Ashley's Play

Object and Sentence Play

Brett's Monologue

Ms. Crumhill

By Rianna Ronquillo

I have been working at this school for 26 lousy years! And not once have I been able to get a plain hello from these damned students. They think they could walk all over me, cuz I'm just "a stupid wing teacher". And the principal of this school?! AHA. He has no clue of the intelligence I have in this mind. NO. FUCKING. CLUE. Why am I still only a wing teacher. Ya know what! You know what?! Today was the 5th anniversary of my husbands death. Look at me. Am I at home moping about it? No. I am here. Doing my job. That boy is smiling and waving at pretty girls. Where is my wave and my smile? HUH?!

sebs soundscape

http://www63.zippyshare.com/v/97474282/file.html

Lost Children

CHARACTERS

Carla- early 30’s.

Bruce- young child. 10ish. Twin to Leah.

Leah- young child. 10ish. Twin to Bruce.

Frank- late 30’s.

ACT I, SCENE I

(House, kitchen. CARLA sits in a chair, looking out the sink window. Her ankles crossed, as she rubs the ring around her finger. BRUCE and LEAH sit, Indian style on the floor looking up at her. CARLA takes a breath and looks at the two children).                  

CARLA

It doesn’t fit.

LEAH

But it’s very pretty. (CARLA tugs on the ring). Don’t tug too hard or you’ll beak the diamonds.

BRUCE

Diamonds are hard, nothing breaks a diamond.

CARLA
It’s cutting off my circulation—It hurts.

LEAH

But it looks nice. It compliments your eyes.

CARLA

I’m going to get some soap and rub it off.

LEAH

You’ll tarnish the stone!

BRUCE

Diamonds are said to be the strongest stone in the world. They’re shiny too—but not at first. You need to polish them before they shine. They’re really only carbonated rocks. Coal. Black and ugly. But they get a lot of pressure put on them and it gets all hot and next thing you know: you’re sparkling and beautiful. And everyone wants you. Because everybody loves diamonds. Diamonds are ---

CARLA

Will you shut-up about Diamonds?! I don’t want to hear it. (Beat)

BRUCE

Diamonds are my birthstone… I think.

CARLA

It’s not coming off.  (CARLA gives up).

LEAH

It’s okay. He’ll be happy you're wearing it anyway—after all he bought it for you. (Beat)

CARLA

I hate it… this ring. It’s stupid and small and I hate it.

BRUCE

You could always cut it off--- your finger.

LEAH

I don’t understand why you would hate it. It’s very selfish of you. Look at the setting: three beautiful diamonds in a row. With little rubies in between. The gold ring blends in with your flesh. It’s obvious he put thought into it. He even engraved it. “I will always love you, my beautiful Diamond, Carol”. (long pause).

CARLA

My name is Carla…. 

LEAH

Well (long pause) maybe the jeweler just made a mistake on the engraving. Carol and Carla are pretty similar and maybe--

CARLA 

If it was such a simple mistake such as that, I think it would have been fixed as soon as he realized, Leah.

BRUCE 

Well the ring shouldn't matter so much. Maybe he figured you wouldn't mind because you'll love him anyway. Just think, even though he may not have given you the nicest of rings, he did give you one. He gave it to you because he loves you. The ring is flawed, yeah. But no one's perfect.

CARLA

Love (long pause) he loves me. I keep telling myself that, trying so hard to believe it. But I just feel like since that day, it's gone. He put all his love into us and he has no more left for me now. What love is there left?

BRUCE 

Are you sure you love him? It seems like you're the one doubting this relationship and--

CARLA

I do love him, since the day he proposed to me, I have never stopped loving him. I still very much love him to this day. But I can tell things just aren't the same since (long pause) that day. He doesn't kiss me like he used to when he gets home from work. He doesn't look at me the way he used to when we'd just sit and watch a movie at home. He doesn't take me out like he used to. I try so hard and I just feel like I'm trying to relight a match that's already burnt out. I keep scratching it in hopes a spark will ignite again, but it just won't happen.  

(sound of a door closing. FRANK enters, he hangs his coat and kisses CARLA on the check. BRUCE and LEAH are quite and sit in the kitchen chairs.) You’re home early.

CARLA

Frank.. you're home early. I didn't even start dinner. 

FRANK 

What? I can’t come into my own house whenever I feel like it? Is that the world we live in?

                                                               

CARLA

How was your day?

                                                                FRANK

Fine.

                                                               CARLA

Fine? What does fine mean?

                                                                FRANK

Fine means okay; nothing new. Normal, now can I have a beer?

                                                            CARLA (getting beer)

You say that every day-

                                                            FRANK

Well every day is normal--- (FRANK goes and sits in the chair BRUCE is in, FRANK does not see the two children).

                                                            CARLA

Um…frank----Frank:

                                                            FRANK

What?

                                                            CARLA
You’re sitting on Bruce---

                                                            FRANK

There’s no one here…  Carla, are you alright? (FRANK gets up, BRUCE moves.)

                                                            CARLA

Ya, no---yes I’m fine.

                                                            FRANK

It’s tight isn’t it---

                                                            CARLA

It’s been hurting all day, I’ve been hurting all day, It’s--- (FRANK comes behind her and gently holds her, helping her slide the ring off easily.) Its been hurting me really bad, all day…. (beat. FRANK goes to kiss her, but she pulls away).  Frank, frank—can I talk to you?

                                                            FRANK

Sure—

                                                            CARLA
Sit down, please um—(FRANK goes to sit in the seat where LEAH is. ) No, no- Leah is sitting there. Here…sit here…. (CARLA moves FRANK to a new seat.)

                                                            FRANK

No one is there, Carla.

                                                            CARLA

Yes-yes there is someone there, you just can’t see them. That’s what I want to talk to you about--- I see them, Frank. Bruce and Leah--- I know those names don’t sound familiar, but to me--- I never told you about them, any of them. God, I didn’t even know what they were so when I gave it up to the lady in the doctor’s suit I thought It would be over--- but they’ve been with me lately, Frank. To the supermarket, when I’m cooking, when I’m at work, when I’m sleeping. They just follow me around and call me mother—and ask about when they were born and--- it’s not the pills, Frank. I know you think I’m crazy, but that’s because it’s driving me crazy. I miss them--- and they haunt me for it. I thought maybe, maybe would could try again: but it’s falling apart. You see that, don’t you/ You’d be blind not to see it. We were young months ago but now we are decrepit monsters and---

                                                            FRANK

Shhh--- it’s okay. We both made that dession. You weren’t ready, we weren’t ready for that step.

                                                            CARLA
Who is Carol?

                                                            FRANK

Carol?

                                                            CARLA
I think she works with you--- but her name is on the ring. They, Leah—pointed it out to me.

                                                            FRANK

They aren’t real-

                                                            CARLA
Carol is real. My problems may be imaginary but you can’t run away from yours. We grew distant afterwards--- colder.

                                                            FRANK

Carol is just a friend. Work friend… We work together and we are friendly.

                                                            CARLA
I’m not holding a knife to your throat, Frank. You can leave if you don’t want to be here. You just shouldn’t loom it over my head like a dangling line---I can tell you don’t wish to be here: you think I’m crazy… I see little children, why would you want to be with me anyway-

                                                            FRANK

Because you see our little children—

                                                            CARLA
The diamonds are fake, aren’t they?

                                                            FRANK

Yes--- ya, they are, but that doesn’t mean anything.

                                                            CARLA
It means everything--- (CARLA hands over the ring to FRANK).  I really hated that ring. It didn’t belong on my finger. (FRANK gets his coat and leaves.)

                                                            LEAH
Where is daddy going?

                                                            CARLA

To find a hand to fit that ugly ring… (Gets up and looks out the window. BRUCE and LEAH leave.)

                                                                       

Bri and Hayley's Work

ACT I, SCENE I

(A woman sits at her desk located in a classroom. The bell rings as students begin to walk in. Students stark talking loudly)

CAROLINE

Settle down please, settle down.

(Students continue)

CAROLINE

Please be quiet...

TIM

Hey Casper! Done any haunting lately?

JASPER

It's not Casper, it's Jasper. I don't understand how you can mistake the two.

Who care what your name is? You're still a nerd, and nobody loves you!

(Students voices fade out, light on Caroline) 

                                                            CAROLINE
God, it would be so easy to just leave, or yell, or beat their collective asses into a coma, but I can't. I have to just deal with it. 

ACT I, SCENE II

(JASPER sits leaning up against the lockers. ANGIE comes over and tries to hold his hand but it is moved away).

                                                            ANGIE

Listen, I can understand that you don't want anything to do with anyone, but you can't exactly expect to deal with things alone.

                                                            JASPER

I never asked you for your help; there's nothing wrong anyway!

                                                            ANGIE

Uh-huh? I beg to differ. (Moves Jasper aside, revealing his graffitied locker) Nothing wrong here, right?

                                                            JASPER

Shut up! It's nothing!

                                                            ANGIE

You shouldn't let those morons do this to you.

                                                            JASPER

I don’t let them, they just do it. I try to ignore it, but it's just to much! There's nowhere I go that they aren't! Whoever said words can't hurt has obviously never attended high school.

                                                            ANGIE

Why don’t you just make them stop?

                                                            JASPER
Of course, that’s the obvious solution now isn't it? Descend down to their level and join the monkeys in their slinging of verbal feces! No, I will overcome this my own way. 

                                                            ANGIE

You’re not listening to me okay? All that 

                                                            JASPER

Great talk—thanks for the confidence boost.

                                                            ANGIE

No, listen to me! You are fucking Aquaman. But despite the fact that you are lame as hell—you still managed to figure out a way into The Justice league of America. And you fight for justice and shit like that. You have a trident that you can stab people with- fuck, you can talk to fish. It’s a lame power, but it still makes you super. And all of them, they’re just like…Black manta drones. Robots. Robots can’t swim…so ya… am I making sense to you? (Pause)

                                                            JASPER
Can’t I at least be like…green lantern?

                                                            ANGIE

No, because green lantern is awesome. (holds out hand) So are you coming back to class or what?

                                                            JASPER

Tim’s mean.

                                                            ANGIE

And the world is round: your stating the obvious. Come on… the period is almost over.

                                                            JASPER

You really think I could take Tim in a fight?

                                                            ANGIE

Probably not--- but you are defiantly more super than him. (JASPER takes ANGIE’s hands and stands up. He gives her a hug, she hugs him back).

ACT I, SCENE III

(On a screen: CAROLINA stands off to the side, constantly re-winding a tape two young men playing pool.)

                                                            CAROLINA

Now as you can see… these two young men are having a friendly game of pool until… Adam here (another man walking by the table) spills his drink onto this man’s shirt. Now, let’s watch what happens: (CAROLINA presses play on her remote. The screen shows Adam apologizing and the two men shaking hands). Now is that better? Adam here could just come by and do it again--- there is no power structure. Let’s rewind and see what is a better option in this situation. (Screen re-winds. We see Adam walk by and spill his drink. The man playing pool breaks his pool cue and stabs Adam repeatedly). Adam won’t be making the same mistake again. It’s all about power. Everything is always about power.

ACT I, SCENE IV

(TIM sits at the lunch table, eating everyone else’s lunch. ANGIE sits with JASPER, who is trying to avoid eye contact. TIM comes over and sits right in-between the two and just helps himself to JASPER’s lunch). 

                                                            TIM

What do you have for me today? Let’s see… bolongia. I told you how I hate bolognia--- bread and butter--- and a pudding cup! (TIM throws around the other food but takes the pudding cup).  Well I’d stay here and eat your lunch with you—but you smell like shit, so I’ll be leaving. (TIM gets up to leave. ANGIE steps up and grabs his wrist).

                                                            ANGIE

Give him back his pudding.

                                                           

TIM

Owwww! And why should I do that?

                                                            ANGIE
Because if you don’t I’ll beat the crap out of you.

                                                            TIM

Really--- you. (ANGIE twists his arm into an Indian rug burn. It hurts TIM).

                                                            ANGIE
SUPER-PAIN-POWERS ACTIVATE!

                                                            TIM

OW!

                                                            ANGIE

And that’s just a taste --- so hand over the pudding cup and I won’t hurt you too bad.

                                                            TIM

You’re such a freak: who does that?!

                                                            ANGIE

Give me the pudding cup Tim

                                                            TIM

No!

                                                            ANGIE

Give it to me.

                                                            TIM

What if I say n…

ANGIE gets up and grabs the back of TIM’S neck. She shakes him a few times as  he falls to the ground.

CAROLINA stops the clip.

                                                            CAROLINA

See how easy it can be? To just eliminate problems with the snap of your fingers.. Without power, we have nothing.  My name is Carolina Schnider, I’m a high school teacher, and I have found a way to put an end to problems by destroying them. A world where with the click of a button, all of your problems could be ended.  I encourage you all to take the step to end your problems the right way.  Some call it unethical…

(The clip un-pauses. Tim is laying on the ground as teachers surround him. One teacher grabs ANGIE)

                                                            JASPER

Angie, what did you do?

                                                            ANGIE

He won’t be messing with you anymore. You’re welcome.

                                                                                    (The clip pauses once again)

           

                                                            CAROLINE

I call it genius.

CUT.