Separate Ways: A Play by Gilda W.
Characters:
Narrator
Talia
Lex
Dr. Professor Mr. Scientist
Project S
Project G
Avalyn
Voice Offstage
Scene I
Narrator: (Yelling towards offstage) Oh…Oh yeah? Well, up yours!
(Sees audience and blushes.)
Oh…sorry. I’m (clears throat) the narrator. A pointless character that
really doesn’t do anything but move the plot along for your convenience.
Anyway, this is the play. A tale where friends are made, battles are fought, and um…battles are fought. Well, where was I?
(Looks at script.)
Yeah. So here’s a little background info, it had been three years since…a…really, really, really big war. Yeah. Um, the soldiers came home. And it was all peaceful.
Voice: As IF!
Narrator: Shut up!
(Back to audience.)
Sorry. Technical difficulties. Anyway, some people tried to make super
soldiers to fight future wars.
(Waits.)
Spotlight dude! Over there!
(Narrator points stage right.)
Jeez!
(Walks offstage muttering. Spotlight is on Lab, Dr. Professor Mr. Scientist
is observing two canisters: one has girl, one has boy. Lex is mixing chemicals on table.)
DPS: Hmm. Hmm…HUM (clears throat).
Lex, will you hand me my clipboard of doom?
Lex: Yessir.
(Lex hands the clipboard to DPS with papers)
DPS: Thank you (scribbles on random page).
Hmm…Hummmmm.
(DPS begins talking to boy in canister, who is unconscious)
DPS: You’re doing much better than the girl. Your vitals are stable and I think…Yeah. A few more days, and I’ll wake you up.
(DPS walks over to girl in canister)
You, on the other ha – Ow! Ow! Ow!
(DPS spins around)
Avalyn!
(Avalyn enters, laughs, and throws something under the table and runs out. Everyone freezes)
(Narrator enters grumbling)
Narrator: I really hate that random offstage person. But, you guys need to know who these people are. Alright (looks down at notecard), Dr. Professor Mr. Scientist. He is…strange. He’s working on two different genetically altered “projects” (DPS makes air quotes with his hands on the word, “projects.”). A girl called project S, who is not doing so well. And a boy called project G, who is about to regain consciousness. Lex…well, Lex is Lex. He’s Dr. Professor Mr. Scientist’s assistant. Lex is a bad name for him. Lex sounds like someone who would skip school and do something fun. Someone who deserves to have an “X” in their name. Nope, Lex is boring and has NO sense of humor. He’s not the main character in the story either. Here’s a hint: you haven’t met the main character. Yet.
(Narrator pauses. Hangs head.)
Narrator: Nope. It’s not me.
Voice: Who would make you the main character? I don’t know anyone THAT stupid!
Narrator: Shut up! (Breathes heavily)
Voice: (High-pitched) Shutting up.
Narrator: Good. Ok, well, Avalyn is another completely pointless character who pops up at random times and fires spitballs at characters who are trying to accomplish something. Let’s get back to the story.
Voice: It’s better than listening to you…
Narrator: Go away!
(Everyone unfreezes as the Narrator stomps offstage. Green smoke rises from under the table.)
Lex: Urk! (Claps hands over his mouth and runs out making throw-up noises)
DPS: (Sighs) What is it now? Lex? (DPS sniffs the air and passes out.)
(Avalyn comes in wearing a gas mask and laughs. Narrator comes back onstage holding nose.)
Narrator: Obviously, Avalyn planted a stink bomb. Keep an eye on the project S. Do you see how clever the playwright is here? This is called “foreshadowing.”
(Narrator exits. Avalyn taps on Project S’s canister, nothing happens and she goes to project G’s canister, taps on it, and he opens his eyes. Avalyn screams and faints. Project G breaks glass and steps out and stretches, looks around the laboratory.)
Project G: Impressive.
BLACKOUT.
Scene II
(Talia is lying down on a bed and writing. She sits up and starts reading.)
Talia: Dear Lex, I miss you a lot and I wish I knew your address so I could send this to you so you could know that I still remember you. If you don’t remember me, I’ll be really mad. We were best friends before you went to fight in the f…fricken war. I can’t believe you just left. Why didn’t you say goodbye?
(Stops and thinks for a second.)
Nah, that sounds really bad. (She sighs) I miss him. (Talia tears up the letter.) He’s not in the phone book, he didn’t tell me where he was going, jeez (she freezes as the Narrator enters).
Narrator: This is Talia, and yes, as many of you have already guessed, she is the main character. She’s a pretty quiet girl who lives by herself in an apartment formerly owned by her uncle. She asked me not to tell the rest of her story. I’ll go now.
(Narrator exits and Talia unfreezes, stands up and starts pacing.)
Talia: If I had a beard right now, I’d stroke it. (She pauses to think again.) That’s it! I’m leaving tonight and finding Lex! (Talia stomps offstage.)
(Narrator peeks onstage then tiptoes on.)
Narrator: Alright, as we can all see, Talia has made a stupid decision. (A cell phone rings and the Narrator answers.)
Narrator: Yeah? Ok. What? Hey, look, I didn’t write the script, ok? (Narrator pauses) Fine!!! (Narrator hangs up phone.) That was the playwright. She says that all of Talia’s decisions – from now on – will be smart ones. Mostly. A play isn’t any fun without stupid decisions, right? right? Right.
(Narrator rolls eyes and walks offstage.)
BLACKOUT