The 50s And Now

Three women meet on an ordinary day… except one of them still talks like it’s 1958. As Bernadette stumbles through “malt shops,” nickel ice cream, and suspicious slang, her story unspools: decades stranded on an island, kept company by a very present God. Laughter lands first—then the quiet question underneath: what really changes with time, and what never does? Expect Elvis quips, culture whiplash, and a gentle witness that points home.

Run-Time: 10 minutes
Cast Number: 3 (Laura, Betty, Bernadette)
Biblical Reference: Hebrews 13:8; Psalm 139:7–10
Setting: Simple sidewalk/outside a store or church foyer; no special lights/sound

Sample Script:

Laura: Oh, hi Betty, good to see you. Who is your friend?
Betty: Hi, Laura, my old friend and I are going to the store. Bernadette, I'd like you to meet a good friend from church.
Laura: It is good to meet you, Bernadette.
Bernadette, in Elvis style: Thank you, thank you very much!
Laura, shocked: I don't believe I've seen you before, do you live around here?
Bernadette, hesitates, looks helplessly at Betty, says: Er, no, not around here, no.
Laura: Oh, from, out of state, I take it?
Bernadette, again hesitates, glances at Betty, says: Er, yes, yes, way out of state.
Laura: And just where is this "way out of state" place? (thinks) Sounds to me like you are an underworld insider who agreed to testify against the mob, hiding out here in Mesquite til the trial. Am I right?

Bernadette is uncomfortable, glances at Betty, says: No, no, I'm . . . . well, it's just that I, that is, we, er, Betty, aren't we supposed to be meeting someone at the malt shop?
Laura: Malt Shop? I haven't heard that name since way back, probably in the 50's.
Bernadette reacts strongly to Laura's words, says: 50's, how did you know that I am from the . . . (voice trails off)

Laura: What exactly is going on here? And what's this about you being from . . (looks puzzled) . . the fifties???
Bernadette: You ain't nothin' but a hound dog!
Laura, incredulous: "I ain't . . . hound dog??? What is going on here? And who are you, really? Elvis come back to life? Did no one tell you that Elvis is dead?
Bernadette, annoyed: Look, little sister, are you're cruisin' for a bruisin'? Don't you never say nothin' bad ‘bout The King! 'Specially 'bout the King bein' dead! The King lives forever, and don't you never forget it!

Laura: "Little sister . . . cruisin' for a bruisin' . . . The King . . lives forever? Sounds to me like you are in some kind of time warp from the 50's!
Betty: Stay, Laura. Sorry, there is something going on here, I'll tell you all about it. Just, don't tell anyone else, please?
Bernadette: Yeh, no loose lips, OK?
Laura: Loose . . ???
Betty: Bernadette has been out of touch for quite a long time, since 1958, actually!
Laura: Out of touch? Just how does a person be out of touch for 40 years?
Betty: Let me explain. Bernadette and her family were on a world tour in 1958 when their small yacht ran into a severe storm. Their yacht capsized and after many long, desperate days Bernadette was washed ashore on a tiny, uninhabited island near Hawaii.

Bernadette sings: Night and you, in Blue Hawaii. When Blue Hawaii calls . . .
Betty: So anyway, back at the yacht, Bernadette's family were rescued by a passing freighter. The crew, lovingly and tenderly, pulled the family from the water and . . .
Bernadette sings: Love me tender, love me true, tell me you are . . .
Betty, embarrassed, looks at Bernadette, says: Anyway, the search party tried for days to find Bernadette, to no avail. Bernadette's mother cried and cried about her lost baby . . .
Bernadette sings: Since my baby left me, I've found a new place to dwell, it's . . .

Betty, more embarrassed: So, the family was forced to return home, believing that their daughter was . . gone.
Bernadette sings: Since you've gone, the sun, the moon, my tear dimmed eyes, know the reason why I cry, . . .
Laura: Can you wake her up?
Bernadette sings: Wake up, a-little Susie, wake up, wake up, a-little Sus . . .
Laura: Does this give her a thrill or what?
Bernadette sings: I found my thrill, on Blueberry Hill, on Blueberry Hill, where I found you. The moon stood still, on Blueberry Hill, and lingered until . . .

Laura: This whole story sounds awfully farfetched. I mean, is any part of it true?
Betty: Every word is true. Bernadette was just rescued from her island last week after 40 years of solitary island living.
Laura: You have really gone through an unbelievable ordeal, all alone.
Bernadette, serious: But I wasn't alone.
Betty: You weren't? But you told me you never saw another person during all of the 40 years.
Bernadette: I never saw another person, but God was with me every minute of every day.
Laura: You are a Christian then?
Bernadette: Of course. I could never have gone through those times without my faith in Jesus Christ. Remember when we went forward at the Billy Graham Crusade in 1957, Betty, and we gave our lives to Christ? (thinks) Billy Graham, is he still . . .

Betty: Oh, yes, he's still conducting crusades around the world.
Bernadette: Over the 40 years there have been many times when I simply praised God that He had claimed me before I was lost at sea. I am thankful that He had looked after my spiritual lostness, before He permitted my physical lostness. Don't you see, without Jesus I would have been truly lost and alone, not just during the 40 years, but for eternity!

Laura: I am curious, Bernadette. There have been more changes in the last 40 years than in the previous 400 years. What changes have hit you the most?
Betty: Well, for one thing I am confident that Bernadette will be more careful with words.
Bernadette: Yeh, I found out you don't say that things make you gay, they make you happy. (hesitates) Wait a minute, it’s still OK to say happy isn’t it?
Laura: Yes, you are safe with happy, Bernadette! What else is different?

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.