The Easter Zone
By Dan Eubanks
Announcer: (Dressed in black suit, white shirt, and black tie, with Twighlight Zone
music in background, announcer walks to center stage holding a remote control.)
Imagine if you will, viewing time through a window. Compress 35 years but to a few
minutes, and what might you see. Join us if you will, in place we like to call….The
Easter Zone.
Dr.: (Doctor enters in scrubs, holding baby in blanket, Mother sits in chair in a hospital
robe.) Mrs. Jones, congratulation. You’re the mother of a beautiful baby girl. Would
you like to hold her?
Mother: Oh yes, would I! (Takes baby from Dr., kisses it on the cheek) You are such a
beautiful baby, so perfect. I will love you forever, my baby…my beautiful girl!
Announcer: Pause! (Everyone freezes, as Announcer off stage presses pause. Walks
back center stage with a remote control in hand.) Let’s fast forward, 15 year into the
future, what seems like but mere seconds, a lifetime of caring, teaching, and love, pass…
and brings us to this moment. (Hits play and walks off stage)
Daughter: (Enters stage, mother is holding a mixing bowl wearing apron and stirring
contents of bowl.) Mom?
Mother: Hey Sweetie.
Daughter: Can I go to the movies tonight with some friends?
Mother: What movie, and what friends?
Daughter: Borat.
Mother: Borat? Isn’t that rated R?
Daughter: (Says with slight irritation.) Oh come on mom, do you have to be so old
fashioned?
Mother: Rated R movies when I was your age, are now equivalent to today’s PG
movies. You know my rules. (Mother goes back to stirring bowl.)
Daughter: Well what if we go see another movie?
Mother: Well, that would depend on the movie, and on who you would be going with.
Which you still haven’t told me.
Daughter: Katie, Mark and maybe (saying name very quietly) Steve.
Mother: (Mother’s head shoots up from bowl, and stares at daughter for a moment.)
Steve…as in the “will you go with me, check yes or no” Steve?
Daughter: (Looking sheepish) Yes.
Mother: You are 15 years old, you are not allowed to go on unsupervised dates.
Daughter: (Daughter says pleadingly.) Mom!
Mother: No. You cannot go to the movies tonight. If you want, you can invite them all
over here, but that’s it.
Daughter: Why!
Mother: Because I said so, and it’s final.
Daughter: I hate you! (Cock Crows) You never let me do anything. Everyone else’s
parents let them go out and see whatever they want with whomever they want!
Mother: I’m not everyone else’s parent.
Daughter: (Starting to cry) I hate you! (Cock Crows) I hate you, I hate you! (Cock
Crows third time, and daughter runs off stage crying.)
Announcer: Pause! (Walks back center stage with a remote control in hand.) Let’s jump
forward, 4 years into the future, past the rebellious stage, past the pregnancy. (Hits play
and walks out of the scene.)
Dr.: (Doctor enters in scrubs, now with gray hair, holding baby in blanket, Daughter
sits in chair in a hospital robe, with Mother now with gray hair, and standing behind her
daughter stroking her hair. ) Miss. Jones, congratulation. You’re the mother of a
beautiful baby girl. Would you like to hold her?
Mother: Oh yes, would I! (Takes baby from Dr., kisses it on the cheek) You are such a
beautiful baby, so perfect. I will love you forever, my baby…my beautiful girl!
Announcer: Pause! (Everyone freezes, as Announcer off stage presses pause and walks
back center stage with a remote control in hand.) Let’s fast forward, 15 year into the
future, what seems like but mere seconds, a lifetime of caring, teaching, and love pass,
and brings us to this moment.
New Daughter: (Enters stage, wearing all black, looking very Goth, Daughter is holding
a mixing bowl wearing apron and stirring contents of bowl.) Mom?
Daughter: Hey Sweetheart, what’s up?
New Daughter: Can I go to a party tonight with some friends?
Daughter: What kind of party, and what kind of friends?
New Daughter: Somebody’s birthday I think.
Daughter: Sombody’s? (Looks contemplative…shakes head “no”.) I don’t think so.
And I don’t even want to know who’s going to the party.
New Daughter: (Says with slight irritation.) Oh come on mom, why do you have to be
that way?
Daughter: We’ve already been through this. (Mother goes back to stirring bowl.)
New Daughter: You don’t care about me, you just like the power of being able to say
no! You’re a dictator, and I’m your only subject!
Daughter: That’s not true. You’re 15 years old, and your not going to some party that
you don’t even know who its for or why.
New Daughter: I hate you! (Cock Crows) You never let me do anything. Everyone
else’s parents let them go out and do whatever they want, with whomever they want!
Mother: I’m not everyone else’s…. (Pausing, and looks visibly distraught.)
Daughter: (Says very angrily) I hate you! (Cock Crows) I hate you, I hate you! (Cock
Crows, and daughter runs off.)
Announcer: Pause! (Walks back center stage with a remote control in hand.) Let’s jump
forward, 1 hour into the future, past the revelation, past the conviction. (Hits play and
walks out of the scene.)
Daughter: (Walks up to mother, and embraces her crying. Mother looks puzzled.)
Mom? (Daughter steps back holding mother’s hands). I am so sorry.
Mother: For what dear?
Daughter: For the things I said, the way I acted when I was younger. I wish I could take
them all back.
Mother: Take what back?
Daughter: I love you. I’m sorry for every mean thing I ever said to you. Do you forgive
me?
Mother: Of course dear, of course. (Mother embraces crying daughter, and pats
hersoftly on the back.) I will always love you my baby…my beautiful girl.
Announcer: Freeze! (Walks to center stage.) And so we conclude our little journey
through space and time. Realizing that there can be no reconciliation without
forgiveness, no forgiveness without repentence, and no repentence without first
recognizing the wrong. Let’s hope that we can reconcile all our differences as fast as it
felt in today’s journey, because 20 years….is so much longer, when you live
outside….THE EASTER ZONE.