Payday
Drama
Lectionary Scenes
57 Vignettes For Cycle A
Theme
God's generosity to all.
Summary
Two workers get their pay. One worked a full eight hours, the other only one hour. The owner paid them both a full day's wage. The worker who worked all day is upset with the owner and wants to take it to court.
Playing Time: 4 minutes
Setting: A factory
Props: Pay receipts
Costumes: Marge, Susan -- work clothes
Mr. Jones -- suit
Time: The present
Cast: JONES -- the owner of a small industrial plant
MARGE -- a worker
SUSAN -- a worker
JONES: (ENTERS WITH MARGE) Here, let me sign that receipt from your agency.
MARGE: Hey, Mr. Jones, is there any chance for permanent work here?
JONES: There might be for you. You're a good worker. But you have to put your application in.
MARGE: Okay, I'll do that.
JONES: (HANDING MARGE THE RECEIPT) I'll keep you in mind for work tomorrow morning.
MARGE: Great. Thanks. (EXITS)
JONES: Okay, who's next?
SUSAN: I am. Here's my card.
JONES: Oh, yes, I see you only worked an hour today.
SUSAN: The agency called me late, but I came right over as soon as I could get here.
JONES: Did you like the work?
SUSAN: I liked it well enough.
JONES: (HANDING RECEIPT BACK TO HER) I'll keep you in mind for tomorrow.
SUSAN: Thanks. (JONES EXITS)
MARGE: (ENTERS) Hey, how you doing?
SUSAN: All right.
MARGE: Wanna do something after work?
SUSAN: I have to get home.
MARGE: You don't have time?
SUSAN: No.
MARGE: Well, how'd you like the work?
SUSAN: It's work. It's okay.
MARGE: (LOOKING AT HER RECEIPT) Pretty good pay.
SUSAN: Yeah. (LOOKING AT HER RECEIPT) What in the world?
MARGE: What's wrong?
SUSAN: Wrong? Nothing's wrong. Just with the owner's math, maybe.
MARGE: What is it? I'd sure tell him if I got gypped on my pay.
SUSAN: He didn't gyp me. He paid me for eight hours.
MARGE: Well?
SUSAN: But, I only worked one hour.
MARGE: What the ... (GRABBING SUSAN'S RECEIPT) Let me see that.
SUSAN: What do you think?
MARGE: Why, that ... who does he think he is? I'm going to straighten this out. (CROSSING TOWARD JONES) You got paid as much as I did. And I put in a full day's work. (JONES ENTERS) Hey, what is this?
JONES: What's the problem?
MARGE: You paid her as much as you paid me.
JONES: And how does that concern you?
MARGE: She worked an hour and I worked all day.
JONES: I paid you fairly for the work you did.
MARGE: And why did you pay her a full day's wage?
JONES: Because I wanted to. I own this shop.
MARGE: We'll see about this. My brother-in-law was telling me about someone who was discriminated against and he went to the ACLU and they sued the guy.
JONES: You feel you were discriminated against here, right?
MARGE: Right. I worked all day. She worked one hour.
SUSAN: I worked hard.
MARGE: One hour.
SUSAN: I didn't know he was going to pay me for eight hours. I was going to ask him about it but you ripped the slip out of my hand before I could.
MARGE: (TO JONES) You are going to answer to my lawyer.
JONES: I will do that when and if it is necessary.
SUSAN: Are you going to correct my receipt?
JONES: No, I'm not.
SUSAN: Why did you pay me for eight hours?
JONES: Do you have a family?
SUSAN: Yes, three children.
JONES: Then you need the money.
MARGE: I need the money for my family, too.
JONES: Why should my generosity be a reason for you to accuse me of wrongdoing? Go home to your family.
MARGE: You haven't heard the last of this.
SUSAN: (TO JONES) Thank you.
JONES: You're welcome. (HE EXITS)
SUSAN: It looks like to me you can't understand a good deed when you see one because you've probably never done one.
MARGE: You call that a good deed? I call it robbery and he hasn't heard the last of me. (SHE EXITS)
SUSAN: I wonder who the owner will call for work tomorrow?
God's generosity to all.
Summary
Two workers get their pay. One worked a full eight hours, the other only one hour. The owner paid them both a full day's wage. The worker who worked all day is upset with the owner and wants to take it to court.
Playing Time: 4 minutes
Setting: A factory
Props: Pay receipts
Costumes: Marge, Susan -- work clothes
Mr. Jones -- suit
Time: The present
Cast: JONES -- the owner of a small industrial plant
MARGE -- a worker
SUSAN -- a worker
JONES: (ENTERS WITH MARGE) Here, let me sign that receipt from your agency.
MARGE: Hey, Mr. Jones, is there any chance for permanent work here?
JONES: There might be for you. You're a good worker. But you have to put your application in.
MARGE: Okay, I'll do that.
JONES: (HANDING MARGE THE RECEIPT) I'll keep you in mind for work tomorrow morning.
MARGE: Great. Thanks. (EXITS)
JONES: Okay, who's next?
SUSAN: I am. Here's my card.
JONES: Oh, yes, I see you only worked an hour today.
SUSAN: The agency called me late, but I came right over as soon as I could get here.
JONES: Did you like the work?
SUSAN: I liked it well enough.
JONES: (HANDING RECEIPT BACK TO HER) I'll keep you in mind for tomorrow.
SUSAN: Thanks. (JONES EXITS)
MARGE: (ENTERS) Hey, how you doing?
SUSAN: All right.
MARGE: Wanna do something after work?
SUSAN: I have to get home.
MARGE: You don't have time?
SUSAN: No.
MARGE: Well, how'd you like the work?
SUSAN: It's work. It's okay.
MARGE: (LOOKING AT HER RECEIPT) Pretty good pay.
SUSAN: Yeah. (LOOKING AT HER RECEIPT) What in the world?
MARGE: What's wrong?
SUSAN: Wrong? Nothing's wrong. Just with the owner's math, maybe.
MARGE: What is it? I'd sure tell him if I got gypped on my pay.
SUSAN: He didn't gyp me. He paid me for eight hours.
MARGE: Well?
SUSAN: But, I only worked one hour.
MARGE: What the ... (GRABBING SUSAN'S RECEIPT) Let me see that.
SUSAN: What do you think?
MARGE: Why, that ... who does he think he is? I'm going to straighten this out. (CROSSING TOWARD JONES) You got paid as much as I did. And I put in a full day's work. (JONES ENTERS) Hey, what is this?
JONES: What's the problem?
MARGE: You paid her as much as you paid me.
JONES: And how does that concern you?
MARGE: She worked an hour and I worked all day.
JONES: I paid you fairly for the work you did.
MARGE: And why did you pay her a full day's wage?
JONES: Because I wanted to. I own this shop.
MARGE: We'll see about this. My brother-in-law was telling me about someone who was discriminated against and he went to the ACLU and they sued the guy.
JONES: You feel you were discriminated against here, right?
MARGE: Right. I worked all day. She worked one hour.
SUSAN: I worked hard.
MARGE: One hour.
SUSAN: I didn't know he was going to pay me for eight hours. I was going to ask him about it but you ripped the slip out of my hand before I could.
MARGE: (TO JONES) You are going to answer to my lawyer.
JONES: I will do that when and if it is necessary.
SUSAN: Are you going to correct my receipt?
JONES: No, I'm not.
SUSAN: Why did you pay me for eight hours?
JONES: Do you have a family?
SUSAN: Yes, three children.
JONES: Then you need the money.
MARGE: I need the money for my family, too.
JONES: Why should my generosity be a reason for you to accuse me of wrongdoing? Go home to your family.
MARGE: You haven't heard the last of this.
SUSAN: (TO JONES) Thank you.
JONES: You're welcome. (HE EXITS)
SUSAN: It looks like to me you can't understand a good deed when you see one because you've probably never done one.
MARGE: You call that a good deed? I call it robbery and he hasn't heard the last of me. (SHE EXITS)
SUSAN: I wonder who the owner will call for work tomorrow?
