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A WAY WITH PEOPLE

MAIN POINT
Here's where mime comes in handy. Sure, we're all aware that in some hypothetical sense it's not good to use people for our own ends. Yet it's hard to actually envision how prevalent and tempting it is. Enter Mime #3, oblivious to any real danger and bent on making himself comfortable. We make an uncomfortable connection with him, and in his exaggerated self-consumption we get glimpses of our own. No, we don't use people as coat hangers. But we do use their efforts to make us successful, their sacrifices to make us comfortable and their applause to keep us encouraged.

This sketch needs a solid teaching or discussion time on the dangers and natural consequences of setting up utilitarian relationships devoid of authentic love.

CHARACTERIZATION
Mimes #1 and #2 are the simplest characters. Their naive passivity allows others to take advantage of them. They lack the fortitude to defend themselves or confront injustice and so wind up with the brunt of the work.

Mime #3 is the real study in character. Here's a grinch-like personality almost too selfish to be real. Compounding our contempt is his shameless determination, even in the face of confrontation. He seems to evidence no conscience at all. People exist for his pleasure and convenience. He's bigger, stronger and bolder, and worst of all - he gets away with it. He can't imagine why others would tire in ceaseless service to him. He is selfishness incarnate.

In Mime #4, Mime #3 meets himself. Only now the other guy is bigger, stronger and bolder, and he gets a taste of his own medicine. It's in that humiliation that the seeds of change are sown. Only when we experience the pain we've caused others will we be broken toward repentance.

The voice should be clear and kind, almost fatherly. Try an older voice to connote wisdom and experience.

DIRECTOR'S NOTES
1) Above all, try this one. Don't be afraid of mime. Even if you've never done it before, this is a great place to start. Why? The narration helps move the thing along. The pace, timing and interpretation of the script all rest in the narrator's hands. This allows the mime to be in a reactionary position and enjoy the benefits of the narrator's reassuring directions. 2) As in all mime, the face is key. Actors must be able to convey exaggerated emotion with their faces. Even Mimes #1 and #2 must stay in character at all times, conveying the appropriate expressions. Mime #3 should be an all-out ham whose face and gestures can say a thousand things. 3) You may have seen this set-up on television commercials with a mime and an off-stage voice. Practice long enough that there's a comfortable rhythm between Mime #3 and the narrator. They need to work like a soloist and an accompanist, reacting and responding to each other. Even though Mime #3 can't verbally interrupt, he should not hesitate to do so nonverbally. Keep the pace rolling along. 4) For lighting, check script directions. 5) You might experiment with some music underneath, especially during the opening scene. Give the script to a really good keyboard player, and encourage experimentation with theater organ sounds to go along with the action. The results can add a lot of enjoyment to your presentation.

RELATED SCRIPTURES
Romans 15 starts with the admonition to "bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves." Both that passage and Philippians 2 contrast the human tendency to exalt ourselves with Christ's chosen humility and service. First Timothy 1:5 says that the goal of our instruction is love which comes from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith. Without that soil, love cannot grow. The first half of 1 Corinthians 13 would be fitting as well with its emphasis on the necessity of love over all virtues. The end of the sketch reminds us of the warning in Ecclesiastes 10:8-9. "Whoever digs a pit may fall into it; whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake. Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them; whoever splits logs may be endangered by them."

RELATED THEMES
Love is the antithesis of selfishness, so it is an obvious link. We also get glimpses of pride, insensitivity and the natural consequences of our sins catching up with us. The concept of using people is so foundational to human relationships that any series or message on relationships in general or even the unity of the body of Christ would benefit from this sketch.