Ellie, a 16-year-old teenage girl, adventurous, whimsical
Annie, a young girl 7 years of age
Devon, a 17-year-old teenage boy, street smart
Grandma El, a 70-something-year-old woman, motherly
Grandpa Dev, a 70-something-year-old man, romantic
Multiple male/female characters dressed in black functioning as both set pieces and villains
TIME
Present time America, 2020
PLACE
Anytown USA, an abandoned theatre “Centre Theatre”
A quaint sitting room in a cottage somewhere across from “Centre Theatre”
NOTES The black-clothed figures with hoods spend the majority of the time with heads down so that faces cannot be seen functioning as walls and furniture.
“Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” – Berthold Auerbach
Editor's Note: This is the original script, as shared by the author.
SETTING: The lights are dim on the streets. An old dilapidated sign with the words “Centre Theatre” is supported by two black-clothed figures with hoods covering their faces functioning as the front door, located center stage left. A row of black-clothed figures with hoods up and heads down standing shoulder to shoulder forms a wall upstage. Unknown to the audience and behind this human wall there is a cozy home setting with easy chair, side table supporting an empty vase and an object, and a cozy rug with a dog (not real) lying on it.
ELLIE and ANNIE enter downstage right, crouched down and moving slowly. ELLIE is in front holding a flashlight to guide their way, partially covering the beam so as not to be obvious.
ANNIE (in a tremulous but somewhat loud voice)
Are you sure it’s okay to be out here?
ELLIE (stopping abruptly)
Shhhhhhh! Yes. I told you. We have to find some supplies. We’re running out of food. This old theatre may have some stuff we can use.
ANNIE
But …
ELLIE
I should have left you behind!
ANNIE
No! Everyone is sick. And mama hasn’t come home. I’d rather be with you.
ELLIE
Okay, then be quiet and behave. Let’s get going.
(ELLIE grabs one of the black-clothed figures’ arms to open the door, a low scraping sound can be heard as the door slowly admits the two girls. As ELLIE steps through the door she shuts off the flashlight, and simultaneously the lights go out in the house and on the stage. During this time the sign is flipped to its blank side and trash is strewn about the floor of the stage. The lights come back up as ELLIE and ANNIE emerge from the door, entering the theatre.)
ELLIE
Ugh! This place stinks. Smells like something died in here ten times over.
ANNIE
I’m scared.
(The two slowly move across the stage from stage left to stage right, illuminated by the flashlight and low house and stage lights. There are several clusters of black-clothed figures with hoods up pretending to be chairs, 8-10 figures in all.)
ELLIE (looking sharply stage right)
Do you see what I see?
ANNIE (looking around out to the audience, at her feet)
Huh?
ELLIE
Shhhh! Over there in the corner. Kind of hidden under some trash.
ANNIE (louder than she intended)
FOOD???
ELLIE (clapping a hand over her mouth)
NO! You dope! It’s … (she inches closer, shining the flashlight on a clump of trash) … it’s hand sanitizer.
ANNIE
Lemme see (trying to grab the flashlight). I thought there wasn’t any more of that stuff left. That’s what mama said before she left. Can we take it? I can’t wait for her to see it when she gets home.
ELLIE
Okay, let’s get something straight, Annie. Your mom ain’t coming home. Same thing happened to her as all the rest of the adults. It’s just us kids and the last of the sick ones left.
ANNIE (starting to cry)
Don’t say that. Mama is coming back.
ELLIE
Shhhhh! I think I hear something.
(They both crouch even further hiding behind two of the black-clothed figures functioning as chairs. DEVON appears from upstage stage right, also with a flashlight, seeming to look for something. He almost trips over the pile of trash that hides the sanitizer.)
DEVON
Huh! What’s this? (He brushes aside the trash and shines the flashlight on a large bottle of hand sanitizer. As he reaches to pick it up, ELLIE lunges from hiding and tries to grab it, but DEVON grabs it first.)
ELLIE
We saw it first. It belongs to us. (She gestures toward ANNIE as her companion.)
DEVON
I don’t mean to be rude, BUT I’M THE ONE HOLDING IT!
ANNIE (emerging more slowly, kind of scared)
Maybe we can share. Can I see it? I’ve never seen a bottle of hand sanitizer before.
(DEVON shrugs and hands it over to ANNIE.)
Sure. Whatever.
ANNIE
I have a music box that kinda looks like this at home. (She turns the large bottle over in her small hands.) Wait, this has a turnkey on the back. What happens if I turn it? (Slowly and then more confidently she turns the key and sets it on the ground.)
ELLIE
What the hell?
(Music begins to play, emanating unbelievably from the bottle of sanitizer. ANNIE starts to dance around like a ballerina as if she were in a trance.)
DEVON (holding his hand out to ELLIE)
May I have this dance?
ELLIE (looking at him at first with confusion and then shrugging, takes his hand and does a low curtsy.)
Of course, sir.
(The music continues on for quite some time and then begins to slow down. The three collapse on the ground, laughing, apparently forgetting for a moment where they are.)
ANNIE
Ahhhh (as she starts to lean against ELLIE)
(Out of the silence, they hear a whistle blow from offstage. The lights come up on the stage and all of the black-clothed figures that had been functioning as chairs throw back their hoods to reveal white masks with holes for eyes but no features. They attempt to surround ELLIE, DEVON, and ANNIE, but are quite clumsy, unable to get a hold on any of them. In a moment of mass panic, ANNIE screams, and DEVON and ELLIE try to fight them off.)
FIGURE 1
Grab them. They musn’t get away.
FIGURE 2
They have our hand sanitizer.
ELLIE (to DEVON)
Cut the lights. (With this the house lights go out and the lights on stage dim slowly.)
DEVON (whispering loudly)
Over here! There’s a light coming from a hole in the wall (gesturing toward the back wall).
(At this point, the stage lights go out, two of the black-clothed figures forming the back wall separate from each other, and a bright light is beaming from behind. DEVON, ELLIE, and ANNIE scramble to the opening and they all squeeze through while the black-clothed figures on stage fumble to try to get them. The house goes black.)
(When the lights come back up, they are bright like sunshine. The row of black-clothed figures has left the stage, revealing the serene setting. An elderly woman is sleeping in the recliner with an afghan over her lap. Through the window you can see the marquee for the “Centre Theatre” looking good as new. The old woman awakes with a gasp and looks around the room, startled. Moments later ANNIE bursts into the room from stage left holding fresh cut flowers in her hands.)
ANNIE
Look Grandma! It’s spring! The flowers are already blooming! Grandpa let me pick them just for you to help you feel better.
(More slowly, GRANDPA DEV follows behind ANNIE, a smile on his face. ANNIE passes the flowers to GRANDPA DEV and sits on the rug to pet the dog.)
GRANDPA DEV
As beautiful as the first day they bloomed so many years ago. Whaddya think, El? Should we fill this vase up with water and let them brighten up the room. You’ve kicked this thing. Let’s celebrate.
GRANDMA EL
They’re lovely, Dev. Just lovely. (She gives a bit of a cough.) You know you really shouldn’t be in the room with me. Just in case. Annie, why don’t you and Grandpa go make some tea.
ANNIE
Just a sec, Grandma. Can I play your music box first, just for a minute?
GRANDMA EL
Of course, dear.
(ANNIE grabs a figure from the side table that looks uncannily like the bottle of hand sanitizer and turns the turnkey. The music box begins to play the same music from the dream.)
GRANDPA DEV
May I have this dance?
GRANDMA EL
Oh, you! (As she slowly rises, she puts her hands in his and they begin to dance. The lights dim on stage to black.)
