As part of START.WRITE.NOW, we’ll be highlighting some of our Scholastic Art & Writing Awards categories on our blog this summer. Today, we’re focusing on Dramatic Script! Read on for an except from one of this year’s Gold Medal-winning plays and learn more about how to submit to this category at the bottom of this post.
Don’t forget to follow #StartWriteNow and our Facebook page for additional tips on how to stay creative this summer!
How people speak to each other, as much as what they say, can tell a powerful story as well as reveal a playwright’s point of view about family, friendship and its place in life. Annie and Kat are the only characters in this two-character play, but through monologues and dialogue, playwright and 2012 Portfolio Gold Medal winner Emma Goldberg captures their personalities, their relationship, and the wintry world in which it’s set. Who’s the babysitter and who’s the child? That’s for you to figure out.
To read the entire play, go to our online gallery, select “Writing,” choose the “Dramatic Script” category, and click on There You Were.
Annie (taking the wooden spoon out of Kat’s hand): My turn to stir. Hey, Rat-a-Tat-Kat, look out the window. Weather.com was right, huh? That snow is legit, dude.
Kat: Yeah. Maybe snow day material. Just maybe.
Annie: Should we go outside and make snow angels?
Kat: Are you crazy? We’ll catch our deaths. ‘Sides, I’ve got a violin recital Thursday.
Annie: Aww, come on dude. Don’t be such a scaredy-Kat.
Kat: I’m not scared; I’m just being sensible.
Annie (reaches into a cabinet to pull out two bowls): Oh, come on, Kat. Don’t you wanna make snow angels? You can make St. Catherine. St. Kat the divine.
Kat: Well… I don’t know. I’d rather–
Annie: That’s it. We’re going outside. Come on, kiddo, go get your ski jacket.
Kat: What about the Macaroni?
Annie: It’ll taste even better once we’re all cold and wet. Come on, buddy. Move your butt.
(Kat plants her feet on the linoleum floor and jumps down, scampering out of the kitchen. You hear her footsteps fade away, and Annie continues to stir the Macaroni pot. She pauses for a moment, thinking, then licks the cheese off of the wooden spoon and tosses it into the sink, turning off the stove. She turns of the kitchen lights and you hear her footsteps fading away. For a moment, the stage is dark. The lights come back on. The two are outside, both wearing winter coats, hats, scarves, and ski gloves. Kat’s coat is fitted, black cloth with fur lining the hood. Annie’s is a bright orange puffy skit jacket. Annie lies down on the snowy ground and flaps her arms and legs, forming an angel.)
Kat (she is standing above Annie, looking down and laughing): It’s funny, you know… for a minute you really did look like an angel. St. Catherine I mean, the one on top of my Christmas tree.
Annie (reaches out her arm and grabs Kat’s hand): Hey, Kat can you help me up for a minute?
Kat: Sure, but I–
Annie (pulls Kat down on top of her, into the snow): Gotcha!
Kat (squealing with laughter): Stop, stop lemme up!
(The two roll, giggling, in the snow for a minute. Kat stands and pulls Annie to her feet, both breathless.)
Kat: Oh, look what you did, Annie! You really are crazy, you know that? The angel is all messed up now, look!
Annie: Sometimes the messiest things are the most beautiful.
Kat (places her hands on her hips and looks up at Annie, squinting): Like what?
Annie (putting her arm around Kat and pulling her close, the snow coating each in a layer of white): Like life. Life’s pretty beautiful, sometimes…
Kat (distances herself from Annie, but does not completely leave her embrace): Like now?
Annie: Yeah, that’s right Kat. Like right now.
***
Categorically Speaking
A Dramatic Script is writing that uses dialogue, action and stage direction to tell a story, including scripts for television, film or stage. Playwrights who submit works to the 2013 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards should limit their scripts to 30 pages or less. As with all categories, there are no limitations on subject matter, theme or language in submitted work. Jurors look for originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice. To learn more, visit http://www.artandwriting.org/Awards.