Dirty Laundry--a short, six minute drama

Summary:
Two women meet in a Laundromat. One is joyful the other downtrodden. The conversation that ensues invites the audience to reflect that God’s grace and mercy extend to his fallen children as well.

Cast
Tanya
Nancy

Script
(Scene: A Laundromat. A woman (NANCY) is folding her laundry while humming a recognizable hymn or spiritual chorus. Another woman enters (TANYA) and starts to sort her clothes in her laundry basket.)

TANYA: (starts to look at NANCY quizzically) I know you, don’t I?

NANCY: Wha?

TANYA: I recognize you from somewhere.

NANCY: I don’t remember meeting you, but my name is Nancy, Nancy Thomas, nice to meet you (offers hand).

TANYA: (oblivious to offer of hand) No, that doesn’t ring a bell. (goes back to sorting her laundry)

NANCY: (little befuddled goes back to folding her laundry and humming that still familiar tune)

TANYA: (loudly) That’s it!

NANCY: (startled) That’s what?

TANYA: I remember where I recognize you from. I recognize you from Church. I recognized that tune you were humming.

NANCY: Oh, you mean (insert favorite hymn). Yes, that’s one of my favorites. What’s your favorite?

TANYA: Oh, well I really don’t sing except for on Sunday like everyone else.

NANCY: Yeah, I’m no Judy Garland myself. I’m so glad that I can worship Him besides singing, aren’t you?

TANYA: (not really getting it) Yeah, like I said, I’m there Sunday like everyone else.

NANCY: (a little starry eyed) Isn’t it a beautiful day?

TANYA: (pause, looks at NANCY, looks out the window) It’s raining.

NANCY: (same cheerful disposition) Yeah. Isn’t it great?

TANYA: Sure. (whatever)

NANCY: Hallelujah! (as she shows off a whiter than white, white) Will you look at how white that is!

TANYA: Yeah, it sure is.

NANCY: You know what it reminds me of?

TANYA: No, what?

NANCY: Well…God…you know?

TANYA: You mean because it’s white?

NANCY: Remember the song? “White as snow, white as snow, now I’m clean and forgiven…”
TANYA: Oh yeah.


NANCY: (she is so inspired that she has to write that insight down) Mmm. Mmm. (still writing….TANYA is beginning to wonder about this one)

NANCY: You know what else?

TANYA: No, what? (getting slightly annoyed)

NANCY: Well, it’s like the detergent is the Christ’s blood and the water is the Holy Spirit and the power behind the washing machine is God, the Father.

TANYA: Is that all you ever think about? God?

NANCY: I try to worship my God in everything that I do.

TANYA: So do I, on Sunday, like everyone else.

NANCY: (tuning in a little more) Well you know, you don’t have to wait until Sunday to worship. You can worship God every day of the week!

TANYA: Oh, well you know, I don’t feel all that inspired to worship the Lord everyday. I’m a single mom just getting by and I don’t like rainy days and I hate my job—

NANCY: That’s the best kind of worship, when it’s a sacrifice to give it. I’m a single mom also, and I’m not too fond of rainy days either. It’s just that rainy days and sunny days alike remind me that I have this day to be thankful to the Lord for bringing me out of where I was at five years ago.

TANYA: Where were you at five years ago?

NANCY: I was just divorced. My husband was an attorney and knew how to work the system to where I got nothing except my child. He successfully persuaded the judge that I was an unfaithful wife and that the child was not his and that he owed me no alimony or support for the child.

TANYA: What a creep!

NANCY: That may be, but at least he was an honest creep. You see, I really was an unfaithful wife and the child wasn’t his. I had nowhere to turn. The real father of the child wanted nothing to do with me when he found out I was pregnant. I deserved what I got.

TANYA: So, you came to church and found out about Jesus and got saved, right?

NANCY: No. You see, I was already saved. I had done all this as a child of God. I knew better. I was afraid to come back.

TANYA: (turns away…she has her own guilt weighing her down) Oh. (she clutches on to soiled clothing)

NANCY: But I found out that Jesus still had grace left for me. I needed to be reminded that Jesus died for the sins that I committed while I was his child as well. I had no idea how far I could fall even as a child of God. I found out.

TANYA: (looking down) That must’ve been hard.

NANCY: Yes, it was. But once I realized that I was forgiven again and all that was behind me again in God’s eyes and that he still loved me when no one else would, how could I not want to give myself completely to HIM!

TANYA: And that’s why you worship God in everything that you do.

NANCY: Yes. Thanks for talking to me! (gathering her last few items of laundry and throwing them in the basket) I forget that I had so much to be forgiven and had dug myself into such a deep pit and Jesus got me out of it!

TANYA: Like everyone else.

....................................................................................
© Eric Stapleton, All rights reserved This play may be performed free of charge, on the condition that copies are not sold for profit in any medium, nor any entrance fee charged. In exchange for free performance, the author would appreciate being notified of when and for what purpose the play is performed. He may be contacted at: eric@melodrameric.com