This short theater piece was created at the Freie Universität during a 2018 Drama Lab Teaching and Learning Lab improv improvisation session... and is still a work in progress!

Characters:

The Thief (steals from the old lady, very sneaky)

The Old Lady (her bag gets stolen, she has trouble remembering, speaks in an "old lady voice")

The Shop Owner (confident, proud, calls the police)

The Police Officer (helps finding the thief, helpful)

The Thief's Assistant (distracts the lady)

Extras (customers who want to shop, possibly additional police officers to assist with arrest)

Important: The thief has to be distinguishable from extras perhaps through certain characteristics in his or her clothes.

...

Old Lady: What a lovely day to do some shopping. I hope I'll find some nice things today.

people around her are walking

...

, shopping, mumbling to each other

thief assistant appears

Thief Assistant: Oh hello there! You look like you might need some help.

...

lady does not notice at first

...

slightly changed, the above two lines of dialogue are repeated until the wallet has been removed from the purse

Scene 2

at the checkout

Shop Owner: That is 180 Euros.

...

Police Officer: Everyone stay where you are. to assistants Close all the doors.!

Shop Owner: On no! This is horrible!

...

Police Officer: So what do you remember.?

Old Lady: Hmmm... I know it was a girl.

...

Old Lady: Hmmm... She was wearing pants.

by pointing, the Police Officer eliminates all girls with skirts or dresses

Police Officer: So it is not you and not you...

...

Thief: Oh no! How is this possible?

Police Officer looks sternly at the thief, the thief reluctantly hands the wallet back to Old Lady

Police Officer

...

puts thief in handcuffs and they leave

Shop Owner: Thank God this is over ...