Avoid, Ignore or Quit

By Joanne Miller

Summary

A man interacts with a narrator, his wife and co-worker in a few vignettes that show how passive he is in living his life.  He is confronted with immaturity in conflict, laziness and giving up.
 

Characters

Pete – a man who tries to avoid confrontation, responsibility
Susan – Pete’s wife
Jim – Pete’s co-worker
Narrator

Script

(Scene: Pete is seated in an outdoor lounge chair with sunglasses, a drink and a newspaper up in front of his face.)

Narrator: Meet Pete Passive.

Pete: (Peering around newspaper) Pete who?

Narrator: Passive, Pete Passive.

Pete: That’s not me.  I’m Pete Manning.

Narrator: Your name is Pete Manning, but you really are Pete Passive.

Pete: What are you talking about?

Narrator: I’m talking about how you live your life, how you behave and handle conflict.  Take for instance last night with Susan.

(Susan is sitting at a table in the background.  Lights up on Susan and Pete walks into scene.)

Susan: Look at this, Pete.

Pete: What is it?

Susan: It’s a brochure on camping at The Grand Canyon.  Let’s take the kids on a real vacation this year.

Pete: Susan, you know we always go to my parents’ house on our vacation.

Susan: I know, Pete, but after 12 years of that I think it’s time we had a vacation for our family.

Pete: My parents would never forgive me if I didn’t go to their house for my vacation.

Susan: Pete, you’re a grown man!  You don’t have to do everything your parents want you to do!  We’re a family.  We need family time together.

Pete: My parents are our family too.  We’re going there and I don’t want to hear anymore about it.  (Plugs his ears and walks out of scene making noise to cover Susan’s voice.)

Narrator: Now there’s a real mature way to handle conflict.

Pete: So maybe I didn’t handle that the best way, but I usually do very well with other people.  I’m good at work.

Narrator: Oh, really.  Did you ever consider that laziness is just another form of passivity?  Let’s take a look.

(Scene comes up on a coworker.)

Jim: Hey, Pete, come over here, will you?

Pete: Sure, Jim.  What’s up?

Jim: I think there’s a mistake here.  If we go ahead with these plans we’ll be putting siding over two windows and a door in this house.

Pete: Yeah, I know.  That’s the way I laid it out.

Jim: You did?  Why would you want to cover up a door and two windows?

Pete: Do you know how much easier it is to just go right over the top of things like that?

Jim: Yeah, but won’t the owners be mad?

Pete: Nah, they won’t ever know unless we tell them.  They bought the house sight unseen and hired us to fix it up at our discretion.

Jim: Do you think this is right though, Pete?

Pete: Trust me, Jim.  It’ll be a lot easier, and no one will be the wiser if you just keep quiet about it.

Jim: Well, you’re the boss.  I just hope the neighbors don’t tell them.

Pete: You worry too much, Jim.  Take life easy, that’s my motto.   I’ll get the plywood.  (Walks out of scene.)

Narrator: See what I mean?

Pete: Hey, I work hard enough.  What’s wrong with taking an easier way?

Narrator: Yeah, the easy way sounds good, doesn’t it?

Pete: Sounds good to me.

Narrator: Kind of like that race you were in, huh Pete?

Pete: Yeah, well I never should have signed up for a 2-mile race.  I’m really a short-distance runner.  You know what I mean?

Narrator: Yes, I know.

(Lights up on Susan and Jim holding poles with finish line tape.  Pete runs in place pretending he is running a race.  Part way there he sits down on the ground and pulls out a coke and chips.  He begins to cheer the “other” runners on.)

Susan: Come on, Pete.  Get up.  You have to finish the race.

Jim: Run, Pete.  You don’t have far to go.

Pete: I went as far as I wanted to go.  I’m done running.

Susan: Then get up and walk.  Just finish the race.  Little Petey is waiting for you over here.

Pete: Tell him to come to me.  I’m tired.

Narrator: Nice example to set for your kid, Pete.  Just quit when the going gets tough.

Pete: Hey, who are you anyway and why are you on my case today?

Narrator: I’m just an interested bystander.

Pete: Yeah, well I don’t want to hear anymore from you.  Go bystand somewhere else.

Narrator: There’s just one more thing I’d like to mention.  (Pete plugs his ears and walks offstage making noise as he did with Susan.)

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Copyright John & Joanne Miller, all rights reserved.
This script may be performed free of charge, provided no charge is made for entrance or for programmes. In return, the authors would like to be notified of any performance. For further information regarding performance rights, they may be contacted at: NIJWMiller@aol.com.