Theme: Grace should not be taken for granted. It may be free, but it’s not cheap. (Romans 6:1-5)
Length: 3 – 3.5 minutes
Characters: Accountant, Female Elevator Voice
Scenes/Props: A door frame indicating an elevator, folder with papers, and a calculator.
Synopsis: A pre-occupied accountant on his way to a financial meeting steps on an elevator. When the ride stops in between floors, he and the elevator engage in a conversation that centers on the elevator’s woe of being taken for granted and the concept of grace.
Excerpt:
An ACCOUNTANT approaches an elevator carrying a folder with paper work along with a calculator. He hits the elevator button and glances over his paperwork as he waits. The elevator bell RINGS, he enters, and turns to face the audience. He pushes the button for his floor then assumes a blank stare as the ride begins, but lurches when the elevator stops suddenly. He pushes buttons on the panel, but nothing happens. Annoyed, he jabs harder, but still nothing.
Accountant: Hey, what’s wrong with this thing?
Elevator: Thing? You call me a thing? Okay then. I’ll call you number cruncher. Number Cruncher.
Accountant: Alone in an elevator for less than a minute and I’m already hearing voices.
Elevator: Correction. You’re never alone. You just don’t happen to be around any people at the moment.
Accountant: Yeah, and no soothing elevator music either. Stupid elevator.
(The Accountant jabs the buttons harder, starts smacking them with his hand and finally jumps up and down.)
Elevator: Hey. A few jabs I can tolerate, but no jumping. We’re both feeling that extra donut you had this morning.
Account: Great. I’m stuck on an elevator with no music…that talks…AND has an attitude. (yells to the outside) Hello, can anybody hear me? Hello, the elevator’s stuck!
Elevator: I’m not stuck. I’m just pausing to regroup.
Accountant: Wonderful. I have a meeting in 15 minutes and the elevator is pausing to re-group. And what does that even mean anyway?
Elevator: It means you’re stuck.
