Actions Speak Louder: A Play in One Scene

SCENE 1

SETTING: A high-school cafeteria, brightly lit. Stage-left upstage is the kitchen, which is separated from the dining area and takes up one-fourth of the stage. Two large doors are the entrance/exit. Two CASHIERS flank either side of the entrance/exit. The rest of the stage is the cafeteria. It consists of many circular tables with chairs.

Stage right is a solid wall. Center-stage upstage is a solid wall with three windows evenly spaced. Bulletin boards are on the stage-right wall with fliers on them. Garbage cans are near the stage-right wall, center stage, and the stage-left doors.

The stage-left wall has two evenly spaced, entrance/exit doors. Near the center-stage garbage can is a table with a napkin dispenser, empty trays, and four condiment pumps.

BEFORE RISE: Sounds of mingling, eating, talking, walking, and scraping chairs.

AT RISE: STUDENTS wait in line to pay the CASHIERS. COOKS work and shelve food in the kitchen. The cafeteria is one-quarter full, but the sounds from everyone is not deafening. Other STUDENTS are seated randomly. Still other STUDENTS and a few TEACHERS enter, exit, move about, and interact with each other.

A SECURITY GUARD enters from stage left. He leans against the kitchen wall with his hands behind his back. He quietly surveys the cafeteria. He has a holstered gun and a walkie-talkie on his belt.

A fight breaks out between two male STUDENTS in the kitchen, which spills out into the dining room. Some STUDENTS run out of the kitchen as the two STUDENTS wrestle each other to the ground. The GUARD pushes his way through a crowd of STUDENTS and takes hold of the situation. He breaks up the fight and escorts the STUDENTS out of the cafeteria. Everybody slowly goes back to their routine.

After a minute, the GUARD comes back, exasperated. He sighs deeply and shakes his head. He stands against the kitchen wall, but after ten seconds walks around the cafeteria.

A STUDENT throwing out her garbage in the center trash can accidentally drops her napkin on the floor, but does not pick it up. The GUARD catches this and is about to say something, but decides against it. He picks up and throws out the napkin in disgust. He continues walking silently. He stops and surveys the cafeteria, then starts walking again toward stage left.

He enters the kitchen. After about two minutes, he comes out with a hot dog on a tray. He walks to the condiment island. The GUARD waits in line for a minute while STUDENTS use the island.

When it is the GUARD's turn, he puts his hot dog under the mustard spout and pushes down on the handle. Nothing comes out. Getting annoyed, the GUARD starts to push down on the handle repeatedly until the spout squirts out mustard. It goes all over, including the GUARD's uniform.

He looks at his uniform and the pump with disgust. He grabs a handful of napkins and cleans his uniform. Looking for a place to put down his hot dog, the GUARD exasperatedly leaves it on the condiment table and continues cleaning his uniform.

He turns his back to the table and a STUDENT walks by. Noticing the hot dog on the table, he dumps it in the garbage can and continues on his way. The GUARD turns around, walks a couple of steps to the garbage, and throws out the napkins. He does a double-take between the spot where he left his lunch and the inside of the can.

He gets angry, but holds it in. He storms back to his original standing position and is restless. He looks back and forth quickly. After a few seconds, he walks through the tables. He does so slowly and quietly.

Some STUDENTS push their chairs in; others do not. The GUARD tries not to give the latter dirty looks. Those STUDENTS give him looks. This makes the GUARD angrier.

He makes his way stage right and then stage left, passing the condiment stand. He sees a STUDENT with a hot dog. The STUDENT puts the hot dog under the mustard spout and tops her lunch.

The GUARD becomes more enraged. He clenches his fists, then slowly lets go. He reaches into his pocket, takes out a handkerchief, and wipes his face.

He continues walking toward stage left. He stops in front of his usual spot, hesitates, then walks out. After about a minute, he comes back in and is calm. His face is wet, and his uniform's stain has been washed out a bit.

He takes his place on the wall again. This time, after two minutes, he lifts up a sleeve and looks at his watch. He sighs heavily. He looks up at the ceiling, then hangs his head.

After about thirty seconds, he sighs heavily again. The GUARD unholsters his gun, puts it underneath his chin, and fires. The sound is deafening, and his body drops to the floor. There is a large, red stain at the same height as his head with blood running down the wall.

The cafeteria becomes silent and everyone ducks for cover. Some people slowly stand up, and then a STUDENT screams. Many STUDENTS faint, while others stand still in horror and others in disbelief. Some cry, but some go to the garbage cans or corners of the room and vomit.

Everyone in the kitchen rushes toward the entrance/exit and stop there. That mass of people try to see what happened where they are standing. Six STUDENTS and one TEACHER run out of the cafeteria.

Everyone is silent for a minute. Then, everyone slowly starts to file away from the scene. Some go back to eating their lunches. The crowd in the kitchen and the cafeteria go back to their normal routines.

After two minutes, two GUARDS come in with three PARAMEDICS and a gurney. The body is taken away and they leave.

Curtain Falls

THE END