Challenge #4 - Smackdown
Due: Saturday, November 5th, 12pm noon Central Time
For many years, the Twin Cities theater company Theatre Unbound annually did a 24-hour play festival as a fundraiser. They called theirs the 24 Hour Theater Smackdown - complete with female professional wrestler mascot and over the top champion belt.
Typically, the writers would be given a list of items to include in their play
A prop
A line of dialogue
A stage direction
Something random
They would also pull from a hat the number of actors they had to write for (as the acting pool had been recruited ahead of time and they knew how many they had to spread among the plays).
So for this meeting’s writing challenge, host Lana Aylesworth gave us all the following assignment, should we choose to accept it
Write a 10-minute play that uses a word coined by Shakespeare as the titular character - and of course she helpfully gave us a reference point for that:
The play must also include an embrace held too long,
the line ‘I may be still, but I am still here’,
and a pumpkin.
Jaded; or Chekov’s Pumpkin - The Beginning of a Ten-Minute Play
SCENE: We are at a busy chain coffee shop that has green-aproned baristas but we will not name it. JADED is next in line; JESSICA is behind her, carrying a very large pumpkin. WENDY, the barista behind the counter, calls JADED to the register.
WENDY
Hello, welcome to the unnamed coffee shop that has a mythical creature as its mascot! How may I help you?
JADED
Yes. Thank you. Could I get a large cappuccino, a cup of ice water, and the macchiato brownie you had when I was growing up that you suddenly stopped selling one day and I knew my childhood was over?
WENDY
Umm… I’m sorry?
JADED
No, I’m sorry. It’s been a long day… just the cappuccino and the water, please.
WENDY
Alright! That will be more money than it should be! Can I get a name for that?
JADED
Yeah, Jaded. With a D at the end.
WENDY
At the end?
JADED
Yes. J-A-D-E-D. My parents had quite the sense of humor. But maybe not the common sense to raise a child but…
WENDY
Yes… well…
JADED
Oh, yeah, here. Keep the change.
WENDY
Thank you and have a great day! Your order will be at the other side of the bar shortly!
[JADED heads to the end of the bar. JESSICA approaches the counter, putting her giant pumpkin on the counter to rest her arms as she orders. Has it gotten bigger? No, that must just be your imagination.]
WENDY
Hello, welcome to the unnamed coffee shop that has a mythical creature as its mascot! How may I help you?
[Sounds cuts out before we hear what JESSICA wants as CEDRIC enters. JADED sees him and instantly attempts to make herself smaller. He gets in line, but then spots her and approaches with a broad smile and absolutely no idea what JADED’s body language is clearly saying.]
CEDRIC
Jade-y! Hi! Small world.
[He gives her a hug that lasts too long, although for JADED any hug from him would be too long.]
JADED
Hi Cedric. It’s been a while. How are you?
CEDRIC
Oh, you know, keeping busy, making money… it really has been a while, hasn’t it? You weren’t at Aunt Miranda’s Birthday party last month.
JADED
I had to work.
CEDRIC
Or at the grandparents’ anniversary in May.
JADED
I had to work.
CEDRIC
You didn’t come to the cousin happy hour a while back, either. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were avoiding me.
JADED
I just had to work.
CEDRIC
Mhm, what are you doing these days?
WENDY
Cappuccino for Jaded!
JADED
That’s me! I got to go to -
CEDRIC
work? Right. What time do you get off? Maybe we could grab a bite together.
JADED
I don’t know, I have a pretty early day tomorrow and a big deadline to meet and -
[JADED freezes as CEDRIC puts her hand on her shoulder. Is it fear? Disgust? Shock? A little of everything maybe]
CEDRIC
Poor Jade-y, working her life away. Don’t you remember what it was like to let loose? To have fun?
JADED
I don’t remember doing anything particularly fun with you.
CEDRIC
Come out with me tonight and I’ll jog your memory. You’re still so still. So easy to just-
[He grabs her arm and tries to throw her off balance. She swings her arm at him causing him to stumble back]
JADED
I may be still, but I’m still here.
[She goes and grabs her cappuccino and leaves. CEDRIC collects himself and approaches JESSICA who is now waiting for her coffee with her pumpkin. It must be bigger than it was? It looks huge! But there’s no way…]
CEDRIC
Hey.
JESSICA
Hello.
CEDRIC
What’s with the pumpkin?
END OF PLAY?