Tuesday - My Play

hey everybody.
i had to write a play in english so here goes.
Life is too short

Character list:

Katie
Elizabeth
James
Penguin Keeper
An elderly couple

Scene 1 – At Home

The curtain opens to reveal a bright and modern kitchen. The units are arranged along the back wall of the stage, complete with a sink, a cooker and a washing machine. The scenery is made of polyester cubes that have been worked to look realistic. There are paintings on the fridge that are very colourful and bright. On the other side of the fridge is a small table that is lettered with letters: hospital appointments, bills and letters from family. The household phone is buried underneath a stack of hospital appointment letters. The table, at centre stage, is set for breakfast with cereal and toast all laid out. Two people are sitting having breakfast: a mother, Elizabeth, and her daughter, Katie.
Elizabeth sits with her legs crossed right over left watching her daughter eat her cereal over the top of her designer glasses. She, Elizabeth, has shoulder length light brown hair with blonde highlights. Elizabeth is of average height and she has an ample figure. Her eyes are a clear blue and contain a slight tinge of sadness as she watches her daughter happily eating her breakfast.
Katie is a happy child of four years old. She swings her legs aimlessly underneath her stool and laughs at the noise the rice crispies make when they pop. She has a shock of white-blonde hair that curls when it reaches her ears. Her eyes are blue-green like her father’s and she always has a smile on her face.
Elizabeth is trying to get Katie to take her medicine but Katie is refusing.

Katie: It’s yucky! [Getting louder and banging her fists on the table] Yucky, yucky, yucky!
Elizabeth [frowning. It was like this every morning]: Katie, it’s to help you. Just two seconds and we’ll be done. Ok?
Katie: I don’t want it!

[The phone rings]

Elizabeth [raising her voice slightly]: James! Get that, will you? [Turning back to Katie] If you don’t take your medicine we’ll not be going to the zoo.
Katie [shocked]: No!! I’ll take it then. [With childish authority] Don’t say that again. That’s mean.
Elizabeth [smiling. That always worked]: Good girl.

[The phone is still ringing and James, Katie’s father, hurries on stage from the left. His jet-black hair is plastered to his head as if he is just out of the shower. He has a towel round his neck. He is wearing jeans and no t-shirt. He picks up the phone and answers it gruffly]

James: Hello? … Yes, speaking… What… sorry, yes… We’re going to the zoo… don’t worry mother, I’ll make sure she doesn’t run about too much… I know… yes…hmm…the appointment came through… uh huh… ‘Course I’m going… sorry… no, mother, we’ll be fine…yes… yes…see you next week then, mother…will do… right…bye… yes… bye. [He puts the phone down gently and turns to Elizabeth who fixes him with a questioning glance]
Elizabeth: What did she want?
James: Just being nosey. Nothing new about that. [To Katie] How’s my little girl? [He pecks her on the cheek. She giggles]
Katie: When are we goin’, Daddy?
James: Five minutes. Why don’t you go and get your coat? [He watches her run off stage to get her things with a sad smile] How is she this morning?
Elizabeth: She seems ok. Bit paler than usual but she’s her happy self. [She sighs] When’s that next appointment with the genetics clinic?
James: Next week. I think they said something about getting blood tests done –

[Katie shouting off-stage interrupts James. James goes off-stage but their conversation is heard. Elizabeth sits with her chin in her hands facing the audience]

Katie: Daddy! Daddy! I can’t reach it!
James: Here.
Katie: Daddy?
James: What is it?
Katie: Will I ever be able to reach my coat? [James gives a strangled sob] Daddy?
James [pulling himself together]: It’s ok, Katie. You run along and – and help your mum get things together. I’ll just finish getting dressed. [He smiles]
Katie [happily]: Ok.

[Katie runs back on-stage and Elizabeth embraces her close. The scene closes with James joining them two minutes later and holding both of them. The curtain falls]

Scene 2 – At The Zoo

The curtain opens to stage that is set up to portray a zoo. A screen is lit up along the back wall of the stage with a film of Edinburgh Zoo, showing the penguins on their daily parade. On the platform of the stage, a crowd of people are looking towards the screen, watching the penguins. A man in a zookeeper’s outfit stands on the stage in front of the penguins on the screen, as if he is leading them.
Katie is smiling as she watches the penguins while Elizabeth and James have a hushed conversation to her left.

Elizabeth [with a sad smile]: She’s happy.
James: I know. It’s just such a shame – that she won’t be able to go to school next year.
Elizabeth: I know. Hopefully we’ll know more after that appointment next week.
James: Yes. I want to know why she’s got that heart ‘defect’ as they put it.
Elizabeth [with a sigh. She’s heard all this before]: James – no one knows why. It’s just – I don’t know – unlucky that it’s happened to us.
James: She’s such a happy –
Katie [interrupting]: What’s wrong with that penguin, Daddy?

[The penguin at the end of the line has a wing that looks out of place and its eyes appear glazed over. The penguin keeper’s voice is heard]

Penguin Keeper: The poor guy at the end of the line folks is entering old age and may not be with us much longer. He’s going blind now and the vet thinks he should be put to sleep. Not to worry folks. He’s not got a horrible disease, just getting old.
Katie [sadly]: Poor penguin.
Elizabeth: Let’s go and get something to eat, shall we? You need your medicine.
Katie [frowning]: I hope when I get old I don’t get ill.
James [biting his bottom lip]: Don’t worry about it, Katie.

[James takes Katie by the hand and Elizabeth takes her other hand. They walk off-stage to the left. The curtain falls]

Epilogue

The curtain opens with the screen lit up showing a church and a cemetery. At centre stage stands a headstone. An elderly couple walk onstage with a younger couple behind them. The group stop at the headstone, with the younger couple laying flowers and the elderly couple standing in grave silence. A soft lullaby plays in the background. The woman in the younger couple breaks down and her husband holds her. They drift backwards as the older couple lay their flowers.
The stage goes dark and a spotlight stops on the headstone. The couples are unseen. The darkness hides their grief. Only the wailing of the woman is heard but that is soon silenced. A man’s voice is heard through the darkness, reading the epitaph on the headstone. It is the voice of James.

James: Here lies Katie, our beloved daughter,
A happy soul who will be sorely missed.
We are glad she is free, free from pain,
Glad she now rests in peace.
In Heaven now she plays without care,
One day we will join our beloved Katie there.

[Silence. The curtain falls]

i ended up copying a biiiiiiiiig blank spot so... hmmm... just ignore that please.
post a comment tell me what you think.
by the way, i have a website at www.sarahluvssam.piczo.com
also i have a good idea about what i want to do for my birthday. i thought about a quiz night but we could have fancy dress as well, just for a laugh being mature and all that. had a talk with mum and she said maybe. wahey! i might get an empty house. yay!!
post a comment to tell me what you think about that idea, PLEASE. thats a hint. lol.
anyways, I'll see most of you who read this at school so bye till then
love and bless
Sorche