Plays and Sketches
My recent works include:
Depatures (drama)
A family deals with the emotion caused by various types of departures.
Frank Sinatra and Chicken Parmesan (comedy)
A woman tries to get some excitement back in her marriage.
The Audition (comedy)
Christmas sketch: Angels audition to announce the birth of Christ.
Christmas on Trial (comedy)
Christmas sketch inspired by "A Few Good Men" and "It's a Wonderful Life"
Extreme Makeover (comedy/drama)
Teen girls discuss outward vs inward beauty.
Easter with Harley (comedy/drama)
Inspired by the movie "Harvey" starring Jimmy Stewart.
Carpe Diem (drama)
What really makes a person happy in life?
The following is an excerpt from my ten-minute play, "Departures", a drama:
Depatures (drama)
A family deals with the emotion caused by various types of departures.
Frank Sinatra and Chicken Parmesan (comedy)
A woman tries to get some excitement back in her marriage.
The Audition (comedy)
Christmas sketch: Angels audition to announce the birth of Christ.
Christmas on Trial (comedy)
Christmas sketch inspired by "A Few Good Men" and "It's a Wonderful Life"
Extreme Makeover (comedy/drama)
Teen girls discuss outward vs inward beauty.
Easter with Harley (comedy/drama)
Inspired by the movie "Harvey" starring Jimmy Stewart.
Carpe Diem (drama)
What really makes a person happy in life?
The following is an excerpt from my ten-minute play, "Departures", a drama:
CAST:
Jessie (female 14)
Derek (male 26)
Sam (male 58)
Laura (female 54)
TIME: Present
SETTING:
Scene 1 – Bus station
Scene 2 – Airport
Scene 3 – Home of Sam and Laura
Scene 4 – Bus station
PROPS:
Suitcase (a neutral color like black or brown), cell phone
NOTE:
The play consists of four short scenes that are interconnected. The suitcase is brought into the first scene and remains in the same position throughout the play. Each scene begins with the actors in a certain position near the suitcase, but they may move around during their scene. The end of each scene is blocked a particular way near the suitcase. For transitions between scenes, it would be effective to have a black out, but if that’s not possible, the actors can freeze for a few seconds to signify the ending of the previous scene and then take their positions to begin the following scene.
Scene 1
Lights up. JESSIE enters stage right carrying a suitcase. She stops center stage with the suitcase facing the audience. She takes a cell phone out of her pocket and pushes the buttons.
JESSIE
I’m at the bus station…yeah, the trip was okay. Except for this creepy old guy that tried to sit next to me. I moved to another seat next to a nice lady. I gave her some of my pretzels. Amber, guess what? The lady was going to visit her granddaughter! And I’m going to see my grandparents!…yeah…can you believe it? Weird…I know you’re my best friend, but stop worrying. My Uncle Derek will be here any minute…mad? No, he’s cool. My mom’s the one that’s going to be mad when she finds out I’m gone…hey, gotta go. He’s here. Talk later.
DEREK enters stage left.
Uncle Derek!
(She runs into his arms and hugs him tightly)
DEREK
Jessie, are you okay?
JESSIE
I am now.
DEREK
What’s wrong?
JESSIE
It’s Mitch. I hate him.
DEREK
I should have known. Did he hurt you? Did he hurt Claire? I swear to God if he ever…
JESSIE
No, Mom’s okay. But I had to leave. I’ve been saving up for weeks to get this bus ticket. I want to stay with Grandma and Grandpa.
DEREK
Why didn’t you call? We would have gone down there and…
JESSIE
I don’t know. I just couldn’t stand being in that house anymore. Mom’s always yelling at me and then she goes in her room and cries. She cries all the time.
DEREK
I thought she was seeing a counselor.
JESSIE
It’s not doing any good. Nothing changes. No, I take that back. Things do change. Just not for the better. Why does Mitch have to live with us? Why can’t it just be me and Mom?
(Pause)
Will Grandma and Grandpa be mad that I ran away? I hope they don’t send me back. Do you think they’ll send me back?
DEREK
I don’t know.
JESSIE
Because I won’t go back. If they kick me out, can I stay with you? I’ll cook and clean and take care of the house. You won’t have to do a thing. I can …
DEREK
You can’t stay with me, Jess. I’m heading out to Fort Benning on Monday.
JESSIE
Fort Benning?
DEREK
I’ve joined the army.
JESSIE
Why? What happened?
DEREK
Nothing. It’s complicated.
JESSIE
Does that mean you’ll be going to Iraq?
DEREK
Maybe. Or possibly Afghanistan.
JESSIE
I don’t want you to go.
(Pause)
They won’t send me back, will they?
JESSIE faces DEREK with suitcase between them. DEREK faces audience. They freeze. Black out.
Jessie (female 14)
Derek (male 26)
Sam (male 58)
Laura (female 54)
TIME: Present
SETTING:
Scene 1 – Bus station
Scene 2 – Airport
Scene 3 – Home of Sam and Laura
Scene 4 – Bus station
PROPS:
Suitcase (a neutral color like black or brown), cell phone
NOTE:
The play consists of four short scenes that are interconnected. The suitcase is brought into the first scene and remains in the same position throughout the play. Each scene begins with the actors in a certain position near the suitcase, but they may move around during their scene. The end of each scene is blocked a particular way near the suitcase. For transitions between scenes, it would be effective to have a black out, but if that’s not possible, the actors can freeze for a few seconds to signify the ending of the previous scene and then take their positions to begin the following scene.
Scene 1
Lights up. JESSIE enters stage right carrying a suitcase. She stops center stage with the suitcase facing the audience. She takes a cell phone out of her pocket and pushes the buttons.
JESSIE
I’m at the bus station…yeah, the trip was okay. Except for this creepy old guy that tried to sit next to me. I moved to another seat next to a nice lady. I gave her some of my pretzels. Amber, guess what? The lady was going to visit her granddaughter! And I’m going to see my grandparents!…yeah…can you believe it? Weird…I know you’re my best friend, but stop worrying. My Uncle Derek will be here any minute…mad? No, he’s cool. My mom’s the one that’s going to be mad when she finds out I’m gone…hey, gotta go. He’s here. Talk later.
DEREK enters stage left.
Uncle Derek!
(She runs into his arms and hugs him tightly)
DEREK
Jessie, are you okay?
JESSIE
I am now.
DEREK
What’s wrong?
JESSIE
It’s Mitch. I hate him.
DEREK
I should have known. Did he hurt you? Did he hurt Claire? I swear to God if he ever…
JESSIE
No, Mom’s okay. But I had to leave. I’ve been saving up for weeks to get this bus ticket. I want to stay with Grandma and Grandpa.
DEREK
Why didn’t you call? We would have gone down there and…
JESSIE
I don’t know. I just couldn’t stand being in that house anymore. Mom’s always yelling at me and then she goes in her room and cries. She cries all the time.
DEREK
I thought she was seeing a counselor.
JESSIE
It’s not doing any good. Nothing changes. No, I take that back. Things do change. Just not for the better. Why does Mitch have to live with us? Why can’t it just be me and Mom?
(Pause)
Will Grandma and Grandpa be mad that I ran away? I hope they don’t send me back. Do you think they’ll send me back?
DEREK
I don’t know.
JESSIE
Because I won’t go back. If they kick me out, can I stay with you? I’ll cook and clean and take care of the house. You won’t have to do a thing. I can …
DEREK
You can’t stay with me, Jess. I’m heading out to Fort Benning on Monday.
JESSIE
Fort Benning?
DEREK
I’ve joined the army.
JESSIE
Why? What happened?
DEREK
Nothing. It’s complicated.
JESSIE
Does that mean you’ll be going to Iraq?
DEREK
Maybe. Or possibly Afghanistan.
JESSIE
I don’t want you to go.
(Pause)
They won’t send me back, will they?
JESSIE faces DEREK with suitcase between them. DEREK faces audience. They freeze. Black out.
