Title: “Accusing without evidence”.
Author: Silvina Carrasco
6 Characters:
- Nico: Boy of about 8 years old. He is the one who is going to teach his family a lesson, being the youngest of them all.
- Monica: She is the mother of the family.
- Hugo: Father of the family.
- Luis: Nico’s brother. Boy of about 10 years old.
- Camila: Nico’s sister. Adolescent of about 13 years old.
- Jorgelina: Nico’s sister. Teenager about 17 years old.
ACT I
Characters taking part in this act: Monica, Jorgelina, Camila, Luis, Nico and Hugo.
Scene: A very large kitchen, typical of a family with many members: things and utensils everywhere, a large countertop, a large table with six chairs, a refrigerator, a washing machine and a basket with clothes next to it.
Introduction: It is a typical day in this family’s house, where it is a custom for everyone to criticize and accuse each other.
Hugo, Camila and Luis are at the table: Hugo reads a magazine, Camila and Luis eat breakfast. Monica prepares food on the counter. Jorgelina enters furious.
-Jorgelina: Camila, give me back my green sweater!
-Camila: What are you saying, baby? I don’t have anything of yours!
-Jorgelina: Mom! tell her to give it to me, she always takes my clothes without permission.
-Camila: I didn’t take anything from you!
-Jorge: I’m sure it was you.
-Luis: (Contributing to the fight) Yes Jorgelina, it was Camila, I saw her.
-Camila: Don’t lie, Luis, don’t lie!
-Luis: I saw you. Yesterday you were sneaking him out of his room.
-Jorge: You saw! I knew it was you!
-Monica: Well, that’s enough, cut it out! (Taking a green sweater from the laundry basket) Are you looking for this?
-Jorgelina: (embarrassed) Yes.
-Monica: I left it here a week ago. If you had obeyed me when I told you to do the laundry you would have found it sooner.
-Camila: (To Luis) So you saw me sneaking it out yesterday? See what a liar you are?
-Monica: Okay, that’s enough.
(Enter Nico about to cry with an empty box in his hand).
-Nico: Mom, someone took out the ring that grandma gave me!
-Monica: Who took the ring?
-Jorge: (Looking at Luis) Mmm… someone was looking for things to sell and buy a Playstation.
-Luis: Yesterday I saw Jorgelina in a suspicious attitude going through your things Nico.
-Hugo: Guys, it’s serious, who took the ring?
-Nico: (With a sad face) Mom, it’s the most important souvenir I have of grandma….
-Mom: Don’t worry, when you come back from school we will look for it. Now everybody to school, it’s getting late.
ACT II
Characters that intervene in this act: Monica, Hugo, Jorgelina, Camila and Luis.
Scene: The same kitchen as in Act I.
Camila and Jorgelina are talking at the table.
-Jorgelina: Poor Nico, he’s really sad since his ring disappeared… I’m sure it was Luis; he’s desperate to get money for that game console and we all know that grandma’s ring is worth a lot of money.
-Camila: For me, more than the economic value, it disappeared because of the sentimental value.
-Jorgelina: What do you mean?
-Camila: Did you see how nervous mom got when Nico said the ring had disappeared? She immediately changed the subject and sent us to school.
-Jorgelina: Are you saying mom stole it?
-Camila: I wouldn’t say she stole it, but mom never understood why grandma left the ring to Nico and not to her, who was her daughter.
-Jorgelina: Dad also never agreed that such a little boy should have something so valuable.
-Camila: Maybe they agreed and decided to keep it for him until he was older.
-Jorgelina: I don’t know, for me it was Luis… Shall we look through his things?
-Camila: Let’s go.
(Jorgelina and Camila leave the scene. After a moment, Hugo and Monica come in chatting).
-Monica: … when mom was alive, Jorgelina always asked for that ring when she had a party, and you saw how flirtatious she is, she loves rings, earrings, bracelets… Maybe it matched some dress and she took it out to wear it.
-Hugo: Although it is true that Luis is obsessed with that Play, he asked me several times for money to buy it. I think he took it out on the sly and sold it to so….
(Luis enters and Hugo shuts up abruptly)
-Luis: (noticing his parents’ discomfort) Were you talking about me? I know, they think I stole the ring. I swear it wasn’t me, you can check all my things; you’ll see that you won’t find a ring, or silver, or anything strange… I’m sure it was Camila, she has the habit of taking other people’s things without asking for permission.
ACT III
Characters that intervene in this act: Monica, Hugo, Luis, Nico, Jorgelina and Camila.
Scenario: The same kitchen as in the previous act.
All the members of the family are seated at the table.
Monica: You all know why we are here.
-Hugo: It’s been days since the ring disappeared and still no news. Therefore, we are going to give whoever took it the opportunity to return it without us knowing who it was.
-Camila: Or who it was.
-Jorgelina: Yes, maybe it was more than one person.
-Luis: It seems that we are all suspects.
-Monica: Well, I’m going to turn off the light and whoever has it will leave it on the table without anyone seeing it. When I turn on the light, Nico puts it back and that’s the end of it.
(Monica turns off the light, waits for a considerable moment and turns it on again. They all look at the table but the ring is gone.)
-Luis: What about the ring?
-Nico: (Taking the ring out of his pocket) Here it is.
-Camila: What?
-Jorgelina: Did you have it all the time?
-Nico: Yes, I had hidden it.
-Hugo: And why did you tell us it was missing?
-Nico: To show them how they are, because they always do the same thing. These days you all accused each other without proof and it wasn’t any of you. I hope that next time you will find out before you all think badly of each other.
THE END