Title: “The changes”.
Author: Silvina Carrasco
2 Characters:
- Aldana: 18 year old young woman. She has graduated from high school and is preparing to go to college, alone and far from her mother, with all the changes that this entails.
- Sara: Aldana’s mother. She is also nervous about the new life her daughter is starting, but she tries not to show it, because she knows it is the best thing for her.
ACT I
Characters that intervene in this act: Aldana and Sara.
Scene: Bus terminal of a small city: some windows with signs that simulate the names of different bus companies and a sign that indicates “Bus Terminal”.
Introduction: Aldana is about to take the bus that will take her to her new city and her new life.
Aldana and Sara say goodbye inside the terminal.
-Sara: Are you sure you have everything? Documents, cell phone charger?
-Aldana: Yes, mom.
-Sara: All the books, the map of the city, the address written down just in case?
-Aldana: Yes, mom, don’t worry. The only thing that worries me is that I’m going to miss you a lot.
-Sara: (hiding her emotion) It’s only the first time, after that you’ll be fine. Now go, the bus is leaving.
(They hug)
-Aldana: I love you mom.
-Sara: I love you daughter.
(Aldana leaves the scene and Sara lets her tears fall).
ACT II
Characters that intervene in this act: Aldana and Sara.
Stage: The stage is divided in two: on the right side, the bedroom of Aldana’s small apartment with a bed, a table, a lamp on a bedside table and many books. On the left side, the living room of Sara’s house; sofas and a small table on which there is a telephone.
Aldana is in her bed, dialing a number on her cell phone. The phone rings on the table in Sara’s living room. Sara picks up.
-Aldana: (Crying inconsolably) I failed the entrance exam, Mom, and I had prepared so hard!
-Sara: (Holding back tears) Calm down daughter.
-Aldana: This is not for me. Besides I miss you so much and I need you, I want to come back, I miss you so much.
-Sara: (Coughing to clear her voice, her voice cracking on the verge of crying) And I need you to calm down because this way you can’t go back to school.
-Aldana: It’s just that this is not how I imagined it, I thought it was going to be a good experience and since I arrived I just miss you and feel lonely and frustrated.
-Sara: (playing tough) Nobody said it would be easy daughter. Changes are never easy. Go to bed, rest, take a few days off and start studying again to retake the mid-year exam.
-Aldana: But mom….
-Sara: Rest daughter, we’ll talk tomorrow. I love you.
(They cut the phone and both cry, each one in her place).
ACT III
Characters that intervene in this act: Sara and Aldana.
Scenario: Living room of Sara’s house from ACT II.
(Sara walks nervously from one side to the other. The phone rings and she runs towards it).
Sara: (Picks up the phone) Aldana, daughter, how did it go! (With a disappointed face) Ah, hello Rosi. No, I’m waiting for a call from Aldana. She came back to take the entrance exam and she promised to call me yesterday after taking the exam, but I still have no news. I hope it’s because she got tired and went to bed to sleep and not because she did badly and got depressed… Okay, I’ll call you later.
(Aldana stealthily enters the scene)
-Aldana: Surprise!
-Sara: Daughter!
(They hug.)
-Aldana: I passed and I wanted to come and tell you the news. Besides, I left a few months ago but I missed you so much.
-Sara: I missed you so much too, but sit down, tell me.
(They sit down)
-Aldana: It didn’t seem like you missed me that much, you were just telling me I had to stay there.
-Sara: Because I know it’s the best thing for you, and because I know that the only way to grow is to go through changes and become stronger.
-Aldana: I know that now, mom, and I thank you for it. That time when I failed the exam and called you I felt so bad. I just wanted to come back and have you comfort me. But after our talk, I had no choice but to stay and go on… And I realized how strong and capable of overcoming obstacles I am. Now I feel much more confident and calm.
-Sara: I knew it before but you had to realize it for yourself. It’s part of the process of growing up.
THE END