The Payoff

2-3m, 1 either, any ages

FIVE-MINUTE VERSION:
Joey is finishing up dinner in a restaurant when a mysterious stranger comes in, makes some cryptic comments, and leaves behind a jacket with $3,000 in its pocket. Joey decides to keep the money, but is it because of mere greed?

Besides Joey and the stranger, the cast includes a waiter. A robber or a robber's gun-wielding hands may optionally appear too, but the waiter's reactions to the robber's unspoken commands could be equally effective by themselves. Locking and unlocking of the restaurant's front door is also referred to in the play, but the door need not be present onstage. A glass and a receipt are sufficient props to suggest the restaurant.

The Payoff packs a lot of plot into five minutes. Four characters with distinct agendas play off one another, and each gets a different payoff. The payoff for the audience is a breezy five minutes of entertainment with a twist ending.


TEN-MINUTE VERSION:
Joey is sitting on a bench when a mysterious stranger comes in, makes some cryptic comments, and leaves behind a bag full of money. Joey decides to keep the money while the person it was intended for is stuck in the restroom. A petition worker unwittingly assists Joey in his decision.

The set need contain only a bench and a door, with the suggestion of a city street. Props include a couple of lunch bags, a carrot, a gun, and a clipboard and papers.