Theme: Love that Lasts
Story: (Humorous) Young Lady is drawn to a unique ãlove meterä machine, and is surprised by the card responses she gets from the machine.
Cast: one young lady with cell phone
Setting: Outside the arcade at the mall; love meter is in mall concourse. Background sound of ãarcade ambienceä playing; single spot on machine, ãchristmas lightsä lit.  (note for special effect: when lady puts money in the machine, stage colored lights rapidly flash on and off and song ãLove Machineä plays briefly, about 5 seconds....they must begin and end together for the right effect)

Lights up (single white spot)

(walks onstage talking on cell phone, walks slowly to machine, glances
at it while still talking, and continues to slowly walk away.) (Can talk
about anything, just make it like a phone conversation with pauses to
listen, etc.) (Stops walking about 10 feet from machine and ends
conversation, putting phone in purse...She takes a step or 2, stops and
turns to face the machine. She looks like she is trying to make up her
mind [make this obvious], looks all around to see if anyone is
watching.  She slowly walks to the machine, very cautiously. She stops
beside the machine, and appears to read the instructions)

I hope no one I know is watching (she looks around again quickly) I must
be crazy...these machines are such a rip-off!!! (and begins to walk
away, but stops  and thinks for a moment; she walks back to the machine
again)

(She looks down at the top of the machine) I canât believe Iâm doing this...If Janet ever finds out....(pause) Well, Iâm here, I might as well read the instructions...

(reads instructions) ãAre you a ãlove machine?ä Or are you loser at love?  Find out now by inserting one quarter in the slot below.ä  Just who do they think they are kidding...a ãlove machineä???!!!! Okay, Iâll bite; letâs see what it does...

(pause, she looks out and around her again to see if anyone is looking, finds a quarter in her purse and puts
it in the machine) (special effect for 5 seconds; screams and jumps back, looking around to see if anyone notices)

I knew it...they should have called it an
ãEmbarrassment Machine!ä(pompously starts to leave, but notices a card
in the slot) Well, I guess I should read the card....I paid a quarter
for it.
(gets card and reads it to herself, then explodes) Try again!!! I donât
believe this!
(Reads the card out loud) ãTry again. You need at least 2 chances,
considering the lousy love life you haveä
You stupid machine! (Gently kicks the base of the machine) What do you
know about my love life? My last boyfriend said I was the best
girlfriend he ever had! I had 3 guys ask me to the prom last year, and I
could have had more!
(Angrily looks at card; stomps her foot and pauses....then, with a jerk,
she reaches into her purse for another quarter) Okay, Mr. ãLove
Machineä, hereâs your ãsecond chanceä!
(She puts the quarter in the machine and the special effect happens
again...she jumps and looks around, but not as much as the first time.)
I canât believe Iâm paying for this to happen...
(She takes the card and reads it out loud) ãGotcha, didnât I?ä
Wait a minute, thatâs impossible! That machine knew I was going to take
another card!!!
(Resumes reading) ãSo, where are your boyfriends now?ä
What!!!??? I...well, theyâre...I mean...(pause) Itâs none of your
business! Just because heâs dating my EX-best friend, it doesnât mean
anything! I could get him back anytime I want. Janet thinks sheâs so hot
because she with him now....But heâs not worth having...I was getting
ready to dump him anyhow...What am I doing??!!! Iâm talking to a
machine!! This is crazy...Iâm getting out of here (starts to leave, but
returns)
Alright, Iâm giving you one more chance to give me some good news
(reaches into purse, rummages around and finds a quarter) Okay...hereâs
my last quarter: give me some good news (puts the quarter in the slot)
(Special effect; she looks up, closes her eyes and shakes her head as if
to say ãNot this againä; takes card after music ends)
(She reads the card outloud) ãWhat you need is lasting love. For one
more quarter, Iâll tell you where you can get it.ä
(Looks at audience) Love that lasts? No, thatâs really impossible
(pause)...isnât it?(Her eyes open very wide open at audience, staring
for a moment. Then, with a jerk, rips into her pocket book) I know
thereâs another quarter in here somewhere...(freeze)

Lights down low, except for spot on love machine.  Bring up music for 5
seconds, then fade out music, with only white spot on machine then quick
fade all stage lights to low