt that comes from offending God is instantaneous. LIZ -- How can it be that easy? AMY -- Confession. LIZ -- Confession? AMY -- Yes, tell God what you did and that you know that it's wrong and that you're sorry that you did it. And, if you're really sincere in your confession, God has promised that he will forgive you. LIZ -- No kidding. AMY -- No kidding. LIZ -- There's got to be a catch. AMY -- A catch? LIZ -- Yes. A catch. AMY -- You're right. There is a catch. LIZ -- I knew it! AMY -- Confession only works if you trust Jesus to pay for ALL your guilt. LIZ -- Oh, I can do that! In fact, I've been meaning to do that! AMY -- Good. Let's hop in my car and I'll introduce you to my pastor. (exits) LIZ -- (follows) I wonder if those mental health professionals will refund my money. ©2007 Bob Snook. Conditions for use: Do not sell any part of this script, even if you rewrite it. Pay no royalties, even if you make money from performances. You may reproduce and distribute this script freely, but all copies must contain this copyright statement. http://www.fea.net/bobsnook email: bobsnook@fea.net BACK |