Drama Workshop: Ideas For Teaching Drama
OUT OF THIS WORLD
By Andrew McCann
ACT TWO: SCENE TWO
A Cavern Deep Inside the Mountains
(The empty expanse of cavern bordered with rocky outcrops is lit by the same orange light of the previous scene, but this time it is brighter and more constant. A waterfall is heard nearby)
(ENTER PROFESSOR, JANE, SALLY, JACKO and VARIOUS KRELLS)
JANE Phew- I'm worn out. We seem to have been walking for ages!
PROFESSOR Never mind- we can't have much further to go. According to my space compass, we should be nearing the centre of the mountain by now.
SALLY Listen - a waterfall. But where is it?
(JANE walks forward and reacts as isf she has stepped into a waterfall, but the water itself cannot be seen by the human eye.)
JANE Uggh! I think I've found it! I'm soaked through!
JACKO Don't be daft! You're as dry as a bone!
JANE You think so, do you? Then just try standing here!
(JACKO stands where JANE had just stood)
JACKO Heck- I'm soaked through, too!
JANE See- we're both drenched- yet no-one would know, except us!
(THE PROFESSOR holds his hand beneath the waterfall.)
PROFESSOR Remarkable! Do come out of there, you two, before you catch your death of cold!
JANE (drinking some water) Hm, it tastes pretty good, too! Wonder why it's invisible.
5TH KRELL All the water on our planet is invisible- just like the air. Is that not the case on your planet?
PROFESSOR We are unable to see the air, but can see the water. The manner in which light reflects on your planet must have some bearing on the situation. Most extraordinary!
(JACKO steps forward, falling into a stream.)
SALLY What are you playing at, Jacko? Behaving like an idiot again!
JACKO I've fallen in a stream! Help! Pull me out, someone!
(VARIOUS KRELLS pull him out.)
JANE You big drip! Should watch where you're going!
PROFESSOR An invisible stream? Incredible! I wouldn't have believed it possible if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes!
SALLY Well you haven't, Uncle!
PROFESSOR No, I don't suppose I have! Fancy that! Must remember to take a sample of your water back to the space craft with us.
JACKO Let's get a move on, shall we? I'm freezing!
PROFESSOR Come on, then- but take care. Invisible water could make things particularly treacherous for us.
JANE I don't much fancy being sucked down an invisible whirlpool!
(THE PROFESSOR treads cautiously as he urges the others to follow him.)
PROFESSOR If we keep to the edge of the stream, there should be no problem.
(Suddenly his feet give way and he loses his balance, flailing his arms in all directions, struggling to maintain his balance in a muddy swamp.)
Help! What's happening! I'm sinking!
2ND KRELL You're in the swamp!
5TH KRELL I forgot to warn you. Because we are unable to see the water, swampy ground looks solid, but in reality, it isn't.
PROFESSOR Now you tell me!
SALLY It's all right, Uncle! I'll get you out!
(She slips in the swamp and begins to sink.)
Oops!
JACKO You idiot, Sally! Why don't you look where you're (He slips in the swamp,too.) gooooooing?
SALLY Ask a stupid question! Now we're both stuck!
(JANE reaches for her sister's arm.)
JANE Here, Sally! Grab my arm!
(JANE , falling forward as SALLY pulls her into the swamp, too.)
Oops! I was supposed to pull you out, now you've pulled me in, too!
1ST KRELL (reaching forward to grab Jane's arm) You'll be quite safe. Don't panic. We Krells are used to such problems....
(He is pulled into the swamp by Jane.)
Help! I'm sinking!
SALLY Help, someone! Get us out! This mud's pretty deep!
2ND KRELL (to OTHER KRELLS) Look, I'll handle this! Form a chain!....We'll soon get them out!
(The KRELLS form a chain and attempt to pull the others out of the swamp.)
Now pull!
(One by one, they lurch forward and are pulled in.)
2ND KRELL Help! I'm going down!
5TH KRELL We're all sinking!
PROFESSOR Try to keep calm all of you! There's got to be a simple way out of this!
SALLY Help! I'm going down!
1ST KRELL Somebody save me!
JANE Somebody get us out of this mess!
PROFESSOR If I wasn't quite so big, I wouldn't be sinking so quickly!
SALLY It's a bit late to think of that, Uncle!
JANE There must be something we can do!
JACKO If you think of it first, tell me- because I don't know what it is!
SALLY Looks like we're sunk!
(ENTER ZENOTRON LEADER and ZENOTRONS )
ZENOTRON LEADER Ah, so there you are, Professor. My search parties have been looking all over for you!
PROFESSOR How jolly decent of them! Look, get us out of this mess, will you?
ZENOTRON LEADER All in good time- but first we must talk!
PROFESSOR Can't we talk later! It's getting a trifle urgent, you know!
ZENOTRON LEADER Perhaps....if you agree to my terms.
SALLY Do as they ask, Uncle! I can hardly breathe!
JANE Neither can I! It's up to you, Uncle!
PROFESSOR Oh, very well- what do you want?
ZENOTRON LEADER The answer to certain questions.
PROFESSOR It depends what they are!
ZENOTRON LEADER Now, now Professor! You are in no position to make bargains!
SALLY Hurry, Uncle! The water's going up my nose!
ZENOTRON LEADER Either you answer my questions, or you watch your comrades drown in mud! It's not a pleasant way to die, I can assure you!
PROFESSOR All right, what do you want to know!
ZENOTRON LEADER We have studied your space craft and are unable to see how it can possibly be powered by rock, as you have suggested.
PROFESSOR But it is! I told you the truth! What more can I say?
ZENOTRON LEADER This is no time to play games, Professor!
PROFESSOR But I'm not playing games!
SALLY Help! Help!
ZENOTRON LEADER If you are telling the truth, then tell me how you managed to turn rock into fuel?
PROFESSOR If I tell you, will you tell the rest of them?
ZENOTRON LEADER I will- but you must tell me first.
JANE I can't breathe! I can't breathe!
PROFESSOR It'll take too long. They'll all be dead by the time I've finished explaining....
ZENOTRON LEADER All right, we will free you- but one false move will cost the lives of every one of them!
(To OTHER ZENOTRONS) All right, you may free them!
(THE ZENOTRONS move in to free THE PROFESSOR, THE KRELLS and THE CHILDREN.)
It is fortunate for you that we are in a position to help you.
PROFESSOR I'm sure you are. No doubt this swamp was all part of your plan.
ZENOTRON LEADER How shrewd of you, Professor! But of course it was! This cavern leads directly into our Central Headquarters. If you think I'm going to leave it unprotected for people such as yourselves to come and go as they please, you're mistaken!
2ND ZENOTRON This swamp is riddled with the bodies of those foolish enough to do what you have done!
ZENOTRON LEADER We have every right to protect what is ours.
PROFESSOR Don't the Krells also have rights? You have taken away their freedom.
2ND KRELL We invited you to share our planet- and now we are your slaves!
ZENOTRON LEADER Then it just shows what fools you all are! The strong must always rule the weak. This is what makes intelligent beings superior to animals and great powers the dominators of inferior tribes!
3RD KRELL But we were not weak. We had the strength to achieve universal peace. Weapons were never even part of our plan, until you came here!
ZENOTRON LEADER You were ignorant and primitive! How can you say that you had strength, when you left yourselves open to attack! Only the weak would make such a careless mistake! You needed our superior domination and have been the beneficiaries of it!
1ST KRELL Rubbish! You have made our people into mindless machines to do your dirty work for you!
ZENOTRON LEADER That is all your people are capable of doing! If they had any intelligence, they would not have allowed themselves to have been so easily controlled.
2ND KRELL But we trusted you! You made us believe that you were similar to ourselves and could share our world amicably alongside us.
ZENOTRON LEADER How easily led you were! We Zenotrons do not trust anyone, least of all you and your kind, my friend!
(To OTHER ZENOTRONS ) Take the Krells away! If their attitude has not changed in two days, kill them! We shall have no further need for them!
(THE KRELLS are led away by THE ZENOTRONS .)
PROFESSOR I'm beginning to understand it all, now.
ZENOTRON LEADER Good, then I am sure you realise how important it is that we keep the Krells in their place.
PROFESSOR No, not at all! I have seen and heard for myself what arrogant, power-mad warmongers you all are! You trust no-one, because no-one could possibly trust you! And you know what? One of those Krells is worth the whole lot of you put together!
ZENOTRON LEADER Oh, so that's what you think, is it, Professor! Well, well, well... At least we understand each other!..... I had plans for you! I honestly thought that you could be useful to us! Well, let me warn you that people who are of no use to us, are very quickly exterminated- no questions asked! You're going to have to try much harder from now on to prove that you and the children can be of use to us- or you'll die- one by one. Have I made myself perfectly clear?
PROFESSOR Oh, yes you have. But I meant what I said all the same!
©Andrew McCann
Drama Workshop: Ideas For Teaching Drama