FROM WAITING ON TRAINS
by D. M. Larson
This is a short selection from the one act play.
Two LONGER versions of the one act are available
Cast of Characters
Verna: A ticket window woman who would rather not be working. She is rude, crude, and unacceptable. Customer courtesy is not her specialty.
Sue: business person waiting for her train.
Rut: A gentleman, called a bum by some, who simply wants a nice quiet place to sleep.
Time and Place
Dec. 31, 1999. A train station in an overgrown hick town.
Sue: business person waiting for her train.
Rut: A gentleman, called a bum by some, who simply wants a nice quiet place to sleep.
Time and Place
Dec. 31, 1999. A train station in an overgrown hick town.
SCENE 1
(Lights come up on the waiting room of a train station. A woman, VERNA, sits at a ticket window R, filing her nails and chewing gum. A phone rings in SUE's bag. A poorly dressed gentleman, some might call a bum, named RUT, pops up from where he has been sleeping on the upstage end of the row of chairs)
RUT
(Cries to sky)
Hello!
SUE
(Jumps up when she sees RUT)
What in heaven's name?!
RUT
(Ring)
Hello?!
SUE
(To VERNA)
What's this bum doing in here?!
VERNA
Sleepin'
RUT
(Ring)
Hello?!
SUE
Shouldn't he be removed?
VERNA
What for? He ain't causin' no harm.
RUT
(Ring. Stands on chair, arms to sky)
Hello, God? Is that you?
SUE
Look at him. He's drunk.
VERNA
Maybe we're the ones who's drunk and he's the only one who's sober.
SUE
(Gets phone)
Oh, you're just a regular philosopher. (To phone) Hello.
RUT
(Very intensely)
Hello, God.
SUE
(This and RUT's next dialog over lap)
Yes, yes. I'm sorry there's a lot of noise here.
RUT
(Overlapping)
Yes, what? What do you want me to do God?
SUE
(Hand over phone)
Will someone shut him up!
RUT
(Shocked)
Oh, please God. Please don't be angry with me. Please be easy on poor little Rut.
VERNA
He thinks you're God. `Bout time God had a little competition.
SUE
It's not funny.
RUT
I never said it was funny God.
SUE
(To RUT)
Look here you.
RUT
(Innocent, saintly pose to sky)
Yes, God.
SUE
Quit calling me God. And...will you look at me.
RUT
I am looking God.
SUE
No, not up there; down here.
RUT
(Gets down)
Where?
SUE
(Trying to get in front of him)
Over here.
RUT
(Under chairs)
Where are you God?
SUE
My name's Sue, not God.
RUT
(Shocked)
God's real name is Sue?
SUE
Will someone do something with him? I have an important call here.
RUT
(Stands on chair, to sky)
Please, don't be angry with me God...I mean, oh great Sue. Please don't cut me off.
SUE
(To VERNA)
Do something with him or I'll complain to your boss.
VERNA
Yes, ma'am.
(Goes to RUT)
Okay, Rut. That's enough for now. Let's go.
RUT
(As he steps down with Verna's help)
I think I lost my connection.
VERNA
We know, Rut. You lost it long before this though. Come on. Let's get you some coffee.
RUT
(As they go into Verna's area)
Funny. I always imagined that God's voice would be a little more manly.
SUE
Thank God!
(Answers phone)
Hello, hello...He hung up.
END OF SCRIPT
(Lights come up on the waiting room of a train station. A woman, VERNA, sits at a ticket window R, filing her nails and chewing gum. A phone rings in SUE's bag. A poorly dressed gentleman, some might call a bum, named RUT, pops up from where he has been sleeping on the upstage end of the row of chairs)
RUT
(Cries to sky)
Hello!
SUE
(Jumps up when she sees RUT)
What in heaven's name?!
RUT
(Ring)
Hello?!
SUE
(To VERNA)
What's this bum doing in here?!
VERNA
Sleepin'
RUT
(Ring)
Hello?!
SUE
Shouldn't he be removed?
VERNA
What for? He ain't causin' no harm.
RUT
(Ring. Stands on chair, arms to sky)
Hello, God? Is that you?
SUE
Look at him. He's drunk.
VERNA
Maybe we're the ones who's drunk and he's the only one who's sober.
SUE
(Gets phone)
Oh, you're just a regular philosopher. (To phone) Hello.
RUT
(Very intensely)
Hello, God.
SUE
(This and RUT's next dialog over lap)
Yes, yes. I'm sorry there's a lot of noise here.
RUT
(Overlapping)
Yes, what? What do you want me to do God?
SUE
(Hand over phone)
Will someone shut him up!
RUT
(Shocked)
Oh, please God. Please don't be angry with me. Please be easy on poor little Rut.
VERNA
He thinks you're God. `Bout time God had a little competition.
SUE
It's not funny.
RUT
I never said it was funny God.
SUE
(To RUT)
Look here you.
RUT
(Innocent, saintly pose to sky)
Yes, God.
SUE
Quit calling me God. And...will you look at me.
RUT
I am looking God.
SUE
No, not up there; down here.
RUT
(Gets down)
Where?
SUE
(Trying to get in front of him)
Over here.
RUT
(Under chairs)
Where are you God?
SUE
My name's Sue, not God.
RUT
(Shocked)
God's real name is Sue?
SUE
Will someone do something with him? I have an important call here.
RUT
(Stands on chair, to sky)
Please, don't be angry with me God...I mean, oh great Sue. Please don't cut me off.
SUE
(To VERNA)
Do something with him or I'll complain to your boss.
VERNA
Yes, ma'am.
(Goes to RUT)
Okay, Rut. That's enough for now. Let's go.
RUT
(As he steps down with Verna's help)
I think I lost my connection.
VERNA
We know, Rut. You lost it long before this though. Come on. Let's get you some coffee.
RUT
(As they go into Verna's area)
Funny. I always imagined that God's voice would be a little more manly.
SUE
Thank God!
(Answers phone)
Hello, hello...He hung up.
