Title: “To believe or not to believe”.
Author: Silvina Carrasco
3 Characters:
- Federico: Complaining boy who works tirelessly to get what he wants and does not achieve it.
- Laura: Cheerful and positive girl to whom everything comes easy.
- Voice-over: Hostess of a radio program.
ACT I
Characters in this act: Federico and Laura.
Scenario: A café.
Sitting at the table of a café, Federico and Laura have breakfast and talk.
-Federico: How did the interview go?
-Laura: Excellent! The man I interviewed was super nice, he answered all my questions, even the ones he doesn’t usually answer. The magazine was very pleased, so it is very likely that they will consider me for the position of editor-in-chief.
-Federico: How do you make everything so easy for yourself! Everything you want comes to you without the slightest effort. I on the other hand… (Gives a sad look)
-Laura: Did you have a bad job interview?
-Federico: Yes, they were looking for someone with “another profile”.
-Laura: Well, be thankful you already have a job.
-Federico: Yes, the job at the travel agency is fine but I want to do other things: travel, go to music festivals, get to know other cultures… And now that the winter season is starting that place is a madhouse, we don’t stop for a moment. Ariel is on vacation and with Eduardo, just the two of us, we can’t make ends meet.
-Laura: But don’t lose hope, be positive and believe that you will get the perfect job for you.
-Federico: Haha, is it enough to be positive?
-Laura: Of course it is! Earlier you asked me how I make everything come easy for me and the truth is that I don’t do anything! I just believe that I can have everything I want and things happen.
-Federico: How unfair! And I work, work and work to get what I want, I never get it.
-Laura: It works that way, believe it or not. (Enthusiastic) Look, I challenge you to think of something: think of something you really want with all your heart.
-Federico: (incredulous) Okay…?
-Laura: The next step is to make no more effort than to concentrate in a positive way on it until you believe that it is possible that you have it and it is like a higher power is ordering things so that what you want happens.
(Federico remains with his eyes fixed on a distant point and then he puts the palms of his hands over his mouth and closes his eyes)
-Laura: What are you doing?
-Federico: I’m concentrating on making you pay for what we consumed.
-Laura: You fool…
ACT II
Characters that intervene in this act: Laura and Federico.
Scene: Kitchen of the apartment rented by Federico.
Federico and Laura have a coffee in the kitchen.
-Federico: Do you remember what you told me the other time about thinking of something I want from my heart and concentrating on that?
-Laura: Did you think of something?
-Federico: There is something I want with all my strength, but I find it hard to believe that things will work out the way you say.
-Laura: Fede, there has to be something higher that orders things! Life can’t consist only of what we can see or touch, there has to be something more.
-Federico: In a few weeks an alternative music festival starts and I would be really happy if I could go. At first I thought it was impossible because it’s on the other side of the country, I didn’t have the money or permission at work and the tickets were sold out… But I wanted to go so much that even though I was embarrassed I did what you told me to do…
-Laura: Right?! So?!
-Federico: Strange things started to happen.
-Laura: Tell me about it!
-Federico: My dad sold an old car he had and sent the money to my brother and me. Then, searching on the internet, I connected with a guy who had a ticket but something came up and he couldn’t go, so he sold it to me… and cheaper than it cost!
-Laura: I told you so! I told you so!
-Federico: Still, the hardest part is missing: getting permission from work.
-Laura: Be positive! Be positive and you’ll get it!
ACT III
Characters that intervene in this act: Federico, Laura and Voice-over.
Scenario: The same scenario of Act II.
Federico and Laura are talking in the kitchen. The radio is on and soft music is playing in the background.
Laura: So?! Did you get permission? What did Eduardo tell you?!
-Federico: No, I didn’t get it… He told me it was impossible at this moment. Ariel is coming back in twelve days and only then I’ll be on vacation. But the festival starts in a week; in twelve days when I can travel it will be over.
-Laura: And can’t he stay at the agency by himself for a few weeks until Ariel returns?
-Federico: At the moment it’s impossible. It’s winter vacation season and one of us couldn’t handle all the work… Some other time. (Turns up the radio) Listen, I like this song… Tea?
-Laura: Okay.
(Federico stops to prepare some tea)
Voice-over: “… We end our program with this beautiful song and we reiterate that by means of an official communiqué, the organizers of the alternative music festival to be held in San Pedro have communicated that the festival will be postponed for a week due to weather conditions… That’s all for today, see you tomorrow friends…”
(Federico and Laura look at each other with wide eyes).
THE END