THIS IS NOT A FREE SCRIPT! - Drama by George Home ... IS NOT A FREE SCRIPT! This script sample is...

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Tonya Sawyer and the School Fence 2

Tonya Sawyer and the School Fence

Freely Adapted from Mark Twain’s Novel

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

By George Halitzka


Cast of Characters

ABIGAIL VAN HOOSE, a wealthy girl with a bad attitude ANA ROSENBERG, her best friend

ALICE JORDAN, her second-best friend, who isn’t quite so rich TONYA SAWYER, a tomboy

HUCKLEBINA FINN, Tonya’s best friend, better known as Huck BECKETT THATCHER, a popular boy who loves football, better known as Beck

DON, Beck’s friend ROB, Beck’s friend

COACH DOBBINS, the school P. E. teacher STUDENTS at St. Petersburg School

Setting

A Friday and Saturday in October on the

athletic field at St. Petersburg School.


Tonya Sawyer and the School Fence

(The athletic field at St. Petersburg School near the end of P. E. class. ABIGAIL, ANA, and ALICE are huddled together center stage, talking. Off to one side, TONYA and HUCK are playing catch with a football.)

ABIGAIL

Thanks, girls . . . it’s been a great birthday.

ANA I’m so glad you liked the Gucci® bag. Mom almost bought you a knockoff.

(ABIGAIL gasps.) But don’t worry—I threw a tantrum in the store until she gave in.

ABIGAIL Ana, you shouldn’t have!

ANA I’d pitch a fit for my BFF anytime.

ABIGAIL But I know Alice can do better . . .

ALICE Mom only spends $300 on birthdays, honest . . . but I’ll make it up from my allowance.

ABIGAIL I hope so, Alice . . . for your sake. Now that my birthday prank on the coach is ready . . .

ANA I can’t wait to see the look on Dobbins’ face.

ABIGAIL . . . There’s only one thing left: I need guests for my party.

ANA Wait . . . isn’t it just us? I thought this was an exclusive event.


ABIGAIL Of course it is. Which is why I need the right people . . .

(noticing TONYA and HUCK) And they’re perfect.

ANA Tonya Sawyer and Hucklebina Finn? Are you serious?

ABIGAIL Come here, girls.

(ABIGAIL, ANA, and ALICE huddle. ABIGAIL whispers to them.)

ANA Oh . . . that makes sense.

ABIGAIL (approaching TONYA and HUCK)

Tonya! You’re just the girl I was looking for. Would you like to come to my birthday party? My mother wants me to include some of the little people.

TONYA Well, Abby, parties are usually fun, but—

ABIGAIL Daddy is renting a limo, so the chauffer will pick you up. Then there’s a lady coming from Golddiggers’ Spa for massages and mud masks.

TONYA It sounds nice . . .

ABIGAIL Dinner is catered, of course—filet mignon or lobster. Then we’ll watch a movie in my home theatre.

ANA Tonya, does that not sound like the greatest birthday party ever? Wouldn’t you and Huck just love to come?

TONYA Girls, it’s like this . . .


ABIGAIL That’s what I thought. Now, we just have to make sure you’re on the guest list.

ANA Abigail Van Hoose, check . . . Ana Rosenberg, check . . . Alice Jordan, check . . . ohhh, sorry! I don’t see Tonya Sawyer anywhere.

ABIGAIL Or Hucklebina Finn. How sad . . .

ANA Sorry, girls . . . but the guest list doesn’t lie.

(ABIGAIL, ANA, and ALICE laugh.)

TONYA That’s a relief.

ABIGAIL What?

TONYA Abby, your party sounds like a snoozefest. I was figuring out how to say no without being mean.

ABIGAIL Snoozefest? Is she serious?

ALICE Maybe Daddy’s right . . . the middle class does have a lower IQ.

(BECK THATCHER enters, carrying a football.)

ABIGAIL It’s Beckett Thatcher! Does my hair look okay?

(ANA tucks a few of ABIGAIL’S stray hairs into place. ABIGAIL waves flirtatiously.)

Hi, Beck!

BECK Hey, Amelia.


ABIGAIL

That’s Abigail . . .

BECK (approaching TONYA and HUCK)

Sawyer, Finn—you ready for some football?

TONYA If you’re ready to get beat by girls!

BECK You wish! Come on, you’re my best receivers.

TONYA Only ‘cause boys stink!

BECK Sawyer thinks she’s funny. Hey, Finn—think fast!

(BECK flings HUCK a pass. HUCK catches it handily.)

HUCK Let’s play!

(ABIGAIL, seeing that her crush is about to leave, approaches him.)

ABIGAIL Oh, Beck . . . Could I play football, too?

BECK I don’t know . . . Finn?

(HUCK flings a pass at ABIGAIL. She raises her hands and squeals in fright as it bounces off her. HUCK and TONYA snicker.)

Sorry, Amanda . . . we don’t let girls play.

ABIGAIL What about those two?


BECK Sawyer and Finn? They’re not girls!

(TONYA and HUCK belch loudly.) See? Let’s play!

(BECK, TONYA, and HUCK start to exit.)

HUCK Tonya—glasses! Aunt Polly’ll kill you if you bust another pair.

TONYA Oh . . . thanks, Huck.

(TONYA takes them off and deposits them on the ground next to the fence. ABIGAIL approaches TONYA and tries to kiss up.)

ABIGAIL

Tonya, could you talk to Beck for me? I’d really like to play . . .

HUCK (under her breath)

You mean flirt . . .

ABIGAIL (glaring at HUCK)

Please, Tonya?

TONYA I don’t think Beck would go for it . . . Huck?

HUCK (pretending to read a list from her palm)

Let me see . . . Tonya Sawyer, Huck Finn, Beckett Thatcher . . . sorry, Abigail’s name isn’t on the football roster. And the guest list doesn’t lie.

(HUCK thinks that remark was hilarious. TONYA tries not to laugh, but can’t help herself. She shrugs to ABIGAIL as TONYA and HUCK exit.)

ANA

Oh, no they didn’t! Nobody keeps us off a guest list.


ABIGAIL

This totally ruins my birthday. Even more than Alice’s present.

ALICE Want me to step on Tonya’s glasses?

ABIGAIL Stop kissing up, Alice. You still have to buy me something else.

(sudden brainstorm—holding out her hand to ALICE for the glasses)

Wait . . . give me those. How long till class is over?

ANA (checking the time on her phone)

Any minute now.

ABIGAIL Then I’ll hurry. Stay here.

(ABIGAIL exits quickly and then returns, leaving the glasses offstage.)

ANA

Abigail, what are you doing? Coach Dobbins’ll come blow the whistle . . .

ABIGAIL Made it! This is perfect.

ALICE (gazing offstage towards the school door)

I see Dobbins down the hall . . . what did you do?

ABIGAIL Just act natural.

(Suddenly, the sound of a huge splash offstage! A moment later, COACH DOBBINS enters, dripping wet. ANA surreptitiously takes a picture with her phone as ABIGAL and ALICE try not to laugh. DOBBINS holds up Tonya’s glasses as he hollers offstage.)

DOBBINS

Tonya Sawyer, come here . . . NOW!


ABIGAIL

(playing innocent) Coach Dobbins, what happened? You’re all wet . . .

DOBBINS Very observant, Van Hoose. If this is what happens when I give you clowns a free day . . . SAWYER!

(TONYA and HUCK come onstage.)

TONYA What happened?

DOBBINS As if you and your sidekick didn’t know.

HUCK What did we do?

ABIGAIL Somebody put a bucket of water over the school door. So when Coach Dobbins came out . . .

TONYA We were playin’ football—ask Beck Thatcher!

DOBBINS Then explain why I found your glasses next to the bucket.

TONYA Those aren’t my glasses; I left ‘em over . . .

(glancing at the spot where she left them) Where’d they go?

DOBBINS (firmly handing TONYA her glasses)

I have had it you delinquents. The fence around the practice field has needed painting since summer. So on Saturday, I wanna see you both here at 8:00, dressed to paint.

HUCK The whole fence? It’s ginormous!


TONYA On Saturday?

DOBBINS Unless you’d rather be suspended . . .

TONYA (shaking her head vigorously)

Aunt Polly would kill me!

DOBBINS Then I’ll see you tomorrow. 8:00 sharp, understood?

TONYA But Coach—

DOBBINS (blowing his whistle)

Time to go in! Move it, people.

(STUDENTS quickly enter from the wings and form a line.)

HUCK This is so unfair . . . we didn’t do anything.

DOBBINS You wanna run extra laps, Finn?

(HUCK sullenly crosses her arms. DOBBINS pulls HUCK aside and reprimands her in pantomime as the STUDENTS begin to move offstage. TONYA, ABIGAIL, and ANA lag behind.)

ABIGAIL

(to ANA) Suddenly, my birthday is happy again—all thanks to Tonya’s glasses.

TONYA You put my glasses over there?

ABIGAIL I don’t know what you’re talking about.


TONYA Which means you set up the bucket, too!

ABIGAIL You can’t prove anything.

TONYA I’m tellin’ Dobbins!

ABIGAIL Go ahead—he likes me.

TONYA You two-faced teacher’s pet—

(DOBBINS finishes lecturing HUCK and comes up behind TONYA.)

DOBBINS

One more word, Sawyer, and you owe me five laps.

TONYA Abigail started it—

DOBBINS Sure she did. Some of my students respect me.

(ABIGAIL smugly flounces offstage. TONYA and HUCK follow.)

TONYA Oohhh . . . I’m gonna get her.

(Transition music. When the next scene opens, it is Saturday morning. TONYA and HUCK enter, carrying a huge paint bucket between them and numerous paintbrushes in their other hands. DOBBINS walks behind them, watching like a hawk.)

DOBBINS

Come on, girls. That paint can’t be nearly as heavy as the water you used to drench me.

HUCK Coach, we didn’t—


DOBBINS I don’t want to hear it, Finn. The sooner the fence gets painted, the sooner you go home.

TONYA The whole thing?

DOBBINS I want it to sparkle. Do a crummy job, and there’s always next Saturday.

(TONYA looks miserable. HUCK groans aloud.) I’ll be in my office.

(DOBBINS exits.)

TONYA Well . . . no point putting it off.

(TONYA and HUCK sigh, then begin to paint. After a moment, TONYA glances offstage.)

Dang . . . Beck Thatcher and the guys are comin’. They’re gonna roast us.

HUCK Maybe they won’t see us. Maybe they’ll walk by. Maybe they’ll be nice . . .

TONYA (sarcastically)

Yeah, and maybe they’ll stop to paint for a while. We’re doomed. (sudden realization)

Wait . . . maybe they will stop to paint!

HUCK What?

TONYA They’re almost here . . . follow my lead, Huck.

(BECK, ROB, and DON enter.)

BECK Man . . . isn’t this great football weather?


DON And we got all day! Think your Mom’ll make us cider?

BECK Probably. And when you come over, we can play X Box® . . .

DON I love Saturday. No homework, no Dobbins . . .

BECK Unless, of course, you’re Sawyer and Finn. ‘Cause they got owned by a girl . . . and now they gotta work all day.

TONYA Oh . . . hey, Beck. Did you say something?

BECK Yeah, I said you and Finn don’t get to play football, ‘cause you gotta work.

TONYA Well, if you call this work . . .

BECK What do you call it?

TONYA I don’t know . . . fun?

(BECK, ROB, and DON laugh.) Seriously—how often do kids like us get to paint?

BECK All the time—it’s called art class.

TONYA I mean something that matters. Something big.

BECK Know why it’s big? ‘Cause that’s how much trouble Sawyer’s in!

(More laughter from the BOYS.)


TONYA Come on, Beck. Dobbins could’ve suspended us, but he had us do the fence. And you know why?

BECK ‘Cause he hates your guts?

TONYA No, ‘cause he trusts us. Some people would slap paint around. But not me and Huck—we’ll do it right.

BECK Whatever, Sawyer. Me and the guys’ll think about you while we play ball.

(BECK starts to exit, but DON and ROB hang back.)

DON (hesitantly)

Hey, Beck . . . could we play a little later?

BECK What? Why?

DON Well . . . I think I could paint good, too. Can I give it a shot, Tonya?

TONYA I don’t know, Donnie . . .

DON Just a little? You and Huck ain’t the only ones who can do it right.

TONYA Everybody who drives by the school sees this fence.

DON I got some cash—I’ll give you ten bucks.

(TONYA still looks reluctant.) Fifteen? That’s all I have.


TONYA (handing her paintbrush to DON and stepping back with a critical eye)

Well . . . okay. But I have to make sure you’re doing it right.

DON Thanks, Sawyer! You’re awesome.

ROB What about me? I can paint, too.

DON You’ll mess it up! I’ve seen you in art class.

ROB This is different. Sawyer, I’d let you try if I was painting.

TONYA Donnie’s right, this is important.

ROB I just got this football—brand new. You want it?

BECK You’re giving away the ball? How’re we gonna play?

TONYA Huck, do you think Rob can paint?

HUCK I guess he can try . . . but I better watch and make sure.

(HUCK hands over her paintbrush to ROB and steps back.)

BECK You’re both nuts. You’d rather paint than play football?

ROB Well . . . football’s fun, but this fence is important.

TONYA Don’t you want our school to look nice?


BECK Sawyer, you little con artist . . . gimme a brush.

(TONYA hands him a brush.)

TONYA What about football?

BECK With who? My team’s painting and Finn’s got the game ball!

(The sound of a car horn offstage.)

TONYA Look who just turned up . . . it’s Abigail in her limo.

HUCK Aw, dang . . . they’re gonna let us have it.

TONYA Maybe not. Beck, you know how Abigail has a thing for you?

BECK Yeah, that prissy little snob needs to back off.

TONYA Then go with me here, okay?

BECK (suspiciously)

Go with you where?

(TONYA shushes BECK as ABIGAIL, ANA, and ALICE enter.)

ABIGAIL Well, well, well . . . looks like we came just in time, doesn’t it, girls?

ANA We thought we’d stop and say hello to Tonya . . . but I think we need to visit Coach Dobbins instead.


ABIGAIL I’m sure he didn’t want other people doing Tonya’s work for her. How did you talk them into it, Tonya—bribes?

TONYA They wanted to help.

(ABIGAIL, ANA, and ALICE laugh.)

ALICE Very funny. Donald, what did Tonya give you?

DON I gave her fifteen bucks. This is better than football!

ANA Robert, don’t tell me you volunteered for this.

ROB Huck said I could try it if I gave her my football. Isn’t that cool?

ABIGAIL Beck, it’s nice watching your muscles flex and all . . . but seriously, how did Tonya get you to help?

TONYA He wanted to do something nice for our school. Isn’t that right, Beck?

BECK Yeah, Annabelle . . . outta the goodness of my heart.

TONYA And you know what Beck was telling me? He said if any girl wanted to date him, she’d have to help the school, too.

ABIGAIL I do help—I’m a cheerleader.

TONYA He meant something important. Beck, I know you’re having fun . . .


BECK Yeah, right—

(TONYA kicks him.) I mean . . . more fun than a barrel of monkeys.

TONYA But do you think Abigail could use your brush for a while? Y’know, to prove her school spirit?

BECK (thrusting his brush at ABIGAIL)

Absolutely!

ABIGAIL (backing away)

I just got a manicure!

TONYA Oh . . . that’s too bad. ‘Cause Beck only dates girls who believe in their school.

ABIGAIL But . . . Beck, you can’t be serious . . .

BECK I’m always serious, Arielle.

ABIGAIL Oh . . . fine. Give me that brush.

(ABIGAIL, gingerly and reluctantly, begins to paint.)

BECK I’d be even more impressed if your friends painted.

(ABIGAIL looks back at ANA and ALICE.)

ALICE No way! Paint fumes give me headaches.

ABIGAIL Ana, if you’re my friend . . .


ANA

This isn’t part of the Friend Code.

ABIGAIL Do you want filet mignon tonight . . . or humble pie, when I tell the whole school about your teddy bear?

HUCK (delighted with this piece of intelligence)

Teddy bear?

ANA Abigail!

ABIGAIL (through clenched teeth)

Grab a brush.

(The BOYS cheerfully surrender their brushes and sprawl out on the ground. ANA and ALICE reluctantly begin painting.)

TONYA

Hey Ana, you missed a spot.

BECK Do a good job, Angelica. Then I might remember your name.

HUCK Hope you’re planning on a second coat. Dobbins says this fence has to sparkle.

(Suddenly, COACH DOBBINS enters and surveys the scene.)

DOBBINS Well, well, well . . . look what happens when the cat’s away.

TONYA (jumping up)

Coach! I can explain . . . these girls were passing by, and—

DOBBINS I seem to remember telling Sawyer and Finn to paint this fence.


ABIGAIL Coach Dobbins, I’m so glad you’re here! Tonya Sawyer threatened us unless we painted.

TONYA Well, sort of . . .

DOBBINS But even though I told Sawyer and Finn to do it . . . I got the wrong painting crew. I just watched yesterday’s security camera footage, and the video tells a fascinating story.

ABIGAIL Video? Uh . . . see you Monday, Coach! My birthday limo’s waiting . . .

DOBBINS (stopping ABIGAIL with an outstretched arm)

The video shows three girls putting a bucket of water above the door, then framing someone else.

ABIGAIL That wasn’t me! It was my—evil twin . . .

DOBBINS So your limo’s gonna be waiting a long time, because you’re not leaving this school until the fence is perfect.

ABIGAIL But Coach . . .

DOBBINS Keep painting, Abigail—or your father will be hearing from me.

(Newly motivated, ABIGAIL keeps painting.) Sawyer, Finn—I owe you an apology.

TONYA That’s okay, Coach.

DOBBINS Maybe I can make it up to you. No laps for a week?


TONYA A month? Do I hear a month?

DOBBINS (giving TONYA a warning look)

See you Monday, Sawyer. Try to stay out of trouble in the mean time.

(DOBBINS exits.)

HUCK Hey Tonya, we better check the guest list for Abby’s party again. Ohhh . . . looks like nobody’s on it. And the guest list doesn’t lie.

ANA I hate being insulted by the Proletariat.

BECK Now . . . are you boys ready for some football?

TONYA, HUCK, DON, and ROB Awww, yeah!

BECK Oh . . . and Amy-Lou?

ABIGAIL (hopefully)

Yes, Beck?

BECK I changed my mind—I don’t like girls who paint after all.

(TONYA, HUCK, and the BOYS laugh as ABIGAIL, ANA, and ALICE paint grimly. The BOYS exit with TONYA and HUCK, chanting “Football! Football! Football!” and throwing the ball around.)

THIS IS A SAMPLE SCRIPT.

It is provided for personal reading and evaluation purposes only. You may

not perform this play until you have purchased a licensed copy of the script

from www.dramabygeorge.com.

Copyright © 2013 George Halitzka. All rights reserved.


Production Notes

Synopsis: Tomboys Tonya Sawyer and Huck Finn are minding their own business when Abigail, a snobby rich girl, decides to play a prank on the P. E. teacher . . . and pin the blame on Tonya! The tomboys are sentenced to paint the school fence on a Saturday. Will Abigail get caught in the end, or will Tonya and Huck have to suffer for her misdeeds? This play is a contemporary adaptation of the famous chapter in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer where Tom tricks his friends into whitewashing Aunt Polly’s fence. Character Education Connection: Humility and Pride, Wise Choices, Consequences of Our Actions. Running Time: 20 minutes. Cast: 4 males, 5 females, extras. Staging Requirements: There is a fence across the back of the stage. In the original production, we built a 10’ long rail frame out of PVC pipe, and attached white, vertical cardboard slats 2’ high to the front of it to make a picket fence. (A chain link fence would probably be more realistic at a school, but we wanted something that the actors could “paint” easily.) Lighting & Sound Requirements: No special lighting effects. Music is needed to transition between the two scenes. Costumes: Even though they’re in P. E. class, ABIGAIL, ANA, and ALICE still manage to look stylish. They wear cutting-edge fitness apparel. When they return for the second scene, they can be dressed for Abigail’s birthday party in very trendy outfits. TONYA, HUCK, BECK, ROB, and DON wear sports jerseys or other athletic shirts on top, with sweatpants or shorts on the bottom. COACH DOBBINS wears warm-ups suitable for an adult P. E. teacher. Props: Paint bucket, 3 paintbrushes (TONYA and HUCK), eyeglasses (TONYA), football (HUCK), another football (BECK), cell phone (ANA), a $5 and a $10 bill (DON).

THIS IS NOT A FREE SCRIPT! - Drama by George Home ... IS NOT A FREE SCRIPT! This script sample is...

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