Evolution of a Play: How to Write a Play for Play Fest - Version 3

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

For those who missed the first two articles in this series, 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.

In my junior and senior years of high school, I decided to throw my hat into the hat and submit something for Play Fest. This play is one I worked on for much of my senior year. I can't remember if I ever actually submitted it. I think I might have. If I did, that would make two I submitted. More on that later.

This is the complete third version of the script, finished on January 27th, 2016—at least, according to Microsoft Word. If I actually did submit this play for consideration, this probably would've been the version I submitted. 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 Amber Ruffin.

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

• There's a scene in a food court! I believe I added that scene to give a bit more depth to Sam and Nuala's relationship. It also replaces the peer-editing scene with Valerie.
• Lizzie's gone; Valerie now appears in the Scene 4 with Yessenia instead.
• There's more teachers in it now! Two additional English teacher characters are added, bringing the total up from two to four. In addition, the scene is extended to give the teacher characters something a bit more fun to do.

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

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Ella – Sam’s rival; 17 years of age

Mrs. Warwick – Sam’s drama teacher; also a creative writing teacher; 45 years of age

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

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

Mr. Crowley – a creative writing teacher; 36 years of age

Mr. Jackson – another creative writing teacher; 53 years of age

Sam and Nuala’s Mother

Students (3 male, 2 female)

SCENES

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

Sam’s bedroom (Scenes 2 and 4)

Food court in a shopping mall (Scene 3)

TIME

Present day

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scene 1

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

AT RISE: STUDENTS are already seated, with their backpacks at their feet, conversing with each other. VALERIE sits at her desk at the front, reading a book. SAM and YESSENIA enter, walk to their desks, and put their backpacks down.

YESSENIA: …and that’s when I got the idea of having Charles and Delilah defeat the zombies by playing lullabies on the ukulele while wearing chicken costumes. I figure that’d make the story a little more interesting. I’m not too sure how I’d fit it in yet, but I really like the idea. So, what’s your play going to be about?

(ELLA enters, walks to her desk, and puts her backpack down.)

SAM: I...don’t really know yet.

YESSENIA: You didn’t brainstorm over the weekend like Mrs. Warwick said to, did you?

SAM: (hesitates) No.

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, these 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 all 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, Yessenia! 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 plot holes you could in which you could hide an elephant!

YESSENIA: Hey! I’ll have you know that Sam could write circles around your bleached-blond little head any day of the week!

(VALERIE gets up and walks towards the girls.)

VALERIE: Hey, hey, hey! Settle down! Now, we’ve got a lot of work to do in class today, so please save your energy instead of wasting it on some petty argument, okay?

YESSENIA: (grudgingly) Okay.

ELLA: I’m still going to win.

VALERIE: That’s enough of that, Ella! Now, let’s all just simmer down, okay?

(The school bell rings. MRS. WARWICK enters.)

MRS. WARWICK: You know the drill: IDs on, technology away, play a game.

(ELLA and some FEMALE STUDENTS form a circle and begin playing “Zip Zap Zop”. SAM, YESSENIA, VALERIE, and the MALE STUDENT gather in their own group and begin playing “What Are You Doing?” MRS. WARWICK walks to her desk.)

(BLACKOUT)

(END OF SCENE)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scene 2

SETTING: Sam’s bedroom.

AT RISE: SAM is at her desk with a notebook and pen out. NUALA enters.

NUALA: Hey, Sam, do you think you could help me out with my science fair project? I’m a little nervous about handling the nitroglycerin.

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

NUALA: Okay, then. (exits)

SAM: Hmmm...Maybe I could write about a mad scientist who creates a man by sewing together some corpses, and then...no, that’s been done before. Ugh, c’mon Sam, think! Think! (suddenly sits straight) Wait! Nitroglycerin?!

(A loud explosion is heard offstage. Smoke flows in from the kitchen. Some bits of tiles fly into the room. NUALA re-enters nonchalantly.)

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 a play, but nothing’s coming to me! (beat) What were you doing with nitroglycerin, anyway?

NUALA: (mischievously) The world may never know.

(SAM sighs and rolls her eyes. NUALA decides to be helpful.)

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

SAM: Yecch! My stomach’s churning just thinking about it!

NUALA: Well, let’s see you come up with something better, then!

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

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

SAM: Right! Back to my play. Let’s see...what am I going to write about? (looks around the room, eyes her laptop) Hmmm...a middle-aged office worker—no, a guy who works at Apple! Yeah! A guy who works at Apple...and travels the country to find himself! (whacks herself in the head with her notebook with each “No!”) No! No! No! Ugh! Maybe that mime idea isn’t all that bad. (shakes head) No! No mimes! What else can I write about?

(A second explosion is heard offstage, along with another scream from SAM and NUALA's MOTHER. 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: Hey... (calling out) Nuala!

(NUALA rushes in with a broom.)

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: (walks over to NUALA, notebook in hand) Great! First, you’ve got to explain your science fair project to me.

NUALA: Actually, first we have to clean up. (hands SAM the broom and exits)

SAM: Aw, come on! This isn’t even my mess! Who told you to use nitroglycerin in the kitchen anyway?! (exits)

(BLACKOUT)

(END OF SCENE)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scene 3

SETTING: The food court at a popular shopping mall. Three tables are visible.

AT RISE: Two tables upstage are occupied by the STUDENTS. SAM and NUALA occupy the table downstage.

NUALA: …then she goes and steals my idea! And I’m like, “Felicia! No, you didn’t!” I shoulda known she’d do that; she always does stuff like that. So, I had to think pretty quick about a new project idea before Mr. Clohisy got to me. Then I started thinking about grandpa’s heart condition for some reason...and I thought, “Hey, maybe a project with nitroglycerin would impress Mr. Clohisy!”

SAM: (cynically) And that’s why you destroyed half our house?

NUALA: Hey, it could have been worse! I could have thought about your athlete’s foot!

SAM: (frantically looking around) Shhh! (turns back to NUALA; sotto voce) You promised you’d never mention that in public ever again!

(ELLA enters with a large bag of newly-purchased clothes. She sees SAM and walks to her table.)

ELLA: Hi, Samantha! How are you?

SAM: (normal volume; tense) I’m fine, thanks.

ELLA: This must be your darling sister Nuala!

(ELLA tries to put her hand on NUALA’s shoulder, but NUALA growls at her.)

ELLA: So, what are you doing here? Shopping for a flea collar?

SAM: Actually, we were talking about her science fair project. I’m going to write my play about it.

ELLA: (insincerely) Hmmm, sounds interesting. (upbeat) Well, I must be off!

NUALA: (under her breath) Damn right, you are.

ELLA: (shoots NUALA a dirty look) I’m going to put some finishing touches on my play. Toodles! (exits)

NUALA: Sam, you don’t think she’d—

SAM: No. I don’t think a science fair project would fit into the plot of a song from the Sixties.

(BLACKOUT)

(END OF SCENE)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scene 4

SETTING: SAM’s bedroom.

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

NUALA: Sam, Yessenia and Valerie 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 by tomorrow.

(NUALA sighs and exits. YESSENIA and VALERIE barge in and stand behind her. YESSENIA taps on her shoulder and she turns to see who is there.)

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

VALERIE: I’m doing fine, honey. A little congested, but overall, I’m fine. How have you—?

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! (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!

VALERIE: This is for your own good, honey.

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 VALERIE reach for the laptop, but SAM throws herself on it.)

SAM: (as she lunges) Back off!

YESSENIA: Ugh, fine! Let’s go, Val.

(YESSENIA and VALERIE start heading out. VALERIE looks back.)

VALERIE: I want you to know that we care about you very much, and we’re concerned about your personal well-being and mental—

YESSENIA: Come on!

(YESSENIA pulls VALERIE away. They exit.)

(BLACKOUT)

(END OF SCENE)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scene 5

SETTING: The classroom, immediately after school.

AT RISE: MRS. WARWICK sits at her desk typing. SAM enters with her play and walks 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.)

SAM: Oh, hi, Ella.

ELLA: Hi, Samantha. 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.

SAM: You know, Ella, I’m getting real sick of your attitude.

ELLA: Whatever are you talking about, Samantha?

SAM: You’ve done nothing but taunt me these past three weeks about this whole Play Fest thing and how your play is gonna be the best one, you hair-bleaching, toad-licking, urine-guzzling, sheep-fondling, toffee-nosed little tart! Well, I’ve been working my butt off on my own play. It may not be as profound and beautiful as you say yours is, but I’ll betcha it gives your play a good run for its money! And I don’t care how many clichés I just used right now! This is my monologue and I’ll do what I want!!!

(SAM storms off. ELLA stares at her awkwardly for a bit, then quickly turns back to MRS. WARWICK.)

ELLA: (hands Mrs. WARWICK her play) Here’s my play, Mrs. Warwick.

MRS. WARWICK: Thank you, Ella.

(ELLA exits. MS. VILLANUEVA, MR. CROWLEY, and MR. JACKSON enter, each with a bunch of scripts. MRS. WARWICK gets up and walks to them with her own pile, and meets them 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: Oh God, we’re not reading through them today, are we? I haven’t made copies!

MR. CROWLEY: That’s fine; neither have we.

MS. VILLANUEVA: We just want to get through this as soon as possible.

(The teachers sit around a desk. MS. VILLANUEVA pulls a script from her bundle.)

MRS. WARWICK: “Some Enchanted Evening”. Cliché title.

MR. CROWLEY: Oh, don’t get too harsh too soon, Chris.

(MS. VILLANUEVA opens the script.)

MR. CROWLEY: Good-sized cast, I think.

MRS. WARWICK: That’s not really important right now, Aviv. I’ll read for Carolina.

MS. VILLANUEVA: I’ll read for Barbara.

MR. JACKSON: I guess I’ll do the Maître d’.

(MR. CROWLEY snickers.)

MR. JACKSON: Shut up!

(MS. VILLANUEVA turns the page.)

MRS. WARWICK: “Oh, miss, a friend of mine is going to join me later, a Ms. Barbara Horton.”

MR. JACKSON: “Very well, Madame. I will lead her to your table when she arrives.”

MRS. WARWICK: “Thank you, sir.” (looks at watch) “Ugh, where is she?”

MS. VILLANUEVA: “Sorry I’m late, Carolina. Traffic was just horrible.”

MRS. WARWICK: “That’s okay. You’re here now. That’s all that matters to me.” It’s a dud. Toss it.

MS. VILLANUEVA: How do you know just by the first few—?

MRS. WARWICK: Toss it!

(MS. VILLANUEVA tosses the script away. MRS. WARWICK hands a new script to MS. VILLANUEVA.)

MR. CROWLEY: “Toy Soldier” by Ella Whitfield. Hey, she’s in my AP Lit class! I don’t like her; she’s a putz.

(MS. VILLANUEVA turns the page.)

MS. VILLANUEVA: Only four characters. Not exactly ideal. Oh, well. Let’s read it. I’ll take Delaney.

MR. CROWLEY: I’ll read for Tony.

MR. JACKSON: I’ll read for James.

(MS. VILLANUEVA turns the page.)

MRS. WARWICK: Whoa! Those are some pretty long stage directions!

MR. CROWLEY: “He holds her closer, closer, and runs his brawny fingers through her long, flaxen hair.” That’s not stage direction, that’s a novel!

MR. JACKSON: “Oh darling, my love for you is eternal. Marry me, and come with me to Verona, where we shall live together deep in our love and our passion!”

MR. CROWLEY: (knocks on table) “Delaney! I’m home!”

MS. VILLANUEVA: “Oh, no! It can’t be!”

MR. CROWLEY: “Delaney?”

MS. VILLANUEVA: “No! Tony!”

MR. JACKSON: “Tony? Who’s Tony?”

MS. VILLANUEVA: “He was my boyfriend before I met you. I thought he had been killed in action!”

(The teachers all look at each other.)

ALL: Toss it!

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

MS. VILLANUEVA: “The Science Fair Project” by Samantha Pawletki. The title could use some work.

(MS. VILLANUEVA turns the page.)

MRS. WARWICK: Pretty good cast size, definitely manageable. I’ll read for Lily.

MS. VILLANUEVA: I’ll read for Wendy.

MR. CROWLEY: I’ll read for Mason.

MR. JACKSON: I’ll read for Mr. Campbell.

(MS. VILLANUEVA turns the page.)

MS. VILLANUEVA: “...so, I told him if he didn’t leave me alone, I would stab him in the eye with my ice cream cone—”

MRS. WARWICK: “I’m sorry, but what exactly does this have to do with our project?”

MS. VILLANUEVA: “I was getting to that! So anyway...”

MR. CROWLEY: “Hey, Lily! What’s your project going to be about?”

MRS. WARWICK: “I’m examining what effect of wind strength on plant stem thickness.”

MR. CROWLEY: “Sounds cool.”

MR. JACKSON: “Wendy, what have you chosen as your topic?”

MS. VILLANUEVA: “Oh! I’m examining the effect of wind strength on the thickness of a plant’s stem.”

MRS. WARWICK: “You conniving little ham hock! You stole my idea!”

MR. JACKSON: “Lily, what’s your experiment going to be about?”

MRS. WARWICK: “Uh...I’m going to examine the...uh...the effects temperature has on...nitroglycerin...and its medical qualities! Yeah, that’s my topic!”

ALL: “What?!”

MRS. WARWICK: Well, it hasn’t made me want to retch yet.

(The teachers continue to read the play.)

(BLACKOUT)

(END OF SCENE)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scene 6

SETTING: The classroom, before first period.

AT RISE: VALERIE is sitting at her desk, writing. Other STUDENTS are conversing. 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, trying to write a play good enough to get picked? Ella’s right, anyhow; I’m not that great of a writer. I’ll bet my play was the worst they’d ever— (finally processes what VALERIE said) 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 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 me through this crap again!

(YESSENIA administers the chloroform. SAM collapses into her arms. YESSENIA drags her offstage as the entire class looks on. MRS. WARWICK enters as this happens.)

MRS. WARWICK: Oh, great. Another fainter.

(BLACKOUT)

(END OF PLAY)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

An epilogue!

Remember how I said in the intro to this article that, if I had submitted this play for Play Fest my senior year, then that meant I had submitted two? Well, here's the other one:

Yes, friends—or, rather, internet strangers! That's a play that I wrote, and it got picked to be produced for the 2016 Lane Tech Play Festival! A natural end for this saga, it would seem. Especially given how I went on in the first article about how determined I was to get something of mine picked for Play Fest.

But, well...there's two more versions of How to Write a Play for Play Fest. I'm not entirely sure why that is, either.