Title: Completing my world
Author: María Gabriela Méndez
Characters:
- Narrator
- Benjamin
- Gaby
- Extras (classmates who pass in front of him during school recess time)
Theme: The story of an introverted reader. A boy who is very withdrawn and has no friends at school. However, he has many friends who emerge from the stories he reads in his books. He creates a fascinating silent monologue of thoughts about some stories, while he is on school break and watches his classmates go by having their own social lives; he just gives free rein to his imagination. The most beautiful girl in school breaks into his fantasy world, asks him about a book, and this boy gets a beautiful surprise that changes his routine.
Environment
It is a schoolyard, the protagonist of the story should be sitting with a book in his hand, reading it, he should have a lunch box and a backpack that should show that it is full of books. He must remain seated while the author narrates his story, at times stop reading and remain thinking, at other times, and as the narrator indicates, he must watch his companions pass by.
During the time of the short play, two engaged couples holding hands should pass by, on another occasion two girls should pass by talking very excitedly, that is, you can tell that one is telling a great experience and the other is listening excitedly to what she is being told.
Additionally, two guys who are friends should pass by and high-five each other as a sign of camaraderie. These events should happen according to the taste of the actors or according to the choice of the director of the play, respecting the order of the narration.
In other areas of the stage there should be groups doing various activities, such as eating, others playing cards, others kicking a ball, in strategic places where they can be noticed, but also, taking care that the protagonist has a favorite place.
SINGLE ACT
Narrator: I want to tell you the story of Benjamin. He is a young teenager, the most introverted in his class. His greatest distraction is reading his books, which are also his companions, his confidants, his dreams, everything. For Benjamin, books are everything. His parents have tried to get him out of them, but it seems to be simply impossible. For Benjamin, his companions on the Adventure range from authors of famous novels, poets, documentary filmmakers, scientists and even some of the main characters of the stories he reads.
Anyone who passes by and sees him feels sympathy for him. He really has no friends. He is a rather lonely person for his age. No one knows why he is this way, but what most conclude, is that he simply chose it, he is a strange personality that seems to have no need to interact with the outside world, other than the real and fictional worlds that Benjamin achieves within his books.
Sometimes he looks up and watches some of his classmates go about their socially busy lives. All around him he sees lovers passing by, their eyes sparkling as they look at each other, but Benjamin seems unmoved by this. Occasionally he observes the magic of friendship between girls his age, who talk confidences with each other and enjoy the art of being dreamy princesses.
She doesn’t even seem to care about soccer games, having a flesh and blood companion with whom she can just hang out.
Sometimes he observes into nothingness, but we know that when he does this, he doesn’t simply observe, he has the ability to enter fascinating stories that he creates in his mind and in which he is a protagonist.
This is the story of Benjamin. Our particular friend who has no friends, but when we talk about him, many of us are provoked to approach him and invite him to live in the real world at least for a few minutes, because maybe, if he manages to try this, he may begin to have new experiences.
Now, let me tell you a little bit about this girl who is coming closer. She is the most beautiful young lady in the whole school, there is none like her, perhaps in the whole city.
She’s smart, she’s cheerful, she’s got lots of friends, she’s… Oh… do you see what I’m seeing?
Gaby is getting closer to Benjamin. This is something very unusual, no one ever approaches him, let alone a girl like her.
Gaby: Hi Benji, what are you reading?
Benjamin: (very surprised but a little excited, he looks up) – Hey Gaby, how are you, I’m reading Les Miserables by Victor Hugo.
Gaby: How interesting! I love that book.
Benjamin: Really, have you read it?
Gaby: Sure, it’s a very interesting story.
Benjamin: It is. Do you like reading?
Gaby: Yes, not as much as you do (laughs), but I read at least one book a month, well it depends on how long it is.
Benjamin: Great, what’s your favorite?
Narrator: And so Benjamin and Gaby talked for a long time, between laughter and enthusiasm, having found affinity and much to share. When the doorbell rang, Benjamin suggested to Gaby that they go to the park that afternoon and Gaby was delighted to accept.
From that day on, Gaby became Benjamin’s first real friend, and for Benjamin, this was the beginning of the real book, the book of his life.
THE END