Drama Workshop: Ideas For Teaching Drama
OUT OF THIS WORLD
By Andrew McCann
ACT TWO: SCENE FOUR
Same Place- Later
(ENTER PROFESSOR, ZENOTRON LEADER and TWO ZENOTRONS)
ZENOTRON LEADER You will wait here, Professor. We will return when we have acquired a sufficient supply of rock for you.
(Exit ZENOTRON LEADER and ZENOTRONS)
JACKO How did it go, Uncle?
PROFESSOR Couldn't have gone better! They've already found some rock similar to that used to power the space craft. I was asked to demonstrate how it is used as a fuel source.
JANE But surely, if they know how it works, they won't need you any more!
JACKO And if they don't need you, they most certainly won't need any of us!
LUCY So we've had it!
PROFESSOR Not so fast! You're jumping to conclusions. I told them that there wasn't enough rock even to get the space craft off the ground, so I couldn't possibly show them how to do it.
JACKO I see what you're getting at.
SALLY There is enough fuel after all!
PROFESSOR More than enough! And it's just sitting there, ready to take us back to Earth!
JANE What are we waiting for?
PROFESSOR It should be the easiest thing in the world to escape. As far as I could see, there's just one solitary guard in the cell block- and that's the same person who brings the food round. We shouldn't have much trouble there.
LUCY Haven't seen him for ages. Must be due again soon.
PROFESSOR Couldn't be better! So this is what we'll do. When he brings our food, you hide at that side of the door, Jacko. The rest of us will crouch down at the other side.You give the guard a shove. The door's self-locking, so if we pull it shut behind us, it should give us a few minutes to dash down the corridor and across the courtyard before the alarm is raised.
JANE You make it sound so easy, Uncle.
PROFESSOR An absolute push-over, you'll see........Let me keep watch at the door. The rest of you get some sleep while you can. When I hear the guard coming, get ready for action stations.
JACKO You bet!
(THE CHILDREN put their heads down to go to sleep.)
JANE Phew! .........I don't half feel tired!......... (yawn)
SALLY Me too! .......It's been......(yawn)........ such a long day......
JACKO I'm....(yawn)....falling asleep already........
LUCY So 'm I.
(The CHILDREN all fall fast asleep and are snoring away.)
PROFESSOR The guard's coming! Wake up all of you!
(There is no response. All the CHILDREN remain fast asleep.)
(He shakes LUCY.)
Wake up quickly, Lucy!
LUCY Don't wake me.......The alarm hasn't gone yet......z-z-z-z-z-z...
(She turns over and goes back to sleep.)
(THE PROFESSOR shakes SALLY.)
PROFESSOR Come on, Sally, wake up! There's no time to lose!
SALLY What time did you say? ....I don't want to get up, yet.......It's too early....... Leave me alone.....z-z-z-z-z
PROFESSOR (To JANE) Wake up, Jane ! Hurry! The guard's almost here!
JANE Where am I ? What is it?......Go and mither someone else.....Let me sleep....z-z-z-z
PROFESSOR (To JACKO ) Come on, Jacko! Wake up!
JACKO Z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-
(ENTER GUARD with food.)
GUARD Your food
PROFESSOR Thank you.
(Exit GUARD)
(To THE CHILDREN) And thank you! Thank you all very much!
SALLY What's the matter, Uncle?....What is it?....(yawn)
JACKO ...(yawn) .....Pardon?.......Did somebody say something?
JANE .....Uncle!......You're up early!
PROFESSOR Up early! I've never seen anything like it! You've only been asleep a few minutes and it's already too late!
LUCY (yawn) Too late?.....It can't be time for school, yet......Let me sleep....
JACKO (waking with a start) Uncle- the food!
SALLY What's that?.....Who mentioned food?..... (waking abruptly) .....The food!.... Has the guard been, Uncle?
JANE (yawn) What's that? .......(sitting up) .....What? The guard's been! Why didn't you tell us, Uncle?
LUCY (sitting bolt upright) What! The guard's been! ....Oh, no, Uncle!.....How could you!
JACKO (tutting and shaking his head) Trust you, Uncle!
ALL CHILDREN (pointing accusingly at THE PROFESSOR) He must have fallen asleep!!!!
PROFESSOR (fuming) Fallen asleep! Me! Absolutely preposterous! I don't know why I try, I really don't! Waking you lot up is like trying to awaken the dead!
SALLY Oh dear- now we've missed our chance to escape.
LUCY We'll never get out of here.
PROFESSOR Well I can't see them feeding us again for a while. If you can call this bread "food." It's more like granite!
JACKO Looks like we've had it, now. I can't see the guard coming back in a hurry!
PROFESSOR Neither can I....
(ENTER GUARD with (invisible) water.)
Ah, water.....Thank you......Invisible rubbish.....I don't know why you bother....
(As THE GUARD bends to place the tray with jug of water on the floor, JACKO, suddenly noticing the significance of the guard's return to their escape plan, tries to draw his Uncle's attention, mouthing the words quietly and gesticulating, without making it too obvious to the guard.)
JACKO The-the guard....
PROFESSOR Pardon, Jacko.Are you developing a twitch, boy? What's the matter? Speak up, now!
JACKO The- the guard.
PROFESSOR Yes, of course it's the guard. How else do you think the water got here? It couldn't possibly have walked!.........Oh, I see what you mean- the guard! Of course!
(JACKO throws a mug of invisible water over the GUARD.)
JACKO Have some water!
GUARD Uggh!
PROFESSOR (hitting the guard over the head with the bread) And this bread should help you to sleep! Come on, everybody! Ruuuuuuuuunnnnnnnnnnnn!!!!!
(Exit all except the unconscious GUARD.)
©Andrew McCann
Drama Workshop: Ideas For Teaching Drama