Home On the Grate by A. Dacosta Brathway

This is a one act play about how a bad economy can have an adverse psychological effect on the poor and disenfranchised.


ACT 1, SCENE 1> A metropolitan street in any big city like New York City. Three homeless transients are sitting inside a big appliance box, watching pedestrians walk by unconcerned about their plight.

Henry is the leader of the three. His other two friends in the box are Hopeless and Hapless. (Happy for short.) They have a hat outside the box for contributions but it is empty. Henry is always full of grandiose ideas. They always manage to keep their spirits up!

(Henry reaches for the hat, looks in it, and throws it back outside.)

Henry> Looks like we have slim pickings today boys so what will it be, plastic bags or the dumpster?

(Hopeless and “Happy” look at each other)

“Happy”> Dumpster!

Henry> Micky D’s or Appleby’s?

Hopeless> Appleby’s!

“Happy” (objects)> Wait a minute, I thought we might go fast foods tonight. I want Micky D’s!

Hopeless> Well, nobody’s stoppin’ ya… Go where ya like!

“Happy”> I thought we might all dine together? I likes the company!

Hopeless> You want us to dine together but you want fast food? C’mon man… Wouldn’t you rather have a nice, juicy, succulent, thrown away, half eaten steak?

Henry> That does sound more appetizing! What do you say “Happy?”

(“Happy” thinks for a second.)

“Happy”> Well, I do have a taste for a steak!
Hopeless> Then it’s settled… We go for the steak!

Henry> I’ll tell you what would be nice?

Hopeless> What?

Henry> It would be nice if the economy could get right again and we could make some decent earnings like we used to do!

“Happy"> Yeah…!

Hopeless> You think that’s gonna happen anytime soon? That Cowboy Dude done flipped the country upside down and hauled ass back to Texas! Homeboy ain’t got a chance!

“Happy”> Man, don’t think like that! You’re bringin’ me down!

Henry> Yeah man. What is that kinda thinkin’ with you? With that kind of talk, you make me want to go back to the shelter to live. Out here we have our freedom! We’re rogues! We’re frontier’s men… We’re…

Hopeless (cuts Henry off)> We’re bums!

Henry and “Happy”> NOOOO!

“Happy”> We’re just three guys who are down on our luck and could use a helping hand!

Henry> We need to pray more. God will hear our cries!

Hopeless> HA! I’m tired of prayin’! I’m tired of being on my knees prayin’! If I gotta be down there, I rather be beggin’ instead of prayin’!

“Happy”> Stop thinkin’ like that!

Henry> We gotta go… We’re gonna be late for dinner!

FADE to BLACK.


ACT 1, SCENE 2> Henry is flat on his back to the side of the door of a bodega. He is moaning and holding his stomach, begging for money.


Henry> Please help the poor… Please help me! I am starving and could use some spare change… Please help?

A couple walks out of the store, embraced and have a hand full of lottery tickets. One of the tickets slips from the pile and falls to the ground, next to Henry.

The man bends down to pick up the ticket but his girlfriend stops him.

The Woman> Honey, what are you doing? Leave it…We have plenty…

The man leaves the ticket and they both walk away.

Henry looks to his side and sees the ticket.

He picks it up, looks it over, then puts it in his pocket.

Fade to BLACK.


ACT 1, SCENE 3> Henry and the boys are standing in front of an appliance store watching the various TV’s when Henry mentions the ticket.

Henry> Fellas, look what I got?

Henry pulls out the ticket.

Hopeless> What you got there?

“Happy”> Oh man, you got a lottery ticket? Where did you get that? Wait a minute… Where did you get the money to buy it?

Henry> I didn’t buy it!

Hopeless> Then how did you get it?

Henry> A couple bought it and dropped it!

Hopeless> They must have been pissed!

Henry> No… Not really,,, They had a hand full!

The news is on the TV’s and the lottery numbers are about to be revealed.

“Happy”> Shhhhhhh… They are about to do the lottery! Maybe Henry will get lucky?
Hopeless> Fat chance…

The woman reads off the numbers as the balls drop and the boys listen attentively while looking at the ticket.

Woman # 2> … And the numbers are… 2, 4, 6, 8, 10… And the bonus number is…59!

Hopeless> Okay, throw the ticket away and let’s get out of here… (He looks up to the sky) It looks like rain!

Hopeless starts to walk away.

Hopeless looks to both his sides and notices that the boys are not walking with him so he looks behind him.

Henry and “Happy”> Both screaming to the top of their lungs while on the ground.

“Happy”> Oh my God… Holy shit! You’re rich man! You’re rich!

Henry (crying)> I can’t believe this! I won!

Hopeless doubles back.

Hopeless> You won? Won what?

“Happy”> Henry won the lottery!

Hopeless> WHAT? Wait a minute… SHHHHHHHHHH… Shut up? Let’s go! You want to get robbed?

They gather themselves and run into the darkness.

Fade to BLACK.


ACT 1, SCENE 4> Henry and the boys are back in their box.

“Happy”> (Excited!) Henry, what are you going to do with all that money?

Hopeless> Leave the man alone! Can’t you see that he is overwhelmed?

(Henry just sits there, gazing outside of the box.)

“Happy”> Man, you gotta clean yourself up and get down to the lottery board to collect your money! If we can get the carfare, I know a place where I can hose you down!

Henry> I can’t believe this! My prayers have been answered! Now I can do what I always wanted to do!

Hopeless> Oh yeah? And what, pray-tell is that?

Henry> When I was a kid, I always dreamt that I would grow up and be a real estate mogul! You know, a Donald Trump type!

“Happy”> Yeah, Yeah… I remember you mentioning that once… Now’s your chance… You can become… “The Henry!”

Hopeless> “The Henry?” Man, shut up!

Henry> No man… “Happy’s” right! I always wanted to be in real estate and now is my chance! And I know exactly what I’m gonna do… I’m gonna provide custom made condos for the homeless! I am going to design and build affordable custom condos for the homeless…

“Happy”> That is so cool! Are you gonna let me and Hopeless get one?

Henry> (excited) Hell yeah! You, two, will be my spokesmen! You will live in the model condos I build as a part of my marketing plan. When the others see what you two are living in, they will come in droves! I will make affordable housing look like a joke!

Hopeless> I got news for you… It is already a joke!

Henry> Listen… Here’s the plan… We will get cleaned up… cash in the ticket… We will draw up the designs for the condos… We will go to every appliance store and buy up all the major appliance boxes there are in the city… We will have the condos made and placed on every heated grate in this city and the mayor will honor us with the key to the city!

“Happy”> (Excited! Screams!) YEAH!!!
Hopeless> (realizing what Henry said) WHAT?

FINI