Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Play-a-Day Wednesday (Week 5)

Meds


[Lights up on a woman laying on a bed. She is clearly drunk and an empty alcohol bottle is clutched in her hand.]

Woman:
[Yelling] Honey! Get in here!
[A second later a little girl peaks through the door to the room.]
Girl:
Yes, Mama?
Woman:
Go get me my pills!
Girl:
Yes, Mama.
[The girl exits. The woman collapses on the bed, passed out. The girl enters a second later.]
Girl:
Mama? I have your pills.
[The girls pokes her mother.]
Girl:
Mama?
[The girl sighs, drops the pills on the floor and leaves. Slamming the door behind her. Lights fade.]

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Play-a-Day Sunday (Week 5)

We live


[Lights up. A man is in a hallway of a hospital. He is sitting and waiting. He is in a suit and there is a suitcase resting by his feet. He is talking on a cell phone and slightly agitated.]

Man:
[On the phone] - well tell Sherman that if he doesn't respond in 2 days then the deal is off. [Pause] Yes, Maurice, I know what I'm doing - [Pause] Don't you even -
[A doctor comes down the hallway. He stops in front of the man. The man immediately closes his phone and stands up.]
Man:
[Nervous and quiet] Are the results back already?
Doctor:
Yes, and [Pause] I'm sorrym sir, but the results are not spectacular.
Man:
[Sitting down heavily] Please, just tell.
Doctor:
I'm sorry, but you have cancer.
Man:
[Slapping his knee angrily] Damnit!
[The man flips open his phone and presses a number. He presses the phone to his ear.]
Man:
Sorry, Maurice. I'm going home.
[The man stands and shakes the doctors hands. Lights start to fade as the man picks up his suitcase and exits. Lights all the way down.]

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Play-a-Day Saturday (Week 5)

A Better Son/Daughter



[Lights up. A girl is sitting on a couch a couch with another girl. One girl, Trish, is holding some blankets in her hands. The other girl, Anna, reaches out and takes them.]

Anna:
I can't thank you enough for letting me stay here, Trish.
Trish:
It's no problem, girly. [Standing] You know where the bathroom is and everything.. so I think I'm gonna go hit the sack.
Anna:
Okay, I think I'm probably going to go right to sleep as well.
[Trish exits. Anna sighs and leans back on the couch. Her eyes droop shut and her cell phone rings, startling her. She looks at the screen and shakes her head and sighs.]
Anna:
[Talking to the phone] What do you want, Mom? [Pause] It's not going to be better this time, Mom, I - I just can't keep doing this. You say your going to change, but nothing ever changes.
[Pause]
You know what, Mom. If you say that Demons are in you, then why don't you go on ahead and give in to those demons that posses you. I really don't fucking care what you do with your life right now. [Pause] Bullshit, God never blessed you. [Pause] Go to hell.
[Anna closes her phone and throws in onto the floor. She then covers herself with a blanket and lies down on the couch. Lights fade.]

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Play-a-Day Wednesday (Week 4)

Flaws


[A girl is in a public bathroom. She steps onto a scale and begins to weigh herself. After a second she catches a glimps of a post-it note on the wall in front of her. She takes it off and reads it.]

Girl:
[Reading] Don't worry, this scale could never tell you how truly beautiful you are.
[The Girl smiles and sticks the post-it note back on the wall. She then walks over to the sink and mirror. ]
Girl:
[Sighing] Great a pimple is coming.
[The girl notices another post-it on the mirror. She takes it off and reads it.]
Girl:
[Reading] No mirror in the world could show you the true beauty of yourself.
[The girl smiles puts the post-it back and walks out the bathroom smiling. Lights fade.]

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Play-a-Day Tuesday (week 4)

Why can't we be friends?


[A little boy is playing in a sandbox and a little girl carrying a pail and shovel sits next to the boy. She smiles at the boy.]

Girl:
Hi!

Boy:

...Hi...

Girl:
[smiling] Wanna be friends?

Boy:
No.

Girl:
Why not?

Boy:
Because... girls have cooties.

[The boy gets up and runs away, girl sits and her lip starts to quiver. After a second she just shrugs and begins to dig and fill her pail. Lights fade.]

Monday, October 11, 2010

Play-a-Day Monday (Week 4)

Lost



[A little girl is hanging onto her mom in a clothing store. Her mother is busy looking at clothes and she lets go of her mom.]

Mother:
Now, don't go far, Sarah. Make sure I can always see you.
Sarah:
Okay!
[Sarah runs a couple of feet away and then smiles and giggles. She then hides in the middle of one of the racks. A giggle is heard and lights fade. A couple of seconds later Lights rise again and mother is gone. Sarah peaks out of the clothing rack and yawns. Then comes out completely.]
Sarah:
Mommy?
[Sarah looks around and starts to panic.]
Sarah:
Mommy!?
[Sarah runs to the exit of the store and ends up on the street. There are people walking all around her on both sides not paying attention to her in the least. Tears start to leak out of Sarah's eyes.]
Sarah:
Mommy... ?
[Lights fade.]

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Play-a-Day Saturday (Week 4)

Generation


[A girl is walking down a street. She has torn and dirty clothes on, looks tired, weary and hungry. She shuffles over to a dumpster and lifts the lid. Not being able ot see over the tap she finds a trashcan and flips it over. Stepping up on the trashcan she peers into the dumpster. She moves things around and shovels through garbage. Finally she finds a half-eaten muffin, she tears the rest of the wrapper off and stuffs it into ther mouth. She sighs and slumps her back against the dumpster, sitting on the trashcan. After she swallows she peers at the wrapper in her hand. She makes a sound of disgust and throws it.]

Girl:
[Looking at her dirty hands] Look at you.
[The girl gets up and clutches her torn jacket closer to her body.]
Girl:
I think it's time to go home.
[The girl shuffles away from the dumpster and down the street. Lights fade.]

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Play-a-Day Wednesday (Week 3)

Shadows and Regrets


[A girl, Lena, is walking down a street, holding tightly onto a suitcase. She is looking around, a sad expression on her face.]

Lena:
[Softly] Nothings... changed. [Pause.] This is a bit of a let down...
[Lena approaches a house but doesn't enter and instead sits on the porch swing. Another girl walks by, see's Lena and runs up to her.]
Sarah:
Lena! It's been so long!
[Sarah and Lena hug. Sarah smiles enthusiastically while Lena just smiles slightly. Sarah sits next to Lena, in a comfortable silence.]
Sarah:
So how long are you visting for?
Lena:
Not long. Just a little while.
[Sarah nods. Another comfortable silence.]
Sarah:
Everything's changed hasn't it?
Lena:
Yes. Nothings changed, yet everything has changed.
[Sarah nods again. Lights fade.]

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Play-a-Day Tuesday (Week 3)

24 Hours


[A girl is sitting outside a building, she looks very tired and very angry. It is dawn and the sun is starting to come up. She is sitting on the dirt ground. A stray cat comes up to her and rubs against her leg.]

Girl:
I've been sitting right here in the dirt for 24 hours. I've forgotten what I'm worth, I mean clearly I'm not worth much, since he forgot about me here. He said that he'd be here last night. [Pause] And everyone wonders why I'm not trusting? It's because of things like this. [Petting the cat] I wish I was older so that everyone wouldn't say I was too young for everything. Its not my fault, that I was born when I was! I wish I could grab a car and just drive, completely and utterly alone. I want adventure, I want to go places. To be stuck here the rest of my life!? I'd kill myself.
[The Girl gets up]
Well its no use waiting on people, I'll make my own way home.
[The girl starts to walk]
[Scoffing, and shaking her head] 24 freaking hours...

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Play-a-Day Sunday (Week 3)

Zero



[Lights up in a New York City style club. There is a bar along the back, and the front is a floor for dancing. A man enters and looks around, standing by the door as if expecting someone to come over to him. When nobody does he sighs and walks over to the bar. He huffs and sits at one of the stools. The bar tender notices him and walks over to him.]

Bartender:
What can I get for you?
Man:
Just a Gin and tonic for me.
[The bartender nods and makes the drink. Then sets it down in front of the man.]
Bartender:
Whats your problem?
Man:
Well, I'm suppose to perform here tonight, and no one has come and found me yet.
Bartender:
[Nodding] Where you from, anyway?
Man:
Maine.
Bartender:
[Wiping down the counter] Let me give you a little secret. You're a Zero.
[The man offended opens his mouth to speak. The Bartender cuts him off.]
Bartender:
You're in the big city now, boy. Whats you're name?
Man:
It's -
Bartender:
No one's going to ask you. [Pause] You better go find out for yourself where they want you to go.
[The bartender wipes down some more of the counter.]
Bartender:
Because trust me, boy. You're a zero here, you may have been a big shot there. But no one cares who you are or where you are, unless you show them its worth it.
[The man nods, stands, finishes off his drink, and leaves. The bartender shakes his head and smiles, getting another customer a drink. Lights fade.]

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Play-a-Day Saturday (Week 3)

When You're Gone


[Lights up on a bedroom. An old man is sitting up on his bed. He has a frown on his face. He looks over to his bedside table and grabs the picture that is there. The picture is of an older lady. He looks at it for a moment and gently touches it with his fingertips. After a beat the man places the picture back very, very gently, like it could crumble in his hands. He then gingerly gets up and walks over to a vanity. There is a silk pink bathrobe hanging off of the mirror, he hesitantly touches it with his fingers and then caresses it. He rubs the bathrobe against his face and takes a deep breath, inhaling. He lets the bathrobe drop, tears start to form in his eyes. The old man walks back to the bed and wearily falls back into the sitting position onto it. He folds down the covers and lays down. Covering himself up, he closes his eyes. After a second he sits up slightly and gently picks up the picture frame. He kisses the picture and lovingly looks at it. He then fluffs up the pillow next to him and places the picture frame onto it. He then lays back down and closes his eyes. Lights fade slowly.]