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I'm doing a ten minute play assignment in my Drama II class. Tell me what you think. The theme is supposed to be dinner table.
Character descriptions:
Isabella – mostly known as Bella, she is a girl who grew up in a royal environment, and grew bored of it. She ran away from home to fend for her self and find what life is like in the “commoner” ground. She eventually made friends with a girl named Navarnia, and fell in love with her friend’s worst enemy, Anthony. She’s a strong, stubborn individual who never fails at losing an argument.
Anthony – A man who grew up as an aristocrat, Anthony sought revenge on a petty farm boy who stole his love away from him. He eventually did get revenge for what he believed he was wronged for, but not before the farm boy had a daughter, Navarnia. He was after Navarnia for a while, but in the process of looking for her, he found Bella and fell in love again. Though shy about his feelings, he sticks with her, even though he is as stubborn as she is and never wins any of the arguments
Scene 1 – We see a dinner table with only a few random articles on it and a couch not too far away from the table. Bella is clearing off the table while Anthony sulks in the corner due to a previously lost argument. Bella pauses, sits down, and looks to Anthony from across the table.
Bella – What do you want for dinner?
Anthony – [sighs and puts his head in his hand] Here we go again … Bella, I thought we agreed that asking that question is a stupid attempt at a makeshift, existential personality test, did we not?
Bella – Well, yea …. But-
Anthony – Then why do we need to go over covered ground?
Bella – [slightly stunned] I just wanted to know if I needed to put anything into the oven now, or if I could wait…
Anthony – [feeling guilty] Alright, alright…. What do you want for dinner?
Bella – [mockingly] I thought that was just a stupid makeshift, existential-
Anthony – Okay, I get the point! Jeez… You never give up, do you?
Bella – Nope! So, what do you want for dinner?
Anthony – [after a beat] We’re never gonna get anywhere like this, you know that, right?
Bella – We might as well try, though.
Anthony – [sighs] Fine. What do we have?
Bella – You don’t mean to tell me that the great Anthony is going to let a little girl win, just like that, are you?
Anthony – [a little angrier] What was that about? You always win these arguments, so what’s the point?
Bella – Just because I always win doesn’t mean you can’t try. It’s no fun if you just give up.
[Both gradually get angrier as the scene progresses]
Anthony – There you go again! Never making any sense! I try to give you a win without a struggle and you shoot me down!
Bella – You really don’t get it, do you? I only argue because it strengthens relationships. It-
Anthony – Strengthens relationships?! What are you thinking?! Arguments tear things apart like a sword into a pig!
Bella – You really are two dimensional. You always see things the way they are, not for more. You’re-
Anthony – I’m what, Bella? I’m a self-righteous pig? You use the same lines over and over. It’s the same tune with you. You always have to complicate things beyond what they need to be complicated to.
Bella – Because I’m open minded. I still believe that Navi will be a better ruler than her father, and you won’t see that because of you stupid vendetta against her father-
Anthony – You promised not to bring that up again. Dammit, Bella, you know how I feel about that! You’re biased because you’re her stinkin’ best friend-
Bella – And you’re biased because you’re her arch enemy. Can’t you learn to get along with people you don’t like? I don’t like your brother, and I get along with him just fine-
Anthony – Bella, that’s different-
Bella – No it’s not. He’s your brother and you threaten to kill him on a daily – no – hourly basis! I can understand that he’s the most annoying pest on the planet, but what you don’t understand is that he’s still your family. He’s the only family you have left!
Anthony – [quietly shocked] That’s not true-
Bella – How is it not true?
Anthony – Be-cause….
Bella – [after a beat] Because why?
Anthony – [quickly and loudly] Because I have you!
[Bella pauses for a moment and lets the reaction sink in]
Bella – [smiles and says quietly] I told you arguments strengthen relationships.
Anthony – [wide-eyed at what he just confessed] I can’t believe you! You did it again!
Bella – [laughing] I told you the first day we met that I always win arguments.
Anthony – You sneak! [sighs and sits on the couch] So, what do we have?
Bella – O yea! We got a little off-topic there. Umm, we might have some peas, I know we have some hamburgers-
Anthony – It’s the same stuff with you all the time, isn’t it?
Bella – [quietly] Here we go again… Anthony, I’m just throwing suggestions out there.
Anthony – It seems like for the past month we’ve had nothing but hamburgers and some form of vegetable.
Bella – Well, do you have a suggestion?
Anthony – Well, I would like Chinese
Bella – We don’t have ingredients for Chinese.
Anthony – [quietly] Would it kill you to go shopping for it some time?
Bella – Would it kill you to cook some time? I’m the one doing all the cooking!
Anthony – Yea, but you’re the girl. You’re supposed to do that stuff
[Anthony has struck a nerve and knows it by the first time he looks at Bella]
Bella – [quietly furious] So, that’s why I do all the work, is it? That’s why I’m the one who stays in the house like a locked in, droopy eyed puppy dog?
[Anthony starts to shrink back gradually]
Bella - [gradually getting louder] I'm the one who keeps everyone cool! If it wasn't for me, you'd be in the forest, making a living off of rabbits! I'm the one who cleaned you up and gave you a home!
Anthony - Bells, calm down-
Bella - I will not calm down! I could have just left you in that desert and Navi could have convinced me that you were the enemy. If I didn't step in and tell her that you could change, right this moment I could slay you where you sit!
Anthony - [wide eyed and scared] Bells, I'm sorry! You've got to remember how I was brought up! I was in a male dominated house and all the servants were women! [cowering now] I'm sorry I offended you!
Bella - [smiling. after a beat] I win again, sweetie...
[A long pause falls between the two and Anthony has conflict evident on his face]
Anthony - I-I .... You ... huh?!
Bella - [laughing. sits on the couch with Anthony] Like I said, you just see things the way they are, not something more. [thinks for a beat and laughs] I win two arguments in one! Wow!
Anthony - This is why I hate women. You're too smart.
Bella - But you love me, right?
Anthony - [pouts and smiles, wraps his arm around her shoulder] You know I do.
Bella - [smiles and cuddles] So, where were we?
Anthony - We got so off topic, I don't remember
Bella - I think we were talking about dinner.
Anthony - And I think we've successfully ruled out Chinese for dinner.
Bella - I think so. You really do need to learn to see things in layers, you know that, right?
Anthony - What is it with you and the onion talk tonight?
Bella - I'm not talking about onions. You'd know that if you'd seen the movie "Shrek."
Anthony - You have some serious issues, Bells.
Bella - Of course I do. I need them to stick with you, don't I?
Anthony - Yea, yea, yea
Bella - Yes...
Anthony - What, are we going to get into another stupid, superficial argument about my grammar?
Bella - Are you saying that you're not superficial?
Anthony - [quietly, in regret] O crap ... here we go
Bella - This is coming from a narcisistic guy like you. You spend more time in front of a mirror than an anorexic model does when she wants to decide what not to eat that night-
Anthony - I don't know if that's a compliment or insult, comparing me to a model.
[Anthony strikes a model pose sarcastically and looks at Bella to see how she took it]
Bella - [after a beat, laughs] We'll call that a tie, just because you made me laugh and break my poker face.
Anthony - [in victory, pumps fist in the air] Yes!
Bella - Back to dinner... You don't want hamburgers, you don't want vegetables, we've ruled out onions and Chinese, what is there left to have?
Anthony - We could order pizza
Bella - We could ... if you didn't spend all the money on a new stereo, TV, car, DVD player, Blu-Ray-
Anthony - Okay, okay, I get it! No pizza! Not going to start an argument anymore.
Bella - How long do you really think that's going to last?-
Anthony - I'm thinking not very long. I'll give it five minutes, tops.
Bella - Good boy.
[Bella turns to look towards the kitchen, Anthony sticks his tongue out at her. She turns back around to look at him suspiciously, he stops, and she turns around again. Anthony makes more faces at her, but she turns around to catch him. She looks at him angrily and playfully punches him in the arm]
Bella - You don't learn, do you?
Anthony - [rubbing his arm] Obviously not.
Bella - So, what kind of plain, two dimensional, boring dinner do you want your boring old girl to fix?
Anthony - Since when did I say you were boring?
Bella - Well I- Hey! Are you saying I'm old?
Anthony - Ummm ... NO!
Bella - [pouty] Sounds like you were
Anthony - Oh, don't do this to me, Bells, you know I think you're the most gorgeous. You look like you're 20!
Bella - [pouts for a moment longer and smiles] Thanks, but you never answered my question.
Anthony - You know I don't think you're boring-
Bella - Not that question. What kind of plain, two dimensional-
Anthony - Oh, that one.
Bella - Yea, that one.
Anthony - [thinks for a moment] You're trying to talk me into something, I just know it.
Bella - [sarcastically innocent] Me? How could you think a thing like that?
Anthony - Okay, hon, what is it?
Bella - Nope! No easy answers. You have to figure this one out all on your lonesome.
Anthony - One hint?
Bella - [rolls her eyes] I've made reference to it a lot in our conversation.
Anthony - O jeez...
Bella - There's your one hint, and try to think beyond your "two dimension" box.
Anthony - I like the box.
[Bella laughs]
Anthony - It's safe there.
Bella - Try, though. Please? For me? To prove that you can do it?
Anthony- Bella, this is stupid! Why can't you just make it and surprise me?
Bella - Because it doesn't work that way!
Anthony - What do you mean it doesn't work that way?
Bella - This is what we do as a couple. We work through our differences and pick through the layers to get to the core of the problem
Anthony - [thinks] You're trying to talk me into Lasagna, aren't you?
Bella - Oh yeah.
THE END
 Geektress656 · Tue Apr 01, 2008 @ 05:30am · 0 Comments |
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