Title of the work: Can you help me?
Author: Ángeles Spinoza
3 Characters:
- Susana
- Rebeca
- Teacher
Part one
Two college girls are in a courtyard or garden. They are talking about the assignments due at the end of the semester.
Susana: You mean they’re all going to be final exams?
Rebeca: All of them
Susana: But then… the papers are canceled.
Rebeca: No. Exam and work.
Susana: Of all subjects?
Rebeca: (Exasperated) Yes, no teacher exempted anyone, and you know it’s always about the papers; production is the most important thing.
Susana: But that’s a lot! I won’t be able to learn all the theory and also deliver the work… (pause) When do we start?
Rebeca: Next week.
Susana: What?
Rebeca: You did know, didn’t you?
Susana: No, I had no idea…
Rebeca: It’s already December, that is, vacations, and usually, before vacations, there are finals.
Susana: I won’t make it!
Rebeca: It’s not that much, besides, you have nothing else to do (pause) and the production… you get it out fast.
Susana: What do you mean I have nothing else to do? On the weekend I’m going to the beach with Julian.
Rebeca: Well, cancel or study on the way and produce on the beach; I’m sure you’ll be more inspired.
Susana: I’m not going to cancel or work on my break.
Rebeca: Well, no and that’s it; you take your exams and see what comes out.
Silence
Susana: I’ve already solved it! I’m missing classes this week to study… what I don’t know is if I’m going to have enough time for the papers.
Rebeca: That’s easy for you.
Susana: The reports, yes… and sculpture… but human figure drawing is a horror! I’m not good at it, it takes me a long time and my drawings are always deformed, totally disproportionate…
Rebeca: That’s the first one.
Susana: What?
Rebeca: That one is due on Monday at 10 am.
Susana: But the deliveries are during class hours and we have classes on Thursday and Friday…
Rebeca: Yes, but remember that the teacher moved up the exam and the hand-in because she is going to a congress or something (pause) seriously, don’t you ever pay attention?
Susana: (very worried) But what am I going to do… I won’t be able to draw a little picture for Monday.
Rebeca laughs and starts drawing.
Susana: I know!
Rebeca: What?
Susana: Help me!
Rebeca: How?
Susana: Draw me the picture.
Rebeca: What! You’re crazy, I have to do mine!
Susana: Yes, but you do them in two minutes; (pleading) help me, will you?
Rebeca: So you can go to the beach in peace and quiet? Forget it, besides, he’s going to notice.
Susana: Of course not; we put different colors on it or we do… you man and me woman… or see what… besides, I have also supported you when you need me.
Rebeca: When?
Susana: Who is your alibi when you go out with…?
Rebeca: Don’t even say it! You don’t need to threaten me.
Susana: I’m not threatening you, only ….
Rebeca: (interrupts abruptly) Just because you’re my friend… but you’re inviting me to dinner afterwards.
Susana: Pizza.
Rebeca: Done!
Part two
Rebeca is sitting in a living room. Then Susana enters
Rebeca: (Seeing Susana) Did she call you too?
Susana: (Worried) Yes.
Rebeca: I told you she was going to find out!
Susana: Calm down, we still don’t know what it’s about. Besides, if no one confesses, we can’t be judged.
Rebeca: What are you saying?
Susana: Calm down! Wait and see what she says; maybe she wants to talk to us about something else.
Rebeca: (exasperated) What about?
Susana: I don’t know… about the contest, or about the presentation of our portfolio.
Rebeca: She has nothing to do with that.
Susana: Maybe she does, we don’t know who the judges are going to be, or anything.
Rebeca: Then she would be doing something against the rules, she could be kicked out of the university for that.
Susana: Who knows? Maybe she is even more corrupt than us.
Rebeca: Susana!
Susana: Rebeca!
The teacher enters
Teacher: Ladies, good morning.
Susana: Hello.
Rebeca: Good morning.
Teacher: How are you? Everything all right?
Both nod their heads; Susana a little more hurriedly. Long silence
Teacher: Don’t you have anything to tell me?
Susana: (Raising her hand) Are we here for the contest?
Teacher: What contest?
Susana: The one for the faculty’s anniversary poster. We submitted a proposal. The prize is great and…
Teacher: (interrupts) No, you are not here for the contest (pause) Rebeca?
Rebeca: Yes?
Teacher: Do you want to say something?
Rebecca: No… yes…. is there a problem?
Teacher: I was hoping you would tell me.
Silence
Teacher: The thing is, I was looking at your final papers….
Susana: The human figure drawing?
Rebeca: (mumbling) Shut up
Teacher: Yes, the only final paper you turned in for my subject.
Susana: (Nervous) What about the human figure drawing we turned in for your subject?
Rebeca: (Between teeth) Shut up!
Teacher: That your two drawings look too much alike.
Susana: That’s because we did it together.
Rebeca: Yes, that’s why.
Teacher: And did you draw exactly the same lines? To be more precise, they look too much like the drawings Rebeca has been doing all semester.
They both babble
Rebeca: It’s just that… (pause) we were practicing together and I gave her some tips on how I draw faster and …. that’s probably why they look so much alike.
Susana: But the colors are very different, and I drew a girl and she drew a man.
Rebeca: The other way around.
Susana: What?
Rebeca: I drew the girl and you drew the man.
Susana: Uh-huh…
Teacher: I believe you…
Rebeca and Susana: Yes?
Teacher: Yes, but I suspect that Susana has some inaccuracies in the tracing technique, just to corroborate, (incredulous. bringing a chalk to her) could you draw on the blackboard the silhouette of the girl? Just the silhouette, it’s easy, isn’t it?
Susana: (worried, to Rebeca) Can you help me?
Dark end