Freedrama Main Page * Free Monologues * Free Short Play Scripts * Free Comedy Skits * Free Scripts for 2 to 6 Actors
THE FIRE
by D. M. Larson
Ten Minute Drama Play Script
From the play "Secrets of My Soul" ISBN-13: 978-1493533589
by D. M. Larson
Copyright (c) 1991, 2003
Cast
of Characters
TANDE - lost person with only an address and no memory of anything else
SLEEPER - a person to be feared who is the only one who can guide TANDE
TERRY - a friendly and concerned person who befriends TANDE
SHOUTER - an angry individual who is annoyed easily
HYPE - quick to get into other people's business
WHINER - complains about everything and everyone
SWEET - an overly friendly person who is upset by harsh words
DOWNER - willing to cast a dark shadow on any situation
Scene 1
(Lights in this play are
dim to show darkness. A
blue tint to the lights
might add to the effect.
On stage are several
cots with people sleeping on
them. TANDE enters cautiously among the sleeping
people. He reaches about center and is distracted by
a sudden loud snore
behind him. This causes him to
run into a cot, C)
SLEEPER
Who
that? What's with knockin'
my bed?
SHOUTER
Quiet!
SLEEPER
You
quiet yourself.
TANDE
I'm
sorry. Please go back to sleep.
SLEEPER
Don't
you start tellin' me what to do. You done plenty already.
TANDE
It
was an accident.
SHOUTER
Will
you shut up?!
HYPE
Who's
yellin'?
WHINER
Hey,
man. Go to sleep. There's other people around here ya' know.
SLEEPER
Yeah,
I know. So shut your trap.
TANDE
Please,
all of you, go back to sleep.
TERRY
Who's
the fancy talker? I bet he wears a tie?
SLEEPER
I
don't see none on him.
He lucky.
I would a used it to strangle him.
TANDE
I'm
sorry. I just need a place to sleep.
SLEEPER
There
ain't none here.
TERRY
You
got two cots. Why don't you give him
one?
SLEEPER
What
with you? You take a likin'
to him?
TERRY
Well,
he ain't got no tie.
SLEEPER
And
I ain't got no cot. So go somewhere else.
TANDE
I'll
go. It's okay.
SWEET
You
can always sleep with me, honey, I got lots of room.
DOWNER
What're
you talkin' about?
You're the one who needs two cots.
SWEET
Careful
what you say, I might cry.
WHINER
Oh,
man. Last time she cry,
she wouldn't shut up all night.
TANDE
Everyone, please. I didn't mean to cause so much trouble.
SLEEPER
You too late. You already did. Now, you have to pay.
SWEET
(Almost a whisper)
Be
gentle with him.
SLEEPER
Shut
up, woman!
SHOUTER
Why
don't you?! I'm tryin'
to sleep here.
(Silence. SLEEPER crosses to SHOUTER's
bed, DR. He
stands
over him a moment)
What
do you want?!
SLEEPER
No
one mouths off at me.
SHOUTER
Too
late, I already did.
(In a quick motion,
SLEEPER tips the cot, kicks
SHOUTER, and pins him to
the floor with his foot.
TANDE tries to escape L
during this but is caught
by
HYPE and WHINER. HYPE and WHINER
push TANDE roughly into a
sitting position on
a cot, DL. Once again everything is still again)
SLEEPER
What
you say to me, boy?
SHOUTER
Nothin', nothin' at all.
SLEEPER
And
what you say to me later?
SHOUTER
Nothin'.
HYPE
(Holding TANDE)
We
got this one.
WHINER
What
you gonna do with him?
SLEEPER
(Crosses to TANDE, grabs
his face roughly and
makes
TANDE look up at him)
Does I scare you?
TANDE
(Softly)
Yes.
SLEEPER
(Smiles, still holding
him, looking into his eyes)
It's
that look I love. I loves
it more than women. And you's got it.
(He roughly releases
TANDE. Others leave him
alone
and go to the corners to converse.
SLEEPER
sits
on his cot. TERRY goes to TANDE)
TERRY
Hi,
there.
TANDE
Hi.
TERRY
My
name's Terry.
(Holds
out hand. They shake)
TANDE
Tande.
TERRY
I
think Sleeper likes you.
TANDE
I
think you're wrong.
TERRY
He's
not as bad as he looks. He's really a
pussy cat deep down.
TANDE
Yeah, with long claws, long teeth, and rabies.
TERRY
Oh,
you're funny. I like you.
TANDE
(Brushing off the
unwanted intimacy)
Where
am I?
DOWNER
(Joins them)
You're
down, man. You're at the end of
existence.
TERRY
He
exaggerates.
DOWNER
You eg-za-der-dates if
you's sayin' otherwise.
TANDE
I
was told to come here. At least, I think
so.
(Takes out paper)
Here's
the address.
(TERRY is silent when he
sees paper)
DOWNER
That's
bad man. Real bad.
TANDE
What
is?
DOWNER
That
place.
TANDE
Then
this isn't it?
DOWNER
This
place is far from it, man. This is
TANDE
Maybe
I shouldn't go.
TERRY
You
have to.
TANDE
Who
will take me there, then?
TERRY
(No longer cheerful)
Sleeper
can take you.
TANDE
Sleeper?
Why him?
DOWNER
That's
a bad place. Only Sleeper goes
there.
(To TERRY)
They
say he's from that neighborhood.
TERRY
If that's possible.
TANDE
Can
it be that bad?
DOWNER
Where
you comin' from, man?
Don't you know nothin' about
this neighborhood?
TANDE
This
is all new to me.
DOWNER
It
better be unnew and fast or you's
gonna lose yourself here.
TERRY
That
place where you're going...
TANDE
Yeah?
TERRY
It's
dangerous... cops don't even go there.
DOWNER
And
when Sleeper goes, he don't bring no one back.
TERRY
You
didn't have to tell him that.
DOWNER
It's
the truth, ain't it?
TANDE
I'm
free, aren't I? I just won't go. I'll stay here. That's easy enough.
DOWNER
You
forget. Sleeper won't let you. You're stuck.
TANDE
Damned if I do, damned if I don't.
DOWNER
Hey,
he catches on quick.
TERRY
Not
quick enough I'm afraid.
TANDE
Won't
Sleeper help me through?
DOWNER
Sleeper?
Help? Those words don't go,
man. Sleeper would sooner see you hurt
than helped. That's his way.
TANDE
I
may as well go alone then.
TERRY
Sleeper
would go anyway. It's his job. You may as well go with him.
DOWNER
You
stick with Sleeper in that neighborhood, man.
You'll be glad you did. With them
the way they are there, he'll be your best friend.
TANDE
I
don't understand any of this. What is
this stupid address? I don't want to go,
but what else can I do? There's nothing
behind me. There's nothing here. The only thing I have is this address.
DOWNER
Keep
what you got. It could be worse... but not
much.
(Moment
of silence. SLEEPER gets up and
puts on a
jacket. SLEEPER crosses over to them. DOWNER sees
him
and crosses away. TANDE and TERRY notice
SLEEPER when DOWNER
leaves)
SLEEPER
(To TANDE)
You comin'?
(TANDE looks to TERRY
pleadingly)
TERRY
You'd
better go.
(TERRY gets up and
crosses away)
SLEEPER
Show
me your paper.
TANDE
Paper?
SLEEPER
(Louder and sharper)
The
address!
(TANDE quickly gives it
to him)
SLEEPER
(Laughs darkly)
Bad place.
What's a fancy talkin' little wuss like you doin' in a
neighborhood like this?
TANDE
Someone
gave me the address. I don't remember
them saying anything else.
SLEEPER
Probably
better that way.
TANDE
What
is this place anyway?
SLEEPER
That
depends on you.
TANDE
What
is that supposed to mean?
SLEEPER
(Laughs)
You
see. What that they say. "Patience is a..." What's that word?
TANDE
"Virtue."
SLEEPER
Yeah. You got to get yourself some of that.
TANDE
I
thought I had plenty before this.
SLEEPER
You
find you got a lot less after.
(Starts R)
It's
time.
TERRY
(Goes up to TANDE)
Keep
safe.
SLEEPER
I
ain't got the time!
TERRY
You'd
better go.
TANDE
Good-bye. Perhaps I'll be back this way again.
(TERRY smiles sadly)
SLEEPER
You comin'?
(TANDE follows SLEEPER
off R. TERRY watches
sadly. DOWNER glances reluctantly, but turns
away.
Lights fade to black)
Buy a low cost PDF of "Secrets of My Soul" from Sellfy.com
When you purchase a PDF, you may make as many photocopies as needed (but please do NOT repost the text online in any way).
Purchasing a PDF of this script gives you the rights to use for:
Auditions
Classrooms
Workshops
Camps
If you use the script in a paid performance where admission is charged or in a competition, please pay the royalty:
https://sellfy.com/p/1MQC/
This royalty covers all performances that occur within one month's time.
IMPORTANT: Please be sure to get permission from your competition for the script before performing it.
Kindle Preview of "Secrets of My Soul"
MORE FREE PLAYS FROM FREEDRAMA.NET!
Free MONOLOGUES for 1 Actor
Free Monologues for one TEEN Actor
Free SHORT Stage Play Scripts and SKITS
Free FUNNY Short Stage Play Scripts and COMEDY Skits
Funny Comedy Monologues
Free DUOLOGUES for 2 Actors
Free Monologues for KIDS
Short Plays for CHILDREN
Small cast plays for CHILDREN