Title of the work: “A New Adventure”.
Author: Yanett Mora.
10 Characters:
- Pablo: 8 year old boy.
- Mom: 30 year old woman.
- Dad: 34 year old man.
- Daniel: 9 year old boy.
- Ben: 9 year old boy.
- Friends of the soccer team (5 children between 7, 8 and 9 years old).
Act I:
Setting: Dining room of Pablo’s house.
Introduction: Pablo was a boy who lived very happily at home with his mom and dad, every day he went to school which was three blocks away from his house and due to the proximity, he walked back and forth with Daniel, who besides being his best friend all his life, was his neighbor and classmate.
One day, on his way home from school, his dad was waiting for him in the dining room to have lunch together. It seemed a little strange to him since his dad was usually home from work by dinner time.
Dad: It’s good you’re home, Pablo! My son, sit down to eat.
Pablo: What’s wrong, Dad?
His mom was coming in with the plates of food.
Mom: My dear son, Dad and I have something to tell you.
Dad: Paul, I have been promoted at work. Now I’m going to have a higher position, which means we can live in the house with the pool you’ve always wanted. But unfortunately that house won’t be in this neighborhood. The house will be in another city.
Pablo (puzzled): In another city?
Dad: Yes, son. The new job is in a city 10 hours away from here.
Pablo: But Dad! What about my school? What about my friends? I don’t want to leave them.
Dad: I know, son. Many times in life, in order to move on to better things, we have to leave our comfort zone.
Pablo: I don’t want to move!
Mom: Don’t worry my son, your dad and I will always be with you to support you at all times. You will never be alone.
Pablo got up from the table and ran to his room.
Act II:
Setting: Pablo’s room.
Introduction: Paul has fallen asleep crying. His dad carefully enters the room.
Dad: Pablo, are you awake?
Pablo: Yes, Dad, I think I fell asleep and didn’t realize it.
Dad: Pablo, I know a new town and a new school can sound scary. But change is an inevitable part of life. Look at it as an adventure, where you’ll meet new people, make new friends and see lots and lots of new things.
Pablo: I’ll give it a try, Dad.
Dad: That’s my boy! Now go to sleep my little one, tomorrow will be another day.
Act III:
Setting: Pablo’s farewell party.
Introduction: A month went by, all his friends from school were there, including Daniel, his neighbor and best friend of all his life.
Daniel: Pablo, can I talk to you for a second?
Pablo: Yes, Daniel, of course.
Daniel: Pablo, knowing about your departure has made me very sad. I feel like now I won’t have anyone to play with or tell all my things to.
Pablo: But we can talk every day on the phone, Daniel.
Daniel: I know. Pablo, promise me that you won’t make another best friend in your new town, that it will just be you and me, the best friends in the world!
Pablo: Of course I will Daniel, I don’t think I’ll want to talk to anyone there.
Daniel: Here Pablo, it’s a gift so you’ll never forget me. Open it when you get to your new home.
Act IV:
Setting: New city, new home.
Introduction: Pablo entered his new room. It was actually quite a bit bigger than his old room and had a large window overlooking the big pool he had always wanted to have. He couldn’t believe it, it was even decorated with soccer balls, his favorite sport! He remembered that he had always wanted to make the school team but never got selected for the draft. As he put his suitcase on the bed, he remembered the gift Daniel had given him, opened the suitcase and tore open the paper that wrapped the gift. It was a picture frame with a photo of the two of them. Daniel shed a few tears and put it on top of his bedside table next to his bed.
Act V:
Setting: Living room of Pablo’s house.
Introduction: New day, time to go to the new school.
Dad: Pablo, hurry up! You don’t want to be late for your first day at your new school.
Pablo: I’m coming down, Dad!
Act VI:
Setting: School hallway.
Introduction: Pablo walks down the school hallway, which is full of children.
Ben: Hi! Excuse me, I love your backpack.
Pablo (without a drop of interest): Ah, thank you.
Ben: Did you buy it around here?
Pablo: No. My dad gave it to me and he bought it in the city where we used to live. I don’t think they sell it here.
Ben (with voice of strangeness): Ohh… No wonder you didn’t look familiar to me. My name is Ben! And what is your name?
The bell rings to signal the start of classes.
Pablo: I have to go, the bell already rang.
Ben stares at Pablo without understanding anything.
Act VII:
Setting: Dining room of Pablo’s house.
Introduction: Pablo has just come home from school and sits down to eat with his mom and dad.
Mom: Tell us how was your first day of school, Pablo.
Pablo: It was normal. My other school is really more fun.
Dad: Did you make any new friends today?
Pablo: I don’t want to make new friends! I want my old friends!
Pablo gets up from the table and runs to his room.
Act VIII:
Setting: School hallway.
Introduction: Pablo walks to his class among the same new faces he saw yesterday. He seemed uninterested.
Ben (touching Pablo’s back): Hi, remember me? I came up to you yesterday to ask about your backpack.
Pablo: Ah, yes, the backpack.
Ben: Are you feeling better today?
Pablo: No, I feel the same.
Ben: If you want, during the break, you can have lunch with my friends and me.
Pablo: Thanks for the invitation. But I’m really not interested. I promised my best friend that I wouldn’t make new friends and I wouldn’t change him for anyone.
Ben: But to make new friends you don’t have to change others.
Pablo: I’m really not interested.
Act IX:
Setting: Break time. Schoolyard.
Introduction: Pablo goes to the playground where all the school children are.
Pablo: This school is so boring! If only I could see what my friends are doing right now.
Pablo keeps walking and sits down on the ground. In the distance he sees Ben. Ben also looks at him and beckons him to come over to eat with him and his friends.
Pablo ignores him.
Act X:
Setting: Entrance to the school hallway.
Introduction: Pablo is walking down the school hallway as he leaves the playground. To his surprise he sees a poster on a wall advertising a casting to select the new players for the school’s soccer team.
Pablo: Oh, a casting for the new players of the soccer team! He tears off the sheet and goes to the classroom.
Act XI:
Setting: dining room of Pablo’s house.
Introduction: At the table Pablo is eating together with his mom and dad.
Dad: And how was it today, Pablo? Much better?
Pablo: Well, my old school is still a lot more fun than this one. Today at least I found something interesting.
Mom: Oh yeah, what’s it going to be, Pablo?
Pablo (taking the poster out of his backpack): At school they’re having a casting to choose the new members of the soccer team, and since this school looks so boring, I’m sure they’re all bad and can’t play, so I signed up to do the casting!
Pablo’s mom and dad stare at each other.
Dad: Pablo, I think it’s a great idea, and when is the casting?
Pablo: It starts tomorrow and I’ll do it tomorrow!
Dad: Great Pablo, best wishes son! You are excellent at playing.
Act XII:
Setting: Schoolyard.
Introduction: Pablo was waiting for his turn to show his soccer skills.
Assistant: Next on the list is Pablo! Pablo, please come to the casting!
Pablo goes to the casting excited. When he arrived at the jury’s table, he couldn’t believe his eyes.
Pablo (with a surprised voice): Ben!
Ben: Ohh, so your name is Pablo. Well welcome to the casting Pablo, let’s see how good you are.
Pablo: No wonder my backpack in the shape of a soccer ball caught your attention.
Ben: That’s right! If you had given me the chance to meet you, you would have known, and you would know that I am the captain of the school team.
Pablo felt sorry. But he tried not to let it affect him too much and played like never before, demonstrating his skills.
Ben: Great Pablo! Next week we will publish the list of the selected ones. good luck!.
Act XIII:
Setting: Dining room of Pablo’s house.
Introduction: Like every day, Pablo’s mom and dad sat down with him to eat together.
Dad: So, Pablo, how was the casting?
Pablo: Well, something very strange happened to me. Since the first day of school, a boy came up to me to talk, asking me about my backpack and inviting me to eat with his friends, but I always turned him down because I didn’t want to make new friends. When I entered the casting, I found out that this same boy is the captain of the school’s soccer team.
Mom: So you were rejecting the friendship of the boys at school!.
Pablo (embarrassed): That’s right, Mom.
Dad: Pablo, sometimes because we don’t want to accept the changes in our lives, we close the doors to new friendships. Change is inevitable and part of natural growth. You have to open your heart, Pablo, just because you make new friends here doesn’t mean you’ll lose your lifelong friends!
Pablo: You’re right, Dad. I must open my heart and mind more, and accept the changes happily.
Act XIV:
Setting: Hallway of the school.
Introduction: Pablo was approaching to see the list of those selected for the casting.
Pablo: Oh, I’ve been selected, oh my God, I’ve been selected!
Ben: Yes, Pablo, you are part of the team!
Pablo: Ben! I had not noticed you.
Ben: I want you to know that it was a very difficult choice. Even though you did very well and you have great skills, the guys didn’t want you to join the team because they think you’re obnoxious. You turned down our invitation to lunch several times and as a team, we value friendship and togetherness and above all, respect for each other.
Pablo: You’re right, Ben, my dad tells me that if I don’t open my heart, I won’t be able to see the beautiful surprises that life has in store for me and that change is inevitable.
Ben: That’s exactly why you joined the team. I managed to convince them that you’re not really an obnoxious kid, you’re just struggling with the stress of changing city and school. It can’t be easy to go through so many changes at the same time.
Pablo: That’s right Ben, I apologize and at the same time I thank you very much.
Ben: You have nothing to apologize for. Join us for lunch today, we will have a welcome lunch for all the new members of the team, and cheer up! This is a wonderful school with amazing people.
Pablo: You want to know something funny? At my previous school I never made the soccer team.
Ben (Laughing): You’re looking at Pablo! What you didn’t get at your previous school, you got here.
Pablo: You’re absolutely right, Ben!
Pablo and Ben were walking to the welcome lunch for the new members of the soccer team. Everyone was congratulating Pablo and welcoming him. Pablo felt happy. He couldn’t wait to get home to call his best friend Daniel and tell him about how kind his new friends were. They sure could be a great group of long distance friends!
THE END.