LTC DRAMA 2015

Setting: opens with HS, MG, SS, AK on floor in pjs with pillows, sleeping bags and smartphones. AS is off to one side in “narrator” position. Slumber party girls are ‘frozen’ as AS speaks. AS: (gets pizza boxes from someone OS and ‘notices’ the audience) OH, hey! I didn’t see you there! Probably should introduce myself…I’m Alyson Marie Paige Dawn Elise Sanchez. My parents always said, ‘middle names are like Pringles…you can’t have just one.” Anyway, tonight is HUGE for me. I’m having a bunch of friends come over to spend the night…first time as hostess! (looks at pizza boxes and back up)…better get started…wish me luck! Girls start moving but just to do activities on their phones AS: Alright…dinner is served!! Girls don’t acknowledge her AS: (looks at audience) let’s try this again. (Puts boxes down and gets out her own smart phone.) group text (pretends to text and send) 3 second pause Girls act like they get text and react accordingly HS: As soon as I finish this level MG: UGH! I hate when my mom tries to use text lingo…what does “N-O-T –N-O-W” mean? SS: (wearing ear buds) hahaha…that never gets old “linda, listen, linda honey” hahaha AK: (knocks at door holding a black bag wearing all black) AS: (answers door) oh, hey Ally….don’t you look ‘festive’ tonight?! AK: was that a joke? Cause if it was…not funny. AS: just playing …but tell me you aren’t going to sleep in those clothes AK: u think I just wear this type of stuff all the time don’t you? Look, forget it…I brought my pjs…where’s the bathroom? AS: just down the hall …first door on your right

AK: (drearily) fantastic AS goes back to the other girls…still typing on their phones. AS: (to audience.) In addition to having all of the appropriate snack foods, I also took the liberty of renting every animated Disney movie for a marathon to beat all marathons! HS: (doesn’t look up) Hey Alyson! When we gonna get this thing started? MG: (not looking up) What r u talking about…we have started SS: “let it go, let it go”….. HS: (pointing in the air at SS) Someone stop that MG: fuh reel AK: (comes back on stage wearing black pjs.) Well, that’s better. AS: Ally…don’t you look….comfortable. ready to join the fun? AK (looks around at the girls and back at AS). Not sure I can handle all of THAT fun. Everyone freezes AS: (moves to monologue spot) ok, so shaky beginning. But, everyone’s here now so I am sure it will pick up and turn out to be the best night ever! Everyone unfreezes; AS goes and finds a spot to sit down and pulls out her own smartphone. MG: Ok, we’ve got problems here….my phone is about dead….anyone bring a charger? HS: No, I thought one of you guys would bring one SS: Not good. Left mine with my mom. AK: I don’t even have a phone…just brought this piece of wood to fit in with all of you wonderful people… (mumbles) and so you’d leave me alone HS: Heard that…I speak mumble MG: Not helping…Alyson…tell me YOU have a solution.

Everyone freezes; AS to monologue spot AS: ok, this is bad, very bad. I prepared for a LOT of things…I mean I got extra rice for when Sydney drops her phone in the toilet later…I got a list of the best new games for when Haley gets bored…I even got a new black case for Ally’s…well, her piece of wood disguised as a phone. But I did NOT think about chargers! Crisis time!! Everyone unfreezes MG: Well, Alyson…do you? AS: Do I what? HS: Have any chargers? AS: Um, no Everyone: WHAT!? SS: This is what the end of time must feel like! MG: No hope! HS: No future! AK: (holds up wooden phone) No problem! AS: Ok, everyone, just calm down…we have other options. We have food…oh, and we have movies! I rented a bunch of them on my TV…I’ll get the remote. SFX of thunder….everyone screams..and freezes AS to monologue spot AS: aaannd the power is out. AS walks off stage to collect flashlights…they scream a bit more and end up huddled together in the middle turning on the flashlights on their smartphones …except AK AK: You guys afraid of the dark? MG: Yes, Ally, we are! Not everyone is happy surrounded in black. AK: What’s that supposed to mean?

SS: Ok, stop it guys…look, we are facing a major life-changing moment here. We have no charges…we have no power to plug the missing chargers in. We might have to give up our only lifeline to the outside world. HS: What happens if Taylor Swift sends out a tweet tonight and I miss it!? AS: (returns with flashlights). Well, here are some flashlights…we can at least save some battery life, right?! Everyone frantically turns off their phone lights and grabs a flashlight MG: (looking at her flashlight) man, I haven’t held one of these since I was a kid…so old school SS: I know…I was watching one of those vintage shows…from like the mid 90s and they would put these under their chins and tell scary stories! AK: you guys are killing me HS: ooh, like this? (puts light under chin and makes a scary face) Everyone laughs and mimics her for a bit AS: see, this is fun, right? MG: Fun, maybe….but for how long? These things have batteries in them too ya know? HS: she’s right. Our phones will die….everything will go dark and then chaos will reign AK: and you call ME dramatic! SS: no, pretty sure THAT has NEVER happened. Everyone freezes: AS to monologue spot AS: So, here we are. Pretty much just waiting for the inevitable…. that this will go down as the WORST overnighter in the history of overnighters. I can hear the comments now, (changes position as if changing character and talking to a friend at school) “ yep, that’s how it happened…she apparently didn’t have a spare phone charger and everyone died!!” (play other person) NO! (back to original) YES! I read about it on my FULLY. CHARGED. PHONE!” Everyone unfreezes and AS sits depressed in behind the group

MG: (screams) AHHHHHH!!! Everyone looks to see what’s wrong MG: I just got the ‘less than 10% notice’!! Everyone screams and clutches their flashlights and phones HS: (begins quietly singing) “haters gonna hate, hate, hate……” AK: Whaaaat is she doing? SS: Isn’t it obvious? She’s trying to go to her ‘happy place’ MG: spinning wheel of death!! (watches for a second and then lowers head before placing phone in her pocket) Everyone bows head for a moment of silence HS: (interrupts silence with a faint singing voice) “…..shake it off, shake it off” AS: (slowly) What if….as an act of empathy….we all give up our phones and turn them off? Everyone: (Gasp ) SS: (looking over her phone) Is there even a button on here that will do that? AK: Now I need a happy place AS: Look, I am sure if we all just do this slowly, we can come together and support McKenna. After all, she is grieving and it wouldn’t be right for us to rub our remaining battery life in her face. Pause while everyone visually thinks it over. HS: Ok, so let’s say we do this…..this HORRIFIC thing you just suggested. What then? Are we just supposed to stare at each other? AK: (sits up and takes command) Are you all serious? It’s called TALKING! Everyone is immediately silent AK: I can’t BELIEVE you guys are struggling with this. Look, I don’t connect with you on a LOT of levels, but here’s one thing I know….we ALL are missing out by this (point to phones) distraction. I don’t know you....not really. And you for sure don’t

know me. And the trouble is, none of you are willing to give these phones up…even for a little while…to try. (she sits down) Everyone freezes; AS turns to face the audience AS: Woah! I KNEW I liked her! Everyone unfreezes and is still quiet MG: Yesterday after school, I spent the whole afternoon with my family….and we didn’t say one word to each other. It hit me as I went to bed…not even a goodnight…they were just in the living room texting or something. SS: I sometimes text my mom when she is sitting right next to me….it was funny at first…now it just …isn’t HS: We started this basket system at our house. SS: the what? HS: Oh, it’s just a basket that everyone has to put their phones in during meals. It’s supposed to (air quotes) spark conversation. MG: Does it work? HS: Yeah, I guess….we talk some. It’s cool. But what’s even crazier is that I found out that none of our dishes match. Like we were all eating off different style plates…even the cups were all mixed up. Who knew? AK: Not QUITE as profound as Haley’s story, but I learned that our family is pretty funny. Like my dad is HILARIOUS. Guess somewhere along the way I just stopped noticing. Everyone freezes; AS to monologue spot AS: So, the rest of the night went pretty well….actually better than that…it was AWESOME. (walk around to each frozen girl to describe the evening) We found out that Haley has blue eyes and that Sydney collects…wait for it…COASTERS! Ally and McKenna remembered they were on the same soccer team in Kindergarten….their uniforms were bright yellow so Ally only played one game. (back to monologue spot) It’s been nice visiting with you all…hope you enjoy the rest of your time here (begin to turn away and then back to audience).. oh, and you might want to try this…take some time to give up this (pull out phone) ‘man made’ stuff so you can better appreciate the (point to girls) ‘God-made’ stuff. Alyson Marie Paige Dawn Elise Sanchez signing off. (swipe phone and put in pocket…freeze and bow head)