Single Mom
Drama
Lectionary Scenes
58 Vignettes For Cycle B
Theme
The single parent has pressures and stresses that are overwhelming. The church should be helping.
Summary
Sarah, a single mom, is in over her head. The baby is crying, her ex-husband won't send the support check, she is trying to raise a teenage daughter, and is taking a course at the university.
Playing Time
3 minutes
Setting
Sarah's apartment
Props
Phone, a theme paper for class, a storybook
Costumes
Contemporary, casual
Time
The present
Cast
SARAH -- mom
EVIE -- her teenage daughter
TIFF -- another daughter, younger
SARAH: (ENTERS, ON THE PHONE) Well, you've got to, that's all. I need the money! (EVIE ENTERS. TO EVIE) Did you get her to bed?
EVIE: I got her to bed but she's standing up.
SARAH: Standing up!
EVIE: Yes, standing up.
SARAH: Standing up in bed.
EVIE: Right in the middle.
SARAH: Why won't she lie down?
EVIE: She said she won't go to sleep until you "wead her a beddy-bye stowy."
SARAH: I have a report due for statistics class tomorrow.
EVIE: I think she'll fall asleep on her own.
SARAH: Standing up?
EVIE: Sure. Yeah, probably. Oh, I don't know. Go "wead her a beddy-bye stowy."
SARAH: I can't. (CHANGING HER MIND) Oh, all right. (CHANGING HER MIND) No, I really can't. Can't you read to her?
EVIE: I tried. No, she wants you. She's standing in the middle of the bed waiting for you.
SARAH: Okay, okay. No, I can't leave this report right now. Just let her stand there. At least she's not crying right now.
EVIE: No, not yet she's not. (TIFF BEGINS TO CRY FOR HER MOM, OFFSTAGE)
SARAH: (BACK ON THE PHONE) What? Oh, Brian, I forgot all about you. Listen, you just better get that money to me, that's all. (SLAMS PHONE DOWN) Good-bye, you slime. (TO EVIE, INDICATING SHE SHOULD GO SEE ABOUT TIFF) Oh, for goodness sake, could you?
EVIE: Mom, I've got homework to do, too.
SARAH: What am I supposed to do?
EVIE: Go "wead her a beddy-bye stowy."
SARAH: I don't have time.
EVIE: Well, I don't either.
SARAH: Take the time, please, Evie. Please.
EVIE: Aw, Mom, why can't you?
SARAH: Please.
EVIE: Oh, all right. (SHE BEGINS TO EXIT) It's like I don't have any of my own work to do. (SHE EXITS)
SARAH: Stupid! Stupid! Why did I ever have to take this stupid course? (THROWING REPORT ON THE FLOOR AND STOMPING ALL OVER IT. THROWING HERSELF ON THE FLOOR AND HAVING A TANTRUM, CRYING AND THEN COLLAPSING LIFELESS ON THE PAPER)
EVIE: (ENTERS, STARING AT HER MOM) Mom? Mom are you...? (NUDGES HER WITH HER FOOT)
SARAH: (RAISING HER HEAD) What are you doing?
EVIE: (JUMPING BACK) What are you doing?
SARAH: What?
EVIE: Mom, I thought ...
SARAH: What?
EVIE: I thought you were dead.
SARAH: Dead? No, I'm not dead. I don't have time to be dead. It's not on the calendar for today. I have a report to do for Professor Winslow's class and it's due tomorrow. After my statistics class, after I pick you up from swimming lessons and after I pick up Tiffany from day care and after I fix dinner and after I put Tiffany to bed and after we eat and after I wash the dishes and after I wash a load of clothes and after I iron your skirt for school for the next day, then we'll see. Yes, then we'll see. Maybe tomorrow I'll have time to be dead. Check back with me tomorrow about this same time.
EVIE: Mom, I'm tired.
SARAH: Welcome to the club.
EVIE: Boy, I can't wait till I grow up.
SARAH: I can't wait until your sister grows up.
EVIE: She might grow up faster since she's still standing in the middle of the bed crying.
SARAH: Let her stand. Let her stand all night. I don't care. (MORE CRYING FROM TIFF) No. I do care. Evie, go shut her up somehow.
EVIE: What do you suggest?
SARAH: Read to her.
EVIE: You can't read to her. She's crying.
SARAH: Well, then, take the book and yell it to her.
EVIE: Oh, that's ridiculous.
SARAH: Just do it.
EVIE: All right. I'll do it. (SHE EXITS)
SARAH: Now maybe I can get back to this report. (PICKS UP PAPERS) Oh, no. I wonder if Professor Winslow will mind if his statistics have chocolate pudding on them. (TIFF IS CRYING AND EVIE IS YELLING A BOOK TO HER OFFSTAGE. PHONE RINGS. SARAH ANSWERS IT) I need that money! And I need it right now. I'm warning you, I'm going to call my lawyer! ...What? Oh, who? Oh, Mrs. Snyder. Oh, I'm sorry, Mrs. Snyder. What? The altar guild? No. No. I really don't need anything to occupy my time since my divorce. Thank you so very much. Good-bye.
EVIE: (ENTERS) Mom! I can't yell anymore. My throat hurts. (SARAH BEGINNING TO EXIT) Mom, did you hear me? Where are you going?
SARAH: I'm going to bed. And I'm going to stand right in the middle of it and cry. (SHE EXITS)
The single parent has pressures and stresses that are overwhelming. The church should be helping.
Summary
Sarah, a single mom, is in over her head. The baby is crying, her ex-husband won't send the support check, she is trying to raise a teenage daughter, and is taking a course at the university.
Playing Time
3 minutes
Setting
Sarah's apartment
Props
Phone, a theme paper for class, a storybook
Costumes
Contemporary, casual
Time
The present
Cast
SARAH -- mom
EVIE -- her teenage daughter
TIFF -- another daughter, younger
SARAH: (ENTERS, ON THE PHONE) Well, you've got to, that's all. I need the money! (EVIE ENTERS. TO EVIE) Did you get her to bed?
EVIE: I got her to bed but she's standing up.
SARAH: Standing up!
EVIE: Yes, standing up.
SARAH: Standing up in bed.
EVIE: Right in the middle.
SARAH: Why won't she lie down?
EVIE: She said she won't go to sleep until you "wead her a beddy-bye stowy."
SARAH: I have a report due for statistics class tomorrow.
EVIE: I think she'll fall asleep on her own.
SARAH: Standing up?
EVIE: Sure. Yeah, probably. Oh, I don't know. Go "wead her a beddy-bye stowy."
SARAH: I can't. (CHANGING HER MIND) Oh, all right. (CHANGING HER MIND) No, I really can't. Can't you read to her?
EVIE: I tried. No, she wants you. She's standing in the middle of the bed waiting for you.
SARAH: Okay, okay. No, I can't leave this report right now. Just let her stand there. At least she's not crying right now.
EVIE: No, not yet she's not. (TIFF BEGINS TO CRY FOR HER MOM, OFFSTAGE)
SARAH: (BACK ON THE PHONE) What? Oh, Brian, I forgot all about you. Listen, you just better get that money to me, that's all. (SLAMS PHONE DOWN) Good-bye, you slime. (TO EVIE, INDICATING SHE SHOULD GO SEE ABOUT TIFF) Oh, for goodness sake, could you?
EVIE: Mom, I've got homework to do, too.
SARAH: What am I supposed to do?
EVIE: Go "wead her a beddy-bye stowy."
SARAH: I don't have time.
EVIE: Well, I don't either.
SARAH: Take the time, please, Evie. Please.
EVIE: Aw, Mom, why can't you?
SARAH: Please.
EVIE: Oh, all right. (SHE BEGINS TO EXIT) It's like I don't have any of my own work to do. (SHE EXITS)
SARAH: Stupid! Stupid! Why did I ever have to take this stupid course? (THROWING REPORT ON THE FLOOR AND STOMPING ALL OVER IT. THROWING HERSELF ON THE FLOOR AND HAVING A TANTRUM, CRYING AND THEN COLLAPSING LIFELESS ON THE PAPER)
EVIE: (ENTERS, STARING AT HER MOM) Mom? Mom are you...? (NUDGES HER WITH HER FOOT)
SARAH: (RAISING HER HEAD) What are you doing?
EVIE: (JUMPING BACK) What are you doing?
SARAH: What?
EVIE: Mom, I thought ...
SARAH: What?
EVIE: I thought you were dead.
SARAH: Dead? No, I'm not dead. I don't have time to be dead. It's not on the calendar for today. I have a report to do for Professor Winslow's class and it's due tomorrow. After my statistics class, after I pick you up from swimming lessons and after I pick up Tiffany from day care and after I fix dinner and after I put Tiffany to bed and after we eat and after I wash the dishes and after I wash a load of clothes and after I iron your skirt for school for the next day, then we'll see. Yes, then we'll see. Maybe tomorrow I'll have time to be dead. Check back with me tomorrow about this same time.
EVIE: Mom, I'm tired.
SARAH: Welcome to the club.
EVIE: Boy, I can't wait till I grow up.
SARAH: I can't wait until your sister grows up.
EVIE: She might grow up faster since she's still standing in the middle of the bed crying.
SARAH: Let her stand. Let her stand all night. I don't care. (MORE CRYING FROM TIFF) No. I do care. Evie, go shut her up somehow.
EVIE: What do you suggest?
SARAH: Read to her.
EVIE: You can't read to her. She's crying.
SARAH: Well, then, take the book and yell it to her.
EVIE: Oh, that's ridiculous.
SARAH: Just do it.
EVIE: All right. I'll do it. (SHE EXITS)
SARAH: Now maybe I can get back to this report. (PICKS UP PAPERS) Oh, no. I wonder if Professor Winslow will mind if his statistics have chocolate pudding on them. (TIFF IS CRYING AND EVIE IS YELLING A BOOK TO HER OFFSTAGE. PHONE RINGS. SARAH ANSWERS IT) I need that money! And I need it right now. I'm warning you, I'm going to call my lawyer! ...What? Oh, who? Oh, Mrs. Snyder. Oh, I'm sorry, Mrs. Snyder. What? The altar guild? No. No. I really don't need anything to occupy my time since my divorce. Thank you so very much. Good-bye.
EVIE: (ENTERS) Mom! I can't yell anymore. My throat hurts. (SARAH BEGINNING TO EXIT) Mom, did you hear me? Where are you going?
SARAH: I'm going to bed. And I'm going to stand right in the middle of it and cry. (SHE EXITS)
