Lillenas Drama Presents SKI LIFT from Script of the Day by Lin Sexton and Andy Doub Running Time: 7 to 8 minutes with song Themes: The good news of Christmas, The Great Commission Scripture References: Matthew 23:18-20; Luke 2 Suggested Use: Youth and adult audiences Synopsis: Frank, an experienced skier, shares a lift with Bud, who is new at this and mortally terrified of heights. Having fun with Bud s phobias, Frank also shares Christ with him in a bizarre Gospel presentation. Bud makes a complete life change suspended in mid-air when the ski lift lurches to an unexpected halt. The audience will enjoy their wild role reversal. Cast: Frank A college or high school guy who is daring, cool, confident, and a little crazy; he s a Christian Bud Not yet a believer, Bud is comically fearful of the whole ski experience Props: Ideally, this piece calls for a freestanding ski chair made by a welder with a large pole about 7 feet high, welded to a metal base, with a wooden seat attached to a heavy spring. If you cannot create this prop, use a singlespring porch swing. Chair can be a porch swing, a Papasan chair or any suspended swing chair. 2 pairs of skis, bindings, and poles Song: Go, Tell It on the Mountain Costumes: Ski bibs, gloves, and hats make this convincing, along with bindings, skis, and poles Production Notes: Tone should reflect over-the-top comedy (At lights up the two guys are falling into the ski lift chair and their body language indicates that they are cold, and are traveling up a ski slope over high mountain peaks. The point is to make it appear they are suspended over a great mountainside.) Frank: Kind of feels like you re flyin, huh? (Frank is enjoying the danger and the fact that Bud is afraid.) 1
Bud: Yeah. (Looks over the side, and back to ward audience; his expression is one of terror. Gulps.) Long way down. Frank (gregarious, he relishes Bud s angst): You nervous? Bud: No! (Answers a little too quickly) No. No. No. Not nervous at all. Frank (almost diabolical): Long way down! Bud (swallowing): Yeah. Frank (waving his poles and rocking violently, he pretends to be shooting them like guns): Pow! Pow, pow, pow! Bam! Bam! Bud (screaming): Stop that! Please stop! Frank: You sure you re not nervous? You look a little Bud (nose-to-nose): I m high strung, OK? Frank: OK. Sorry. (Beat) So, you like the resort? Great skiing, huh? Bud: Yeah, right. Frank: Yeah. My family comes here every Christmas. We ski during the day and at night we just have a great time at the cabin. We don t even do presents. We just try to focus on the real meaning of Christmas. You know? Bud (trying to cover his fear): Real meaning of Christmas. Yeah. (Distracted by looking over the side again) Skiing. Frank: Well, not really skiing Bud: Well, not really skiing. No. Uh... giving. Uh... Frank: Well, it s more than giving it s Bud: Oh yeah. I know. It s uh, cards. (Hoping to get the right answer sooner or later) Singing carols... Togetherness... Charlie Brown s Christmas special... The Grinch. It s... (looking over the side again) great heights. Danger... Long way down. (He can t even breathe he s so scared.) Frank (beat; swings his legs back and forth, etc., to scare Bud. Frank takes a big deep breath): Boy, I love it up here. The higher up I go the closer I feel to God. Bud (gulp): Why? Frank: Yeah... the beauty... the fresh air... it s glorious. Way up here, lookin down on the people... tiny, tiny people. Must be a God s eye view. Bud (gulp): Glorious. 2
Frank (says this line like Jack Nicholson): Kind of feel like we re up here with the angels. (Sings) Angels we have heard on high... (Bud leans away from him and looks at him like he s crazy.) Glo ri-a. In ex-cel-cis Deo. (Voice echoes) Isn t this great! Come on, everybody! (Sings again) Glo ri-a. In ex-cel-cis... (does Banana Boat Song ending) De-o. Bud: You re gonna start an avalanche. Frank: Merry Christmas! (Voice echoes) Bud: Stop singing. Stop! Frank: Hey, come on. You re a little nervous Bud: High strung Frank: Well, singing always helps loosen me up. Come on. It ll help. Bud: OK. But you have to leave out the scary parts. Promise? Nothing referring to elevation. Frank: Promise. Both: Angels we have heard on... (Avoiding the words high and o er ) Sweetly singing... the plain. Bud (throw-away line): I don t really know that one. Frank (sings): Good King Wenceslas looked... (Looks down) Sorry. (Beat) Hey, we re almost to the top of the mountain. Your turn to start a song! Bud (sings very timidly): Oh, ya better watch out, ya better not cry, ya better not shout I m tellin you why. Both: Santa Claus is... (They both move violently and yell, as if the lift is jerking to a crash) Bud (yelling): Dead! We re dead! (Throws his arms around Frank and hangs on for dear life) Frank: No, we re stopped. We re not dead. We re OK. Bud: I can t look. I can t look. I can t open my eyes. I can t open my eyes. Frank (peeling Bud s hand off and placing him correctly in the seat): We re OK. We re OK. Bud: We re OK. We re Ok. Frank: We re fine. We re fine. Bud: We re fine. We re fine. (More movement indicating lift is in trouble) 3
Frank: We re not fine. We re not OK. Bud: This is bad. This is bad. Frank: I think you re right. (Starts to pray) Lord? My friend and I (Turning to Bud) What s your name? Bud: Bud. Frank: Frank. Francis, actually. My mom named me after a saint. (They shake hands.) Bud (matter-of-factly): My mom named me after a beer. Frank: I see. (Back to God) Bud and I are up here, Lord. And we re in Your hands! Bud (terrified and tearful): We are? Frank: So hold on tight, Lord. And while You re at it, we could use some angels up here; I know You ve got plenty of them, Father. (He s afraid too.) Bud: Big ones, small ones, any angels at all. Rookies. Tell Him we ll take rookies. Frank: Lord, I know You re watching over us, and we re Your children... so You re gonna take care of us. I mean, You sent Your Son down on that first Christmas so we could be closer to You. (Really frightened now) And we re feeling closer now, Lord. Bud: We are? (Frank sees a chance to make a point, so the next speech is with Bud in mind.) Frank (with less sarcasm and more genuine fun; with a touch of concern): But Lord, if this is it, if we re going to meet You now, somewhere over these snow-capped mountains, suspended hundreds of feet over jagged peaks, and facing certain death, I want You to know I m ready. (Bud squeaks.) Frank: But Lord, I m not so sure about my friend Bud. Bud: Hey put in a good word for me. Frank: Hey, I don t need to be praying for you. That s the whole Christmas thing. That s why Jesus came down, so we could talk straight to God, and not have to go though anybody else. I mean that s what we celebrate at Christmas time Jesus being born. Jesus setting us free. Jesus rescuing us! Bud: Tell Him right now would be good. Frank: You tell Him! 4
Bud: God. It s me, Bud. Listen, I feel real bad about not talking to You before this, but I didn t know I could. I really need some savin. (Looks down, then back up to God.) One way or the other. Frank (rapid fire): He s listening, Bud. He wants you to recognize that you re a sinner and that He paid for your sins. Bud: No problem. No problem. Help me, Lord! I m sorry for everything. Amen! (Another metallic sound, then the lift starts to move. The two are greatly relieved.) We re moving! (They laugh and hit each other, hug, giggle, and so on.) Frank: Amen! Halleluiah! Merry Christmas! Bud: Know what, Frank, old pal? It is beautiful up here! Frank: It sure is! Hey you re a child of God. Bud: Am I? (He gets it.) I am! Frank: And you just got a Christmas present from your Father. Bud: Yeah? (He s thrilled.) Frank: You just got a free one way lift ticket to heaven! Bud: Hey I m not scared any more. (Starts thrashing around, kicking his legs and causing Frank to be terrified.) See! I m not scared! Frank: Hey stop! You re gonna get us killed! Bud: Hey, world! Merry Christmas! I m a child of God! Frank: Bud! Calm down! Be careful! Bud: I want everyone to know! Merry Christmas, world! (Echoes as lights fade) Song: Go, Tell It on the Mountain The purchase of this sketch entitles the purchaser to make photocopies of this material for use in their church or nonprofit organizations. Please include the copyright statement on each copy made. Sharing of material with other churches or organizations not owned or controlled by the original purchaser is strictly prohibited. Lillenas Publishing Company Drama Resources P.O. Box 419527 Kansas City, MO 64141 Questions? Please write, call, or E-mail: Phone: 816-931-1900 Fax: 816-412-8390 E-mail: drama@lillenas.com Web Site: www.lillenasdrama.com The Script of the Day (978-0-8341-7756-7) collection is available for purchase from Lillenas Drama or from your local Christian bookstore. For a full description of the rest of this collection, or to purchase other individual sketches, refer to www.lillenasdrama.com. 5