Pride Before a Fall

Pride, Humility, and a Fresh Coat of Funny

A laugh-out-loud reminder that a proud heart can lead to a slippery fall—sometimes even with a paintbrush in hand! Pride Before the Paint Falls is a fast-paced comedy that explores the thin line between taking pride in a job and letting that pride go to your head. With hilarious banter, off-key singing, and a misguided church branding campaign, this skit is perfect for youth and adult drama teams alike. It's heartfelt, funny, and sneaks in a powerful lesson on humility when you least expect it.

Bring it to life at your church and remind everyone that even the best intentions can go sideways—especially when the paint is still wet.

Cast: 3 actors (any age/gender)
Run-Time: 8 minutes
Bible Reference: Proverbs 16:18 – "Pride goes before destruction..."
Setting: Simple—just a paint can, brush, and church wall (imaginary or real!)
Costumes: Casual; Tracy wears coveralls
Props: paint can and paint brush

Sample of script:

Tracy comes on stage, carrying a paint can and paint brush, mimes painting, pauses, smiling, proud of his work.

Lynn comes on stage, sees Tracy, speaks.

Lynn:
Hey Tracy, what you up to?

Tracy:
About five – ten, (or Tracy’s actual height).

Lynn:
No, not how tall you are, what you doin’?

Tracy:
Oh me? Can’t you see, Lynn, painting this wall. (looks at the “work” and smiles proudly) Looks awesome good, if I do say so myself.

Lynn (looks, nods head in approval):
Does for a fact, looks like you done good. Church is gonna look real good by the time you are finished, Tracy!

Tracy:
Well, thank you Lynn, I think it’s important that we keep up appearances here at Churchill Meadows, (or name of church), I mean it is our place of worship, after all.

Lynn:
For sure, and if we . . .

Richie comes on stage singing loud and off-key, doing a kind of dance.

Richie:
M I crooked letter, crooked letter I, crooked letter, crooked letter I . . .

Lynn:
Whatever are you yowlin’ about Richie?

Richie (hurt):
What do you mean yowlin’? I will have you know, Lynn, that there was the centerpiece of our church’s new ID package!

Tracy:
ID package?

Richie:
Identification package, what people know you by. All businesses have an ID package and I figure our church oughta have one too. Now where was I? Oh yah, M I crooked letter, crooked letter I, crooked . . . . .

Lynn:
Will you cut that out Richie?

Tracy:
I don’t exactly know what the M I . . . whatever . . . means, but anyhow . . .

Richie (beaming with pride):
It’s like M I S S, you know, S, as in crooked letter . . .

Lynn:
I hate to be the one to break this to you Richie, but that was like, kinda, already taken, by Mississippi actually.

Richie (angry):
Mississippi stole my ID package?

Lynn:
Appears so, . . . . about two hundred years ago actually.

Richie:
I am real hurt. . . . Think maybe we could trade them a couple of Ice Dogs draft picks . . . or the whole Maple Leafs hockey team?

Tracy:
My guess is that ice hockey isn’t a real big thing in Mississippi.

Richie:
Seems like the Maple Leafs would fit right in then . . .

Want to see how the story unfolds? DramaShare members get this complete script—and access to our entire library—free! Not a member? You can still grab this individual script and bring it to life.