Evolution of a Play: How to Write a Play for Play Fest - Version 2

When last we met, I presented an early draft of a one-act play I wrote in high school for my school's Playwrights' Festival!

For those who missed that first article, here's some background information. I attended Lane Tech College Prep High School in Chicago, Illinois. At the end of every school year, Lane Tech puts on a Playwright's Festival—or Play Fest, for short. Students submit one-act plays that they've written, which are then reviewed by the English and Drama teachers. Five are selected to be performed by a cast of students, directed by one or two other students.

I submitted a play my junior year of high school, but it didn't get selected—which is just as well 'cause that play sucked. Hard. Undeterred, I decided I'd try again my senior year and got to writin' almost immediately. I can't remember if I ever actually submitted this particular play. At the very least, I know I didn't submit this version.

This is the complete second version of the script, finished on September 25th, 2015—at least, according to Microsoft Word. Some minor edits have been made for clarity, but otherwise, this is the script, the whole script, and nothing but the script, so help me Carol Burnett.

What changes were made in this version? Well, for starters:

• Joel, the narrator, is gone; subsequently, the play is no longer a "how-to" and is just a straight narrative
• Sam now has a rival in the form of Ella, added in an effort to raise the stakes of the plot
• Sam's sister Rosie has been renamed Nuala (pronounced NOO-luh)
• Sam's friend Miriam has been renamed Valerie
• Sam's friend Mikayla has been named Lizzie

Here now is the second version of How to Write a Play for Play Fest.

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CHARACTERS

Sam – a young student writer; 17 years of age

Nuala – Sam’s sister; 13 years of age

Yessenia – a friend and classmate of Sam’s; 16 years of age

Valerie – a friend and classmate of Sam’s; 18 years of age

Ella – Sam’s rival; 17 years of age

Mrs. Warwick – Sam’s drama teacher; 45 years of age

Ms. Villanueva – another drama teacher; 47 years of age

Lizzie – one of Sam’s friends; 17 years of age

Assorted Students

SCENES

Mrs. Warwick’s classroom (Scenes 1, 3, 5, and 6)

Sam’s bedroom (Scenes 2 and 4)

TIME

Present day

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Scene 1

SETTING: MRS. WARWICK’s classroom during the passing period before first period. Five rows of students’ desks stand right next to the teacher’s desk. The teacher’s desk has a five-year old computer on it.

AT RISE: Most of MRS. WARWICK’s students have arrived in class and sat down already, with their backpacks at their respective feet. VALERIE is among them. She sits at her desk at the front, reading a book. SAM and YESSENIA enter, walk to their desks, which are right next to VALERIE’s, and put their backpacks down. YESSENIA is finishing telling SAM a story as they enter.

YESSENIA : ...and that’s when he suddenly shouts out at the top of his lungs, "Nuzzle in my bosom, darling!" (short chuckle) Oh, Sam, you should have seen the look on Lizzie’s face! Man, that Nick, he’s something else. Someone should write a book about that guy...or a movie...or a play! You know what? I think that’ll be my play. That might be a pretty interesting subject. I could do something with it, maybe even get a good grade on it. Speaking of which, do you have any idea what you’re going to write for our play project?

(ELLA enters, walks to the desk right next to YESSENIA’s, and puts her backpack down. She overhears SAM and YESSENIA’s conversation.)

SAM: I’m not really quite sure yet, but you know how I am, Yessenia. It takes me a while to get a good idea, but once I get one, I’ll work like hell till it’s done.

ELLA: (haughtily) Still no ideas for your play, eh, Samantha? Oh, well. It’s not like you should really bother to put any real effort into it. Your play doesn’t have a chance of getting picked.

SAM: (confused) Picked? What are you talking about, Ella?

ELLA: Oh, dear, sweet, naïve, little Samantha, the plays we’re writing for this project aren’t just any plain, old assignment. They’re our submissions for the Playwrights’ Festival. Mrs. Warwick and the other drama teachers and creative writing teachers read them all and pick the five best plays to perform. My play’s a shoe-in; it’s about a soldier who comes home from his duty abroad only to find that his girlfriend has married his brother. It’s really touching; I suggest you read it.

YESSENIA: What makes you so sure your play will get picked? I’ve read some of your work, and I wouldn’t line my rabbit’s cage with it!

ELLA: Like your writing is any better! It’s so full of clichés I can safely say I’ve already read everything you’ve ever written! And Sam’s scripts always have awkward-sounding dialogue and gaping plot holes!

YESSENIA: Hey! You can go ahead and say whatever you want about my writing, but don’t you dare insult my friend that way! I’ll have you know that Sam could write circles around your bleached-blond little head any day of the week!

(VALERIE takes this exclamation as her cue to step in and walks towards the girls.)

VALERIE: Hey, hey, hey! Settle down! This is not a competition! Okay, actually, it kind of is, but that’s no reason to get into arguments like this! Save your energy for writing instead of wasting it on petty arguments, okay?

YESSENIA: (grudgingly) Okay.

ELLA: I’m still going to win.

VALERIE: There are no winners, Ella.

ELLA: I know, just people whose plays don’t get picked.

VALERIE: That’s enough of that now! Let’s all just sit down and get on with class, okay?

(The girls quietly sit down, still tense from the argument. The school bell rings.)

(BLACKOUT)

(END OF SCENE)

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Scene 2

SETTING: Sam’s bedroom. There’s a desk to the right of her bed.

AT RISE: SAM is at her desk and has a notebook out and is trying desperately to come up with a good play idea. NUALA enters.

NUALA: Hey, Sam, do you think you could help me out with my science fair project? I have to mix some chemicals for something and I’m really nervous about handling the nitroglycerin.

SAM: Not right now, Nuala; I’m kind of busy.

NUALA: Okay, then.

(NUALA exits. SAM ponders a bit, then inspiration hits her.)

SAM: Maybe I could write about a boy who’s dating a girl who might possibly be his father’s love child with his high school sweetheart? No, that’s been done before. Ugh, c’mon Sam, think! Think! (suddenly, she absorbs what her sister had just said about her science fair project) Wait! Nitroglycerin?!

(A loud explosion is heard offstage. NUALA calmly and nonchalantly re-enters.)

NUALA: Uh, Sam...I seem to have made a little bit of a mess in the kitchen. Would you mind helping me clean up a little?

SAM: I told you, I’m really busy right now!

NUALA: What’s so important that you can’t help your darling little sister sweep and re-tile the floor, patch up the wall, and possibly glue the refrigerator back together?

SAM: I’m trying to come up with an idea for what to write for my play project at school, but nothing’s coming to me! What were you doing with nitroglycerin, anyway?

NUALA: (mischievously) The world may never know.

(SAM rolls her eyes.)

NUALA: I’ve got an idea you might be able to use: you could write about a mime who mimes falling in love.

SAM: Yecch! That’s a terrible idea! My stomach’s churning just thinking about it!

NUALA: (a little hurt) Well, let’s see you come up with something better, then.

(A woman’s scream is heard offstage. NUALA rushes off to start cleaning up the mess and to comfort their now-traumatized mother.)

NUALA: Don’t worry, Mom! I’ll have the kitchen cleaned and fixed before Dad comes home, I promise!

SAM: (quickly turning back to her notebook) Right! Back to writing my play. Let’s see...what am I going to write about? (looks around the room for inspiration, eyes her stapler) Aha! A stapler who travels the country to find himself! (whacks herself in the head with her notebook with each “No!”) No! No! No! Terrible, terrible! Ugh, maybe that mime idea isn’t all that bad. (shakes head as if to remove the thought from her mind) No! No mimes! Too weird! What else can I write about?

(A second explosion is heard offstage. SAM quickly turns to see what just happened.)

NUALA: (offstage and very annoyed) Great! Now I have to re-build Dad’s study, too!

SAM: (suddenly inspired) Hey! I think I may just have the subject of my play! (turns quickly to call her sister) Nuala!

(NUALA rushes in.)

NUALA: You bellowed?

SAM: How would you like to be the subject of a play that might possibly be performed on stage and become famous?

NUALA: (shrugs her shoulders) Sure.

SAM: Excellent!

(SAM giggles with glee and begins fervently writing in her notebook. NUALA exits.)

(BLACKOUT)

(END OF SCENE)

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Scene 3

SETTING: MRS. WARWICK’s classroom, during the passing period before first.

AT RISE: VALERIE sits at her desk, writing in a journal with a cup full of coffee to the left of it. SAM enters with a typed out script in hand.

SAM: (sheepishly) Hi, Valerie.

(VALERIE looks up from her journal.)

VALERIE: Oh, hi, Samantha. How are you?

SAM: I’m fine. And you?

VALERIE: I’m doing great. (takes a sip of coffee and resumes writing)

SAM: Um...I was wondering...well, I wrote this script for our Play Fest project. Would you mind giving me some feedback on it? If you’re not too busy, that is.

VALERIE: (looks up again) Sure, honey.

(SAM hands VALERIE the script. VALERIE begins to quickly read the play. SAM stands, nervously watching. Two pages in, VALERIE giggles; she continues reading and laughs a couple more times. She looks back up at SAM.)

VALERIE: This is pretty funny. Not many plays make me laugh out loud while I’m reading them.

SAM: Is there anything wrong with it, anything that needs fixing?

VALERIE: Well, some of the plot points are a little cliché, but I think you might be able to get away with it. I’m also a little unsure about the explosion; I’m not sure we could do that on our stage. I’d ask Mrs. Warwick about it. Aside from that, this seems pretty solid.

SAM: Okay. Thanks, Valerie. (walks to her desk and sits)

(BLACKOUT)

(END OF SCENE)

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Scene 4

SETTING: SAM’s bedroom.

AT RISE: SAM is at her desk with her laptop, typing away like mad. NUALA enters cautiously.

NUALA: Sam, Yessenia and Lizzie want to know if you want to go to Millennium Park with them.

SAM: Tell them I can’t right now. I have to finish editing my play. I wanna have it perfect and turned in by tomorrow.

(NUALA sighs and exits. SAM continues typing. Suddenly, YESSENIA and LIZZIE barge in and stand behind her. YESSENIA taps on her shoulder and she turns to see who is there.)

SAM: Hey, Yessenia! Hey, Lizzie! I haven’t seen you in a while. How are you?

LIZZIE: I can’t complain. My back hurts a little, but for the most part I’d say—

YESSENIA: Enough prattling; let’s get down to business.

SAM: Business?

YESSENIA: You’ve been working on that play for three weeks now! You don’t go out, and you rarely ever talk to us anymore! We’re fed up with it! (slams laptop shut and grabs SAM’s arm) You’re coming with us!

SAM: Where are you taking me?

YESSENIA: We are going to the park, and you’re gonna run and jump and play just like you used to do, and you’re gonna like it!

LIZZIE: Of course, we could always go see a play if you’d rather—

(YESSENIA smacks LIZZIE in the back of the head.)

LIZZIE: Ow! But I think the park would be a lot more fun.

SAM: Look, you guys don’t have to do this! I’m fine! I can stop working on my play anytime I want to!

YESSENIA: Oh, really?

SAM: Yeah. (pause) I just don’t want to.

YESSENIA: Okay, that does it!

(YESSENIA and LIZZIE reach for the laptop, but SAM throws herself on top of it before either of them can lay one finger on it.)

SAM: (as she lunges) Back off!

YESSENIA: Ugh, fine! Let’s go, Lizzie.

(YESSENIA and LIZZIE start heading out. LIZZIE looks back for a second, but YESSENIA pulls her away. They exit.)

(BLACKOUT)

(END OF SCENE)

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Scene 5

SETTING: The classroom, immediately after school.

AT RISE: MRS. WARWICK sits at her desk typing grades in. SAM enters with a typed hardcopy of her play and walks timidly towards MRS. WARWICK.

SAM: Hi, Mrs. Warwick. (hands Mrs. WARWICK her play) Here’s my final draft.

MRS. WARWICK: Thank you, Samantha.

(SAM starts to exit, but bumps into ELLA, who has just come in with her script.)

SAM: Oh, hi, Ella.

ELLA: Hi, Sam. Turning in your play?

SAM: Yeah.

ELLA: Oh, me, too! I wish you the best of luck, by the way. (smugly; sotto voce) You’re going to need it.

MRS. WARWICK: Ella, can I talk to you for a second?

(SAM exits. ELLA walks nervously up to MRS. WARWICK’s desk; she recognizes MRS. WARWICK’s tone as one of stern admonishment.)

MRS. WARWICK: I’m going to get straight to the point: I don’t like your attitude. You’re constantly bragging about being the best writer in this class and it’s getting on my nerves—and, I’m sure, on the nerves of your classmates. I’m not going to say whether I agree or disagree with you; that’s neither here nor there. I am going to strongly recommend you take into consideration that there is such a thing as too much confidence in oneself.

ELLA: (somewhat caught off-guard; nervously handing her script to MRS. WARWICK) O...kay. Uh, thanks, Mrs. Warwick.

(ELLA exits. Meanwhile, MS. VILLANUEVA enters with a bunch of scripts. MRS. WARWICK gets up and walks up to her with even more scripts, and they meet in the middle of the room.)

MS. VILLANUEVA: I tell you, Chrissy, this is the biggest turnout we’ve had in years! It’s gonna be hell having to read all of these.

MRS. WARWICK: Well, someone’s got to do it. Let’s start with your pile.

(They sit at the two closest desks. MS. VILLANUEVA pulls a script from her bundle and shows it to MRS. WARWICK.)

MRS. WARWICK: (reading the title) “Some Enchanted Evening”. Cliché title. (flips through pages) The plot is nothing new, and the characters aren’t very relatable. The dialogue is iffy at best. Toss it.

(MS. VILLANUEVA literally tosses the script away. She pulls another script from her bundle and shows it to MRS. WARWICK.)

MRS. WARWICK: “Lies, Secrets, and Gucci Bags”. The title doesn’t sound promising. (flips through pages) I knew it; it’s just “Mean Girls” without the humor or the moral. Toss it.

(MS. VILLANUEVA tosses the script away.)

MS. VILLANUEVA: (a tad embarrassed) Let’s take a break from my pile. What have you got?

(MRS. WARWICK hands SAM’s script to MS. VILLANUEVA.)

MS. VILLANUEVA: (flips through some pages) It’s a little cliché, but I think we could get away with it. I say it passes the first round. Now let’s get through the rest of these.

(MRS. WARWICK and MS. VILLANUEVA continue to look through the submissions.)

(BLACKOUT)

(END OF SCENE)

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Scene 6

SETTING: The classroom during the passing period before first.

AT RISE: VALERIE is sitting at her desk. Other students are either standing or sitting, conversing as this scene unfolds. SAM enters and sits at her desk. VALERIE looks up and turns to talk to SAM.

VALERIE: Hey, Sam! Congratulations on getting your play picked for Play Fest!

SAM: (dejected, but moderately quick) Eh, it’s alright, Valerie; I should have known better. What was I thinking, writing a play for Play Fest when there were already so many entries? I mean, there’s like at least two hundred drama students, and then there’s probably twice as many creative writing students, plus a bunch of other students who submitted scripts. Ella’s right; I’m not that great of a writer, anyway. I’ll bet mine was the most boring play they’d ever read. I’m sure all the other plays were at least a thousand times— (she finally processes what VALERIE said and gets excited) Wait...It got picked? My play?!

VALERIE: Yep!

SAM: (squeals and jumps for joy) It got picked! My play got picked!

(YESSENIA enters and puts her backpack on her desk.)

YESSENIA: What’s going on?

SAM: (runs to YESSENIA and grabs her) My play got picked for Play Fest! Isn’t this great?! I’ve finally made it! I’m a writer! At last, I’ve found my calling, my purpose for living! I’ve made it! I’m famous! My name’ll be all over the paper! Everyone will know me! Oh! I’ve got to start planning for my entry for next year.

(As SAM continues, YESSENIA pulls out a bottle of chloroform, opens it, and pours some of its contents onto a handkerchief.)

SAM: I’ve got to start as soon as possible; I want it to be my magnum opus, the Play Fest play to end all Play Fest plays! I’ll need to go home and brainstorm, figure out the plot and the character names and the—

YESSENIA: Oh, no, you don’t! I’m not letting you put yourself—or me— through this crap again!

(YESSENIA administers the chloroform. SAM collapses into her arms. YESSENIA drags her offstage as the entire class looks on in confusion and possibly horror. MRS. WARWICK enters as this happens and she, too, stares at the spectacle.)

MRS. WARWICK: Oh, great. Another fainter.

(BLACKOUT)

(END OF PLAY)