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The Visitor Adapted By Sherry Brandon (Amanda is dressed in a winter coat and carrying a sack of groceries. She is met by a friend who is heading into the grocery store.) LINDA: Hey, Amanda! Fancy meeting you here at the grocery store! AMANDA: (in a hurry and out of breath) Oh, hi Linda. LINDA: You OK? You look like you’re really rushed? AMANDA: Yeah, I am really. I gotta get home and make dinner. I’m having a VERY important guest tonight. LINDA: Oh no. You’re not having that creep-a-zoid, Steve over again, are you? AMANDA: No, no. (pulls a letter from her pocket) Look what I found in my mailbox this afternoon. LINDA: (reading) Dear Amanda, I'm going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I'd like to stop by for a visit. Love always, JESUS! (very excited) Oh my goodness, Amanda! That’s so fabulous! AMANDA: (also excited) Yeah, I know. I couldn’t believe it. What an honor! I just spent my last twenty dollars on some groceries so I can make something really special for him for dinner. Well, I gotta go. I’ll call you later and let you know how it went. (Linda nods and exits) (Amanda heads across stage and a homeless man carrying a “Will work for food” sign approaches her.) MAN: Miss? Could you please help me, Miss? (Amanda still acting in a hurry) Look Miss, I ain't got a job, ya know. I’ve been living out here in the street. And well, now it's getting’ cold and I’m pretty hungry. Well, if you could help me, lady, I’d really appreciate it. AMANDA: Sir, I'd like to help you, but I'm having an important guest over tonight, and I just spent the last of my paycheck on groceries to serve to Him for dinner. MAN: Yeah, well, okay lady, I understand. Thanks anyway. (Man begins to walk past Amanda. Amanda thinks a second then turns to him.) AMANDA: Sir, wait! (she approaches him) Look, why don't you take this food? I'll figure out something else to serve my guest tonight. (she gives him her grocery sack) MAN: Thank you lady. Thank you very much! AMANDA: (thinking) You know it’s really cold this time of year, and I've got another coat at home. Here, why don't you go ahead and take this one? (she removes her coat and hands it to the man) MAN: (the man takes coat) Thank you so much, Miss! (The man exits across stage while Amanda continues on her way. She reaches her doorstep at the other side of the stage. She fumbles for her keys in her purse while shivering without a coat) AMANDA: Brrrrrr. I’ll be turning up the heat as soon as I step into this house. (pulls her keys out and drops them) Oh! (when she bends to pick them up, she notices a note card on her doorstep) What’s this? (she opens the card and reads) Dear Amanda, It was so good to see you again. Thank you for the lovely meal. And thank you, too, for the (pause) beautiful coat. Love always, (she gasps) Jesus. (she turns around to look behind her; lights fade.) (optional) Offstage voice reads scripture…Matthew 25:40 - "Verily I say unto you, in as much as you have done it unto one of the least of these, you have done it unto me." (back to the scripts page)