Brewed Nature

A pound of Thoughts; A smidgen of Sarcasm; A quarter-cup of Concern; Two leaves of Bay; One Clove. Steep for days, constantly stirring with a branch of Oak.

Saturday, November 11, 2006

The Box--A Children's Play

The Box
by Lydia Daffenberg


CAST
Larry
Janitor
Teacher
Kid 1
Kid 2
Kid 3
Kid 4
Kid 5
Kid 6
Kid 7
Kid 8
Kid 9
Kid 10

Scene 1
Time: modern
AT RISE: School hall. Students are hurrying through hall to get to recess. One boy lags behind, slowly putting his books in his locker. A janitor comes in with cleaning cart, sees gloomy boy and starts talking with him.

Janitor
Hey kid, what’s wrong? How come you’re going so slow? It’s recess time.

Larry
I hate recess, that’s why.

Janitor
What do you mean you hate recess? That was always my favorite.

Larry
Well, it’s not mine. I always get picked on or beat up.

Janitor
Yeah, I know what you mean. I used to get picked on a lot, too. Kids called me Nerdo. Well, what is your favorite class period, then? (Pauses) Science?

Larry
Science is ok, but I really like Language Arts.

Janitor
What’s that—reading and writing and stuff? We used to call that English.

Larry
Yeah, Language Arts. I especially like to write.

Janitor
Oh, an author, huh? What do you write?

Larry
I like to write stories, mostly.

Janitor
You’ll have to tell me one sometime, kid. Now you’d better get going before you get in trouble.

Larry
Couldn’t you give me a pass to go to the library instead?

Janitor
Nope. Sorry, I don’t have that kind of authority around here. I just keep things tidy and in their place. Say, speaking of . . . (digs out strange box from cart) years ago I found a very special box left behind on the school stage. No one ever claimed it from the lost and found, so I’ve been using it ever since. (Janitor holds it up for a bit.) Maybe you’d like it?
(Hands it to Larry)

Larry
What does it do?

Janitor
It changes people’s perspective.

Larry
(Looks confused, puzzled over what the janitor said, shrugs.) Uh, thanks. It sure is different. I wonder who would leave it behind? (A teacher enters and addresses Larry)

Teacher
Now, Larry, we’ve discussed this before. There’s to be no dawdling on your way out to recess. Get going now. (She shoos Larry offstage who slowly goes off pondering box.) When you come back in, we’ll be discussing ancient desert dwellings. (Teacher follows Larry offstage)

BLACKOUT
Scene 2
Time: Immediately following

LIGHTS UP on recess. Kids are playing with balls, hoola-hoop & jump rope. Some standing in groups talking. Larry enters still pondering the box as he walks. Three kids approach him, snickering to themselves.

Kid 1
Hey, look, it’s Laaaaarry. (Bullies laugh as they approach, looking tough, but stop dead in their tracks as soon as they sees the box)

Kid 2
What’cha got there? (Pointing at box)

Kid 10
Some stupid science project?

Larry
No. It’s a special box. (Both kids gather around Larry to get a better look.)

Kid 1
Wow, that’s weird looking.

Kid 3
What does it do? (Two more kids are coming over to look at the box.)

Larry
It changes people’s perspective.

Kid 1
How does it do that?

Larry
I don’t know yet, I just got it. (Pauses, then excitedly) But I know someone left it behind on the school stage years ago!

Kid 7
How come?

Larry
(Speaks spookily) No one knows. (Kid 1 takes it from Larry, looking at it intently while the rest of the kids join the group.)

Kid 4
What’s that?

Kid 1
It’s a special box with powers.

Kid 5
Whose is it?

Kid 2
It’s Larry’s, he just got it.

Kid 8
It’s Larry’s? (Reaches over and pushes Larry.) Larry, tell us about the box! (As Larry’s telling story, Kid 3 takes box from Kid 1. All kids follow suit, passing and taking turns looking at box.)

Larry
It was left on the school stage years ago. No one came forth to claim the strange thing, so the janitor has been using it ever since. He just gave it to me in the hallway. He says it has the power to change people’s perspective.

Kid 9
What does that mean?

Larry
I don’t really know. I think it means—change people’s minds.

Kid 3
Oh! Like a Jedi mind trick! (Some kids laugh.)

Teacher
(Enters and blows whistle, ending recess.) Line up! (Some kids start to go in.)

Kid 1
Ok, ok. Give the box back to Larry. (Kids pass it up to Larry. Kid 1 addresses Larry) Be sure to bring it again tomorrow if you want a pass from a beating. (laughing) All kids go in followed by teacher.

BLACKOUT
Scene 3

Time: Next day at recess

LIGHTS UP on playground. Kids come out and gather around Larry who is holding the box.

Kid 1
So, Larry—why do you think it was left behind?
Larry
Well, I’ve been thinking about that. See this dent on the corner of the box? (Holds box up pointing to corner) That’s how I figured it out. (Puts box on bench. Takes out piece of paper) It was a long time ago—way back in the early 90’s. (Pauses for audience laughter) There was a boy who wanted to try out for the school play, but was afraid of getting laughed at. He wasn’t very popular. Kids called him Nerdo. (Kids all laugh at name. Larry continues.) On the first day of tryouts, he stayed hidden in the theater just watching. He never got up the nerve to audition. That night, his family visited his great-grandfather’s house for dinner. He told his great-grandpa about the play and how he wanted to be in it. He said he didn’t think he’d make it anyway, so he wasn’t gonna bother trying out. His grandpa took him up to the attic and dug out the box from an old trunk. (Kid 1 makes creepy sound and wiggles fingers in air—some kids laugh. Larry continues.) He gave the box to him and told the boy it had special powers and that he should take it with to tryouts the next day. The boy did as his great-grandpa told him. Since he signed up last, he had to audition last. Right before it was his turn, he looked at the box and thought hard about getting a part in the play. He put the box down backstage and went out on stage. All the kids were sitting in the theater watching him. He took a deep breath and began. When he was finished, everyone in the theater was silent—even the director. Then, all he could hear was applauding and cheering. The director told the kids that she was going to announce the parts so they didn’t have to wait over the weekend to find out. She told everyone to line up on stage. The boy retrieved the box from backstage and joined the other students. The director saved the lead role for last. When she called the boys name, he was so shocked, he dropped the box. That’s what caused this dent. (Larry picks box up and points to corner. Kids make sounds of acknowledgement . Larry continues.) He was jumping up and down and raced home to tell his family—forgetting all about the box. That evening, as the janitor was cleaning up, he found the box and kept it. He’s been using it ever since, which is why he’s so friendly and outgoing. That’s what happened.

Kid 7
Wow! The box does work! It changed everyone’s mind about the boy!

Kid 10
Hey! (Looking at Kid 7) You’re right! It did!

Kid 8
You’re lucky, Larry. I wish I had a box like that.

Kid 1
Me too. (Teacher enters and blows whistle to end recess) Same time tomorrow, Larry?

Larry
(Confidently) Sure! See you tomorrow. I’ll have a new story for you. (Kids all talk excitedly amongst themselves as they file into the school.)

BLACKOUT
Scene 4
Time: Next day at recess.

LIGHTS UP on playground. Again, kids gather around Larry who holds box.

Kid 9
So what’s the story about today, Larry?

Larry
(Confidently) A Native American ceremony. Does everyone see the points here on the box? (Holds box up for all to see.) Those are desert cliffs.

Kid 4
How do you know that’s what they are? They just look like cones.

Larry
I know because the box made it clear to me, that’s how.

Kid 1
Yeah, be quiet and let him tell the story. They look like cliffs to me.

Kid 6
I can see them too, Larry! Tell us!

Larry
Well it goes like this. (Larry sets box down on ground beside him.) The Indians of the desert cliffs performed rain dances when it was very dry. One hot, dry day, the medicine man called all the people together to perform a rain dance. Their crops were wilting and they needed water to drink. They placed clay pots around them in a big circle and began to dance. (Larry begins to dance and twirl around. All the kids begin to follow his lead, giggling. Larry speaks loudly over the laughter.) They didn’t laugh about it! It was very serious to them, and they had to concentrate very hard while they danced. (Kids become quiet while continuing to dance. All the sudden, LIGHTS DIM a big crack of thunder can be heard and lightning strikes. It starts to rain.)

Kid 5
It worked! It worked!

Kid 3
It’s raining! (Teacher blows whistle and kids go running for cover. Larry almost forgets the box. He runs back and scoops it up, trying to protect it as he runs in after the kids.)

BLACKOUT
Scene 5
Time: Next day in hallway.

LIGHTS UP on Larry who is crying. Janitor enters.

Janitor
Hey, Larry. What’s wrong?

Larry
(Very upset) I forgot the box at home! I can’t go out to recess without it—the kids will all be mad and beat me up!

Janitor
Nonsense. They don’t care about the box anymore. I’ve heard everyone talking about you around here. They say you’re a great storyteller. All the kids are talking about going to recess to hear your stories. I haven’t heard them mention the box.

Larry
But it was the box that got them to stop bullying me!

Janitor
I’ve got something to tell you about the box. (Larry wipes his eyes and looks at janitor.) It’s not special at all. Well--other then it looks strange. But, it doesn’t have any powers. Everything that happened was because of you. Because you started to believe in yourself.

Larry
But you told me that it had the power to change people.

Janitor
Well, it does in a way. It helped you change yourself. You believed in the box’s power and so you became brave and confident. And when you changed your perspective about yourself, everyone else’s perspective of you changed as well. You don’t need the box anymore. The power is in you.

Larry
Really?

Janitor
Really. You don’t think I’d throw you to the lions, do you kid? They’re waiting to hear your stories, not to look at the box.
Larry
Well, maybe you’re right. Everyone has been talking to me more. And kids have been asking me all day how I made it rain.

Janitor
See? It’s you they’re interested in. Now you’d better get going—I think you have an audience out there waiting for you.

Larry
Ok. (He walks slowly off stage)

BLACKOUT
Scene 6
Time: Immediately after

Lights up on playground. Kids are all waiting for Larry.

Kid 1
(Addressing the group of kids) There he is! He’s coming! (Kids all get excited when they see Larry. They whisper amongst themselves. Kid 1 turns toward Larry and addresses him when he approaches.) Finally! We were worried you weren’t coming out, Larry!

Kid 6
Hey, Larry! Weren’t you going to tell us about the time your kite caught on fire?

Larry
(Realizing the janitor was right, becomes the most confident he’s been yet. He stands on the bench and addresses the crowd of kids.) Well, it all started like this . . .

BLACKOUT
Scene 7

Time: Next day in hallway.

LIGHTS UP on Larry holding the box, talking to the janitor

Larry
Here you go. (Hands box back to Janitor.) You were right, I don’t need the box anymore! Thanks. I gotta get to recess! (Runs offstage. Janitor looks at box and smiles to himself, nodding head. He sets it on his cart and looks offstage at someone.)

Janitor
(Raises finger in the air) Hey kid, why the long face? (Pushes cart offstage.)
***Curtain***

2 Comments:

At 11:17 AM, Blogger Mamagiggle said...

Hi Lydia...
Speaking of boxes,
Yesterday at the grocery storeI was seriously caught off guard by a box of BooBerry cereal, I went home,
a pal came over and we watched (have you seen?) the Lady in the Water...
There's a kid scry's using cereal boxes.
I wonder if we're part of the story too.
Hey you posted this on my birthday!
Glad you still linger.
Yuletide Blessings
Mamagiggle

 
At 9:50 PM, Blogger Deborah Cullins Smith said...

Great, Lydia! Oh, the power of a storyteller! Honey, you get THAT gift from your Dad..... I found it beautiful that you used HIS name for the child who needed a boost to help him realize his potential. Larry would be proud.
~deb

 

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