We produce wastewater every day, but rarely see its negative consequences.
Wastewater refers to any water that has been used in a manufacturing process, in washing or in flushing. (Sewage, for example, is a form of wastewater.) Wastewater is a compelling topic for a dramatic skit because we produce it every day yet rarely see it or the effects it has on the environment. Whether are trying to get a laugh or teach others about the effects of wastewater, a number of ideas can be the basis for a skit.
Wasting and Conserving
Write a skit that depicts the actions that many of us take every day and contrast them with more thoughtful actions. You might open with a scene of a regular kitchen with people cooking and cleaning. Depict someone washing the dishes and leaving the water on for a long time. Show someone else pour a glass of water, take a sip and dump out the rest. In the next scene, depict a family that conserves. Show someone who turns off the water while scrubbing dishes. Show someone taking only the amount of water he will drink.
The Effects of Industry
Write a skit that depicts effects of industrial waste on the environment. In the first scene, show a factory dumping a barrel of some unknown chemical onto the ground. In the next scene, have actors play animals suffering from negative effects. Have someone play a bird who emerges in a black suit meant to represent oil. Have someone play a cow getting sick from drinking contaminated water.
Super Cleaners
Write a skit with unconventional superheroes whose mission it is to clean up wastewater. Dress up two actors in superhero outfits, complete with tights, a mask and a cape. Put a giant logo that says "WW," for "wastewater" on the front of their shirts. Depict various scene of the superheroes going to different locales cleaning up and correcting behavior that leads to wastewater. For example, you might have them confront someone running a dishwasher that is almost empty, and advising them to wait for a full load.
Improvised Skit
Use wastewater as a theme for an improvised skit. Ask the audience for a setting, a situation involving wastewater and an object. Try to act out the situation in a way that is both informative and humorous. For example, if the audience suggests "doing laundry" and "a blueberry muffin," you might improvise a humorous skit with someone trying to clean the muffin in a washing machine and wasting water. Alternatively, you might depict someone eating the muffin to get the energy he needs to clean an article of clothing by hand. When the skit has run its course, ask the audience for a new setting, situation and object. Ideally, the more you practice improvised skits the better you will be at producing them.
