Money Business
Drama
Lectionary Scenes
58 Vignettes For Cycle B
Theme
Giving to others is the real spirit of Christmas.
Summary
Three "lucky" people find a deposit bag full of money and decide to split it among them. They then decide the best thing to do is give the money away.
Playing Time
3 minutes
Setting
A mall at Christmastime
Props
A Salvation Army kettle, bank deposit bag, necklace
Costumes
Appropriate for Christmas shopping
Time
The present
Cast
SALVATION ARMY VOLUNTEER
WOMAN
BOYFRIEND
MARLENE -- a hair stylist on her lunch break
BILL -- a teenager with time to waste
GEORGE -- a carpenter in a hurry to get home and watch the game
(A WOMAN CARRYING A BANK DEPOSIT BAG FILLED WITH MONEY HURRIES TO THE BANK BUT SEES HER BOYFRIEND AND STOPS TO HUG AND TALK TO HIM. HE PRESENTS HER WITH A NECKLACE AND SHE PUTS THE BAG DOWN ON A BENCH TO PUT ON THE NECKLACE. MARLENE, GEORGE, AND BILL ENTER, EACH GOING DIFFERENT WAYS. THEY SEE THE BAG AND REACH FOR IT. SINCE THEY ARE LOOKING AROUND TO SEE IF THEY ARE BEING WATCHED THEY DON'T SEE THE TWO OTHER HANDS ON THE BAG.)
MARLENE: Hey! This is mine. I found it.
BILL: I had my hand on it first.
GEORGE: (WRENCHING IT OUT OF THEIR HANDS) I guess I have it now.
MARLENE: What about finders-keepers?
GEORGE: What about grabbies-havvies? (OPENS THE BAG AND TAKES OUT MONEY)
BILL: There's enough for all of us. We can split it three ways.
GEORGE: I don't know.
MARLENE: I guess it's all right. One third's better than nothing. (SHE DIVIDES IT EVENLY)
BILL: Wow!
GEORGE: And how!
MARLENE: It certainly is a lot of money.
BILL: Okay, see ya. (BEGINS TO EXIT)
MARLENE: Wait! I feel sort of funny -- taking this money like this.
GEORGE: I have a family -- three kids and a wife. I didn't know how I was going to afford Christmas presents this year. This will do it.
MARLENE: Christmas presents? You could buy the entire mall with this much money.
BILL: So, what do you suggest, we take it back? We don't even know where it came from.
MARLENE: I just want to give it back.
GEORGE: We don't know where it came from.
MARLENE: Then we should just turn it over to the security and let them handle it.
GEORGE: Why don't you just hand over your share?
BILL: We can't let her do that. They'll find out it's only one third of it. Then she'll tell them about us. I'm outta here.
GEORGE: Wait! I don't want to get in trouble. Let's decide what we're going to do about the money and do it together.
MARLENE: I say we give it to security.
GEORGE: I say we keep it.
BILL: Yeah, keep it. Let's get out of here before someone becomes suspicious.
MARLENE: I've got a better idea. Let's give it all away.
GEORGE: What!
BILL: No way.
MARLENE: Look, I need this money as much as either of you, but did you ever think of all the poor people who are worse off than we are?
BILL: No, not really.
GEORGE: I gave to the United Campaign.
MARLENE: Well, here's your chance to give in a big way.
BILL: Well, it would be nice to help the homeless.
GEORGE: I guess my kids have all the toys they need. Yeah, we could do it.
MARLENE: All right. Let's all put out money back in the bag and then we'll put it in that kettle over there.
GEORGE: Let's do it before I change my mind. (THEY PUT THE MONEY BACK IN THE BAG AND ALL THREE PLACE IT IN THE KETTLE.)
MARLENE: There, now, don't you feel better?
BILL: I feel poorer.
MARLENE: It does feel good to give at Christmas.
(AS THEY BEGIN TO EXIT THEIR SEVERAL WAYS THE WOMAN WHO LAID THE BAG DOWN RETURNS AND SEES IT ON THE KETTLE. SHE HURRIES OVER AND GRABS IT, THANKS THE SALVATION ARMY VOLUNTEER BUT BEFORE SHE LEAVES SHE DROPS SOME MONEY IN THE KETTLE. MARLENE, GEORGE, AND BILL SEE THIS AND RETURN TO DROP MONEY IN THE KETTLE AND THEN EXIT.)
Giving to others is the real spirit of Christmas.
Summary
Three "lucky" people find a deposit bag full of money and decide to split it among them. They then decide the best thing to do is give the money away.
Playing Time
3 minutes
Setting
A mall at Christmastime
Props
A Salvation Army kettle, bank deposit bag, necklace
Costumes
Appropriate for Christmas shopping
Time
The present
Cast
SALVATION ARMY VOLUNTEER
WOMAN
BOYFRIEND
MARLENE -- a hair stylist on her lunch break
BILL -- a teenager with time to waste
GEORGE -- a carpenter in a hurry to get home and watch the game
(A WOMAN CARRYING A BANK DEPOSIT BAG FILLED WITH MONEY HURRIES TO THE BANK BUT SEES HER BOYFRIEND AND STOPS TO HUG AND TALK TO HIM. HE PRESENTS HER WITH A NECKLACE AND SHE PUTS THE BAG DOWN ON A BENCH TO PUT ON THE NECKLACE. MARLENE, GEORGE, AND BILL ENTER, EACH GOING DIFFERENT WAYS. THEY SEE THE BAG AND REACH FOR IT. SINCE THEY ARE LOOKING AROUND TO SEE IF THEY ARE BEING WATCHED THEY DON'T SEE THE TWO OTHER HANDS ON THE BAG.)
MARLENE: Hey! This is mine. I found it.
BILL: I had my hand on it first.
GEORGE: (WRENCHING IT OUT OF THEIR HANDS) I guess I have it now.
MARLENE: What about finders-keepers?
GEORGE: What about grabbies-havvies? (OPENS THE BAG AND TAKES OUT MONEY)
BILL: There's enough for all of us. We can split it three ways.
GEORGE: I don't know.
MARLENE: I guess it's all right. One third's better than nothing. (SHE DIVIDES IT EVENLY)
BILL: Wow!
GEORGE: And how!
MARLENE: It certainly is a lot of money.
BILL: Okay, see ya. (BEGINS TO EXIT)
MARLENE: Wait! I feel sort of funny -- taking this money like this.
GEORGE: I have a family -- three kids and a wife. I didn't know how I was going to afford Christmas presents this year. This will do it.
MARLENE: Christmas presents? You could buy the entire mall with this much money.
BILL: So, what do you suggest, we take it back? We don't even know where it came from.
MARLENE: I just want to give it back.
GEORGE: We don't know where it came from.
MARLENE: Then we should just turn it over to the security and let them handle it.
GEORGE: Why don't you just hand over your share?
BILL: We can't let her do that. They'll find out it's only one third of it. Then she'll tell them about us. I'm outta here.
GEORGE: Wait! I don't want to get in trouble. Let's decide what we're going to do about the money and do it together.
MARLENE: I say we give it to security.
GEORGE: I say we keep it.
BILL: Yeah, keep it. Let's get out of here before someone becomes suspicious.
MARLENE: I've got a better idea. Let's give it all away.
GEORGE: What!
BILL: No way.
MARLENE: Look, I need this money as much as either of you, but did you ever think of all the poor people who are worse off than we are?
BILL: No, not really.
GEORGE: I gave to the United Campaign.
MARLENE: Well, here's your chance to give in a big way.
BILL: Well, it would be nice to help the homeless.
GEORGE: I guess my kids have all the toys they need. Yeah, we could do it.
MARLENE: All right. Let's all put out money back in the bag and then we'll put it in that kettle over there.
GEORGE: Let's do it before I change my mind. (THEY PUT THE MONEY BACK IN THE BAG AND ALL THREE PLACE IT IN THE KETTLE.)
MARLENE: There, now, don't you feel better?
BILL: I feel poorer.
MARLENE: It does feel good to give at Christmas.
(AS THEY BEGIN TO EXIT THEIR SEVERAL WAYS THE WOMAN WHO LAID THE BAG DOWN RETURNS AND SEES IT ON THE KETTLE. SHE HURRIES OVER AND GRABS IT, THANKS THE SALVATION ARMY VOLUNTEER BUT BEFORE SHE LEAVES SHE DROPS SOME MONEY IN THE KETTLE. MARLENE, GEORGE, AND BILL SEE THIS AND RETURN TO DROP MONEY IN THE KETTLE AND THEN EXIT.)
