BACK PAINPILL 6'?m3f Salvation, religion vs saving faith LIZ -- (enters staggering, wheezing, bends, coughs painfully, rests elbows on knees) SUE -- (follows after short delay) Are you alright?! LIZ -- (nods, reaches into pocket, whispers) Can you open this for me? (offers pill bottle) SUE -- (takes, opens bottle) Oh, sure. How many? LIZ -- (wheezes, holds up one finger) SUE -- (offers pill) Can I get you to a hospital? LIZ -- (takes, swallows pill, shakes head, hoarsely) No. I'll be fine now. (gasps, stands erect) SUE -- (reads pill label) Are you sure? LIZ -- I'm fine, now, really. SUE -- I know a little bit about medicine and (points to bottle) these are just pain pills. LIZ -- I know. They make me feel better. SUE -- But pain pills don't do anything to cure your disease. You need a cure for your disease. Let me take you to a hospital. (reaches) LIZ -- (resists) No. I feel much better now. SUE -- That's my point. (offers pills) These pills just give you symtomatic relief. They don't do anything to cure your disease. You need real medical treatment. Are you sure.... LIZ -- (holds up a hand) I hate hospitals. I hate needles. I hate the prospect of surgery. (takes, pockets pills) My trusty pills do what I want them to do. SUE -- But.... LIZ -- (continues crossing) I'll be fine, really! SUE -- (follows) Listen, I hate to be the purveyor of bad news. But I think you're in a state of denial. If you don't get REAL treatment, you could die. LIZ -- I'll take my chances. (exits wheezing and coughing) SUE -- (turns) Oh, suit yourself. AMY -- (enters) You weren't able to do anything for her, were you? SUE -- Excuse me? AMY -- That woman. She's in a state of denial. SUE -- You know her? AMY -- We work together. SUE -- Well, maybe YOU can talk her into getting real treatment. AMY -- I would if she was really sick. SUE -- Of course she's really sick. Didn't you hear her wheezing and coughing? AMY -- That was just for YOUR benefit. SUE -- MY benefit?! AMY -- Yes. That pill you gave her wasn't medicine. SUE -- I know. It was a pain killer. It won't do her any good. AMY -- No. I mean it wasn't even a pain killer. The pill you gave her was a breath mint. SUE -- Wait a minute. (looks both ways) What's going on here?! Is this some kind of scam? AMY -- Call it a demonstration. SUE -- A demonstration. AMY -- Yes. SUE -- A demonstration of what? AMY -- Your state of denial. SUE -- MY state of denial?! AMY -- YOU have a fatal disease. But you're treating it with pain killers. SUE -- You're not making any sense. I don't take any pain killers! AMY -- You have a bookcase full of self-help books. SUE -- (backs away) Now you're starting to scare me. How do you know about my self-help books? AMY -- AND you've been to a half dozen different churches, synagogues, temples and ashrams in the past six months. SUE -- Have you been stalking me?! AMY -- We don't need to stalk you. We already know everything about you. SUE -- Who are you people?! AMY -- Don't get all bent out of shape. You're not in any danger. The boss just wanted to set you straight. SUE -- The boss? AMY -- (points up) The boss. SUE -- You're kidding! AMY -- He's right. You ARE in a state of denial. SUE -- So, let me get this right. You and your friend there, (points) you were sent here to... AMY -- Call it a confrontation. SUE -- To confront me about my ALLEGED denial. AMY -- DenialS. SUE -- DenialS. AMY -- You've got a fatal disease. But your self-help books give the wrong diagnosis. They say your problem is not disease but a lack of knowledge, or a lack of insight, or a lack of overview of resources or a lac... SUE -- Yes. Yes. I know what my self-help books say. AMY -- Then, there's your religious leaders. They deny your disease too. They think your problem is your lack of self-esteem, or your lack of positive mental attitude or your lack of faith, or your lac... SUE -- But I don't have a fatal disease! I feel fine! AMY -- Denial. Like the boss said. SUE -- How could I have a fatal disease if I feel fine?! AMY -- If you feel FINE, why do you need a bookcase full of self-help books and an address book full of churches? SUE -- Alright, maybe I don't feel FINE, but I don't have a fatal disease! AMY -- Denial. Like the boss said. SUE -- What fatal disease does this boss of your say I have?! AMY -- Sin. SUE -- Sin. AMY -- You were created to live in a healthy relationship with God, but sin keeps you from a healthy relationship. You're dying and you're taking pain pills instead of real medicine that could cure the disease. SUE -- I think I know what REAL medicine you're talking about. AMY -- Well, I would hope so. You've been to enough different churches. SUE -- I tried the real medicine a couple of times. AMY -- Not really. SUE -- What do you know about it?! AMY -- I know about medical interactions. SUE -- Medical interactions. AMY -- When you take two incompatible medications, you kill the effectiveness of one or both of them. SUE -- I know what medical interactions are. Are you saying that I have to give up my pain killers when I take the real medication? AMY -- Bingo! Because of medical interactions, if you took the REAL medicine with any other medication, you get the same results as if you didn't take it at all. SUE -- Oh. (pauses) If your boss knows everything, he knows what I'm going to ask next, doesn't he? AMY -- Yes. But he wants you to confess it. SUE -- (sighs) Alright. I admit I have a fatal disease and I need real treatment for my disease, not a pain killer. AMY -- And? SUE -- (sighs) This is the tough one. (sighs) I've become addicted to the pain killers. I'm going to need help kicking the habit. AMY -- Bravo! That confession put you on the road to good health! (points offstage, exits with Sue) Come. Let's get you started. ©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 |