LITR 3731: Creative Writing
Student Drama Submission 2005

Devon Kitch

Self-fulfilling Prophecy

Characters 

Devon (Played by Tara): Student (supposed to be presenting drama today)

Daniel: Student (sick of being a stereotype)

Dr. White:  Teacher (trying to keep the peace, but finds himself falling into one of his characters)

Bonnie:  Student (becomes her role in Jamie’s drama)

Alissa:  Pregnant student (goes into labor during class because of Andrea’s drama)

Andrea:  Student (feels bad for Alissa)

Jennifer:  Student (blames Andrea for Alissa’s labor)

Sherry: Student  (stereotypically sweet)

Karen:  Student (turns in to the stereotypical dumb blonde)

Mary: Student (doesn’t understand why Karen is acting like a valley girl)

Lindsay:  Student (voice of reason)

Micah:  Student (other voice of reason)

Jamie:  Student (doesn’t believe her drama made Bonnie psycho)

Concept:  A class erupts in chaos during drama presentations.

{Scene:  This is a normal day in creative writing, with all students behaving as they do in real life.  Daniel is reading Devon (Tara’s) script for the drama and gets angry.  He’s sick of being a stereotype and the chaos ensues as each character falls into a part from someone else’s play!}

Devon (Tara): OK, well I just wanted to say that my drama piece is a little interesting.  I wrote it last night.  I’d been trying, unsuccessfully I might add, to come up with an idea since we finished fiction.  Yeah, no ideas, so I figured I’d just go over the top.

Dr. White: Well, OK, why don’t we just get started.

Daniel:  Actually, I have a problem.

Dr. White:  A problem?

Daniel: Yeah, I’m sick. And tired.  Of all of you.  Making me look like a freaking Holy Roller. 

Dr. White:  Dani—

Daniel: (Interrupts Dr. White)  I’ve put up with it and I told myself that I wouldn’t keep quiet if one more person turned me into a stereotype.  I’m a youth pastor, but for crying out loud people! 

Devon (Tara):  Oh, well, I thought you were OK with—

Daniel:  (Interrupts Devon) Well, I’m not…and if you don’t change it right now, then I will holy roll right over your—

Dr. White:  Aspirin, anyone?  Anyone?  I have a horrible headache, Thank- YOU for that, Daniel. 

Alissa:  I have Tylenol, but it’s only regular strength…it’s the only kind I can have and my shoulder’s freaking killing me. (To herself) Among other things.

Daniel:  Focus people.  We were talking about stereotypes.  Didn’t our book say something about stereotypes?  Don’t any of you pay attention?!

Bonnie:  Oh whatever Daniel. Deal with it.  It’s not even real, you just make us laugh.  It’s easy to pick on you.

Daniel: Kiss it Bonnie!

Bonnie:  (jumping up, threatening Daniel) Why don’t you make me, freak-o!

Dr. White:  Class!  Calm down... take deep breaths.  I think what we need is to take a little break---

Daniel:  Oh yeah, “take a little break”.  Do you think a break is going to fix the mental and emotional trauma this class has constantly caused me? 

Devon (Tara):  Look, I’m really sorry, I just thought—

Daniel: (Turning toward Devon {Tara}) You weren’t thinking at all!

(Devon (Tara) works on changing the drama piece to make Daniel less stereotypical.  She is focusing so hard that she ignores what is going on around her)

Bonnie:  You know what, Daniel?

(Daniel turns and looks toward Bonnie)

Bonnie: I did learn something from this class! (Stabs Daniel with her pencil).

Jamie:  (jumping out of her chair) Shit Bonnie, what did you that for? 

 Bonnie: pointing at Jamie) (You made me do it! Your play made him annoying and me a pencil stabbing psychopath. 

Jamie: (wonders if Bonnie is right, but doesn’t admit it) Yeah.  Right.  Shift the blame, Bonnie.

Alissa:  guys

(No one listens)

Alissa: (louder) Guys!

Bonnie, Devon (Tara), Daniel, and Dr. White:  What?!

Alyssa:  I think it’s time

Dr. White: Thank you Alissa, it is time to do the drama presentation!

Alissa:  No, It’s time to have my baby!

Andrea: (looks around sheepishly, hunches in her chair) Crap.

Jennifer: (turns around and gives Andrea an accusing glare)  It’s your fault she’s going into labor, your drama put her into labor during class—

Andrea: Those were just words, I didn’t think about it. It was just a story.

Sherry:  That’s okay Andrea, you didn’t think about it.  We don’t always think about the consequences of our actions, but that is okay.  Everything will be fine as long as everyone stays calm.    

Alissa:  Whatever, Sherry.  Obviously it wasn’t just a play!  I don’t want to have my baby in class.  It wasn’t supposed to be this way!

Karen: Like, Ohmigod, you’re kidding, right.  This is, like, a great joke everyone.  You’re like, becoming the characters from the other plays!

Mary Kay:  Why are you talking like that? 

Karen: Like what?  This is the way I, like, always talk.  Duh.  Like, where have you been?

Mary Kay:  Stop it!

Sherry:  (starting to panic) Why can’t we all just get along?  We’re in a safe place here…where we can express ourselves…safely. Everyone calm down and…

 Class:  Shut up, Sherry!

(Sherry runs out of the room crying and panicked)

Dr. White:  OK class, that’s enough…why don’t we sit in a FRIENDSHIP circle and discuss things calmly?

 Class:  NO!!

Daniel: Calmly?!  You want me to be calm?  I have a pencil stuck in my back, I’m bleeding, I’m probably going to die and you want me to be calm—in a friendship circle? 

 Bonnie: Oh, quit being a baby, Daniel.  Do I need to call the waa-ambulance for you?

 Dr. White: Daniel, your attitude astounds me!  Perhaps you need some quiet time to think about your outbursts.  Bonnie, will you take Daniel to the office for a band-aid and detention?

 Daniel: Bonnie?!  Dr. White, she tried to kill me.  I’m not going anywhere with her.

Bonnie:  Oh, quit being so dramatic.  You’re such a party pooper. (singing) Every party has a pooper that’s why we invited you—party pooper.

 (Bonnie laughs in Daniel’s face and he runs screaming out of the room)

Lindsay:  (To herself) This is like the freaking twilight zone…

(Lindsay looks at Micah who has remained silent throughout the ordeal)

Lindsay:  (whispering) Micah

Micah:  (Whispering back)  Yeah?

Lindsay:  Can you believe this?  What’s going on in here?

Micah:  I know.  It’s really weird.  It must be end of semester nerves.

Lindsay:  Whatever it is, I’m gonna bail.  I don’t want it to catch up to me.

Micah:  Right on, I’m going too.

(Lindsay and Micah get up to leave the room)

Bonnie:  Guys, where are ya’ll going?

Lindsay:  Home. We can’t take this drama.

Micah:  Yeah, this is too weird.

(Dr. White looks up and realizes that they are trying to leave)

Dr. White:  No friendship circle?  You guys can’t leave without a pass anyway.

 (Lindsay and Micah look at each other with raised eyebrows, knowing what to do)

Lindsay: (whispering to Micah)  I just got it, Dr. White is acting like the teacher from last week’s drama presentations.  Let’s pretend to be sick!

Lindsay:  We feel sick 

Micah:  Our tummies hurt

Lindsay and Micah:  (in unison) can we go to the nurse?

Dr. White:  You sure can, and perhaps you can take Alissa too, she doesn’t seem to be feeling well either.

(Dr. White writes a pass and Micah, Lindsay, and Alissa leave)

(Devon looks up from her paper with an accomplished look on her face)

Devon (Tara):  I’m done.  No more stereotypes here.  So can we do my drama piece now?

(What’s left of the class turns and glares at her)

Theme:  Sometimes we behave the way we are expected to and not the way we really are-- just like a self-fulfilling prophecy!