The Dinner
Drama, a secret at the table
- Drama
- Scene for 4
- 3 min
- Female role
- Adult
- Intermediate
Casting
11 lines- HENRI Male role, Senior
- THÉO Male role, Young adult
- LOUISE Female role, Adult your role
- MARGOT Female role, Teen
Full text
(A family dinner. The sound of cutlery.)
HENRI
So, this semester, Théo? Still top of the class?
THÉO
… I dropped out. In November.
LOUISE
Théo.
MARGOT
Wait… November? And nobody knew?
THÉO
Mum knew.
HENRI
Louise. You knew.
LOUISE
I wanted to give him time to tell you himself.
MARGOT
So for three months, we all pretended. At this table. Every Sunday.
HENRI
That’s not a secret. That’s cowardice, organised.
LOUISE
I protected my son. The way I’ve always protected everyone at this table. And none of you ever saw it.
(Théo sets down his fork.)
THÉO
The worst part is that Mum is right. And that’s what shames me most.
What you can do with it
Original text written for Acto. Read it, print it, work on it in class, perform it at an audition or on a self-tape: that is what it is for, and you need no permission. For a public performance or any commercial use, write to us at contact@acto.re.