When I Grow Up

When I Grow Up by Hannah W from Young Writers Project on Vimeo.

When I Grow Up

By Hannah W

 

Bellows Free Academy St Albans

 

 

 

 

 

CHARACTERS:    ALICE: 7 year-old girl in second grade

                                DANA: 7 year-old girl in second grade

                                TEACHER: Age 30, patient

                                MOTHER: Late 20’s early 30’s, caring, sweet

 

SCENE:                  A 2nd Grade Classroom

 

AT RISE:               ALICE and MOTHER are offstage. There is a table with a

                               There is a table with a large tablecloth and two chairs. On

                               The other side there is a teacher’s desk. TEACHER is

                                Looking at papers on her desk.

 

            (ALICE and MOTHER walk onstage near TEACHER. TEACHER looks up from

            Her papers and smiles and stands up to greet the pair.)

 

TEACHER

Good afternoon Mrs. Havers. Alice.

 

            (MOTHER nods toward the teacher and leads ALICE toward the table. ALICE     sits in the chair closest to TEACHER’S desk and mother moves to block the     second chair from view.)

 

MOTHER

Okay Alice, I’m going to talk to your teacher for a minute.

 

            (ALICE nods. As MOTHER walks away, DANA is revealed in the second seat.

            MOTHER sits down next to TEACEHR and they begin conversing. ALICE eyes

            Crayons, paper, and pencils laid out on the table and quickly picks up crayons and

            Paper. DANA picks up a piece of paper and a pencil and begins to write.)

 

ALICE

Hi.

    

            (DANA looks startled)

 

DANA

Hello.

 

ALICE

            (Smiling) My name’s Alice.

 

DANA

My name’s Dana.

 

            (DANA returns to her work. ALICE begins coloring but soon grows restless.)

 

ALICE

Do you want to play a game?

 

            (DANA stops writing)

 

DANA

Like what?

 

            (Alice thinks for a moment)

 

ALICE

Ummmm….Superheroes?

 

DANA

We can’t be Superheroes.

 

ALICE

(Looking rejected). Why not? 

 

DANA

(matter-of-factly) Superheroes aren’t real.

 

ALICE

(Getting defensive) They are too! (jumps out of her chair.)

 

DANA

Are not. Have you ever seen one?

 

ALICE

Well….no…

 

            (ALICE sits down)

 

DANA

Why do you want to be a superhero anyway?

 

ALICE

They have cool capes, and powers, and they save people.

 

DANA

But they don’t make a lot of money.

 

            (DANA returns to writing and ALICE sits silently for a moment.)

 

ALICE

(Looking at DANA) What do you want to play?

 

DANA

(DANA stops writing to think.) Lawyers.

 

ALICE

Lawyers? (Shocked) Why do you want to play that?

 

DANA

They make lots of money.

 

ALICE

But…they’re really boring.

 

DANA

So? Money is important.

 

 

ALICE

Why?

 

DANA

You need money to live.

 

ALICE

(Thinks for a moment) My mom says that happiness is more important.

 

            (The two girls pause for moment.)

 

DANA

Your mom is worried about you.

 

             (Both girls turn to look at the mother and teacher. ALICE returns to her coloring 

            after a moment.)

 

MOTHER

(A little shocked) She doesn’t know how to write?

 

TEACHER

What I mean to say is, she can write…she just doesn’t like to.

 

MOTHER

I don’t understand.

 

TEACHER

Yesterday I asked my students to write about what they want to be when they grow up and….(takes paper off desk depicting a child’s drawing of Superman) she drew this instead.

 

            (MOTHER laughs upon seeing the picture. ALICE hears her mother laughing and   

            looks up from her drawing.)

 

ALICE

(To DANA) She doesn’t look worried.

 

DANA

Why else would she be talking to Mrs. Tracey? You must have done something wrong.

 

ALICE

But…she’s smiling. Maybe they’re just friends, like you and me.

 

DANA

She’s holding up your drawing.

 

ALICE

It’s a very nice drawing…

 

DANA

Mrs. Tracey isn’t smiling.

 

ALICE

She didn’t like it. (ALICE begins coloring again.)

 

DANA

She doesn’t want you to be a Superhero.

 

ALICE

So…I should be a lawyer?

 

            (ALICE looks at DANA seriously. She has stopped coloring in anticipation of

            DANA’S answer.)

 

DANA

Of course. You’ll have a bigger house.

 

ALICE

But will I have fun?

 

DANA

Maybe.

 

ALICE

I like art. Maybe I could make art and be a superhero.

 

DANA

You wont have any money.

 

ALICE

But I’ll be happy.

 

DANA

Without any toys?

 

ALICE

(Unconcerned) I’ll make my own toys. (Begins coloring again.)

 

DANA

You wont have food.

 

            (Alice twists her mouth in thought)

 

ALICE

I’ll live off the grass and other things.

 

DANA

You’ll probably have to live in a box.

 

            (By now DANA has taken on the role of fortune-teller and is trying to scare

            ALICE into agreeing with the Lawyer route.)

 

ALICE

I will have the prettiest box on the street.

 

DANA

You might even die.

 

            (ALICE stops drawing)

 

 

ALICE

Die? (ALICE’S eyes become wide and she takes on a frightened look.)

 

DANA

Maybe. Would you still be happy without toys, or food, or a house?

 

ALICE

I don’t know.

 

            (Silence. DANA looks smug as she begins writing. ALICE does not color.)

 

MOTHER

That seems a little bit harsh.

 

TEACHER

Not at all. I think it’s just what she needs.

 

MOTHER

All of her friends would move on without her.

 

TEACHER

Well, yes. But I believe it’s what’s best for her future success.

 

            (The conversation between MOTHER and TEACHER quiets down as ALICE      looks up. DANA is still writing.)

 

ALICE

Dana?

 

DANA

(Absentmindedly) Hmm?

 

ALICE

Do ALL lawyers make a lot of money?

 

DANA

Well…(stops writing) not always. But mostly.

 

ALICE

Why not?

 

DANA

Some are better than others. They make more money.

 

ALICE

What about artists?

 

DANA

You have to be very good to make money as an artist.

 

            (ALICE looks like she’s had an idea and smiles excitedly.)

 

ALICE

I’ll be the best artist ever. Then I wont die.

 

            (ALICE smiles and returns to her coloring.)

 

DANA

(Looking horrified) That’s not how it works.

 

ALICE

Why not?

 

DANA

Art is hard work.

 

            (ALICE looks a little disappointed.)

 

ALICE

So is being a lawyer.

 

DANA

Lawyers help people.

 

ALICE

Lawyers can’t fly.

 

            (DANA looks frustrated and begins thinking of a new argument.)

 

DANA

 How do you even know you’re a good artist?

 

ALICE

I…I don’t

 

DANA

See.

 

ALICE

How do you know I’ll be a good lawyer?

 

DANA

If you’re good at being a lawyer, you’ll make money. You’ll be good because money is important.  

 

ALICE

(Thinking) I don’t want  to be good at being a lawyer. I want to be good at drawing and painting and-

 

DANA

-What happens if you’re not good enough?

 

ALICE

I will be.

 

DANA

But how do you know?

 

ALICE

Because art makes me happy. I’ll work hard because I want money, but my art will be good because I’m happy. 

 

DANA

(Interested) Show me.

 

            (ALICE takes a new piece of paper from the desk.)

 

ALICE

Alright. I’ll draw…(ALICE looks around the room before settling her gaze on DANA) You!

 

            (ALICE begins to work as DANA watches)

 

MOTHER

My daughter is only in second grade. You said she knows how-

 

TEACHER

-yes, but-

 

            (MOTHER holds up hand)

 

MOTHER

It is not my place to tell Alice that drawing is unacceptable. She’ll write when she has something to write about.

 

            (ALICE is drawing fervently before stopping. She adds one final touch before 

             holding it up for inspection.)

 

ALICE

Done!

 

            (ALICE turns to show the picture to DANA.)

 

MOTHER

(To TEACHER) I believe we are done too.

 

            (Mother stands up and calls to ALICE. TEACHER shakes her head and goes back

            to examining papers. DANA takes the picture and looks at it in wonder. Seeing  

            that ALICE has ignored her, MOTHER walks over next to ALICE and in front of   

            DANA.)

 

MOTHER

Alice. It’s time to go.

 

ALICE

Okay.

 

            (ALICE stands up and grabs her mother’s hand. As they move to Exit it is             revealed that DANA is gone.)

 

MOTHER

Are you ready?

 

             (ALICE pauses before they exit to look at the spot where DANA had been           sitting.)

 

ALICE

Yes.

 

            (MOTHER and ALICE exit.)