Night Watch-Drama Skit

Night Watch-Drama Skit

Themes: Black History, Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation
Categories: Black History 
Summary:

On New Year's Eve, 1863, a group of young people gather inside a church to pray and speculate as to whether or not President Lincoln will sign the much anticipated Emancipation Proclamation.  While three of the teens are hopeful, three are not. Towards the end of the skit, an appearance is made by President Abraham Lincoln himself, giving a short narration on the details of his afternoon, leading up to signing this very important piece of historical documentation. 

 
Notes:

This skit was originally written for youth, but with a few minor changes in wording it would easily suit adult characters.

 
Style: Drama

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Characters: 8 (4 Male, 3 Female, 1 Neutral)
With exception of Abraham Lincoln any of the characters could be gender neutral.
Length: 5-8 minutes
 
Excerpt (Sample)

Setting: A church.  A group of slave children have gathered together to see if the rumors are true that President Lincoln will sign the Emancipation Proclamation.

As the scene opens, Lamont, Georgia, and Patrice stand in a circle holding hands, their heads bowed in prayer. After a moment, Joe, Charlie and Jackie enter.

Charlie:

(sarcastic) See Joe, I told you they’d be in here prayin’. 

The circle breaks as the group acknowledges the presence of Joe, Charlie and Jackie

Joe:

(going to stand near Georgia) Girl, why you wanna be wastin’ your time prayin’? You know it ain’t gonna do you no good.

Georgia:

Prayer is never a waste of time, Joe. 

Joe:

Yeah?  And who told you that, the preacher kid? (indicating Lamont)

Joe moves toward Lamont and gets up in his face

Joe:

You think you’re better than me don’t ya, just because your daddy done taught you how to read that Bible of yours?

Lamont:

(not intimidated) I don’t think I’m better than anybody.  I’m a slave, just like you, remember?

Patrice:

But not for long!  President Lincoln is gonna sign that paper and we’s all gonna be free!

Charlie:

Free? (to Joe) You hear that, Joe?  This girl think she gonna be FREE!

Joe:

(to Charlie) Boy, I think Massa’ done hit her hard in her head this time!

Joe and Charlie “high five” each other and laugh

Patrice:

No, it’s true. I heard Momma and Daddy talking.  They say the President gonna make a law that say black folks can’t be owned no more. 

Lamont:

Every black man, woman and child will be set free.

Jackie:

(shaking his head) Fool, ain’t no black people gonna be free now or ever

Joe:

We were born slaves and we gonna stay slaves until the day we die! 

Georgia:

Not after Lincoln signs the proclamation.  We won’t have to answer to the white folk no more. 

Jackie:

Oh, you think it’s gonna be that easy, huh?

Charlie:

Yeah, you think some piece of paper is gonna magically change who you are? 

Joe:

You think that paper will change the color of your skin?

Georgia:

No, but it will change how the white folk treat us.

Patrice:

They won’t be able to tell us what to do anymore.

Lamont:

We can have a better future, be whatever we want to be. President Lincoln says…

Jackie:

Boy, why you be listenin’ to him? You in his fan club or somethin’?

Charlie:

You been eatin’ dinner in his fancy house? Are you two buddies now?

Jackie, Joe and Charlie laugh

Lamont:

No, but they call him “honest Abe.”  He wouldn’t say something if it wasn’t true. 

Joe:

An honest man in politics?  (shakes his head) It doesn’t exist.  You’re more pathetic than I thought preacher boy. 

Georgia:

President Lincoln will come through for us, you’ll see.  Soon we’ll be free.

Charlie:

If it’s that easy, why’d he wait so long?  Why didn’t Lincoln make a proclamation sooner?

Patrice:

Daddy says it would have failed if he tried any earlier.  He needs the support of the people, including the government officials. 

Lamont:

He needed a Union victory so the government could enforce the proclamation.  With the last battle, now is the right time. 

Georgia:

I pray to God Lincoln signs the proclamation.  Then my dream of being free will finally come true!

Joe:

(angry) Don’t talk to me about God.  There is no God!

Patrice:

Don’t say that.  Of course there is a God!

Joe:

If there is, I don’t want any part of Him.  What kind of God would allow a world like this?

Jackie:

He took my Daddy and my brother away.

Charlie:

He does nothing while my momma gets beat almost every day!

Lamont:

That wasn’t God’s doing…it was man’s. 

Georgia:

And now God is working through President Lincoln to help stop slavery.  It’s gonna happen….I know it will.  It’s got to!

Patrice:

(concerned) What if it doesn’t?

Georgia:

Don’t think like that.  It will happen.

Patrice:

But what if it doesn’t?  What if the President changes his mind?  What if we aren’t freed?

Joe:

Then it will be like every other day.