Before The Wedding
Drama
Lectionary Scenes
57 Vignettes For Cycle A
Theme
The kingdom of heaven is like the relationship between a father and daughter. It is a pearl of great price. But sometimes the pearl can be damaged.
Summary
A bride desperately needs to tell her father something that will affect her marriage. The father is slow to hear. A parable.
Playing Time: 3 minutes
Setting: The home of the bride
Props
: A wedding dress
Costumes: Father -- formal suit
Sue -- casual
Time: A few minutes before the wedding
Cast: FATHER
SUE -- the bride
FATHER: (SUE STANDS, HOLDING HER WEDDING DRESS, WAITING TO BE TAKEN TO THE CHURCH. HER FATHER ENTERS) Are you about ready, dear? I don't want to rush you, but we are due at the church right now. (TAKES DRESS) I'll take that. Your mother is already in the car. You'll go with Billy.
SUE: Can't I ride with you, Daddy?
FATHER: No, honey. It's all been worked out. I'm driving your mother and grandmother. You'll go with your brother. Now, let's get going.
SUE: Daddy, listen to me. I want to ride with you.
FATHER: (INTENDING TO REASON WITH HER) Honey ...
(RESIGNING HIMSELF TO IT) Oh, all right. You can ride with your mother and me. But hurry. Let's go.
SUE: Daddy, wait. You don't understand. I want to be with you ... alone.
FATHER: What?
SUE: I want to talk to you, Daddy.
FATHER: There isn't time, sweetheart. We're due at the church. You are getting married today, you know.
SUE: No. Daddy. Just wait. I want to talk to you.
FATHER: I'm telling you there isn't time!
SUE: DADDY! WAIT! TALK TO ME!
FATHER: Honey, what is it? You're not going to back out of this wedding, are you?
SUE: No. No, I'm not. But I want to tell you something.
FATHER: Sure, honey. I guess we can take the time. It's your wedding.
SUE: Daddy, listen to me. I wanted to tell you this before I married Tom.
FATHER: You love him, don't you?
SUE: Yes, I do. And I love you, too.
FATHER: Honey, it's going to be all right. You're just a little nervous. Tom is a nice man. Your mother and I both like him. You'll raise a nice family. Your mother has always wanted grandchildren. You know how she talks about it. Everything's going to be all right.
SUE: WILL YOU JUST LISTEN TO ME!
FATHER: What is it? What's troubling you?
SUE: Well, first of all, I'm not the innocent girl you think I am.
FATHER: Is that it? Is that what you wanted to tell me? Honey, let me tell you something -- don't worry about it. I know young people sleep together these days.
SUE: Please, let me finish. Remember, when I was a freshman and came home because I was so depressed? Remember?
FATHER: Sure, honey.
SUE: I was pregnant. I went to the school counselor and she advised me to get an abortion, so I did.
FATHER: What? What are you saying? You couldn't have. What were you thinking of? You didn't even tell your own mother and father? What were you thinking of?
SUE: I was thinking of my future. At the time I was getting advice from my girlfriends and they said go to the counselor. I needed some advice.
FATHER: What about your parents?
SUE: You were too busy to talk to me, Daddy. I can't ever talk to Mom.
FATHER: But the counselor could have called us.
SUE: Don't you know the law says she doesn't have to tell you if I don't want it? No, I was alone when I made that decision. I was really alone.
FATHER: But, honey, that's all past. This is now and Tom is going to make a good husband and you'll have other children.
SUE: No, Daddy, I won't. That's what I wanted to tell you. I won't ever have children. I can't -- a result of the abortion. I just wanted to tell you. You'll have to tell Mom. She won't listen to me.
FATHER: Sue, honey, I, ah, I don't know what to say. I want to help in some way.
SUE: No, not now, Daddy. It's too late. Let's go to the wedding. (SHE BEGINS TO EXIT)
FATHER: Wait! Can't we talk?
SUE: We just did. (SHE EXITS. AFTER A LONG PAUSE HE EXITS)
The kingdom of heaven is like the relationship between a father and daughter. It is a pearl of great price. But sometimes the pearl can be damaged.
Summary
A bride desperately needs to tell her father something that will affect her marriage. The father is slow to hear. A parable.
Playing Time: 3 minutes
Setting: The home of the bride
Props
: A wedding dress
Costumes: Father -- formal suit
Sue -- casual
Time: A few minutes before the wedding
Cast: FATHER
SUE -- the bride
FATHER: (SUE STANDS, HOLDING HER WEDDING DRESS, WAITING TO BE TAKEN TO THE CHURCH. HER FATHER ENTERS) Are you about ready, dear? I don't want to rush you, but we are due at the church right now. (TAKES DRESS) I'll take that. Your mother is already in the car. You'll go with Billy.
SUE: Can't I ride with you, Daddy?
FATHER: No, honey. It's all been worked out. I'm driving your mother and grandmother. You'll go with your brother. Now, let's get going.
SUE: Daddy, listen to me. I want to ride with you.
FATHER: (INTENDING TO REASON WITH HER) Honey ...
(RESIGNING HIMSELF TO IT) Oh, all right. You can ride with your mother and me. But hurry. Let's go.
SUE: Daddy, wait. You don't understand. I want to be with you ... alone.
FATHER: What?
SUE: I want to talk to you, Daddy.
FATHER: There isn't time, sweetheart. We're due at the church. You are getting married today, you know.
SUE: No. Daddy. Just wait. I want to talk to you.
FATHER: I'm telling you there isn't time!
SUE: DADDY! WAIT! TALK TO ME!
FATHER: Honey, what is it? You're not going to back out of this wedding, are you?
SUE: No. No, I'm not. But I want to tell you something.
FATHER: Sure, honey. I guess we can take the time. It's your wedding.
SUE: Daddy, listen to me. I wanted to tell you this before I married Tom.
FATHER: You love him, don't you?
SUE: Yes, I do. And I love you, too.
FATHER: Honey, it's going to be all right. You're just a little nervous. Tom is a nice man. Your mother and I both like him. You'll raise a nice family. Your mother has always wanted grandchildren. You know how she talks about it. Everything's going to be all right.
SUE: WILL YOU JUST LISTEN TO ME!
FATHER: What is it? What's troubling you?
SUE: Well, first of all, I'm not the innocent girl you think I am.
FATHER: Is that it? Is that what you wanted to tell me? Honey, let me tell you something -- don't worry about it. I know young people sleep together these days.
SUE: Please, let me finish. Remember, when I was a freshman and came home because I was so depressed? Remember?
FATHER: Sure, honey.
SUE: I was pregnant. I went to the school counselor and she advised me to get an abortion, so I did.
FATHER: What? What are you saying? You couldn't have. What were you thinking of? You didn't even tell your own mother and father? What were you thinking of?
SUE: I was thinking of my future. At the time I was getting advice from my girlfriends and they said go to the counselor. I needed some advice.
FATHER: What about your parents?
SUE: You were too busy to talk to me, Daddy. I can't ever talk to Mom.
FATHER: But the counselor could have called us.
SUE: Don't you know the law says she doesn't have to tell you if I don't want it? No, I was alone when I made that decision. I was really alone.
FATHER: But, honey, that's all past. This is now and Tom is going to make a good husband and you'll have other children.
SUE: No, Daddy, I won't. That's what I wanted to tell you. I won't ever have children. I can't -- a result of the abortion. I just wanted to tell you. You'll have to tell Mom. She won't listen to me.
FATHER: Sue, honey, I, ah, I don't know what to say. I want to help in some way.
SUE: No, not now, Daddy. It's too late. Let's go to the wedding. (SHE BEGINS TO EXIT)
FATHER: Wait! Can't we talk?
SUE: We just did. (SHE EXITS. AFTER A LONG PAUSE HE EXITS)
