Rachel Eric found a 10!

Name of Sketch: The Dream by Lisa Harper
Name of Sketch Collection/Book: Drama Team Handbook by Alison Siewert & Others
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Copywrite Date: 2003

Style: Reader’s Theatre? (This I have to check out)

Target Audience: African American Youth/Young Adults, Christians or Non-Christians

Performers need to be: Intermediate – Advanced

On a scale of 1-10, I would honestly give this sketch a 10! Well, my rating may not be completely objective. Being completely green in this craft, perhaps certain things that make a script a good or bad one may escape me. But as I evaluate it with what we’ve learnt and from a standpoint of an audience, it’s totally got me hooked and made quite an impression in me.

Structure:
The sketch is about a couple, Jerry and Tina talking about their last date to a movie titled ‘Real Women Have Curves’ (exposition) where the Jerry falls asleep because the lead actress “…ain’t curvy. She’s fat!” (inciting incident). This leads to each character airing out (quite unconsciously) their internal struggles. For Jerry, it’s a struggle with lust and for Tina it’s trying to conform to a stereotypical image in order to be loved (rising action). The climax comes about quite suprisingly when Jerry, as he’s speaking, realizes he may very well be turning into a “playa” just like his father was and turns to say “God, help.” And Tina realizing she is worth more than looking perfection just to be loved and (reveals) she has let it go by shaving her head bald (!!!). The couple interact with each other on stage for the first time with Jerry seeing Tina head shaved and all, and saying with conviction “I love you”(denouement).

Yes, I was completely hooked from the very beginning; mainly due to these elements:
1) The outline of the sketch can be easily identified. The exposition, inciting incident, rising action, climax and denouement are clear-cut. This makes it so simple to follow the plot. Especially when it is staged so uniquely, with two characters speaking separate yet interwoven lines, showing separate perspectives on the very same situation/issue.
2) The dialogue though a recollection of the events/ narration of thoughts and feelings, were written with lines that are sharp to the point. The flavor of the African American culture is evident in these lines too, making it all so authentic. I especially loved how the interwoven lines beautifully (and at places humorously) compliment each other, making the entire sketch flow clearly in one direction.
3) Real. The entire sketch is very real. The characters are written so real. Real as African Americans. Real as human beings. As I was reading the sketch, I was so caught up in it because it was so believable. The young generation of African Americans and other ethnic groups, I believe, would really be able to identify with the premise, conflict and characters.
-The premise: The sketch is about a couple each ‘telling it as it is’ from their own points of view. They are doing so casually facing the audience. It seems like the audience is a friend to the couple, hearing each “side of the story”. A familiar scene? I believe most people has been in such a situation, hearing at least one person talk about their side of the story and what they think of their spouse/boyfriend’s actions etc.
-Conflict: While at the beginning the conflict seems to center on Tina’s dislike of Jerry’s habit of looking at other girls, later it sinks deeper into their internal struggles. Jerry’s inner conflict centers around becoming a beautiful person on the inside as he discovers that what he likes in a girl may very well be lust, and how this could very well be turning him into a “playa”. Tina is conflicted with the issue of conformity. Conformity to a certain image or look in order to feel beautiful and be loved. Once again a very real conflict in the day and age we live in where the images portrayed by media seems to indoctrinate a certain perfect yet near impossible stereotype or standard to reach in order to be loved, successful or happy.
-Characters: I finished reading the sketch feeling that these two characters could be my friends. Their strengths, weaknesses, struggles, quirks were so well voiced, you can’t help but feel drawn to them.
4) Surprise: The sketch really caught me with my mouth gaping open in the end. Never would I have imagined the character of Tina making a stand by having her head shaved. But then again, this made the conclusion all the more satisfactory. For me, this action conveys what words never will be able too…freedom from conformity, shedding of insecurity, truly knowing that beauty is within, loving and accepting oneself, purification and other expressions I am unable to describe.

Message:
The theme of this sketch, as I see it, revolves around the question “What is beauty…without substance?” It deals with these interconnected issues of conformity to what’s been stereotyped in society and accepting/loving oneself. Very relevant issues in this age of society.

It provides a Biblical perspective on these issues in a contemporary way. As I was reading the sketch, I could pick up principals on inner beauty as highlighted in:
-Proverbs 31 which explores a woman of noble character who “is worth more than precious rubies”
-1 Peter 3:1-8 nicely sums up for a woman that she “… should be known for the beauty that comes from within…” and for a man that he should “…give honor…”
-1 Corinthians 10:13 beautifully encourages that temptations can be overcome
because of God’s grace.
-Genesis 1:27 that assures us that there is only one perfect image and we are made “in His own image”. What’s so great about this sketch is that for it’s length it truly does “Show, Don’t tell” the above scriptural principals without being preachy or overbearing any elements. Perhaps a new or non-Christian may be unable to detect the Scriptural basis that forms the sketch. I guess this is where a pastor could do a good job of addressing the issues of the sketch through a message on the above or other scriptures.

Whether the end of the sketch (denouement) was cliched, I’m sure can be debatable. One part of me argues it’s shows too simple a solution to a real challenging issue: calling on God and shaving your head bald. The other part of me argues however, that these actions are exactly what they are. Actions- for the audience to realize that a solution is available. But they must act on the problem. And to a Christian, a first course of action is prayer of confession and help.

Production:
The production notes are limited to gestures/actions, lights out and how lines are spoken (interwoven). Perhaps because this sketch was written like a reader’s theatre-simple and direct. Thus the director and actors, especially the inexperienced, will have to consider other unspoken production details such as how the words should be spoken, do the characters move about, and if they do in which stage directions etc. This sketch is so simply written it’s definitely possible to produce. Perhaps with a bit of modifications though, to fit in with the culture here. From observation, I feel these issues relate well to the Malay and Indian communities in Singapore. With the dialogue interchanged with the flavors of their unique expressions and certain things mentioned such as hairstyles and name of the make-up cream, names of models or rap stars changed to suit the local context, it would definitely make an impact.

Quote is a section heading from Pederson, Steve, Drama Ministry: Practical Help for Making Drama a Vital Part of Your Church, Chapter 6, Pg119, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1999.
* All Scriptures references taken from the New Living Translation, Metal Edition