Drama Workshop: Ideas For Teaching Drama
OUT OF THIS WORLD
By Andrew McCann
ACT ONE: SCENE TWO
On The Unknown Planet
(Moonlight casts an eerie light over the shadowy wasteland of the planet. To the rear, jagged mountains point upwards to the stars. In the centre of the stage a PLANT, its head bowed down, stands in the central spotlight of the moonlight.)
(ENTER PROFESSOR, SALLY, JACKO, JANE and LUCY)
SALLY Coo, isn't it dark!
JACKO It would be. It's night time. It's always dark at night time.
PROFESSOR On some planets, it's far darker than this. Luckily for us, there's a moon up there.
(They cross to the PLANT centre stage.)
LUCY Look at this plant! Is n't it strange!
PROFESSOR A tropical variety, which suggests to me that it could get quite warm here during the day.
(LUCY pokes at THE PLANT trying to find a flower among the leaves.)
JACKO Stop prodding it, Lucy. If you were a plant, you wouldn't want people prodding you.
LUCY I only want to see what it looks like. It's hard to tell with its head bowed down, like this.
PROFESSOR Plants often do that. You'll find that it'll open up again once the sun comes out.
(THE PLANT begins to raise its head.)
JANE No, look- it's opening up now!
(The CHILDREN and THE PROFESSOR are surprised to find that THE PLANT has a human face, surrounded by petals.)
LUCY Coo, look- it's got a face!
PROFESSOR So it has! What a remarkable specimen! Keep back, children. It might bite!
JACKO That's rubbish, Uncle! Who ever heard of a plant that could bite! I ask you!
(JACKO is abruptly bitten by THE PLANT.)
It bit me!..........It bit me!
PROFESSOR I warned you. It probably doesn't like being disturbed.
LUCY Wonder if it ever gets tooth-ache?
JACKO It'd look a bit funny going to the dentist's wouldn't it!
JANE It might even be able to talk. (To PLANT ) Hello, Plant. How nice to meet you. I hope we haven't disturbed your beauty sleep!
(THE PLANT responds with a frown.)
SALLY It doesn't look very happy.
JANE Maybe we've offended it in some way.
JACKO Nonsense! How could you offend a plant!
LUCY Well, if you called it a weed?
JANE Or if you woke it up when it wanted to sleep.
(An angry scowl dominates THE PLANT'S face.)
JACKO It's angry, isn't it!
SALLY So angry, it might explode!
LUCY I'm glad it's not got legs, or it might have been chasing us by now!
JACKO It looks just like old Grimble when my ball went through his window!
JANE Except it's not got a moustache! Wouldn't it look funny with a moustache!
(JACKO puts a moustache on THE PLANT with a black felt-tipped pen.)
JACKO Let's see shall we? Yes, it does look funny!
(THE CHILDREN laugh, but THE PLANT'S face remains grim and angry.)
LUCY I don't think it likes us laughing at it.
(THE PLANT becomes larger and more terrifying.)
PROFESSOR It's going to attack us! Run, all of you!
(They try to run, but are unable to move.)
LUCY I c-can't m-move!
SALLY N-neither can I!
(THE CHILDREN and THE PROFESSOR are being pulled towards THE PLANT by a force.)
JACKO There's some force pulling me towards the plant!
JANE It's sucking me forward!
LUCY Wh-wh-what's it going to do, Uncle?
PROFESSOR I don't know- but I've been thinking. It must have teeth for a reason.
JACKO (nervous) Wh-whatever for, Uncle?
PROFESSOR Well, not just because it likes toothpaste.
LUCY Y-you m-mean....y-you m-mean....
JANE B-because it's g-going to eat us!
PROFESSOR I hope not- but, yes. That is what I mean......A most unusual phenomenon.... Most unusual.
SALLY B-but surely it c-couldn't eat all of us! It's not big enough,....is it?
PROFESSOR I wouldn't like to say. It certainly strikes me as a healthy looking specimen. If it's hungry, it might just manage to eat all of us.
LUCY Oh, please don't eat me. I didn't mean to laugh at you!
(THE PLANT begins to shower white powder over THE CHILDREN and the PROFESSOR.)
SALLY It's spraying something over us!
LUCY Must be salt and pepper! It'll be tomato sauce next! It's going to eat us!
PROFESSOR Try not to breathe it in.
LUCY Can't help it! It's going up my nose!
JACKO Ugggh!
JANE It tastes horrible!
(THE PLANT begins to bow its head.)
SALLY It's going back to sleep again!
LUCY Looks like it's not going to eat us, after all!
(THE PLANT is fast asleep and snoring away noisily. THE CHILDREN and THE PROFESSOR suddenly find that they are able to move again.)
JANE It's gone to sleep!
JACKO I can move again!
SALLY But I don't understand. What was that stuff it sprayed on us?
PROFESSOR I don't know for sure- but if my theory is correct, our days on this planet are numbered.
LUCY Do you mean it's rocket fuel, Uncle?
PROFESSOR No, not exactly. You see, in nature there are certain predators that stun their prey with venom, only to return to finish their meal when they are hungry.
JACKO You mean it's poisoned us, Uncle!
PROFESSOR To put it simply.....Yes.
SALLY But I feel all right......I think.
JACKO (with obvious uncertainty) You must have got it wrong this time, Uncle. Please say you have!
PROFESSOR Maybe..... If we're still alive in twenty seconds, then I'm probably wrong.
(All count to twenty. )
ALL Seventeen....eighteen.........nineteen.........twenty.
(As they reach twenty, LUCY collapses.)
SALLY Lucy's dead! She's dead!
JANE Poor Lucy....
JACKO Wonder who'll be next?
(THE PROFESSOR crouches over LUCY, feeling her pulse.)
PROFESSOR It's all right. Her pulse is active. She's not dead. Must have fainted with the shock of it all!
LUCY What happened? Am I dead?
JACKO You fainted, that's all.
SALLY Poor Lucy. You're shaking like a leaf. There's nothing to be scared of. Even that awful plant's gone to sleep, now!
LUCY It's so dark here. Bet it's haunted....Bet there are ghosts creeping about all over the place!
JACKO Don't be silly, Lucy. That's a load of superstitious nonsense!
SALLY Jacko's right you know.
PROFESSOR I agree entirely. There is no scientifical evidence to prove the existence of spiritual phenomena.
LUCY I suppose you're right.
It's just that it's so dark here.
(ENTER A GHOST, unnoticed by LUCY and the others. It follows them.)
Whenever it's dark, I always get the feeling that ghosts must be around somewhere, but I must admit, I've never actually seen one. You're right- it's just my stupid imagination playing tricks really.
PROFESSOR We all fear the unknown when we are children, but as we mature, we learn to accept that certain things cannot be. I can see that you are growing up already.
(THE PROFESSOR sees THE GHOST)
.......Well goodness me! It just goes to show that even a scientist can be proved wrong!
LUCY (nervously avoiding the direction in which THE PROFESSOR is staring) Wh-what does, Uncle?
PROFESSOR The fact that there is a prime example of a spiritual presence standing right behind you!
LUCY D-do y-you m-mean that th-there's a g-g-g-g-ghost?
PROFESSOR In a word, yes!
SALLY That's very clever of you, Uncle. You're just saying that to show Lucy how daft she was to believe in ghosts in the first place!
JACKO Don't worry, Lucy. There's nothing behind you at all......
(He turns and sees THE GHOST .)
........only a g-g-ghost!
(LUCY turns and screams.THE CHILDREN are chased forwards and backwards across the stage by THE GHOST. At one point they find themselves running behind THE GHOST rather than away from it in their panic. THE PROFESSOR is fascinated by the ghost's manifestation. He remains in one place scribbling notes and mumbling to himself.)
PROFESSOR .....Very interesting..........a remarkable specimen........definite proof of the existence of spiritual phenomena..........If only my fellow scientists could witness this.......
(THE CHILDREN are finally chased off the stage (stage left) by THE GHOST, who returns shortly afterwards and exits stage right.)
(One by one THE CHILDREN enter, hesitantly.)
SALLY Has the g-ghost gone?
JACKO Y-yes has it?
PROFESSOR Yes it has.... (CHILDREN enter, relieved.) What a pity!
LUCY I-I'm s-s-scared! D-do y-you th-think th-there are any m-more about?
PROFESSOR I most certainly hope so! Most fascinating!
JACKO Weren't you frightened of it, Uncle?
JANE It scared the wits out of us.
PROFESSOR It was a perfect encounter with an unknown phenomenon.
JANE Does nothing scare you, at all?
PROFESSOR I have made countless studies of spiders, but I must admit that they never cease to give me the creeps!
(A large SPIDER scuttles onto the stage from the rear.)
SALLY Do you mean like this one?
PROFESSOR That's right.
(As the presence of THE SPIDER dawns on them,they all exit screaming, followed by THE SPIDER, stage right.)
(ENTER THE CHILDREN and THE PROFESSOR hesitantly.)
JACKO I think it's gone now.
PROFESSOR Are you sure?
JACKO Positive.
PROFESSOR Thank goodness for that!
SALLY What a horrible planet! What with ghosts one minute and giant spiders the next, this place is beginning to get me down!
PROFESSOR Don't worry. I am beginning to understand it all now. There aren't any ghosts or spiders at all!
JACKO But how can you possibly say that?
JANE We've almost had heart failure because of what we have seen- and you tell us there was nothing there at all!
PROFESSOR You'll understand it all better if you'll just give me the chance to explain. It all started after the plant sprayed that powder at us. I believe that it caused us to have hallucinations. It was Lucy's fear of ghosts that made the apparition appear- and my fear of spiders that conjured that one up! But in reality, there was nothing there at all!
JACKO Sounds a bit far-fetched to me.
PROFESSOR Maybe- but it's all perfectly logical.
SALLY Yes, I suppose it is, when you think about it.
PROFESSOR With a bit of luck, the effects should be beginning to wear off by now- but just in case, let's be careful what we talk about.
LUCY I suppose it's all right if we talk about doughnuts. I like them. They're great!
PROFESSOR Can't see that doing any harm- but I wouldn't bother....
LUCY Oh, why not? I love doughnuts!
ALL Me too!
(Giant doughnuts roll onto the stage from both sides.)
LUCY Oh, goodie!
JACKO Lots of doughnuts!
JANE I'm starving!
SALLY So am I!
(THE CHILDREN pounce on the doughnuts and are about to eat them as THE PROFESSOR speaks.)
PROFESSOR I wouldn't bother trying to eat them, because I think you'll find that you will be unable to do so. You see, they are not really there at all!
LUCY Uncle's right!
JACKO It's like eating nothing at all!
PROFESSOR So I think you'll agree with me, when I say that my theory was correct!
ALL CHILDREN (disappointedly) Yes, Uncle!
(Sounds of voices are heard off-stage right.)
LUCY There's someone coming!
SALLY Quick, let's hide!
PROFESSOR No, that would be silly. If we do that, they'll think we're up to no good. It could cost us our lives.
(ENTER SEVEN ZENOTRONS, stage left. They each wear metallic space armour and are armed with disintegration rays.)
(They approach and encircle THE PROFESSOR and THE CHILDREN)
ZENOTRON LEADER Ackimockaba Nontripocatha!
LUCY Pardon?
PROFESSOR Oh,yes-of course-language difficulties. I thoughtthese might present problems.
SALLY What do they want?
ZENOTRON LEADER Abarenofor Kekolekimah?
LUCY What are they on about?
PROFESSOR Dont worry- we'll soon find out.
JANE Do you understand their language, Uncle?
PROFESSOR No, not exactly.
JACKO Then how are we going to find out what they're rambling on about?
(THE PROFESSOR passes a microscopic gadget to each of THE CHILDREN.)
PROFESSOR Simple. Just fit one of these devices behind your ears. They are instant language decoders. They break down language patterns into logic and translate them both from and into English. That way, they will be able to understand us- and we will be able to understand them.
JACKO What a great idea!
2ND ZENOTRON Agomocki Etiporum Kipapop!
SALLY I still can't understand a word they're saying!
PROFESSOR No, you won't be able to yet, but you will when I've switched on the master control.
(He switches it on.)
There we are.
3RD ZENOTRON Where can they be from?
PROFESSOR We are from the planet Earth.
4TH ZENOTRON They can speak our language!
5TH ZENOTRON They say they're from the planet Earth.
6TH ZENOTRON Earth? Where the heck's that!
2ND ZENOTRON They're having us on. There's no such place.
3RD ZENOTRON They must be spies! Kill them!
JACKO No, we're not spies.
JANE We didn't even know that this planet existed, until we arrived here!
PROFESSOR We are space explorers. Our fuel supply was exhausted; that is the only reason we came here.
3RD ZENOTRON Lies! Kill them!
ZENOTRON LEADER No, wait a moment. Maybe they are telling the truth.
3RD ZENOTRON You may think so, but I don't believe them.
ZENOTRON LEADER What is your source of fuel?
PROFESSOR A certain type of rock. We were hoping you might be able to help us to find some to enable us to return to our planet.
5TH ZENOTRON (mockingly) You mean your space craft is powered by rock!
3RD ZENOTRON They are trying to make fools of us! Kill them!
ZENOTRON LEADER No, there is just a chance they are telling the truth. If they are, it might just explain how they managed to travel from beyond our known universe.
3RD ZENOTRON Rubbish!
ZENOTRON LEADER Maybe, but we must prove it, first. I have my reasons. (To PROFESSOR) Where is your space craft?
PROFESSOR (pointing stage right) If you keep walking in that direction, you can't miss it.
ZENOTRON LEADER (to 5TH and 6TH ZENOTRONS) You- and you.... Locate the space craft and give me a report on how it is powered!
(Exit 5TH and 6TH ZENOTRONS stage right.)
(To PROFESSOR) If what you say is true, we will help you to find the fuel you require.
PROFESSOR That's jolly decent of you. By the way, we haven't been introduced.
ZENOTRON LEADER We are the Zenotrons and you shall be our guests. We shall make you welcome and treat you with every courtesy- but remember, if we find that you have not told us the truth, you will die!
2ND ZENOTRON You must tell us all about your planet, Earth.
7TH ZENOTRON It is not every day we hear about an unknown planet.
(KRELLS ENTER. They wear ragged clothes and their skin is caked with mud. They are armed with knives and swords made seemingly of a type of flint.)
3RD ZENOTRON Krells!
VARIOUS ZENOTRONS Krells! Kill them....etc.
(A battle ensues, during the course of which THE PROFESSOR is struck and falls to the ground, as he attempts to prevent the ZENOTRON LEADER from being attacked.)
LUCY Uncle!......Oh no!.....He's dead!.......They've killed him!
JACKO There's nothing we can do now.
JANE Let's get out of here, before it's too late!
(JACKO, JANE and LUCY head at speed for the stage left exit, followed closely by SALLY, who is caught by THE KRELLS.)
SALLY Run! Don't wait for me!
©Andrew McCann
Drama Workshop: Ideas For Teaching Drama