American Eulogy

I have really gotten into this one minute play thing. It's very fun to try to be concise and still get the point across. If I write enough of these, I may put them in a book. They would make good character studies for high school and early college. But alas, that's not very humble of me to say.

This play is called "American Eulogy."

LIGHTS UP

There is a podium. It has a cross on it. In front or behind the podium is a casket.
It is closed and has a floral arrangement on it.

Speaker walks to the podium. He wears a dark suit. .

He clears his throat.

SPEAKER
When Karen first asked me to do this, I told her that I didn't know what to say. She told me that I should tell you all the things that we knew and loved about Tom. Tom was my friend. It's fitting, then, that I tell you all the things about Tom that I think he would have liked all of you to know about him... I think though, that even if you'd only met him once or twice, you know what was important to him. You could see it in the way that he lived him life.You could tell because he devoted himself to certain things. And it's these things that we remember him by today.
He pulls out a piece of folded paper from his jacket pocket.
He unfolds it.

SPEAKER
Tom... (choking back tears for a moment)Tom was a workaholic. He spent hours into the night at the office, often not arriving home until everyone had gone to bed. He was a model employee. He didn't let petty things like his son's little league stand in the way of the things that are important in this life. He never missed an opportunity to go out of town on business, even if it meant that he had to miss his daughter's horse riding competition. He was so dedicated that he often wouldn't even call home to check on his family while he was away. You see, Tom lived his life in such a way that we could all see what was important. He...he was the first on the block to own a Mercedes. When it became popular to live in the country, he was the first to move. He had... (starting to cry)four thousand square feet and a detached garage. He had a very nice boat, which he even took me out on once. And he was also a good husband. He gave Karen diamonds because he knew that diamonds were what she really needed. Yes, Tom had it all. I mean, six figures. I think that's what Tom would have wanted us to remember about him. He showed it by the way he lived. No one could doubt what was important to Tom.

LIGHTS DOWN.