My first foray into writing in the dramatic genre is posted below. In this assignment we were to have two characters in an ordinary setting. One character is onstage when the drama begins. The other character enters and there is a conflict. Nothing huge needs to happen. We were to write steady for thirty minutes. This is what I came up with.
**The following dramatic writing is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to people, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Writing this does not mean I have some deep-seated, unconscious, emotional desire to contact my mother. I wrote it to prove that I can actually write something that is not abstract even if it does sound like a soap opera.
No dandelions were harmed in the writing of this assignment.**
Mother’s Day
Characters
Angela – A young mother of about thirty-five.
Jenn – Angela’s younger sister about thirty years of age.
Scene
The scene takes place in Angela’s small but modern kitchen in an upscale suburban home. There is a kitchen table in the middle of the room. A small mason jar filled with water and containing freshly picked dandelions is the centerpiece on the table. Angela is busy unpacking groceries from plastic bags and placing the items in the refrigerator. Jenn enters, her arms carrying more sacks of groceries.
Jenn: Well, I think I got it all. These were the last two sacks from the trunk. (She sets the plastic sacks on the kitchen table and proceeds to help Angela unpack them)
Angela: Look Jenn, I want to thank you for coming with me today. I haven’t had this much fun in quite a long time.
Jenn: And on the plus side, you got your grocery shopping finished as well. (laughs) I had a great time also. We haven’t been out together in public like that for ages.
Angela: (laughing) And I think the kids had a good time as well. I think Melissa is going to sleep well tonight after all that running around she did at the playground. I can’t believe two four year olds could have so much energy. Hey, where are the twin terrors anyway?
Jenn: Missy grabbed Gabby’s hand and they took off to the back yard. She yelled something about the giant dandelion field you had growing here. (she looks out the kitchen window) Yeah, I can see them out there. Lord, you would think Gabby had never seen a dandelion before!
Angela: Missy loves the dandelions so much that I don’t have the heart to spray them even if they are considered weeds. So I just let them grow. I guess a kid is only a kid for a short time but a dandelion is a weed forever. (chuckles)
(Angela and Jenn finish unpacking the groceries)
Jenn: I had better grab Gabby and get home. Philip wants to light up the BBQ and cook, you know, with it being Mother’s Day and all.
Angela: Hey just stay for a minute more. I have some new raspberry flavored ice tea and I could get a glass for you if you would like.
Jenn: Sure, that sounds great. All that shopping did make me thirsty. (she glances out the window again to check on Melissa and Gabby. Angela pours a couple of glasses of ice tea from a pitcher in the refridgerator. She hands a glass to Jenn.)
Jenn: (taking the glass) Thanks, Ang.
(They both look out the window at the children while sipping the ice tea.)
Jenn: Do you remember how much we loved dandelions when we were kids? We had no idea they were considered weeds. To us, they were beautiful flowers.
Angela: (smiling) I remember. I also remember stepping on a bee when I was in my bare feet because I was in such a hurry to pick dandelions that I neglected to put my shoes on.
Jenn: Oh my God, I remember that! Your foot swelled up and you couldn’t walk for a week. No, I mean do you remember the good times… like making dandelion chains? Or rubbing dandelions under each other’s chins to see how much we liked boys?
Angela: That wasn’t to see how much we liked BOYS, it was to see how much we liked BUTTER! (Both sisters burst out laughing at this)
Jenn: (looking over at the mason jar filled with dandelions on the table) And I remember doing this. Bringing in a bouquet of flowers for Mom. Remember she would always act so delighted and quickly put them in water as if they were roses. Did Melissa pick those for you?
Angela: (shortly) Yes.
(Angela’s attitude immediately changes from one of glee to anger)
Jenn: Look, I didn’t mean to mention Mom’s name but for crying out loud Angela, it is Mother’s day and she is your mother. Even if you don’t want to admit it.
Angela: I really don’t want to talk about this right now. I don’t know why you insist on ruining a perfectly good day by bringing her name up again.
Jenn: There never seems to be a good time for you. Maybe today is a good day to bring it up. Mother’s day is to celebrate mothers, isn’t it? Maybe today is a good day for you to get that huge chip off your shoulder and call mom up. Maybe today is a good day to apologize.
Angela: (snorts) Yeah sure, I’ll apologize just as soon as hell freezes over. Anyway what about her. She should be the one apologizing not me. (Her voice rises in anger) She’s the one who was always in my face trying to tell me how to raise my daughter. She’s the one who thinks I am a bad mother.
Jenn: For crying out loud Angela, you are not a bad mother. You know how Mom always wanted the best for you and Melissa. I think you just misinterpreted her. You assume she thinks you are a bad mother just because she corrects you. You should do what I do.
Angela: And just what is that?
Jenn: I listen to what she says. If it is good advice that I can use, then I take it. If it is advice that I don’t need, then I let it go in one ear and out the other. Your problem is that you get defensive right away.
Angela: (snorts) Yeah right, I get defensive.
Jenn: Well, I think you are being a little defensive right now, don’t you?
(Silence between the sisters for a few moments)
Jenn: I don’t mean to make you mad. Listen, we had a great time together and Missy and Gabby had a great time as well. I don’t mean to tell you what to do, it’s just that Mom isn’t feeling too well today and I think if you just came down off your high horse long enough to call her up….well, it would mean the world to her. It is Mother’s Day, you know. (Jenn smiles)
Angela: I’ll think about it.
Jenn: I better pack up Gabby and get home. I can almost smell those BBQ steaks right now…mmmm.
(Jenn sets her now empty ice tea glass in the sink. Angela sets her glass down on the table. Jenn walks toward the door)
Angela: Thanks for the nice time. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Have a nice Mother’s Day. Enjoy that steak. (laughs)
(Jenn and Angela exchange a quick hug)
Jenn: Oh don’t worry, I will. Happy Mother’s Day to you too, Ang. I’ll talk to you soon. (yelling out the open door) Com’on Gabby, time to go home! Say good-bye to Missy!
(Angela closes the door and walks back to the table to pick up her empty glass. She stands and looks at the jar of dandelions for a few moments. She walks over to place her glass in the sink and looks out the window at Melissa who is playing in the dandelion field. Angela wipes a tear away from the corner of her eye. She goes over to the corner of the kitchen and picks up the phone. She dials a number.)
Angela: Hello, Mom? I’m just calling to wish you a Happy Mother’s Day.
The End
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