The Big Lie Duet Scene

DUET SCENE – THE BIG LIE
Play Ten / Two by Lindsay Price

Stats Comedy, Simple Set, 10 minutes
Casting 2M
Description The typical teacher-student interaction gets turned upside-down in THE BIG LIE.
Get the Play www.theatrefolk.com
ONE is a teacher, TWO is a student. Both characters I be if I let you crouch there? What kind of cruel
can be of either gender. Mr. Montgomery becomes person would I be if I made you squat for the
Miss Montgomery, Mrs. Nelson becomes Mr. Whole. Entire. Class?
Nelson.
TWO: Is that a yes?
ONE is at a table organizing papers. She is
extremely prim with a ramrod straight back. TWO ONE: Sit.
sneaks onstage and tries to get into a seat without TWO sits. ONE slowly approaches TWO with a
ONE seeing. TWO slowly crawls along the floor. certain amount of menace.
He gets to his seat and slowly starts to crawl into
place. ONE: What time is it, Mr. Montgomery?
Just as TWO gets into an awkward mid-crawl TWO: I don’t know.

position around his chair, ONE looks up.
ONE: Well, look at the clock. We’re very lucky
ONE: (slowly) Mr. Montgomery. here to have been provided with timepieces in
every classroom. It’s the wave of the future. The
TWO freezes. time, please?
TWO: (wincing) Yes? TWO: Ten o’clock.
ONE: Are you trying to sneak into my classroom? ONE: Look closer, please. What time is it?
TWO: No. TWO: Ten-oh-two.
ONE: It looks to me like you are. ONE: Ten-oh-two. Very precise. Thank you. And
TWO: Does it? what makes you think you can waltz into MY class
at Ten-oh-Two?
ONE: Indubitably. Are you going to sit?
TWO: (blurting out) I just wanted –
TWO: Can I?
ONE: Of course. Who am I to deny the youth of
today a seat? What kind of human being would
Continued Over…
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ONE: You wanted? You wanted something? TWO: (getting more confident) You’re a good
Someone call the presses! A teenager wanted teacher.
something. That’s certainly never happened before.
ONE: Be quiet.
TWO: Mrs. Nelson, if you’d just let me –
TWO: You make history fun and exciting -
ONE: What time does class start?
ONE: Don’t say that.
TWO: (very dejected) Ten fifteen.
TWO: And I know something else, too -
ONE: What was that?
ONE: (looking around with panic) I can’t believe
TWO: Ten fifteen. Class starts at ten fifteen. you’re doing this, someone will hear.
ONE: Precisely. Ten fifteen. Not ten, not ten oh TWO: This whole tough guy thing is a sham, an act!
two, but ten fifteen. Why have you come to class
early? ONE: No!
TWO: (as if this is a bad thing) It’s just that we’re TWO: A lie!
studying The Depression and I think it’s a really ONE: It is not!
interesting time and I thought I would come early…
and ask… you… some… questions. TWO: Liar, liar, pants on fire! You love teaching!
ONE: Are you actually saying the reason you ONE: Shut up, shut up!
came to class early is because (with disgust) you’re
TWO: And you love kids!
interested in learning?
ONE shrieks.
TWO: I didn’t know that was wrong!
TWO: You DO care about your students!
ONE: Don’t be smart with me!
ONE claps her hands to her chest. She staggers
TWO: (sincere) Sorry!
back onto the desk.
ONE: Do you want to give your fellow students
ONE: (defeated) Low blow, Mr. Montgomery. Low
a bad name?
blow.
TWO: No.
Now it is TWO who advances slowly on ONE.
ONE: No one comes to class early, and they
TWO: Try to deny it. Just try it. I’ve seen the way
certainly don’t ask questions. Haven’t you seen
you teach. You’re the best teacher I’ve ever had
them? Don’t you know how you’re supposed to
and I don’t care who knows it. (calling out) Mrs.
behave?
Nelson’s a good teacher!
TWO: I guess not.
ONE: (holding out her hands as if warding off
ONE: Are you trying to give me a bad name? Make blows) Enough! No more! (she takes a breath) Well.
me look like I care about my students? Mr. Montgomery. Clearly you have me behind the
eight ball. (she stands up straight and looks TWO
TWO: (blurting out, frustrated) But you’re a good in the eye) What are your terms?
teacher!
TWO: What do you mean?
There is a long pause as ONE slowly gives TWO
an evil look. ONE: What’s your price? What do I have to do
to stop you spreading this vicious, malevolent,
ONE: What did you say? gossip about me?
Continued Next…
© Lindsay Price 2017 2

TWO: Hmmmmmmmm. (he thinks) You let me
come in early, AND ask questions…
ONE: Too much, you ask for too much!
TWO: AND ask questions, then I won’t tell anyone
what I know. I’ll even throw in a few bad stories
‘cause I’m in a good mood.
ONE: What about nicknames? Can you call me
some rotten awful nicknames where lots of students
can hear?
TWO: (putting hands on hips) Now who’s asking
too much!
ONE: Please? Battle Axe? Death Breath? No Neck
Nelson?
TWO: All right. But I’m not doing the one about
the bad breath. That’s just cruel. Deal?
ONE: Deal.
They shake hands on it.
© Lindsay Price 2017 3

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What is the typical interaction between the teacher and student that gets turned upside down?

How does the student get the teacher to admit that she cares about teaching?

DUET SCENE – THE BIG LIE

Play Ten / Two by Lindsay Price

Just as TWO gets into an awkward mid-crawl TWO: I don’t know.

www.theatrefolk.com Copyright © 2017 by Lindsay Price, All Rights Reserved

© Lindsay Price 2017 2

© Lindsay Price 2017 3

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