LITR 3731: Creative Writing
Student Drama Submission 2005

Mary Kay Clements

Creating Waves  

Characters:

Jennifer- Popular Girl

Lindsay- Best Friend of Jennifer

Alissa- Typical good student

Daniel- Supportive Classmate

Karen- Strong opinionated classmate

Bonnie- Sympathetic Classmate

Andrea- Classmate

Jamie- Classmate

Micah- Classmate

Dr. White- Teacher

Concept: Can a class see and support a negative action being taken upon one of their fellow students?

Theme:  Can one student find the strength to stand up and defend themselves.

Opening is in the classroom at UHCL.  Dr. White’s creative writing classroom.  All of the students are sitting and waiting for Dr. White to begin class.

Dr. White:  All right, today we are going to get into our assigned groups and work on the final project for the semester.  This project is no different than the other ones we have done.  Are there any questions? 

[None of the students have any questions.]

Dr. White:  Get into your groups.  If you would excuse me I will be right back.

[All of the students begin to move around the room to get into their groups.  Jennifer, Lindsay, and Alissa are in one group.  Daniel, Karen, and Bonnie are in another.  Then Jamie, Micah, and Andrea make up the last group.]

Jennifer:  (Talking to Alissa) I understand you’re really great with research right?

Alissa:  Yeah, Sure, Why?

Jennifer:  Well, you see Lindsay and I are not very interested in doing any research, so why don’t you do the research and then type up our parts for the presentation.

Alissa:  But that’s not the instructions Dr. White gave us.

Lindsay:  It doesn’t really matter what the instructions are.  We do this in the classes we have no interest in.

Alissa:  Well, do you think Dr. White would know if you both did do your fair share or not?

[Jennifer and Lindsay and giggle at each other in a conceited manner.]

Jennifer:  It doesn’t really matter.  As long as you show up and make comments every once in a while and turn something in for the poetry and fiction Dr. White will give you an A.

Alissa:  OK, I guess it would be alright.

Lindsay:  That’s what I thought.  Thanks so much.  We have other more important things to do than research.  Jennifer and I would love to invite you to the coffee house tonight, but you have a lot of homework to do.  Maybe another time?

Alissa:  Sure whatever you say.

Dr. White:  ok now we are going to go to the library to do more in-depth research on your topics.  We are also going to get a lesson on how to use the computers to look up whatever you need in the library. 

[Everyone begins to pack up their books.  Jennifer and Lindsay are the first out of the classroom.]

[Everyone from the classroom arrives in the library minus Jennifer and Lindsay.]

{Daniel approaches Alissa}

Daniel:  Alissa I heard what Jennifer and Lindsay were saying to you.  Are you going to take it?

{Karen joins Daniel and Alissa at the table.}

Karen:  I so would NOT take that crap form those two.

{Bonnie joins the conversation at the table}

Bonnie:  I wouldn’t either.  This is just like Karen said a load of crap.

Alissa:  Well, what other choice do I have?  To get a good grade the whole group has to participate.

[Jamie, Micah, and Andrea overhear the conversations and head over to the table.]

Jamie: (To Karen) So, Jennifer and Lindsay are pulling their same poor pitiful me scam again?

Karen: Yep.  Just like they did in Mythology.

Micah:  What exactly is their scam? This is the first time I have ever had them in my class.

Jamie:  They find a fellow student who works hard, is always in class and then they act all nice to their face while laughing behind their back.  Then stick them with doing all of the work.  They both know it’s a group project and participation from everyone is required.

Karen:  They always make up excuses why they can’t do any of the work; like we all don’t have lives filled with chaos.

[Dr. White sees the class grouped around Alissa and heads over to the table.]

Dr. White:  Is there a problem here?

Alissa: Nope. No problem at all. 

Dr. White:  By the way have any of you seen Jennifer and Lindsay?

Alissa:  I think they went to the bathroom.

{Everyone else sitting around just roll their eyes.}

Dr. White:  Well just as a reminder, well I don’t have the syllabus up to go over with you, but this is 40% of your final grade. 

Karen:  Fully aware of this Dr. White, but thanks for reminding us.

Daniel:  Yeah no pressure.

Bonnie:  Did Dr. White say something I wasn’t paying attention.

{Dr. White sits at another table away from the students to read Poetry by Emily Dickinson.}

Micah:  So is this something they do in every class?

Karen:  Well, so far in all of the classes I have had with them.

Andrea:  I know exactly where they are.  I went downstairs to take a break and get a drink, and there they were just laughing and joking and having a good time.  Just once I would love for someone to give them what they really deserve.

Bonnie:  I smack in the face so hard their cheeks swell up and they look like they have oranges in their mouth?

Andrea:  No not really.  Good mental picture, but no.

Daniel:  There doesn’t need to be any type of physical violence for this, but I’m sure we can come up with something.

[Jennifer and Lindsay enter the Library where Alissa is doing her work.  The rest of the class leave and head to other tables.]

Jennifer:  So, how far have we gotten?

Alissa:  Well I have done all of the reading and now I am in the process of putting all the information into a chart.  After I do the chart, then I will write out a 5 to 10 page paper explaining all of the data.  When I get home tonight I will do a really great presentation on Power Point.

Lindsay:  Wow! You are really serious about this whole thing aren’t you?

Alissa:  Well yeah and I was just wondering if we could get together the night before so we could go over all of our parts.

Jennifer:  Well you see I don’t think this would be possible.  You see I have a date with Brad and I have been waiting almost a full year for him to ask me out.  I Will Not Miss this for anything.

Lindsay:  I have to go and see my sick grandmother in the hospital.

Alissa:  How can you see her when just two weeks ago you said she had died?

[Lindsay has a very confused look on her face.]

Lindsay:  No you have mistaken what I said.  She is in the hospital on her death bed. (Under her breath) yeah that’s it that’s right. 

Jennifer:  Any other questions as you can see we are just too busy.  I’ll see you one hour before class to go the information.

Alissa:  Ok.  Whatever you want.

Lindsay:  See ya next week.

[Alissa just stares and watches as the two leave.]

[Daniel approaches.]

Daniel:  You really need to talk to Dr. White about what they are doing to you.

Alissa:  I know you’re probably right, but what if he thinks I am just saying this because I don’t like the group I’m in, and just tells me to deal with it.  I don’t want to create waves.

Karen:  Sometimes you need stir up the ocean to get a little payback.

Micah:  Well if you need help here is my phone number call me whenever.

Alissa:  Thanks, but I don’t think I’ll need it.  I will figure out something.

[Daniel, Karen, Bonnie, Andrea, Micah, and Jamie gather all of their things and head out of the library.]

Jamie:  I cannot believe Alissa is going to sit there and take this.  You know she just sits in class, hardly ever talks, does a great job on her papers.  She never creates any waves between anyone.  She is just an all-round nice person. 

Micah:  Should we say something to Dr. White?

Karen:  No this is Alyssa’s fight she will have to defend herself.

[One week has gone by and everyone is milling around in the class room waiting for Dr. White to get the screen working for the presentations.]

{Jennifer and Lindsay approach Alissa}

Jennifer:  I had the best weekend with Brad.  It was so much fun I lost track of all the time.  But thank goodness you were doing the project for us.  Not like you had any real plans.

Lindsay:  My part better not be too complicated.  I can’t always understand a lot of big words.  I would hate to have pull out my dictionary in class.

[Alissa sits and waits patiently for Dr. White to call out their group.]

Dr. White:  Group one are you ready?

{Jennifer and Lindsay stand up and look to Alissa with their hands out.  Now remember Alissa is the one with the only copy of the report.}

Jennifer: What are you waiting for?

Alissa:  I don’t think so.

{Alissa tears up the paper right in front of the whole class and throws it into the air.}

Alissa:  You see ladies you might have gotten away thinking your cute, fake personalities, would be the ultimate answer to graduating from this University.  Allow me to be the first to tell you to go to HELL!!!!!!!  I am not taking anymore of this from you and hopefully the lesson you will learn is that brains will always win over looks.

{The rest of the class and even Dr. White applauds Alissa as she walks out of the classroom.}