A Happy Ending to 'The Effects of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-moon Marigolds' (play)

Short form:
Dr Berg: Dr
Counsellor: C
Tillie: T
Ruth: R
Beatrice: B

Scene 1 (copied from original script)
Setting: School staffroom.

Dr: I’d like you to talk to the Hunsdorfers to find out more about Matilda’s family background and home situation. Talk to everyone in the house to see if there’s anything to explain her strange behavior with regards to her mother’s attendance at the Science Fair. I’ll warn you though, not to probe too far when talking to her mother. She’s no angel, that’s for sure.
C: Why would you say that?
Dr: You’ll know why, soon enough.
(Counsellor looks skeptical)


Scene 2
Setting: Hunsdorfers’ home.

( Beatrice sits on the sofa with her legs crossed, cigarette in hand.)
-Dr. Berg and Counsellor rings the bell to the Hunsdorfers’ home.-
B: -irritated look, she flicks cigarette on the table and opens the door- Hi... –Slams the door upon seeing Dr and C.-
Dr/C: -stunned-
(In the house)
B: -Demanding voice- Tillie! Get your ass over here now! –storms to sofa and dumps herself on the sofa-
R: - When B starts yelling for Tillie, screams- Mom! Mom! He’s after me! He’s after me! Help! –Runs down stairs-
B: Shut up Ruth! I’ve got a crisis and I don’t have time to take care of whoever imaginary character you’ve conjured up, so just shut up.
Ruth: But he really IS chasing me! HELP!
B: -shrills- One more time and I’ll chloroform that stupid animal in your room!
Ruth: -immediately quietens down-
T: - Timid voice- What is it mom? Who…
B: -cuts in- Who the hell told you I would entertain guests? –pause-
T: -stutters- They… They are here? Doctor…
B: -cuts in- And guests like Dr. Berg and whoever that lady is?
T: but…
B: -cuts in, shrills- No buts, go tell them to get lost before I chloroform that rabbit and fling out all your stupid marigolds!
T: They are already here, mom. Just sit and listen to what they have to say.
B: -calms a little after listening to what Tillie says, stones for a bit- Open that door.
T: -cheerful- Right away! –skips to door and opens it- Please enter Dr. Berg and…?
Dr: -gestures to lady- Oh, she’s the school’s counsellor, Ms Daisy.
T: Oh, please come in, please come in, Ms Daisy. –smiles sweetly-
-Dr, C and T sits down on the sofa facing B-
Dr: Ms Hunsdorfer, we would like to appeal to you, once again, to reconsider about attending Tillie’s Science Fair… You know… Tillie has been working hard for this day, and I believe she would really love to have your support. It will be…
B: -Looks away- Short and simple, I. Am. Not. Going. –Turns back, opens eyes wider and leans toward Dr and C- The. End.
Dr: -gives a flustered look, at loss for words-
C: -gentle tone- Oh… Could it be that you’re afraid to be in front of others? Don’t worry, you’ll be on stage, but you will be…
B: Look. I just said, I. Am. Not. Going. I am not interested. –pauses, louder voice- Not interested.
T: Mom… Please? Pretty please?
B: Tillie, I need a private talk with you. -gives an eerily sweet smile when she turns to Dr and C- If you may excuse us for a bit?
Dr/C: -together- Oh sure, go ahead.
-Dr and C has their own conversation (unheard to B and T who were far away) when B talked to T-
B: You told them to make a trip here to threaten me right?
T: No… Nothing of that sort… I didn’t…
B: Liar. You told them to threaten me to go, so that I will be mocked at for my lack of dress style.
T: No…
B: -cuts in with urgent voice- You know I’ve no clothes, you KNOW that. –Voice raising- And you got them to have me go and make a fool of myself. You just had to, don’t you? You like it when I get laughed at?
T: -opens her mouth and takes a breath- …- exhales, shrugs and makes her way back to the sofa with the look of dejection on her face-
B: -mouth hangs open as T walks off. Makes her way back to the sofa as well.-
Dr: Mrs Hunsdorfer… We really… really hope you can attend. You won’t be facing the audience. They won’t recognise who you are with your back facing them, right Tillie?
T: -attemps to nod, but doesn’t really manage. (overcome by fear and inhibition)
C: Just wondering… -gestures to T and B- Do the two of you have some problems…? Because…
B/T:-together- Oh, not at all. We are perfectly fine.
C: -Caught by surprise, but regains composure fast- Oh, I was just wondering. Good that you two don’t…
T: Yeah, we don’t, we don’t…. Lets’… Lets’….
B: -Looks up from daze- About the science fair… I may consider.
T: Really..?
B: -speaks with more articulation- May. Just depending on how I feel like that day.
C: That is a relief to hear. We’ll be anticipating your arrival Mrs Hunsdorfer.
Dr: We’ll be leaving then. If there’s anything we’d like to inform you, it will be through Tillie.
Dr/C: -Stands up and shakes hand with B before turning to leave-
T: I’ll see you out Dr. Berg and Ms Daisy. –Quickly gets to her fit and hurries in front of Dr and C.
-Dr and C puts on shoes and leaves. T watching them until they disappear around the bend (walk off the stage).-

Scene 3
Setting: Hunsdorfers’ home. (It’s on the day of the Science Fair)

B: Ruth! Where is my lipstick? –fumbles around her bag-
R: -shouts back from her room- Didn’t I put it in the cabinet in the toilet? (note: R is not on the stage at this juncture)
B: -strides to the toilet and opens the cabin- Not here. –Gets back to where her bag is-
R: -Makes her way down the stairs holding the rabbit and looks into the bag- Betty the loon~ -picks out the lipstick as if in triumph, waving it in B’s face- (note: It is here that R enters)
(Outside, the cab horns)
T: Mom, the cab is here! You’ve got to hurry. Seriously hu…
B: -Flustered- Okay, okay. –turns to R- Don’t you ever call me that again, and get me that plastic flower I use for occasions-
R: -Disappears up the stairs and drops the plastic flower down from the top- Betty the loon, betty the loon, betty the loon~ -sings-
B: Ruth! I told you enough! One more time and I’m going to chloroform that rabbit. And this time, it will be before your very eyes. Trust me, I will do it. I. Will.
R: -holds rabbit tighter and stalks her way up the stairs (note: going out of the scene at this juncture)
-Cab horns again-
T: Mom! Just forget about the flower! At this rate, we are seriously going to be late! –looks at watch-
B: Coming, coming! –In the toilet, looking into the mirror, adjusting flower-
-Cab horns again-
T: MOM!
B: COMING! –Rushes past T, out of door-
-B and T leaves stage-

--End--

A/N: I wrote this last year... wait no, i forgot, it's 2011, i wrote it two years ago, for an end of year play (it's supposed to be an end of year examination for us)

I have no idea where to place this since there isn't an 'others' or 'play' section under the literature section.. Well it's closest to that of a story so I placed it here.

Haha. xD You got an A, I presume. It was nice and quirky.

No idea, i forgot. I just happened to find it somewhere in my desktop and decided to post it up to get some reviews ><

haha, thanks. have you read the actual play? i do think it mentioned about the science fair, although i'm not sure how in depth it was. ><

I haven't at least. But I really enjoyed it lol
It was really fast paced and I was really surprised that Beatrice went. But I was happy too.

The title is captivating and I enjoyed the read, imagining the scene intensifies the 'reading-feeling' haha. Is there an original play?

Mine's a original play with the ending of the actual play. I use the same characters and their personalities ( a little)

Wait, I've heard of this play. By Zindel?
He wrote like those really old Pigman novels lol

i think so... i don't really bother about authors ><

I have to know them for the Academic team lol
We were studying him, and I was thinking that one of his works sounded familiar. xD