In Which my 10-minute Play is a Semi-Finalist
I was just informed that my 10-minute play, GRTC, is a semi-finalist in the Little Fish Theatre's annual PICK OF THE VINE contest. They had 480 submissions. I'll know if I'm a finalist by late October or early November. I'm new to the 10-minute format so I'm really happy. I posted it below. Whoo hoo!
GRTC
SETTING: A metropolitan bus.
AT RISE: BUS DRIVER comes to the end of the line, parks the bus. He notices a BOY sitting by himself.
DRIVER Are you lost?
BOYNo, sir.
DRIVER Is this your stop?
BOY No, sir.
DRIVER You realize we've reached the end of the line.
BOY Yes, sir.
DRIVER I don't start up again for another few minutes.
BOY Yes, sir.
DRIVER And then I just go back the way we came.
BOY Yes, sir.
DRIVER You're just going to sit here, then?
BOY Yes, sir. If that's okay.
DRIVER Okay by me.
BOY Thank you.
DRIVER I just saw you back here and wanted to make sure you were, you know…
BOY I'm not lost.
DRIVER Okay. Just checking.
A WOMAN gets on the bus.
DRIVER You're welcome to sit, ma'am, but we don't get to moving for another few minutes yet.
WOMAN Oh, I see. Can you turn the air on?
DRIVER No, ma'am, I'm sorry. I gotta keep everything cut off until I'm back on line.
WOMAN Oh, I see.
DRIVER Yes, ma'am.
WOMAN I'll just wait then.
DRIVER Suit yourself.
SHE sits. DRIVER addresses BOY.
DRIVER You gonna be all right, then?
BOY Yes, thank you.
DRIVER Okay. I'm right outside if you need me.
BOY Um, there is one thing, actually.
DRIVER What's that, son?
BOY Can you make the bus talk?
DRIVER Talk?
BOY Yeah, you know.
DRIVER Oh, you mean the GPS voice?
BOY I don't know what you call it. The voice that says what the next street is.
DRIVER Yeah, yeah. The GPS voice.
BOY Can you play it?
DRIVER Well, I have to switch the motor on to do that.
BOY stares.
DRIVER (cont.)I'm sorry, son.
BOY Okay.
DRIVER Like I told this lady, I can't run the air either, so…
BOY Okay. I'll just wait.
DRIVER Aw right. We'll be leaving here in a few minutes.
DRIVER leaves the bus. WOMAN turns to the boy.
WOMAN I like the bus lady voice, too.
BOY Yes, ma'am.
WOMAN I don't see so good, so I like it she announces the next stop.
BOY Yes, ma'am.
SHE unwraps a piece of gum.
WOMAN Would you like a piece of gum?
BOY No thank you.
WOMAN I have more than one.
BOY No thank you.
WOMAN Which one is your stop?
BOY None.
WOMAN None?
BOY No, ma'am. I don't live on the bus route.
WOMAN You don't?
BOY Nuh uh.
WOMAN Then why do you ride the bus?
BOY Because it talks.
WOMAN Ooooh, you like that it talks.
BOY Yes ma'm. I like the voice.
WOMAN It's nice, isn't it?
BOY Yes, ma'am. It's my mother.
WOMAN What's your mother, dear?
BOY The voice.
WOMAN You mean it sounds like your mother?
BOY No ma'am. It's my mother.
WOMAN The bus is your mother?
BOY No ma'am. Just the voice.
WOMAN Oh, I see.
BOY She's dead.
WOMAN Who is?
BOY My mother.
A beat.
WOMAN I see. So you—
BOY Ride the bus. Yes ma'am.
The DRIVER gets on the bus.
DRIVER Okie dokie. Back the way we came.
HE starts up the bus.
FEMALE VO Welcome to GRTC. Please have your Go Pass ready.
The BOY smiles at the WOMAN as the bus pulls away.
GRTC
SETTING: A
metropolitan bus.
AT RISE: BUS
DRIVER comes to the end of the line, parks the bus. He
notices a BOY sitting by himself.
DRIVER
Are you lost?
BOY
No, sir.
DRIVER
Is this your stop?
BOY
No, sir.
DRIVER
You realize we've reached the end of the line.
BOY
Yes, sir.
DRIVER
I don't start up again for another few minutes.
BOY
Yes, sir.
DRIVER
And then I just go back the way we came.
BOY
Yes, sir.
DRIVER
You're just going to sit here, then?
BOY
Yes, sir. If that's okay.
DRIVER
Okay by me.
BOY
Thank you.
DRIVER
I just saw you back here and wanted to make sure you were,
you know…
BOY
I'm not lost.
DRIVER
Okay. Just checking.
A
WOMAN gets on the bus.
DRIVER
You're welcome to sit, ma'am, but we don't get to moving for
another few minutes yet.
WOMAN
Oh, I see. Can you turn the air on?
DRIVER
No, ma'am, I'm sorry. I gotta keep everything cut off until
I'm back on line.
WOMAN
Oh, I see.
DRIVER
Yes, ma'am.
WOMAN
I'll just wait then.
DRIVER
Suit yourself.
SHE
sits. DRIVER addresses BOY.
DRIVER
You gonna be all right, then?
BOY
Yes, thank you.
DRIVER
Okay. I'm right outside if you need me.
BOY
Um, there is one thing, actually.
DRIVER
What's that, son?
BOY
Can you make the bus talk?
DRIVER
Talk?
BOY
Yeah, you know.
DRIVER
Oh, you mean the GPS voice?
BOY
I don't know what you call it. The voice that says what the
next street is.
DRIVER
Yeah, yeah. The GPS voice.
BOY
Can you play it?
DRIVER
Well, I have to switch the motor on to do that.
BOY stares.
DRIVER
I'm sorry, son.
BOY
Okay.
DRIVER
Like I told this lady, I can't run the air either, so…
BOY
Okay. I'll just wait.
DRIVER
Aw right. We'll be leaving here in a few minutes.
DRIVER
leaves the bus. WOMAN turns to the
boy.
WOMAN
I like the bus lady voice, too.
BOY
Yes, ma'am.
WOMAN
I don't see so good, so I like it she announces the next
stop.
BOY
Yes, ma'am.
SHE
unwraps a piece of gum.
WOMAN
Would you like a piece of gum?
BOY
No thank you.
WOMAN
I have more than one.
BOY
No thank you.
WOMAN
Which one is your stop?
BOY
None.
WOMAN
None?
BOY
No, ma'am. I don't live on the bus route.
WOMAN
You don't?
BOY
Nuh uh.
WOMAN
Then why do you ride the bus?
BOY
Because it talks.
WOMAN
Ooooh, you like that it talks.
BOY
Yes ma'm. I like the voice.
WOMAN
It's nice, isn't it?
BOY
Yes, ma'am. It's my mother.
WOMAN
What's your mother, dear?
BOY
The voice.
WOMAN
You mean it sounds like your mother?
BOY
No ma'am. It's my mother.
WOMAN
The bus is your mother?
BOY
No ma'am. Just the voice.
WOMAN
Oh, I see.
BOY
She's dead.
WOMAN
Who is?
BOY
My mother.
A
beat.
WOMAN
I see. So you—
BOY
Ride the bus. Yes ma'am.
The
driver gets on the bus.
DRIVER
Okie dokie. Back the way we came.
HE
starts up the bus.
FEMALE
VO
Welcome to GRTC. Please have your Go Pass ready.The
BOY smiles at the woman. The bus pulls away.
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