The November People’s Choice Award goes to…
The people have spoken… The November People’s Choice Award goes to Briggs Hatton for his short play, In the Terrarium, presented as a staged reading at The Broadwater Second Stage and simulcast on November 8th. Congratulations, Aaron!
Courtesy of Briggs, we’re pleased to share the first few pages from the award-winning script. Enjoy!
IN THE TERRARIUM
by Briggs Hatton
CHARACTERS:
MS. KENDALL — female, 20s/30s, peppy, bubbly, attentive, loves the classroom and brings a wry sense of gusto to most of her days, an ace with ten-year-olds and has seen every trick they try to pull, knows her lesson plan backwards and forwards, attuned to when bright students like Jimmy hit a possible rough patch but lets such things take their natural course.
JIMMY — male, a ten-year-old conspicuously and anachronistically played by someone of any age, hormonal, due for a growth spurt, anxious, sensitive, angst-y, as if the world’s always a little too loud for him, a great deal more perceptive than he was a month ago, precocious, tries very hard, near the top of his class, but not sure he wants to be pegged as “the smart kid,” really likes his unusual haircut.
GODZILLA — any gender, a mysterious metaphysical presence appearing as a small leopard gecko lizard, until recently the contented class pet of Ms. Kendall’s fifth grade, the commonly domesticated species eublepharis macularius, a very smooth operator, low-key trickster, blunt, caustic, sensual, flirty, full of finesse, physically robust and expressive, grandiose, prone to fits of pique and self-importance.
FADE UP:
The class bell rings. JIMMY, seated at his desk, tries to
focus on MS. KENDALL, standing. But Jimmy’s a little
antsy, a little distressed.
MS. KENDALL
Okay, Lit Club, you know the drill – everyone pull out your copies of “The Westing
Game.” Julie, you can borrow a school copy today, but I wanna’ see your margin notes tomorrow… What?… No, Julie, you can’t use the margin notes in the school copy, you have to write your own margin notes… Did everyone read chapters five and six?
Ms. Kendall writes across a white board.
JIMMY
(rote, sing-song)
Yes, Ms. Kendall.
MS. KENDALL
That’s what I like to hear… Have a seat please, Duncan.
(then)
Jimmy? Everything okay?
JIMMY
No. Huh? I mean, yes.
MS. KENDALL
Do you wanna sit at another desk? So you’re not right next to the glass tank?
Jimmy glances to his side, sadly.
JIMMY
Ummm, no. It’s fine.
MS. KENDALL
Yes, Julie, I know it’s a “terrarium” not a “tank.”… Look, class, I know we’re all still a little sad. And it’s okay if we feel sad. Godzilla was a wonderful pet. We all loved him, and we’ll miss him. But it’s time for us to start moving on. That’s why we did a lot of self-sharing last week. We’ll get a new pet at the start of next term, I promise… Sound good?
JIMMY
Yes, Ms. Kendall.
MS. KENDALL
Now let’s all flip to page 54, and – Duncan, could you read the paragraph starting near the
top?
Lights shift. GODZILLA enters, crawling through the
classroom, and climbs into the pet tank right next to
Jimmy. Ms. Kendall continues silently teaching.
GODZILLA
Psssst, Jimmy. Jimmy-Jimmy. Psssssssst.
JIMMY
Oh no. Not this again.
GODZILLA
You’re the only one who can help me, Jimmy. Pssssst – wow, I make a pronounced “s”sound. Hear that?
JIMMY
Go away. You’re dead, Godzilla. Lee-me alone.
GODZILLA
A fact that I am still disused to.
(shivers)
Jeez, I mean I’m cold-blooded, but this is really cold.
JIMMY
We said goodbye to you. And put you in a shoebox. And the gardener man took you
away!
MS. KENDALL
Are you with us, Jimmy?
JIMMY
Nobody! I mean, “yes.”
GODZILLA
Use your brain, Jimmy man. You think a healthy, young lizard who survived the friggin’ hardscrabble Mojave, only to score this cushy life, lovingly tended to by 18 precocious ten- year-olds – what? – just up and dies of natural causes? Psssshh.
JIMMY
Pets die sometimes. And they go to heaven.
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Join us on for the next Monday Night Playground on November 8th! For more info, click here!