Second Semester
by Hope Morris
Hope enters a very cluttered dorm room, arms full of very random things including an American Girl Doll, a feminist coffee mug, and flannel pajamas. Exasperated but still cheerful, she throws everything on the floor and proceeds to flop onto bed. She sighs deeply. On the other bed sits a peppy blonde who is listening to 21 Pilots.
Hope: Ah! Dorm sweet dorm!
Melissa (roommate): Where have you been?? I've seen you like a total of thirty minutes in the past 48 hours.
Hope: I've been.......oh gosh. Where have I been?
Flashback lighting and the 80s ballad "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler begin. There is no symbolic meaning behind this song. I just like it.
Enter Teacher Hope in a Jessica Day-esque dress. She stands at the front of a classroom of high school students. They all mumble "Who's that girl?"
Teacher Hope: Hello class! My name is Hope...I mean...er...Miss Morris. I'm a student at Olivet studying to be a high school English and drama teacher.
sassy student 1 raises his hand
Sassy Student 1: how old are you?
Teacher Hope: I am almost nineteen.
Sassy Student 1: Shoot, that's hardly any older than I am! That means I don't have to listen to you!
Teacher Hope: (smiles) Well, it's a good thing I'm not here to tell you what to do then, huh?
Sassy Student 2 raises his hand
Sassy Student 2: How often you go to church at that college?
Teacher Hope: I go to church about three times a week, if you include chapel.
Sassy Student 2: They make you go three times??
Teacher Hope: I enjoy going to church.
Sassy Student 2: (eyes widen) I don't go to no church.
Teacher Hope: You should try it sometime. Not as bad as you may think. (smiles)
All students begin chatting at their desks. Certain words are heard above the chaos including "on fleek," "flame," and "he be tweeking."
Teacher Hope: (confused and slightly terrified) I don't know any of these words. I don't know what these kids are talking about! Oh my gosh! Is there a generation gap already? I am not old enough for that yet!
Lights dim on the chaotic classroom and Total Eclipse of the Heart continues. Again, there is no reason for this song.
Lights come up on a small rehearsal space also known as Chapman Basement. Six girls sit on the floor, exhausted and frustrated. One of these is Rehearsal Hope. She wears half a costume: army fatigues, a t-shirt, and mismatched socks, one with owls and one with the Harry Potter logo. Her hair was in a bun about two hours ago, but is now disheveled. She is holding back tears and angry words directed at anyone and everyone. Standing above the actresses is their director, an ambitious young woman wearing a scarf in her hair and probably regretting ever signing up to direct this play.
Director AE: Well...this rehearsal was rough. If lines aren't memorized tomorrow, we will all go back to boot camp on Thursday.
Girls gasp and a brief flashback occurs.
It is 6am, an ungodly time for theatre people. The theatre people are attempting to do pushups and failing absolutely miserably. One ROTC leader stands above them and yells while others laugh from the side. One actress is weeping between pushups, many others are cursing Director AE.
Flashback ends and they are back in the basement. All actresses dish out threatening looks that say to each other "you better have your lines memorized tomorrow."
Director AE: Before we go, I have something for all of you.
Girls look up expectantly hoping it will be a day off, coffee, or maybe Xanax.
Director AE: I think a lot of motivation has gone out of us lately. But I want you all to remember that these are real women that you are portraying. Real women who served and sacrificed for this country and never received proper recognition. This play is our chance to give them that recognition. But I think that will be more meaningful if you know them by name. I've done some research and found the testimonies of the real women your characters are based on. I would like you all to take the time to read them.
Girls take papers from their director. Lights dim as Rehearsal Hope comes forward, entranced by what she reads. She begins to cry. It is not because of frustration.
Total Eclipse of the Heart plays as the scene transitions to the final scene of opening night for A Piece of My Heart. Six girls hold hands in a circle around a pile of sand that was once shaped like a heart. Each is crying. They've grown so much. They are united by this powerful play. They are trying so hard to hold on to the fleeting moment that is the magic of theatre. They are changed, and they know it. Lights fade out and good ole Bonnie Tyler sings again.
Lights come back on dorm room.
Melissa: Okay, I know you have had the play and student teaching, but those are both done now. Where have you been since then?
Hope: We had a cast party!
Melissa: Didn't you have one of those last night?
Hope: Yeah, we had another one.
Melissa: (laughs) Well, what are you doing tomorrow night?
Hope: (sheepishly) We have another cast party...
Melissa: What do you even do at these parties?
Lights come up on the other side of the stage. Two young men are loudly singing Mulan songs to a group of laughing girls.
Hope: You know...just hang out.
Lights out.
Lights come back up on the dorm. It is a week later. Only Post-show Hope is seen in the room now. She is curled up in the fetal position on the floor moaning as "Piece of My Heart" by Janis Joplin plays too loudly. A knock is heard at the door. Post-show Hope moans "come in." Mama Autumn, a floormate, enters.
Mama Autumn: (in the voice you use when you find a child eating playdough) Hope...what are you doing?
Post-show Hope: Mourning.
Mama Autumn: Is this because the play is over?
Post-show Hope: (face buried into carpet) It was the best play in the whole world. (begins to sob)
Mama Autumn: Have you eaten anything in a while?
Post-show Hope: What do I have to offer the world anymore??
Mama Autumn: (coaxes Post-show Hope off the floor) Okay, we are going to go get some dinner. Does that sound good? Good. Can you put on your shoes?
Post-show Hope: Back in Nam, the only shoes we wore were combat boots. (starts to cry again)
Lights out and Total Eclipse of the Heart plays again.
The rest of the semester is shown in a video montage projected on the back of a stage. Scenes include a lot of coffee, a trip to Chicago, late night talks, one-act performances, long country drives, talking to mice at the pet store, laughter, tears, multiple class presentations, successful counseling sessions, great literature, pedicures, breakfasts, all-nighters, and great displays of bull-crap on forgotten assignments.
All of this culminates to the next moment. Hope sits on a bench, crying. She moves out tomorrow. The semester is ending. The tears are grateful tears. Grateful tears for the amazing first year of college. The tears are also the result of the all-nighter pulled the night before and the fact she hasn't started packing yet. The lights fade out.
A spotlight comes up on Hope who stands in a now empty dorm room, holding a heavily marked essay. She addresses the audience.
Hope: "A beautiful mess." That's what my professor said about the last paper I wrote this semester. Appropriate, I think. Life is kind of a beautiful mess. This semester has been amazing. An adventure. I've become more myself than ever before. I wouldn't trade the beautiful mess for anything.
She exits and lights fade.
Sassy Student 1: Shoot, that's hardly any older than I am! That means I don't have to listen to you!
Teacher Hope: (smiles) Well, it's a good thing I'm not here to tell you what to do then, huh?
Sassy Student 2 raises his hand
Sassy Student 2: How often you go to church at that college?
Teacher Hope: I go to church about three times a week, if you include chapel.
Sassy Student 2: They make you go three times??
Teacher Hope: I enjoy going to church.
Sassy Student 2: (eyes widen) I don't go to no church.
Teacher Hope: You should try it sometime. Not as bad as you may think. (smiles)
All students begin chatting at their desks. Certain words are heard above the chaos including "on fleek," "flame," and "he be tweeking."
Teacher Hope: (confused and slightly terrified) I don't know any of these words. I don't know what these kids are talking about! Oh my gosh! Is there a generation gap already? I am not old enough for that yet!
Lights dim on the chaotic classroom and Total Eclipse of the Heart continues. Again, there is no reason for this song.
Lights come up on a small rehearsal space also known as Chapman Basement. Six girls sit on the floor, exhausted and frustrated. One of these is Rehearsal Hope. She wears half a costume: army fatigues, a t-shirt, and mismatched socks, one with owls and one with the Harry Potter logo. Her hair was in a bun about two hours ago, but is now disheveled. She is holding back tears and angry words directed at anyone and everyone. Standing above the actresses is their director, an ambitious young woman wearing a scarf in her hair and probably regretting ever signing up to direct this play.
Director AE: Well...this rehearsal was rough. If lines aren't memorized tomorrow, we will all go back to boot camp on Thursday.
Girls gasp and a brief flashback occurs.
It is 6am, an ungodly time for theatre people. The theatre people are attempting to do pushups and failing absolutely miserably. One ROTC leader stands above them and yells while others laugh from the side. One actress is weeping between pushups, many others are cursing Director AE.
Flashback ends and they are back in the basement. All actresses dish out threatening looks that say to each other "you better have your lines memorized tomorrow."
Director AE: Before we go, I have something for all of you.
Girls look up expectantly hoping it will be a day off, coffee, or maybe Xanax.
Director AE: I think a lot of motivation has gone out of us lately. But I want you all to remember that these are real women that you are portraying. Real women who served and sacrificed for this country and never received proper recognition. This play is our chance to give them that recognition. But I think that will be more meaningful if you know them by name. I've done some research and found the testimonies of the real women your characters are based on. I would like you all to take the time to read them.
Girls take papers from their director. Lights dim as Rehearsal Hope comes forward, entranced by what she reads. She begins to cry. It is not because of frustration.
Total Eclipse of the Heart plays as the scene transitions to the final scene of opening night for A Piece of My Heart. Six girls hold hands in a circle around a pile of sand that was once shaped like a heart. Each is crying. They've grown so much. They are united by this powerful play. They are trying so hard to hold on to the fleeting moment that is the magic of theatre. They are changed, and they know it. Lights fade out and good ole Bonnie Tyler sings again.
Lights come back on dorm room.
Melissa: Okay, I know you have had the play and student teaching, but those are both done now. Where have you been since then?
Hope: We had a cast party!
Melissa: Didn't you have one of those last night?
Hope: Yeah, we had another one.
Melissa: (laughs) Well, what are you doing tomorrow night?
Hope: (sheepishly) We have another cast party...
Melissa: What do you even do at these parties?
Lights come up on the other side of the stage. Two young men are loudly singing Mulan songs to a group of laughing girls.
Hope: You know...just hang out.
Lights out.
Lights come back up on the dorm. It is a week later. Only Post-show Hope is seen in the room now. She is curled up in the fetal position on the floor moaning as "Piece of My Heart" by Janis Joplin plays too loudly. A knock is heard at the door. Post-show Hope moans "come in." Mama Autumn, a floormate, enters.
Mama Autumn: (in the voice you use when you find a child eating playdough) Hope...what are you doing?
Post-show Hope: Mourning.
Mama Autumn: Is this because the play is over?
Post-show Hope: (face buried into carpet) It was the best play in the whole world. (begins to sob)
Mama Autumn: Have you eaten anything in a while?
Post-show Hope: What do I have to offer the world anymore??
Mama Autumn: (coaxes Post-show Hope off the floor) Okay, we are going to go get some dinner. Does that sound good? Good. Can you put on your shoes?
Post-show Hope: Back in Nam, the only shoes we wore were combat boots. (starts to cry again)
Lights out and Total Eclipse of the Heart plays again.
The rest of the semester is shown in a video montage projected on the back of a stage. Scenes include a lot of coffee, a trip to Chicago, late night talks, one-act performances, long country drives, talking to mice at the pet store, laughter, tears, multiple class presentations, successful counseling sessions, great literature, pedicures, breakfasts, all-nighters, and great displays of bull-crap on forgotten assignments.
All of this culminates to the next moment. Hope sits on a bench, crying. She moves out tomorrow. The semester is ending. The tears are grateful tears. Grateful tears for the amazing first year of college. The tears are also the result of the all-nighter pulled the night before and the fact she hasn't started packing yet. The lights fade out.
A spotlight comes up on Hope who stands in a now empty dorm room, holding a heavily marked essay. She addresses the audience.
Hope: "A beautiful mess." That's what my professor said about the last paper I wrote this semester. Appropriate, I think. Life is kind of a beautiful mess. This semester has been amazing. An adventure. I've become more myself than ever before. I wouldn't trade the beautiful mess for anything.
She exits and lights fade.
No comments:
Post a Comment