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Christening play: „Change comes from the inside at first and then on the outside“

Players:

Swot, scholar 1and scholar 2

The swot sits alone and reads an encyclopaedia

Scholar 1:	What is our little swot doing there? Am I seeing right, you’re reading an encyclopaedia?
Swot:	I am not reading, I am studying. Do you know, for example, what coagulation is?
Scholar 1:	No, do I have to know that?
Swot:	Now, coagulation describes the clotting or flocculation of a colloid fluid. We should all know that. There are some basic words which we should be at home with. But that unfortunately does not seem to be the case!
Scholar 1:	Ach really? I have a nice life without having to recite an encyclopaedia and without stuffing irrelevant information into my brain everyday...
Swot:	Irrelevant? You really are pathetic. You don’t even know what you are missing.
Scholar 1:	What I am missing? Have a look for the word friend in your encyclopaedia and you’ll see what you are missing, you know-it-all! (Leaves)
Swot:	(To himself) A friend, everyone knows that. A friend is hmm... (Flicks through the encyclopaedia) Friend – that’s not even in here. Do I have any friends?
Scholar 2:	Well, none that I know of.
Swot:	Do you want to be my friend? Then we can read the encyclopaedia together
Scholar 2:	(Laughs) No way, I cannot be bothered with that.
Swot:	Or I could show you my stamp collection! I would love to have a friend.
Scholar 2:	But you will never have any if they have to follow your plans and I don’t know anyone who is interested in stamps and encyclopaedias.
Swot:	Oh, right. So you mean that I have to change to have some friends?
Scholar 2:	then you’ll certainly be on the right path. (Looks at his watch) I have to go.
Swot:	A few friends wouldn’t be bad. I’ll have to work on myself a bit.
Sign: After 2 weeks
Swot is reading a sports newspaper
Scholar 1:	Hey, is everything Ok with you? Has someone nicked your encyclopaedia, or what?
Swot:	Ach, give up on the encyclopaedia thing, that was in the past. I am different now. Football isn’t as boring as I thought.
Scholar 1:	You’re interested in football now?
Swot:	Obviously. I saw all of the world cup games. There is only one thing which I don’t understand. Why do they foul each other? Can’t they talk about it?
Scholar 1:	Ha? You don’t seem to have changed much!
Swot:	Of course I have changed. Look at me – I am a new person.
Scholar 1:	(Laughs) Then compare a photo of you from three years ago and have a look in the mirror. Those mole glasses, your woolly jumper, and your old grey trousers – everything’s just the same.
Swot:	Buuuut, those are external things.
Scholar 1:	How should I know, I haven’t got x-ray vision. I only see a swot. (Goes)
Swot:	(Swears to himself) Yeah, great, I’ll never find any friends. I wanted to invite the boys round to mine to watch football.
Scholar 2:	Hey, Joachim, what are you moaning about?
Swot:	Heeeyy, why did you call me by my real name?
Scholar 2:	Why? Should I call you a swot or what?
Swot:	No, of course not. I was just a bit surprised because nobody calls me Joachim and because no one seems to have noticed that I have changed.
Scholar 2:	I have noticed. Your old ways still come through sometimes but I believe that you have made big steps forwards.
Swot:	But I don’t understand. Why doesn’t anybody want anything to do with me?
Scholar 2:	Most people see you the same way as before simply because you haven’t anything in your appearance. On the outside, you still look like a swot!
Swot:	But isn’t it completely superficial to judge someone by how they look? So you think that it would be enough just to buy some new clothes?
Scholar 2:	And a decent pair of glasses... no, of course not. The others would have quickly noticed that you are the same old swot on the inside. With some changes to your appearance, you will show the others that you have changed your attitude, which they cannot see on the inside.
Swot:	Then I’ll buy myself some new clothes so that the others will notice that I am no longer a swot? Then I’ll finally have some friends?
Scholar 2:	Well I believe that some changes to your appearance show others what you have changed on the inside. Apart from that, you will probably feel more comfortable in a few new clothes and you will always be reminded that you have a new attitude. Have you checked that out now? Of course, mate. Change comes from the inside first and then can be reflected on the outside.
Swot:	(Takes off his jumper – he has a cool t-shirt under it and puts on a pair of sunglasses) My new life can begin.
Theme suggestion: Change through others, outward appearances and judgement by others, self worth and worth of others

Author: Thomas Baberowski