. all rights belong to Tanis Harms –
. refer to www.church-skits.com
ALICE IN SEARCH MODE – written by Tanis Harms
TOPIC: success, purpose, doing God’s will
SCRIPTURE: Rom.8:28, 2Cor.5:5-13; Eph.3:8-13, 4:14-16;
. Phil.2:1-4; 1 Thess.4:7; 1 Tim.4:7;
. 1 Pet.2:21-25
Style: satire/conversation: ALICE finds herself
. meeting characters from every walk of life
. as she searches for the purpose in life.
NOTE: Both skits stand on their own, but
. if you want to make a longer “drama,”
. you can start with “Alice in Search Mode”,
. then flow it into “Alice in Study Mode”;
. beginning with the search for purpose,
. then continuing the search for clarity.
Cast: ALICE, MADCAP, COOL CAT, PHIL-O, QUEEN BEE,
. FRIEND
Set & Props: backpack, Bible, maybe costumes
SCRIPT:
(ALICE enters with backpack from stage right and wanders
across to bump into MADCAP, dressed as a punk/rebel.)
M Hello. I’m Madcap.
A I’m Alice.
M Pleased to meet you, maybe. And where did you
. come from?
A I’m not sure. I just fell through a dark hole
. and here I am. So what does that all mean?
M That you come from darkness - or nothingness?
A So then, I’m searching for something.
M You are? Well, as it so happens, you have
. just found something. (motions to himself)
A I guess I have.
M Join me then, in a cup of nothingness.
A Alright? 2
(MADCAP begins to mime pouring a cup of tea.)
M Tea?
A I actually prefer coffee.
M As you wish.
(MADCAP mimes pouring a cup of coffee.)
A How do you know which pot is which?
M Does it matter? It’s all pretend.
. So nothing matters. Life is crazy that way.
A Really? Then where are YOU going in life?
M I like it right here.
(MADCAP hands ALICE an imaginary cup of coffee.
ALICE finally pretends along. MADCAP takes a sip.)
A But – oh! Ah, thank you. - But, what do you
. even get out of this?
M A great imagination, I suppose! I just
. make it up as I go.
A I see.
M You do? (looking around) Well, I’m starting
. to worry about you.
A Imagination is nice, but to live in it - isn’t that
. just an interesting way - to create denial?
M Depends. Do YOU live in an imaginary world?
(ALICE looks down at her imaginary coffee cup.)
A This is beginning to make less and less sense.
(ALICE throws her hands to the side.)
M Oopsies. You spilled your coffee.
. 3
A There must be something real. Perhaps I need
. to look further.
M Further – would be – over there, or there, or there.
. (as he points, he is careful not to spill)
A I suppose it would be anywhere but here!
M (lightly) Exactly! Ta-ta.
A (unsure) Ta.
(MADCAP exits stage left while still drinking his tea,
while ALICE turns around and heads back toward
stage right where COOL CAT finds her and begins to do
a slow, sly dance around ALICE. Getting uncomfortable
and suspicious, ALICE stops to face COOL CAT.)
A Excuse me.
(COOL CAT does a little swirl then stops to preen.)
A Hello?
C (coyly pretending to just notice) Oh, hi.
A Who are you?
C Cool Cat. (looks long and deep into ALICE’S eyes)
. Did you want to play - or hunt? Hunt AND play?
. I just LOVE to hunt and play.
A Do you live in an imaginary world also?
C I live – for the moment. So I try to pick
. my moments wisely.
(COOL CAT quickly swirls around ALICE and lightly lifts
her backpack from her.)
A Oh, are you wise?
C I am clever. I usually get what I want.
A (noticing) Hey, you took my backpack!
C (lightly) No I didn’t. 4
A You did. There it is.
C Oh, so it is. May I have it? I just LOVE
. your backpack.
A (taking backpack) No, it’s mine and I need it.
C I don’t know why you would need it, when you
. don’t even know what you want?
A Perhaps you can help me with that?
C I would LOVE to help you.
A Well, what looks good to you right now?
C I just like to float and fly and dance around.
. I like to look around. Find what looks interesting
. for the moment. Find something that I LOVE.
A Love sounds wonderful. It must be nice
. to have love in your life.
C Oh yes. I love many things - for a moment.
A For a moment?
C Yes, moments of love come and go. So I’m always
. searching for what I love at the moment.
A Well, then – which is the best way to go right now?
C What do you THINK you would LOVE to look for?
A Something - real. I would love to find something –
. very real.
C What does that mean to you?
A I don’t know.
C Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.
A You’ve never found anything that has kept you
. in one spot?
. 5
C No. Whatever catches my fancy for the moment –
. OH LOOK, CATNIP!!!
(COOL CAT dashes off to stage right in a big flash and
a pounce.)
A Well, I never.
(ALICE shakes her head and puts the backpack on her more
securely. Seeing PHIL-O sitting in a lotus position over
at stage left, ALICE approaches him cautiously. ALICE
stops to study him, wondering if she should interrupt.)
P Yeeesssss?
A You look very wise.
P Indeed.
A Are you wise?
P I like to think so.
A Can you help me then?
P One can always pass on the knowledge that
. one possesses. Ummmmmmmm...
(ALICE quickly sits down to listen closely.)
P Let me think... you need to think, and determine,
. and decide. Let yourself find the matter to the
. cause and details of the circumstance, and then you
. can “be” in the place of accepted realization.
A Wow. That sounded very wise. It MUST mean
. something... What DOES that mean? Exactly?
P The actualization of the internal question
. opposed to the propaganda of societal realms.
. Peace.
A Oh... Well, I like the sound of peace.
P Harmony with your “self.”
A Harmony sounds nice, too. 6
P The musical rifts that equate to an iridescent
. tranquility.
A (shakes her head to rattle her brain, finally...)
. Okay. But what does that really mean?
. Put it all into plain words, please.
P The substance of existence is whatever you make
. of it.
A So you live in a pretend world also.
P Ha! Such impudence! You are a stupid girl, then.
A Because I disagreed with you? You just said
. it was - whatever I made of it.
P Intellectual ponderings will escalate the grander
. proportions to higher and broader scopes.
A Just because you use big words and fancy talk
. does not mean you know anything.
P Then you have a lot to discover.
A Indeed, because I have learned nothing here.
(As ALICE gets up, QUEEN BEE enters from stage left
and calls her over.)
Q Little girl! Girl! Forget about him. Come here!
(ALICE notices QUEEN BEE and approaches.)
Q Thinking is great, but you must “DO.” It is
. all about success in life. THAT - fills you up.
A Sounds wonderful! What is - “success?”
Q (gasps) Money and power!
A That sounds very reasonable, and alluring.
Q Exactly. It also gives you purpose.
A So it’s fulfilling, as well. 7
Q It is filling. Just fill up your bank account
. and your pockets with riches and you will obtain
. your heart’s desires.
A Which is?
Q (joyfully) Things! I have so many things. And –
. I want more things.
A More things? So you still do not have enough?
Q (suddenly angry) It’s never enough!
A So it’s NOT ful-filling...
Q It is – filling. We must continue to fill, and get,
. and have. And YOU - will help me do that.
A Wait! For myself – or for you?
Q (suddenly slyer) Aaaahhhh, both?
A You’re just trying to use me to get more things.
Q What is wrong with that? Success is how much
. you have, not necessarily how you get it.
A That doesn’t sound very nice to me.
Q Are you going to work for me or not?
A What if I want to work for myself?
Q Then we may be in competition...
. Come, work for yourself, while working for me.
. There is always opportunity as you climb higher
. up the ladder of life.
A Is this ladder - stepping on all the things
. that you acquire – or stepping on all
. the poor, vulnerable people as you go?
Q It is work. All work. Work hard and work fast
. and work long hours. Work-work-work!
. Or will you be a lazy girl?
. 8
A I am just questioning the principles here.
Q You are questioning me? Off with her head!
A What?!
Q You’re – FIRED! And obviously you will never
. amount to much!
(QUEEN BEE marches off. ALICE gasps, then sees FRIEND
across the stage at stage left. FRIEND holds a Bible.
ALICE is so annoyed, she doesn’t know which way to go,
but is wary of speaking to yet another ignorant person.
FRIEND sees ALICE and approaches her.)
F Excuse me, can I help you?... You – you look lost.
A I am. I suppose I can listen to one more person.
. I’m looking for something, and I don’t even know
. what it is. Why do we exist? What is it all for?
. What does life mean to you? Are there such things
. as success, truth, love or purpose? But – I don’t
. even know why I’m bothering to talk with you.
. Like me, you’re not very old. What could you know.
F Well, I am young. But I do know where to find all
. the answers to your questions.
A Really?!
F All of your questions are answered in this book.
A And you wrote this book? Or some other wise person?
F Through men, it was written by God, who not only
. knows all things, but created all things, and
. created us – with a purpose – to love God
. as He loves us. To have a successful life
. as we follow His will and perfect direction.
A Can – can you tell me more? I really want the truth.
(LIGHTS DIM.)
(OPTION TO CONTINUE: “Alice in Study Mode”)