Characters:
Social – Representation of the social aspect of life, extroverted, over the top, and self-obsessed.
Personal – Representation of the personal aspect of life, introverted, soft-spoken, and unsure.
Academic – Representation of the professional aspect of life, confident, intelligent, and composed.
Bartender – Representation of harmony.
~CURTAIN RISES~
ACT 1
It is a warm summer day in Athens, Greece. Personal and Social go out for drinks at the local bar, enjoying the gentle breeze and lively atmosphere, taking a much-needed break from their busy lifestyles. The bar is the classic Mediterranean, with an open roof, palm trees, ample sunlight, and an overlook of the bright Aegean sea. Personal steps into the bar when Social suddenly startles them.
Social: Oh My God! The sun is so bright. I’m getting such a tan after this! And the palm trees match my sunhat, which compliments my sunglasses, which compliment me! I look so attractive. What say, Personal?
Personal: (visibly startled) Oh yes, um, It looks great! I cannot believe how good you look. Say, what is going on in your life?
Social: (paying no attention to Personal and gazing in an affixed mirror) Er, What?
Personal: I said, how has it been lately? You seem to be very busy. I see so little of you these days.
Social: Oh yes, I’m a very busy person. You have no idea. It is so hard managing relations with people. Don’t even get me started on maintaining a social circle, you’re not ready for it. And making connections has got to be the most challenging job ever!
Personal: Hmm, most challenging job ever? I do not think so. Surely, managing yourself is more important.
Social: Oh, WHAT? You make me laugh! You are talking about one person, just how hard is that? Social life is tougher to maintain and should be your top priority.
Personal: Well, no. Personal life is fundamental. If you can’t look after yourself then how can you look after others?
(Personal and Social continue to bicker. The noise attracts the attention of a bystander, Academics. They enter the bar to see what is going on)
Academics: Oi! What is all the commotion about? You two dunderheads will wake half of Greece like this!
Social: (trying to gain sympathy) Personal insulted me and hurt my feelings! (proceeds to fake cry into a tissue)
Personal: (flustered) I did nothing of the sort! What lies!
Academic: Oi! Both of you, shut it! I have had enough of your ruckus. Sit down and let us talk like civilized people.
(All three proceed into the bar and look for a seat)
ACT 2
The three find a table in the corner. They sit down after much fuss from Social, who wanted to have the Sun’s rays bounce off their sunglasses.
Academic: Are you finished? God, could you be any vainer! Now, what’s this debate about in the first place?
Social: (Ignores the comment) Yes, so, Personal over here thinks that self-care and personal life are more important than Social Life! I know right, that’s completely absurd! Please correct them before this gets out of hand and they start making crazy claims such as self-love and all that nonsense.
Personal: Never have I ever seen someone so happy about being so incorrect. Personal life is the stepping stone to everything. It is the foundation, the fundamental building block, the glue that holds everything together. How can all that be less important than making friends?
Academic: (After some pondering) Both of you are wrong!
Social: What?!
Personal: Pray tell us what you mean.
Academic: Social life and Personal life? (Dismisses the words with the flick of a hand) Bah, they are almost irrelevant. What matters most is success, money, and fame! Your paychecks, bank balance, post, and stock, that’s what matters most. Everything else- huh, I don’t even pay attention to anything else.
(Both Social and Personal are in shock for a good minute. Academics look at them with surety and confidence)
Personal: I- Wow. I have never seen someone so wrong and so oblivious about it. How do you live your life? Chasing after such material things, why do you do that?
Social: I know right?! I’ve never heard such preposterousness in my life!
Academic: I am stood firmly in the right. What is preposterous is how you know the meaning of that word.
Personal: Well, I don’t think-
Academic: Clearly, why start now?
Personal: (glowers eyes)
Social: Ok wow, for someone posing to be an intellectual, you seem incredibly rude. Yes, that’s what you are, a poser! A poser with fake ideas and no brains!
(All three began bickering even louder. Attracts the attention of a bartender)
Bartender: What’s all this? This is a bar, drink your drinks or leave.
Social: Well, see, we three are having a very important discussion, and these two don’t seem to understand a thing I’m saying.
Bartender: (cuts across furious Academics and provoked Social): If it’s a discussion you are having, have one over drinks! A nice smooth sip would calm those hotheads of yours!
Personal: Fine, we order our drinks, but then you sit with us to resolve our differences.
(The three begin to order their drinks as the bartender notes them down)
ACT 3
The bartender brings them their drinks—a glass of Samos wine for Personal, A Kitron for Academic, and A Tsipouro for Social. The bartender sits down with them. They explain their sides of the argument.
Bartender: Right, so from what I heard, you three are arguing because each of you thinks that only a particular type of lifestyle is important, Personal, Professional, or Social.
All three: Yes exactly!
Bartender: Hmm, it seems that all have valid arguments, but you forgot the most crucial part.
All three: And what is that?
Bartender: That each without the other is meaningless and useless.
Academic: Explain, please. What you are saying makes no sense.
Social: Yes, what they said.
Bartender: Hmm, think of it this way. Having a good social life allows you to express yourself better, right? And if your career is full of success and you have money in the bank, then you will have peace of mind and be confident in yourself, right?
Social and Academic: Agreed
Bartender: Well, being able to express yourself, having peace of mind and self-confidence, isn’t that the recipe to a healthy personal life?
Personal: Oh! That is true. Why did I never think of it like that? But, if social and professional balance gives a healthy personal life, surely it must also work the other way around.
Bartender: Yes, it does! If you are confident in yourself and your abilities you can have a great social and professional life! Similarly, having a good social circle helps you make connections in life, which will surely help your professional career.
Academic: Hmm, what you are saying does make a lot of sense, But I sense you are alluding to some overbearing point.
Bartender: Well, you are intelligent my friend. See, Social, Personal and Professional life all go hand in hand. One cannot exist without the other two, and having all three is the key to a happy life. This is what is called Harmony.
Social: Harmony? Ooh, that sounds enticing. Tell me more!
Bartender: Life gets more complicated as we grow up, and I feel that each aspect of life, social, personal, and professional, gets more complex to the point where they interfere with each other. Harmony within life would be finding a way that each aspect does not disturb or curb the others while not stopping itself from growing. Harmony is the narrative of how a person mends and maintains a healthy relationship with themselves.
Personal: That is highly insightful. Who knew a bartender would be this wise?
Bartender: Hah, we all have our trade secrets! don’t we? Now, seeing as this little dispute is behind us, let’s say we enjoy the beautiful Greek weather and of course, our drinks!
All three: Cheers!
(The three clink glasses and sip)
~CURTAIN FALLS~
END
– Praneel Dev, Amity International School Noida
4 Likes