Unrequited Love

Teenage Julie, in full rebellion mode, is estranged from her parents whom she believes are trying to ruin her life with excessive restrictions. When her mother Cindy hands her a letter from her father, explaining why he hasn’t been around recently, she refuses to read it.

The next day Julie discovers that her father has died from kidney failure, having given his other kidney to her three years earlier. Too late Julie’s mother reads her the letter from dad.

Unrequited Love is part of a larger work available through DramaShare entitled The Fork Around the Bend Collection. It is an extremely heavy, emotional drama, perfect as a lead-in to a salvation message, urging people to come to Jesus Christ.

Cast: 2
Mom
teenage daughter

Characters:
Cindy (the mother)
Julie (the teenage daughter)

Materials needed:
kitchen table, sign that says “The Next Day”, letter in envelope, sunglasses, newspaper, purse, waste basket

Run Time: 6 minutes

Sample of script:

Scene: The Kitchen

(Cindy is in the kitchen. She goes to stage left and calls out.)

Cindy:
Julie—It’s 12 o’clock. Time you got out of bed.

Julie: (grouchily, entering with a newspaper and sitting at the table)
I’m up, mother.
Where’s Dad?

Cindy:
He’s away for a while.

Julie:
It figures.

Cindy: (handing Julie a letter)
He wrote you this letter that explains everything.

(Julie quickly lays the letter aside, unopened.)

Julie:
What’s for breakfast?

Cindy:
Breakfast was four hours ago. You missed it.

Julie:
What do you mean I missed it?

Cindy:
I mean you missed it. Your dad and I have decided that we’re not going to put up with your irresponsibility any longer.

Julie:
So you’re depriving me of breakfast?

Cindy:
No Julie. You deprived yourself of breakfast by staying in bed. That’s how life works. Do you think your father could have kept his job all these years by sleeping until noon?

Julie:
That’s what dads are supposed to do.
(She opens the newspaper.)
Mom, there’s a sale on women’s clothing at Macy’s.

Cindy:
We just bought you a whole new wardrobe four months ago.

Julie:
Everything’s out of style now.

Cindy:
Then you’ll just have to be out of style. We have some big bills facing us and our income is way down.

Julie:
What about the money Grandma Sadie sent me?

Cindy:
That’s for college.

Julie:
This is for college. Last time I checked, they still expect you to wear clothes there.

Cindy:
College isn’t until next year. By then you’ll be saying that what you got today is out of style.

Julie:
Live for the moment. That’s what I always say. I have to go.

(Julie exits to stage left. Cindy watches her leave, shakes her head, and exits to stage right.)

(A sign holder enters and displays a sign: “The Next Day.” Julie re-enters and begins doing calisthenics. Cindy enters from stage right.)

Cindy:
What are you doing, Julie?

Julie:
What’s it look like, Mother? I’m working out.

Cindy:
What brought that on?

Julie:
I met two talent agents when I went clothes shopping yesterday. They said I can be a model and that I might even be able to get into the movies. I’m meeting them today in their studios at two.

Cindy:
I don’t know, Julie. Some of those guys are pretty shady.

Julie:
Why do you and Dad always insist on ruining my life?

Cindy:
We’re not trying to ruin your life.

Julie:
If you and Dad had your way, I’d be in some convent.
He always has to meet my boyfriends. I can’t believe the way he embarrassed me in front of Harvey Botchatelli last month.
And where is Dad anyway?

(Cindy picks up the unopened letter.)

Cindy:
You still haven’t read his letter.

Julie:
Why can’t he just tell me?

Cindy:
Because you won’t talk to him.

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