Parts:	Played by:
Narrator	-
Ruth	-
Ricky	-
Friend #1	-
Friend #2	-

Staging	Ruth: Right of center stage, back of the stage. Carrying a flashlight. Ricky and two others: stage right. Narrator: Stage left. Teacher: Stage right.
NARRATOR	Time and place: A dark night, on a camping trip in the mountains. Ruth's friend Ricky is walking, in the dark, towards a cliff with a drop of over 300 feet. If he keeps going, he is very likely to fall over the cliff, and be killed. What should Ruth do? a. Watch to see what happens. b. Turn away so she doesn't have to see him fall. c. Run over to tell him of the danger.
RICKY	Start walking slowly across the stage.
RUTH	When Ricky gets in front of Ruth: STOP! There is a very dangerous cliff just ahead of you!
NARRATOR	And what if he says...
RICKY	You’re crazy! Leave me alone. I know what I am doing!
NARRATOR	...What should Ruth do then? a. Shrug her shoulders and leave him alone. b. Tell him “You’ll be sorry!” c. Help him see the danger ahead.
RUTH	Click on your flashlight and shine it ahead Look! Do you see the drop?
NARRATOR	And if he still ignores Ruth, what should she do? a. Say, “I’ll see you in heaven,” and step back. b. Get help to forcefully save Ricky.
RICKY	Start walking slowly towards the cliff.
RUTH	Hey everybody! Help me get Ricky away from this cliff before he KILLS himself!
SEVERAL FRIENDS & RUTH	Rush over, grab Ricky, and drag him back the way he came.
RICKY	Screaming! Leave me alone! Leave me alone!
NARRATOR	And Ricky lived a long life.

Staging	All actors and Teacher line up at center-stage, facing the audience. Line up in any order.
Narrator	Are friends JUST somebody to pal around with?
Ruth	Someone JUST to do things with?
Ricky	Someone who JUST tells you how neat you are?
Friend #1	Or should they be more?
ALL TOGETHER	These things I believe!
Friend #2	I believe a true friend will try to help his friend,
Teacher	even when that person seems to be rejecting the help.
Narrator	I believe a true friend will risk losing that friendship,
Ruth	in order to save her friend!
Ricky	I believe if you were headed for destruction,
Friend #1	and a friend stepped in and successfully rescued you,
Friend #2	later you would be glad he did!
Teacher	I believe that even in less dramatic situations than the cliff story the principle is the same.
ALL TOGETHER	These things I believe!
NARRATOR	The End.

TEACHER

Here are two real world examples of the principle illustrated in our little drama.

If a friend is doing drugs, a true friend will first try to convince him to stop using them. If that fails, a true friend tries to get help from someone with a lot of power. Which would be better...?

a. Try to save your friend’s life and in doing that risk loosing his friendship.

b. Do nothing, and keep your friendship until the very end when he kills himself, fries his brain, or gets sent to prison.

---

The Failing Student

Maybe your friend is giving up on school. If you are a true friend you will try to help him. Talk to him. Tell your friend that you really care about him and want to help him avoid failing. Tell him you don’t want to see him fail. You want to see him succeed! And then follow up!

Help in whatever way you can! Encourage him. Sit with him and help him with his work. If that doesn’t help, talk to your friend’s teachers or parents. Tell them what is happening. Urge them to get a tutor, or do some other intervention.

What are TRUE friends for? To help each other to be the BEST they can be!

a. One who cares enough to try to help you.

b. One who is only thinking about himself.

Which do you choose for yourself, as a Life-Goal?

a. Be someone who is only interested in what you can get for yourself out of a friendship.

b. Be someone who cares about the other person, and is willing to help your friend.

 

It is your choice.