Ride - August Second play

Hey, Sorry it took me so long to post this! I ended up needing more time to flesh it out than I anticipated. That and my son is always a distracting but lovable handful. He just started Cheerios today and thinks they're the greatest thing since sliced bread - though not ever having sliced bread I guess he thinks they're the greatest thing ever. Anyhoo, Here's my play for 8/2, it's a little of a downer again (sorry!) but I'll try to have some happier plays in the upcoming days. Comedy's not really my forte, but I'll give it a go. Enjoy!

Ride

by

R. K. Futty

LIGHTS UP on a stage full of people running and jumping, making loud noises and squeals. Some should mimic riding a roller coaster, some should swing around like a spin ride, others slow like a merry-go-round. Everyone gets faster and faster until they all converge on center stage and fall. JIMMY stands alone in the middle of them. He takes a step forward.

JIMMY

Today was a good day. I rode my first coaster. (people mime coaster along with JIMMY) It shook a lot and made my tummy feel funny, like wooooaaahhh! (giggles) but it was fun. Fast and fun. Uuuuum, after that I went on the sky rocket. (JIMMY and two others mime rocket by jumping up and down) It bounced up and down and up and down and uuuuuuup and down. You could see the whole park at the top, but only for a second, ‘cus it was sooooo fast. Mom and Dad didn’t fight. I like it when they don’t fight. Then we ate lunch Cheeseburgers are my favorite. (mimes eating burger - big bites I was like nom nom nom nom. mmmm, sooooo good. (JIMMY slurps soda) I rode some more rides: The whip, the log flume, I even went on the Merry-go round with Gigi, my little sister. (people mime all those rides) Mom and Dad wanted to leave but I begged for one more ride so we rode my favorite: Swing Around. It’s this ride where you sit in a swing and they spin your round and around while taking you waaaaaay up high.

(beat)

When it was my turn I ran as fast as I could to get a red swing - red’s my favorite color. Plus, mine was on the outside so it had the best view. (people start running in circles) We started spinning round and round, higher and higher, faster and faster! It was awesome. (people stop after another circle abruptly) Then I was flying through the air, over Mom and Dad and Gigi, until I wasn’t. (people sit down, watch JIMMY)

(beat)

It didn’t hurt - at least I never felt it. But Mom and Dad, they’re so sad now. They fight all the time. Or sometimes they don’t fight at all, don’t do anything at all. Everyone’s messed up. Even Gigi cries at night, though she doesn’t really know why.

I don’t want them to be sad anymore. I’m not sad. I’m happy. I can’t tell them what its like being dead, but I want them to know I’m okay. I’m better than I’ve ever been. Please, if you see them, tell them that. Tell them Jimmy says he loves them, he’s happy, and that he had a really great last day.

LIGHTS OUT.