This is a play that I wrote for my Creative Writing Class last semester. It focuses on Devin, the reincarnation of America. He is a character from my other story, Heta-Generations. However, in this play I made the future more like the past (around 1800's type of setting). I hope you enjoy and review!
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Act 1 Scene 1- AN ORPHANAGE LOCATED IN NEW YORK, NEW YORK. YEAR 2500.
[Curtain rises. Lights go up. Children play on the play ground outside. Various noises from the streets nearby can be heard in the background. A ten year old, DEVIN, props against the brick building, STAGE LEFT. He sighs.]
DEVIN: (mumbles) Could it be any louder…?
[A child suddenly begins wailing from falling off of the jungle gym. DEVIN clutches his head due to it aching. At last, the bell at the top of the building begins ringing, signaling for everyone to go inside. Kids start leaving the play ground, and DEVIN follows.]
DEVIN: (mumbles) Adoption time.
DEVIN: (V.O.) I had spent ten years, my entire life, in this crowded dump. And every day we were subjugated to stand straight and be sized up by a couple or even sometimes just one adult. There were the lucky ones who were sent off to be someone's new child. And then there was the children who were left behind, forced to live with the thought that maybe no one was out there to be their mother and father. I was among the rejected… at least… until that fateful day.
[Lights fade.]
Act 1 Scene 2- NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT.
[Lights go up. A large man, CHIEF Harrison, sits in a big leather arm chair behind his desk, STAGE RIGHT. He smokes a sweet smelling cigar and puffs the smoke through his lips. Officer RENOLDS stands before him, patiently awaiting a reply. Instead, he is asked a question.]
CHIEF: You mean to tell me that you've intended to turn in a form of resignation since last month? You're still young, Renolds.
RENOLDS: Chief, I've been in the force for fifteen years! And I think my body's not quite in the shape that it used to be.
[RENOLDS chuckles as the CHIEF gapes.]
CHIEF: But you look so young! Curse you for aging so well. I've had wrinkles since I was twenty!
[The younger man laughs at his superior's words. But then the CHIEF grows serious.]
CHIEF: So you are really leaving, huh… It'll be boring with someone like you no longer here. You truly were one of the best officers I had. It was a pleasure to have you on my team.
[The CHIEF then shakes his hand.]
CHIEF: We'll make sure that your farewell party will be the best shindig that you will have ever had.
[A few of the fellow officers and staff peek through the door and grin, BACKGROUND- CENTER STAGE. RENOLDS looks at them with a smile.]
RENOLDS: I have no doubt that you will.
[Lights fade.]
Act 1 Scene 3- ORPHANAGE.
[Lights go up. Along with the orphaned children, DEVIN crowds into a large corridor used for parents looking to adopt. Someone shouts for them to line up, and the children do as told. DEVIN follows suit, begrudgingly.]
DEVIN: (V.O.) I always hated how we were forced to form a line and be judged one by one, like livestock being chosen for the slaughterhouse. Some of those who wished to adopt were kind about it or were just giving us lip about how they wished that they could take each and every one of us home. Others were more vicious than them, calling out every miniscule flaw until they had found their perfect child. This -of course- made a few of us second guess ourselves and try to be better. I would have chosen a person lying to my face any day rather than direct embarrassment.
But from all of those before, the woman that day was different. She was alone but humble.
[A rather short blonde woman is lead into the room just as everyone goes silent. ENTER STAGE RIGHT. She looks around nervously, wringing her hands. She then looks at the children curiously, who are standing STAGE LEFT. The woman is told to go ahead and take a look by an adoption agent. DEVIN overhears her name being a MS. RENOLDS.]
MS. RENOLDS: Oh, right…
[The woman then walks over to the lineup, not saying a word as she goes from child to child. She stops at DEVIN, looking him up and down in a curious manner. MS. RENOLDS tilts her head and smiles.]
MS. RENOLDS: Tell me; what is your name?
DEVIN: … Devin.
MS. RENOLDS: What a nice name. So, tell me Devin… Would you want to come home with me today?
[She grins and offers him her hand. DEVIN looks at her hand and then at her face.]
DEVIN: (V.O.) It was strange that she would choose me among the others. I was one of the oldest children, and parents looking at adoption usually picked those who were young.
So, it was very rare for someone my age to be chosen. My mind immediately thought that this was some type of sick joke. But when I looked into Ms. Renolds' eyes, the first thing that I felt was trust.
[DEVIN grasps her hand, and she giggles.]
MS. RENOLDS: Good.
[Lights fade.]
Act 1 Scene 4- RENOLDS' HOUSEHOLD- LATER THAT EVENING.
[Lights go up. RENOLDS enters the front door, STAGE LEFT. He shivers from the chilly air that he had just left. The man dusts the little snow from his hat and then closes the door. He sighs as he hangs up his coat and scarf on a rack nearby.]
RENOLDS: Amanda? You here, sweetie?
MS. RENOLDS: I'm in the back room!
[Again, he sighs then walks to where his wife is shouting from. Lights fade.]
Act 1 Scene 5- RENOLDS HOUSEHOLD- BACK ROOM.
[Lights go up. RENOLDS enters, STAGE RIGHT. MS. RENOLDS and DEVIN are STAGE LEFT. The woman is standing while the boy is sitting on a spare bed.]
MS. RENOLDS: Adam, there you are! I would like to introduce you to someone.
[She then steps aside so that her husband can now see DEVIN.]
MS. RENOLDS: This is Devin.
DEVIN: Hello, sir…
[Adam waves a little in confusion then turns to Amanda.]
RENOLDS: Um… Amanda, are you looking after one of your coworker's children again…? Or…
MS. RENOLDS: No, Adam; not this time. This boy… he's ours…!
[She leans forward and giggles, allowing a bit of her giddiness to rise to the surface. Her husband's eyes widen and he quickly grabs her wrist and pulls her to himself.]
RENOLDS: Excuse us for a moment.
[He leans to whisper into his wife's ear. DEVIN only nods.]
RENOLDS: What do you think you are doing!?
MS. RENOLDS: What do you mean?
RENOLDS: You know exactly what I am referring to!
MS. RENOLDS: You always said that you want children… Why not now?
RENOLDS: But I'm assuming that you went to an orphanage without my say or knowledge! We are married, meaning that we should be making these decisions together.
MS. RENOLDS: I asked you the other night, before we went to bed.
RENOLDS: You know that I am already half asleep around that time, so I would agree to anything…
MS. RENOLDS: Precisely! I had your word, so I thought it would be a pleasant surprise.
RENOLDS: Well, you were right on making the assumption that it would be a surprise…
MS. RENOLDS: Oh, don't be such a stick in the mud. Get to know him first. Then, talk. I think that you'll find him to be a very nice boy.
[He turns to look back at DEVIN.]
MS. RENOLDS: I'll leave you two alone while I make dinner.
[She smiles and exits, STAGE RIGHT.]
RENOLDS: So… Devin, how old are you?
DEVIN: Ten.
RENOLDS: What are you most interested in?
DEVIN: Well,… I really enjoy history.
RENOLDS: Is that so? You know what? I think that I might have a few historical books in the study. Would you want to look at them?
[Adam points to the door and DEVIN nods. Both exit STAGE RIGHT. Lights fade.]
Act 2 Scene 1- RENOLDS' HOUSEHOLD- THE STUDY.
[Lights go up. DEVIN sits on the wooden floor while RENOLDS sits in a plush arm chair, both are CENTER STAGE. The younger of the two is reading a historical novel. RENOLDS then looks to the book shelf and says something, breaking the silence.]
RENOLDS: Tell me; have you ever heard of an automobile?
[DEVIN shakes his head as the man stands from his seat and grabs a small bowl from the shelf. RENOLDS then takes the lid off and pulls out what rests inside.]
DEVIN: Keys? Then, why do you call it an… auto-, auto-,… whatever it is that you said?
RENOLDS: It's used to start it. An automobile was said to be used before the Grande World War.
DEVIN: So, it's an ancient device… What is it necessarily?
RENOLDS: Well, you could say that it was basically a carriage powered by a machine.
DEVIN: Then what of the horses?
RENOLDS: An automobile did not need any.
[The man puts up his index finger for emphasis.]
DEVIN: No horses!? That's ridiculous! Any idiot would know that a carriage or cart needs them! Are you sure that you are not making this all up?
RENOLDS: It's an absolute truth. They have even found pieces of them from old ruins of the past world.
[DEVIN grabs the keys, allowing them to dangle in his hand.]
DEVIN: (V.O.) Something peculiar then came to me, a flash of painted metal glinting in the sunlight and the sound of a horn blaring into my ears.
[DEVIN drops the keys as he jumps. RENOLDS immediately reacts.]
RENOLDS: Devin, what's wrong? Are you alright?
[The boys attempts to shake off his fright and succeeds to a degree.]
DEVIN: No; I'm fine. I was just thinking of what the war must have been like… for the soldiers.
DEVIN: (V.O.) I had thought for a moment what I had seen was a memory… but that would have been impossible.
RENOLDS: Yes; I'm for certain that they went through something that no one else should ever experience. A battle that lasted for two hundred years… how could two opposing forces wage war for that long of a time?
DEVIN: I have no idea…
[RENOLDS suddenly laughs, surprising DEVIN.]
RENOLDS: Let's talk about something else. After all, this seems a bit serious of a topic for someone who is only ten years old.
[DEVIN could not say anything as he remained thinking about what he had seen. Lights fade.]