Dead End Road

Addiction, dependency, death, drugs, alcohol: all choices to make and everyone must make their choice.

There has been a horrific accident, with a scene of injured and dying.

There are lots of choices available: the happy party with its extravagances gives momentary thrills, but when the thrills end, there is a result, often a huge headache and hangover, or a trip to the hospital in an ambulance, perhaps a final trip in a funeral procession to the gravesite.

There are lots of "stay safe" solutions, such as four-leaf clover, rabbit's foot, and even sacrificing livestock blood. But the only safe answer is living a chemical-free lifestyle, and the only blood required is that of Jesus Christ on a cross, more than 2,000 years ago!
There is a time of judgment for all, each must make a decision about the road to travel.

Useful at Halloween as well.

Cast: 6 speaking, 8 non-speaking (could have multi-roles)
Driver 1, likely male, parent,
Passenger, likely female, parent,
Driver 2, likely male, parent,
Officer, male or female,
Ambulance Attendant 1, male or female (small speaking part),
Ambulance Attendant 2, male or female (small speaking part),
approx 8 non-speaking parts as victims, cemetery workers

Run-time:   40 minutes

Set: Very minimal, have small raised areas at upstage left and right locations with large road sign graphics:
at Upstage Center: "Straight Up" is labeled "Dead End Road"
"Turn to Right" is labeled "Freedom Drive"
"Turn to Left" is labeled "Breakfree Drive"

Props: Stretcher, Blankets, Tarpaulin, Stage Blood

SFX:  taped sounds of cars, sirens, crack of thunder

Lighting:  Spotlights and lights to represent car lights, police and ambulance flashing lights, red flash for finale

Costumes: Ambulance attendants and police officer uniforms

Bible Reference: Romans 12:1-2

Sample of Script:

Opens with couple miming driving in a car.
There is sound of police sirens, flashing lights to indicate police cruisers

Driver 1 looks in rear view mirror, mimes pulling over to the side, policeman/woman come to door of car.

Driver 1:   Yes, officer, what’s this all about, can I help you?

Officer:   May I see your drivers license, registration please?

Driver 1:   Fine, but make it quick please, we are in a hurry.

Officer:   Mind telling me where you are going?

Driver 1:   Going?  We are simply driving down Lifes Road here, what’s the big deal?

Officer:   You said you were in a hurry, just wonder what was hurrying you along so much.

Driver 1:   In case you didn’t notice, this is Industryville, folks here are always in a hurry.

Passenger:   It’s not as though we are doing anything wrong is it, officer?

Officer:   Wrong?  Not really wrong, no, but the fact is, this road is a dead-end.

Driver 1:   What is that supposed to mean?  I happen to have been traveling this here Lifes Road all my life, I have never seen the dead end.

Officer:   But there are clearly marked signs all along the road, they tell you this is a dead end.

Passenger:   Oh, really!  Those signs are put there by over-zealous weirdoes from over there on Freedom Drive, (points to stage right); no one pays any attention to them or their signs!

sound of another vehicle pulling up, headlights sweep across stage, Driver 2 comes on stage

Driver 2:   What’s the holdup here Officer, I need to get by.

Officer, to Driver 2:   And where are you going, sir?

Driver 2:   Going?  I am not going anywhere!  Why should we have to be going somewhere?  I and my partner are simply driving down Lifes Road, and your patrol car is blocking our path.

Driver 1:   The good officer insists that this is a dead-end road.

Driver 2: Dead-end road?  Don’t tell me, you are new on this beat aren’t you, Officer?

Officer:   Yes, I am new on this beat, but I am not sure what difference that makes.  This road is clearly marked as a dead end road, the signs can’t just be ignored.

Driver 2:   Tell you what Officer, I am sure your professors in police college gave you all that mellow-yellow stuff about how things oughta be.  But let me bring you up to speed on how things really operate in this town.

Officer:   How things really operate?

Driver 2, puts arm around Officer’s shoulder in paternal way:   Look, we all know that there are road signs all along Route LR . . .

Officer:   Route LR?

Driver 2:   Lifes Road.  Some of the more rash folks on Freedom Drive in this town, they feel we need these signs, calling Route LR a dead end road.  So powers that be, they go along, put up signs.  But all us normal, hard-working, tax-paying middle-of-the-road folks, we just kind of ignore those signs.  And the cops on the beat, they turn a blind eye.  So, you see, everyone is happy!