Orderliness

A Tidy Room, A Christlike Heart

What do you get when a stressed-out mom, a peacekeeping dad, and a clutter-happy teen clash over one messy bedroom? A hilarious and heartwarming family drama that digs into more than just dirty laundry.

In Orderliness ©, Tim’s bedroom is a disaster zone—and it’s driving his parents up the wall. But beneath the comic chaos lies a deeper truth: orderliness isn’t just about neatness—it’s a reflection of our character and a mark of spiritual maturity. As the family navigates socks, skates, and surprise Sega cartridges, they also unpack what it means to live out a Christian character trait in real life.

Cast: 3

• Mother
• Father
• Tim, son

Bible Reference: Galatians 5:22

Set: blank

Sound: wireless mics if available

Song: none

Lighting: standard

SFX: none

Props: none

Costumes: standard

Special Instructions: none

Time: 7

Sample script:

Father is sitting Stage Right, reading a newspaper.)

Mother (from off stage): I give up, this is a pig sty!

(Mother enters.)

Mother: Jim, we simply must do something about your son’s room, it is a disaster and getting worse!

Father: My son? How come it is that Tim is my son when he is in trouble and your son when he is doing things right?

Mother: He has been your son for as long as I can remember, and, after a look in his room, I can’t expect him getting back as my son in the foreseeable future.

Father: That bad huh?

Mother: Wanna see?

Father: Maybe not before a meal, k?

Mother: What are we going to do with him, Jim?

Father: I read that they aren’t accepting nominations for the French Foreign Legion until further notice.

Mother: OK, you go ahead, joke about it, but it is driving me crazy! Where did I go wrong, he wasn’t raised like that!

Father: Sweetheart, just because he is messy doesn’t mean you have failed Parenting 101. You are an awesome mom, Florence.

Mother: How could Tim be so different from his sister? Amy is a neat freak!

Father: Wonder if we could do some kind of a mind clone to make them both normal?

Mother: You can’t ever be serious, can you, Jim?

Father: Sorry, he is a good kid, Florence.

Mother: Oh, I know he is, Jim, it’s just that he needs to learn about neatness and order in his room. He needs to be organized, he needs to learn the importance of tidiness.

Father: I know he does, honey. Tell you what, why don’t I go and straighten things out in his room, then when he gets home we will set some rules of organization for him.

Mother: I don’t know, do you think it will help?

Father: I don’t know either, but I think there is a law against forcing a minor out on the street.

Mother: Jiiiiiiiiiiiiimmmm!

Father: I was joking, it was a joke . . . a haha, OK? I’m outta here, gonna attack the dungeon.

(Mother remains Stage Right and reads a book. Father moves to Stage Left, mimes entering Tim’s room, reacts to the imagined clutter, and begins miming cleaning—gesturing toward clothing, books, and other teen items.)

(After a few moments, Tim enters Stage Left and sees Father.)

Tim: Hey, what’s goin’ on here? Whatcha doin’ with my stuff? I won’t never find anything, you go mess up my system.

Father: System? There is a system to all this clutter?

Tim: Well, yeh, I know exactly where everything is, I have a system.

(Mother joins them Stage Left.)

Mother: Your father is trying to get this eyesore back to basic acceptable before your grandparents come.