Surviving 2: The Boat, The Pit, and Gracie

Actors: 3
Reference: Ephesians 3
Notes: Of the "Surviving" skits, this is probably the easiest to do without a video camera

Synopsis

Scene: Several members of the Ghost team (Floyd, Julie, and Gracie) are hanging out on the beach. Gracie is fishing; the other two are contemplating the ocean

Topmost on Floyd’s mind is finding some sort of safety net for that inevitable moment when he looses the vote and must leave the island. He hits upon the idea of building a boat – or rather three boats, one for each, and tries to get Julie and Gracie to join him. Julie is quick to agree to the temporary alliance, but unexpectedly Gracie refuses. “I already have a boat,” she explains. To Floyd and Julie’s immediate accusations of unfairly going off on her own and breaking their temporary alliance, she answers “Jesús gave it to me.” She goes on to explain that she had attempted to build her own boat a day or two before, but had been entirely unsuccessful. None of the right materials were available, and she wasn’t strong or smart enough to shape what she had found into an actual floating device. Right at that moment, however, Jesúe had appeared on the scene and offered to give her a boat – designed especially for her – completely free of charge! No fool, she’d accepted the offer gratefully. She finishes by stating Jesúe had extended this free offer to everyone on the island and that she’d be happy to take Floyd and Julie to him.

Floyd and Julie, however, will have none of it – they are certain that Gracie must be suffering from sunstroke or something, because they are fully aware that not only was Jesúe on the other team (The Zombies,) but that he had been voted off the island the week before. Gracie bravely sticks to her story and refuses to help, preferring to continue fishing which will at least have the potential of positive results. However, she readily agrees to keep quiet about Floyd and Julie’s building project and to “keep it fair” between them.

Floyd and Julie start in, but Floyd, self-centered and controlling as he is, bullies Julie into going to hunt for building supplies. But no sooner has Julie turned to go look than she falls directly into a large, dark pit. Mostly her pride is wounded, and she tries to convince the mocking Floyd she’d gone in intentionally to look for materials. She cannot find her way out, however, and begins to get panicky. Grace jumps right in and hollers down that there is a ladder on the right hand side of the pit – she’d fallen into it herself the other day and Jesúe has shown her the way out. Floyd is incensed: in his Darwinian philosophy of life on the island he’d planned to immediately summon the rest of the team to see what a weak and useless member Julie was so she could take the next vote. Gracie is unapologetic – helping Julie out is the least she can do considering what Jesúe has done for her. Julie is grateful, and promises that she’ll never fall in again. Fuming, Floyd immediately sends Julie out on another foraging mission, and Julie immediately falls back into the same pit. Again, Floyd mocks her, again Gracie directs her out, and again Floyd is royally peeved. Now he is starting to see Gracie as the best target for the next vote. Again, Floyd sends Julie out and again Julie falls into the pit, but by this time Floyd is ready to try his boat out. As Gracie calls directions to Julie over her shoulder, the two of them watch as Floyd pushes his craft into the surf. The stand, incredulous, for several seconds until Julie finds the ladder and climbs out of the pit. “What happened to the boat?” she asks.

“Have you ever seen wood sink so fast?” asks Gracie. They all shake their heads. “Do you suppose there’s any wood on this island that floats?” asks Floyd. Grace is certain there is not, but very annoyed by his failure, Floyd turns and stomps off – directly into the pit. Soon we hear a plaintive wail: “Gracie? Gracie!”

“Don’t you help him out!” orders Julie.

The End

Ideas for video interviews (remember, you can leave these out if you lack the filming or projection equipment – just make sure the characters cover most of these points during the action. Or, you could always try it “film noir” style with the characters stepping away from the action and facing the “camera” for each aside.)
    1.
  1. Gracie, after telling the others about her boat, expounds to the camera about its virtues – its sporty exterior, unsinkable construction, and customization exactly for her. She explains that surprisingly she has no desire to keep this news for herself – she wants everyone to meet Jesúe and get a boat of their own. 2.
  2. Julie, after falling into the pit the first time, confesses that she always seemed to be falling into that pit. She never means to, always looks out for it, but always ends up back inside in the dark. It hurts, and it’s very embarrassing. 3.
  3. Gracie, after being harangued by Floyd for helping Julie out, explains that only days before she’d have probably done exactly what he intended to do: run straight for camp to bring the others in on Julie like vultures. But after meeting Jesúe and being helped out of the same pit by him, she no longer has this desire. She’s far more inclined to help out. 4.
  4. Julie, after falling in the second time, muses about why the pit is even there. (it would be funny to film this one in a dark room to simulate the pit’s interior) Is it to catch rats? No, they’re too small. Maybe it’s for something bigger, like wild boars, or tigers, or cows! Uh, uh, Gracie?!? 5.
  5. Floyd, after Gracie helps Julie for the second time, shares his concerns about Gracie. She’s just gone weird all of the sudden – helping people out, talking about Jesúe and that ridiculous boat. Come to think of it, she’s undoubtedly his next best target for the vote.





© 2000 The Thing of it Is Players / City's Edge Community Church. [Contact Us
No rights reserved - Print, Practice, and Perform!