A Strange Night in the Library

by genevieve72

For my IB theater class I wrote a play that was basically a massive fanfiction, so I thought I'd share it with all of you! I'll be adding each scene separately. It follows teenage Aiden as he wakes up in a library to find himself surrounded by fictional characters. That'd be pretty cool, right? Unfortunately there are some dark forces at work threatening their very existence.

Scene I

[Bright lights reveal a teenaged boy, AIDEN, sitting at a table, glasses askew, as he sleeps on top of an open book with others splayed around him. The setting is a library. The lights grow slightly dimmer to symbolize the closing of the library.]

[Enter a myriad of characters, including COUNT OLAF, DOROTHY, a crowd of CINDERELLAS, KATNISS, a range of people dressed as animals, and others. The host of people starts various levels of chatter among themselves and moves about, causing AIDEN to wake. He looks around groggily. He tries to get the attention of others, but they are all too absorbed in what they are doing or saying.]

[Enter ONEDER, speaking in an English accent for this scene.]

ONEDER. You alright there, mate?

AIDEN. I… don't know.

ONEDER. I've never seen you before. Have you just been published?

AIDEN. What…

ONEDER. (irritated) Well, come on, then! I haven't got all bloody night.

AIDEN. I'm confused.

ONEDER. What book's pages did you leap from?! What role were you, the village idiot?

AIDEN. Is that… Dorothy?

ONEDER. You know anyone else prancing about saying "There's no place like home?"

AIDEN. But… She's in a movie-

ONEDER. Correction. That Dorothy is in a book. Look at her feet. Only silver shoes there, no fictitious ruby slippers in sight. We don't much care for the film crowd here, obviously. You must be really new.

AIDEN. Is this some sort of costume party?

ONEDER. That's a wee bit harsh, don't you think? Just because some of them are dressed a bit more outlandishly than others doesn't mean it's not normal for them.

AIDEN. Okay, well I could dress up as Harry Potter everyday but I'm pretty sure people would still think I'm weird despite the consistency.

ONEDER. (confused) Why would you dress up like Harry Potter? I mean, I know he's kind of a big shot around here, but he's just a character like anyone else. I know they say imitation is the highest form of flattery, but I don't think it's always the most appropriate form. (AIDEN's attention wanders) And do you really want to wear a big robe all the time? They're not too far off from dresses, in my opinion. What are you staring at?

[A crowd of FAIRIES fly, supported by thin wires, across the stage and out of sight.]

AIDEN. What the-!

ONEDER. Don't gawk unless you want to spend the rest of your days as some obscure kind of squash. Those fairies are from the Fablehaven series; they're particularly impish. Hey, uh, mate? You okay there?

AIDEN. B-but, they just flew! How did they do that? Are there wires? What about-?

ONEDER. If they needed wires they'd be pretty rubbish fairies, wouldn't they? Wings have a purpose, you know. Honestly…

[AIDEN faints]

[Black out]