Anger
Drama
Lectionary Scenes
58 Vignettes For Cycle B
Theme
Anger is inevitable, but there must be reconciliation or our relationships deteriorate.
Summary
Things are in an uproar at the Pesky home. Rena is trying to find her keys and get Sam, her husband, to paint the bathroom. Rena gets angry.
Playing Time
3 minutes
Setting
The Pesky home
Props
Sam -- a shirt with missing buttons
Rena -- a can of interior latex and a paint brush
Costumes
Contemporary, casual
Time
The present
Cast
SAM PESKY
RENA -- his wife
BILL -- their son
SAM: (ENTERS, CARRYING A SHIRT THAT HE HAS BEEN SEWING BUTTONS ON) Tiffany? Now where did she go?
RENA: (ENTERS CARRYING A CAN OF PAINT AND BRUSH WITH A COAT AND TIE DRAPED OVER IT) Where's Bill? Have you seen him? Bill! (EXITS)
SAM: Tiffany! Tiffany! Get in here!
BILL: (ENTERS) Yeah?
SAM: Where's your sister?
BILL: How should I know?
SAM: Don't be smart.
BILL: You told me to pull my grades in math and Spanish up, and now you say, "Don't be smart." Make up your mind.
SAM: That's real clever. You know what I mean.
BILL: Yeah, well, I don't know where she is.
SAM: Well, go find her and tell her I want her.
BILL: (BEGINNING TO EXIT) Yeah, okay.
RENA: (ENTERS) There you are. Where have you been?
BILL: Down in the basement.
RENA: I've been looking all over for you. Where are the car keys?
BILL: (LEANING AGAINST THE WALL IN A POLICE SEARCH STANCE) Search me. I didn't take them.
RENA: No one said you did.
BILL: If they were my keys I'll bet I know where they were.
RENA: Don't be smart.
SAM: We covered that territory already.
RENA: What?
SAM: Never mind. It would take too long to explain it to you.
BILL: Can I go now?
RENA: May I.
BILL: You gotta go too?
RENA: Go. Just go. (BILL EXITS)
SAM: That kid. I don't know. Everything that comes out of his mouth is some kind of smart answer. Some kind of backtalk. Where do they learn that stuff?
RENA: He learned it from you. You wanted a son just like you. Well, you got him.
SAM: That's cute. That's real cute.
RENA: You've always got some kind of smart comeback for everything I say.
SAM: Ya think so, huh? Well, that's your opinion and it's the wrong opinion.
RENA: (UNCOVERING THE PAINT CAN AND BRUSH) Here, I brought you the paint so you can start on the bathroom.
SAM: Will you stop it?
RENA: No, I mean it. You've avoided painting that bathroom long enough. Now get to it.
SAM: I'm tired. I had a rough day.
RENA: I'm tired too. I'm tired of you being the absentee father.
SAM: Absentee father? Been watching too many talk shows, huh? I'm here, aren't I?
RENA: No, you're not. You're on some other planet. A planet where men are men and never pay any attention to their wives.
SAM: Now, you know that's not true. Didn't I get you a nice birthday present?
RENA: A crock pot! You got me a crock pot.
SAM: I was going to get you a Lamborghini but they didn't have any in your favorite colors -- fuchsia with puce trim.
RENA: Go paint.
SAM: I want to read the paper and relax a little first.
RENA: Sure, you can read the paper. Put it on the floor in the bathroom and use it to catch the paint splatters.
SAM: Oh, you got a mean streak.
RENA: You've got a lazy streak. You're just like your mother. I never knew anyone as lazy as your mother. The only five-fingered sloth in existence.
SAM: I knew it. Sooner or later you run out of things to yell at me about and then you have to start insulting my parents.
RENA: It's not an insult when it's the truth. Your mother was lazy and your father was a drunkard.
SAM: Oh, so that's the truth, huh? Well, do you want to know the truth about your parents? Huh, do ya?
RENA: I already know the truth about my parents.
SAM: Your parents are ... well, they're perfect.
RENA: That's it?
SAM: Yes, that's it. They were perfect and never let anyone who was less than perfect forget it. Who can live with perfection?
RENA: You have.
SAM: No, I just lived with someone who thought she was perfect.
RENA: I'm closer than you'll ever be.
SAM: That's it. I don't have to listen to this.
RENA: Great. That's great. Go hide in the bathroom and, by the way, paint it while you're crying over your stupid parents.
SAM: Just before I go, I have one question.
RENA: Well?
SAM: Are you angry? (EXITS)
Anger is inevitable, but there must be reconciliation or our relationships deteriorate.
Summary
Things are in an uproar at the Pesky home. Rena is trying to find her keys and get Sam, her husband, to paint the bathroom. Rena gets angry.
Playing Time
3 minutes
Setting
The Pesky home
Props
Sam -- a shirt with missing buttons
Rena -- a can of interior latex and a paint brush
Costumes
Contemporary, casual
Time
The present
Cast
SAM PESKY
RENA -- his wife
BILL -- their son
SAM: (ENTERS, CARRYING A SHIRT THAT HE HAS BEEN SEWING BUTTONS ON) Tiffany? Now where did she go?
RENA: (ENTERS CARRYING A CAN OF PAINT AND BRUSH WITH A COAT AND TIE DRAPED OVER IT) Where's Bill? Have you seen him? Bill! (EXITS)
SAM: Tiffany! Tiffany! Get in here!
BILL: (ENTERS) Yeah?
SAM: Where's your sister?
BILL: How should I know?
SAM: Don't be smart.
BILL: You told me to pull my grades in math and Spanish up, and now you say, "Don't be smart." Make up your mind.
SAM: That's real clever. You know what I mean.
BILL: Yeah, well, I don't know where she is.
SAM: Well, go find her and tell her I want her.
BILL: (BEGINNING TO EXIT) Yeah, okay.
RENA: (ENTERS) There you are. Where have you been?
BILL: Down in the basement.
RENA: I've been looking all over for you. Where are the car keys?
BILL: (LEANING AGAINST THE WALL IN A POLICE SEARCH STANCE) Search me. I didn't take them.
RENA: No one said you did.
BILL: If they were my keys I'll bet I know where they were.
RENA: Don't be smart.
SAM: We covered that territory already.
RENA: What?
SAM: Never mind. It would take too long to explain it to you.
BILL: Can I go now?
RENA: May I.
BILL: You gotta go too?
RENA: Go. Just go. (BILL EXITS)
SAM: That kid. I don't know. Everything that comes out of his mouth is some kind of smart answer. Some kind of backtalk. Where do they learn that stuff?
RENA: He learned it from you. You wanted a son just like you. Well, you got him.
SAM: That's cute. That's real cute.
RENA: You've always got some kind of smart comeback for everything I say.
SAM: Ya think so, huh? Well, that's your opinion and it's the wrong opinion.
RENA: (UNCOVERING THE PAINT CAN AND BRUSH) Here, I brought you the paint so you can start on the bathroom.
SAM: Will you stop it?
RENA: No, I mean it. You've avoided painting that bathroom long enough. Now get to it.
SAM: I'm tired. I had a rough day.
RENA: I'm tired too. I'm tired of you being the absentee father.
SAM: Absentee father? Been watching too many talk shows, huh? I'm here, aren't I?
RENA: No, you're not. You're on some other planet. A planet where men are men and never pay any attention to their wives.
SAM: Now, you know that's not true. Didn't I get you a nice birthday present?
RENA: A crock pot! You got me a crock pot.
SAM: I was going to get you a Lamborghini but they didn't have any in your favorite colors -- fuchsia with puce trim.
RENA: Go paint.
SAM: I want to read the paper and relax a little first.
RENA: Sure, you can read the paper. Put it on the floor in the bathroom and use it to catch the paint splatters.
SAM: Oh, you got a mean streak.
RENA: You've got a lazy streak. You're just like your mother. I never knew anyone as lazy as your mother. The only five-fingered sloth in existence.
SAM: I knew it. Sooner or later you run out of things to yell at me about and then you have to start insulting my parents.
RENA: It's not an insult when it's the truth. Your mother was lazy and your father was a drunkard.
SAM: Oh, so that's the truth, huh? Well, do you want to know the truth about your parents? Huh, do ya?
RENA: I already know the truth about my parents.
SAM: Your parents are ... well, they're perfect.
RENA: That's it?
SAM: Yes, that's it. They were perfect and never let anyone who was less than perfect forget it. Who can live with perfection?
RENA: You have.
SAM: No, I just lived with someone who thought she was perfect.
RENA: I'm closer than you'll ever be.
SAM: That's it. I don't have to listen to this.
RENA: Great. That's great. Go hide in the bathroom and, by the way, paint it while you're crying over your stupid parents.
SAM: Just before I go, I have one question.
RENA: Well?
SAM: Are you angry? (EXITS)
