The Inmate
Drama
Lectionary Scenes
57 Vignettes For Cycle A
Theme
Turn the other cheek? It sounds good when you read it in the Bible, but is it possible today?
Summary
An inmate in prison is trying to turn the other cheek and is being questioned by the guard commander.
Playing Time: 3 minutes
Setting: A prison office
Props: File containing reports, homemade knife
Costumes: Guard, commander -- officer uniform, white shirt, black trousers, black tie
Stinder -- Inmate blue work pants, undershirt
Special Makeup: Stinder -- Eye patch with dried blood, black eye, other wounds
Time: The present
Cast: GUARD -- Captain White
STINDER -- Willie Stinder -- the inmate
STINDER: (ENTERS TO STAND IN FRONT OF GUARD) My quad commander told me to report to you, Sir.
GUARD: (LOOKING OVER PAPERS IN FILE FOLDER) Right. Stinder, I see by your record you've been written up several times and gone to the hole several times.
STINDER: That's correct, Sir.
GUARD: And you've been in a fight again. (HOLDS HOMEMADE KNIFE) And this time there was this shiv.
STINDER: Yes, Sir.
GUARD: You know I'm going to send both you and Wiles to the hole.
STINDER: Yes, Sir.
GUARD: This doesn't look good on your record, Stinder. You've had more write-ups than anyone in this entire prison. What's your problem?
STINDER: It's not my problem, Sir.
GUARD: It certainly is your problem. You know the rules -- if you're in a fight you get written up. You know this will affect your chance of parole.
STINDER: I thought it would, Sir.
GUARD: What are you going to do about it?
STINDER: I pray a lot about it, Sir.
GUARD: What do you mean?
STINDER: I mean, when I don't know what to do about a problem right away, I pray.
GUARD:
Are you religious?
STINDER: I'm a Christian, Sir.
GUARD: Your religion hasn't helped you very much, has it?
STINDER: I think my relationship with Jesus has strengthened me, Sir.
GUARD: How? You're in the hole more than you're out. Somebody could have gotten killed this time, Stinder.
STINDER: I've been able to forgive every man who attacks me.
GUARD: That's commendable, Stinder. How can you stop fighting?
STINDER: Oh, I never fight, Sir.
GUARD: I've got a fist full of reports that says you do.
STINDER: Well, Sir, uh, they're wrong, Sir.
GUARD: Wrong?
STINDER: Yes, Sir. I've been attacked but I never fight back.
GUARD: Do you mean that you never hit back when you're hit? That isn't natural.
STINDER: It's what Jesus said to do, though. He said, "Whoever hits you on your cheek offer him the other also." I try to live by what Jesus said.
GUARD: Yes, Stinder, I understand, but do you see that it is hurting your record?
STINDER: I know that, Sir, but I have to do what Jesus tells me.
GUARD: Can't you avoid these attacks?
STINDER: Can you watch the inmates all the time, Sir?
GUARD: No, we can't.
STINDER: Well, then, there's your answer.
GUARD: What if I post you to other duty, one that is more visible?
STINDER: I'd just as soon stay where I am, Sir.
GUARD: But you'll just get attacked again.
STINDER: Probably so, Sir. I just don't want any favors.
GUARD: I can understand that. But what are we going to do about these attacks on you?
STINDER: There's nothing you can do, Sir.
GUARD: And nothing you will do, right?
STINDER: I have to be true to what I believe, Sir.
GUARD: I understand that. I respect you for it.
STINDER: Maybe there is something you can do, Captain.
GUARD: What is that?
STINDER: You could pray for the guys that attack me.
GUARD: Pray for the other guy? Why don't you ask me to pray for you?
STINDER: You can pray for me too, if you want. But it's the other guys who need it. They need to know Jesus and then they wouldn't attack others, would they?
GUARD: I guess you're right, but ...
STINDER: Do you pray, Captain?
GUARD: Well, no. No, not much.
STINDER: Maybe in your position it would help. I pray for you.
GUARD: Yes, well ... Anyway, Stinder, I have to send you to the hole.
STINDER: I know that, Sir. It's all right. I can still pray in solitary.
GUARD: You'll be taken to solitary tomorrow morning. And, Stinder, get your shirt on. You're out of uniform.
STINDER: Yes, Sir. I know. But I don't have another shirt.
GUARD: Who took your shirt?
STINDER: No one, Sir. Wiles cut himself pretty bad with the knife he had and I bandaged his wound with my shirt.
GUARD: You bandaged the wounds of the man who was trying to kill you?
STINDER: Yes, Sir. Jesus said ...
GUARD: Never mind, Stinder. You're excused. (STINDER EXITS)
Turn the other cheek? It sounds good when you read it in the Bible, but is it possible today?
Summary
An inmate in prison is trying to turn the other cheek and is being questioned by the guard commander.
Playing Time: 3 minutes
Setting: A prison office
Props: File containing reports, homemade knife
Costumes: Guard, commander -- officer uniform, white shirt, black trousers, black tie
Stinder -- Inmate blue work pants, undershirt
Special Makeup: Stinder -- Eye patch with dried blood, black eye, other wounds
Time: The present
Cast: GUARD -- Captain White
STINDER -- Willie Stinder -- the inmate
STINDER: (ENTERS TO STAND IN FRONT OF GUARD) My quad commander told me to report to you, Sir.
GUARD: (LOOKING OVER PAPERS IN FILE FOLDER) Right. Stinder, I see by your record you've been written up several times and gone to the hole several times.
STINDER: That's correct, Sir.
GUARD: And you've been in a fight again. (HOLDS HOMEMADE KNIFE) And this time there was this shiv.
STINDER: Yes, Sir.
GUARD: You know I'm going to send both you and Wiles to the hole.
STINDER: Yes, Sir.
GUARD: This doesn't look good on your record, Stinder. You've had more write-ups than anyone in this entire prison. What's your problem?
STINDER: It's not my problem, Sir.
GUARD: It certainly is your problem. You know the rules -- if you're in a fight you get written up. You know this will affect your chance of parole.
STINDER: I thought it would, Sir.
GUARD: What are you going to do about it?
STINDER: I pray a lot about it, Sir.
GUARD: What do you mean?
STINDER: I mean, when I don't know what to do about a problem right away, I pray.
GUARD:
Are you religious?
STINDER: I'm a Christian, Sir.
GUARD: Your religion hasn't helped you very much, has it?
STINDER: I think my relationship with Jesus has strengthened me, Sir.
GUARD: How? You're in the hole more than you're out. Somebody could have gotten killed this time, Stinder.
STINDER: I've been able to forgive every man who attacks me.
GUARD: That's commendable, Stinder. How can you stop fighting?
STINDER: Oh, I never fight, Sir.
GUARD: I've got a fist full of reports that says you do.
STINDER: Well, Sir, uh, they're wrong, Sir.
GUARD: Wrong?
STINDER: Yes, Sir. I've been attacked but I never fight back.
GUARD: Do you mean that you never hit back when you're hit? That isn't natural.
STINDER: It's what Jesus said to do, though. He said, "Whoever hits you on your cheek offer him the other also." I try to live by what Jesus said.
GUARD: Yes, Stinder, I understand, but do you see that it is hurting your record?
STINDER: I know that, Sir, but I have to do what Jesus tells me.
GUARD: Can't you avoid these attacks?
STINDER: Can you watch the inmates all the time, Sir?
GUARD: No, we can't.
STINDER: Well, then, there's your answer.
GUARD: What if I post you to other duty, one that is more visible?
STINDER: I'd just as soon stay where I am, Sir.
GUARD: But you'll just get attacked again.
STINDER: Probably so, Sir. I just don't want any favors.
GUARD: I can understand that. But what are we going to do about these attacks on you?
STINDER: There's nothing you can do, Sir.
GUARD: And nothing you will do, right?
STINDER: I have to be true to what I believe, Sir.
GUARD: I understand that. I respect you for it.
STINDER: Maybe there is something you can do, Captain.
GUARD: What is that?
STINDER: You could pray for the guys that attack me.
GUARD: Pray for the other guy? Why don't you ask me to pray for you?
STINDER: You can pray for me too, if you want. But it's the other guys who need it. They need to know Jesus and then they wouldn't attack others, would they?
GUARD: I guess you're right, but ...
STINDER: Do you pray, Captain?
GUARD: Well, no. No, not much.
STINDER: Maybe in your position it would help. I pray for you.
GUARD: Yes, well ... Anyway, Stinder, I have to send you to the hole.
STINDER: I know that, Sir. It's all right. I can still pray in solitary.
GUARD: You'll be taken to solitary tomorrow morning. And, Stinder, get your shirt on. You're out of uniform.
STINDER: Yes, Sir. I know. But I don't have another shirt.
GUARD: Who took your shirt?
STINDER: No one, Sir. Wiles cut himself pretty bad with the knife he had and I bandaged his wound with my shirt.
GUARD: You bandaged the wounds of the man who was trying to kill you?
STINDER: Yes, Sir. Jesus said ...
GUARD: Never mind, Stinder. You're excused. (STINDER EXITS)
