Introducing…the 12 Plays of Christmas. Over the next 12 days, I will write 12 one-act plays that illustrate life in the Nuckols home. Additionally, we will perform these plays for you and put them up on the site.

PEPPER

MIKE, SHANI, ALEX, JACK are eating soup at the dinner table.

MIKE
(picking up the new holiday pepper shaker)
These things are USELESS.

ALEX
They are not. I like them.

MIKE
They don’t give you pepper.

JACK
Yes they do.

MIKE
OK, let’s race. Go.

Jack starts to pepper his soup. Mike gets up, goes to the kitchen, gets a container of pepper, returns and peppers his soup. He does this before Jack is done peppering his own soup.

MIKE
Useless! HA!

SHANI
(she has never looked up from her meal the entire time)
You’re ridiculous.

Alex takes Mike’s roll and spikes it in Mike’s soup.

ALEX
Bad Daddy!

END SCENE

Introducing…the 12 Plays of Christmas. Over the next 12 days, I will write 12 one-act plays that illustrate life in the Nuckols home. Additionally, we will perform these plays for you and put them up on the site.

ELF

Morning. MIKE and SHANI are in bed asleep.

SHANI
(nudging MIKE)
Elf.

MIKE
Wha?

SHANI
Elf. Elf!

MIKE
Elf!

Mike bolts out of bed.

END SCENE

Introducing…the 12 Plays of Christmas. Over the next 12 days, I will write 12 one-act plays that illustrate life in the Nuckols home. Additionally, we will perform these plays for you and put them up on the site.

Cropduster

MIKE sits on the couch. SHANI enters and keeps moving.

SHANI
I had the craziest day. Did you get my text?
I needed to redo the lists from admissions yet again…

She is out of the room and still talking. 

NEW LOCATION

JACK is playing Xbox in the basement. SHANI enters and keeps moving.

SHANI
Jack, I need you to try on your wrestling shoes today.
If they don’t fit we need to go to Dicks this weekend and make sure…

She is out of the room and still talking. 

NEW LOCATION

ALEX is doing homework in the kitchen. SHANI enters and keeps moving.

SHANI
Alex, did you get that form signed today? Oh, and you have carpool pickup
at 5:30, so you’re going to need to eat. Oh, and your towel is…

She is out of the room and still talking. 

END SCENE.

Introducing…the 12 Plays of Christmas. Over the next 12 days, I will write 12 one-act plays that illustrate life in the Nuckols home. Additionally, we will perform these plays for you and put them up on the site.

Smell?

ALEX and MIKE are on the couch watching The Flash. They are both snuggled together and transfixed.

SHANI enters through the front door.

SHANI
I’m home! Do you guys smell a food smell in here?

MIKE AND ALEX (not looking up)
No.

SHANI crosses and exits for the kitchen. Pause a beat. She returns.

SHANI
I just went to the grocery store yesterday. Did you guys eat all the grapes?

MIKE AND ALEX (not looking up)
Yes.

Pause another beat as she stares at them. They stay fixed on the screen. SHANI leaves.

END SCENE.

Introducing…the 12 Plays of Christmas. Over the next 12 days, I will write 12 one-act plays that illustrate life in the Nuckols home. Additionally, we will perform these plays for you and put them up on the site.

Drink?

MIKE and SHANI sit on the couch. Both are on their phones.

MIKE
Hey, would you…

SHANI
Hang on.

Shani needs to finish what she’s doing on her phone. Mike nods and goes back to his phone.

SHANI
Oh, I forgot…

MIKE
Just one sec.

Now Mike is finishing something on his phone. Shani nods and goes back to her phone.

SHANI
What do you think about a glass of wine?

MIKE
That sounds good.

Mike looks up at her. She is still on her phone. He stares at her and waits. She stares up at him, then goes back to her phone.

MIKE
Ok…

He gets up.

MIKE
Red or white?

SHANI
Red please.

END SCENE.