Late Night Visitors

Innkeeper, His Wife, and the Baby Born That Night

It’s the old, old story of the couple who came into town needing a room for themselves and for a soon-to-be-born baby.

In the past, when I wrote about these people and the situation that brought them together, I set the innkeeper’s wife in a kind of mellow, gentle light. But in thinking this through, recalling my younger years traveling through small, isolated towns, I’d stay in small inns and motels. The lady in charge, as I recall, wasn’t usually particularly mellow or gentle. In fact, she usually had an edge to her personality—likely necessary to deal with crusty salesmen and travelers, her main clientele.

But the same women, under their rough exterior, had a heart of gold. So, rightly or wrongly, I used this kind of person as the character of this monologue. I think this might have been how the innkeeper’s wife may have reacted that night 2,000 years ago.

Cast: 1, monolog, middle-aged female
Bible Reference:  Luke 2:7
Set: Bare
Sound: wireless mic
Song: none
Lighting: lower light
SFX: none
Props: broom, stool
Costumes: likely traditional
Special Instructions:

• The character at the outset is clipped and forceful, an “in your face” lady, a rough nature. But as time goes by she mellows and becomes soft and almost loving.
  It is important to set the pace of her speaking at a faster meter at the beginning, gradually slowing over the course of the piece, to the point where her speech is more thoughtful and concerned.

Time: 10

Sample of script:

actor comes on stage, sweeping
looks around, shakes head, throws hand in the air, sits on stool

People! . . . More people than this old hotel has ever seen!
Every room full!
Restaurant is wall to wall, kitchen simply can’t keep up!
And no end in sight.

looks into audience, listens to question from unseen person

Am I pleased to see the business?
Of course I am pleased to see the business!
I mean when me and Eli . . he’s my husband . . when we bought this inn we knew it was off the beaten track, we knew it wouldn’t be like booked up solid every night.

smiles, shakes head

Yeh right! . . Booked up. . . Fact is not once in the six years we been here have we sold out all twelve rooms.
Not so much as once!
So all is activity is great . . . .
But fact is I haven’t gone to bed for better than two days now.

thinks, smiles a weary smile

No way I could go to bed even if I had the time . . my all-knowing, brilliant entrepreneur husband rented out my bed.

stands, sweeps furiously

I’ve got to get these rooms cleaned up. . . it will soon be dark and the visitors will be expecting to have their rooms ready.

stretches, rubs sore muscles, sits on stool

The Romans for sure blew it . .
No way they can keep up processing the people that have come into this town, all these people showing up at once for the census.
So the crowds of visitors won’t be heading for home any time soon.
When my husband and me bought this hotel six years ago we had this big pipedream thought of having the rooms sold out and the restaurant filled to capacity. . . Never happened, until now that is.
Now our wallets are full but . .(stretches) . . my back is broken!
And our staff! . . .
Some staff I tell ya!
Demand top dollar, drag themselves around like a turtle with a broken leg . . and then rob you blind.
My mother told me I oughta get a 9 to 5 job but oh no! . . . I gotta go be my own boss!
Me, not the smartest cookie my Mom turned out I tell ya!

stands, holds broom

I gotta get back at it!

looks around, disgusted

You know, the way these people leave their room, junk all over . . . you would think they were born in a barn!

stops, thinks

Which, . . . I gotta tell you, . . . isn’t as far out as you might think.

looks into audience, listens, frowns

You mean you didn’t hear?
Night before last, hotel full to the rafters, this young couple came to the hotel, said they need a room bad.
I say, “You and half the population of the known world, seems like.”
Young man says they’ve been on the road all day and how he’s tried all the other spots in town and no one has any room.
Then I see the young woman . . no older than my twelve year old daughter Hester, looks to me. . .
And the young girl is pregnant.
One look and I can see the girl is about to give birth. . .
I can tell these things . . I should . . . I’ve had fourteen children of my own. . .
The young man is begging me to find a room for his wife . .
And my husband Eli is shouting from the kitchen that we have no room, send them away.
So I say to the young man, “I’m sorry, all our rooms are filled, there isn’t a room to be found for any price, sorry.”
And he just sort of loses it, shakes his head.
He says if it’s just him, no problem, he sleeps in the street, but there’s his wife...
OK, now what am I supposed to do with this tricky development?

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