Title of the work: “Always go forward”
Author: Yanett Mora
5 characters:
- Jaime (10 year old boy).
- John (10 year old boy).
- Grandmother (80 year old lady).
- School Director (50 year old man).
- John’s father (Mr. 40 years old).
Act I:
Setting: Jaime’s grandmother’s room.
Introduction: Jaime was a boy who loved music. Every afternoon, he took singing lessons, and although he was not at the top of his class, he loved to learn as much as he could. After each lesson, Jaime loved to come home and sing to his grandmother who had been in bed for several years. His grandmother loved to listen to Jaime. One afternoon, while Jaime was singing to his grandmother, she interrupted him and said:
Grandmother (In a sweet and very tired voice): I’m your number 1 fan!
Jaime (With tears in his eyes): That makes me very happy, Grandma!
Act II:
Setting: Classroom. School of Music.
Introduction: One afternoon in class, John, who was the most popular student at the singing school because he had the best voice, handed out invitations to all his classmates for his birthday party. When it was Jaime’s turn to receive John’s invitation, John said to him:
John (in a challenging voice): I hope you don’t miss my birthday party, Jaime, it’s going to be really fun.
Jaime (with an enthusiastic voice): Of course I won’t miss it, I’ll be there!
Act III:
Setting: Jaime’s grandmother’s room.
Introduction: That same afternoon, like every day, Jaime went running home to tell his grandmother the good news.
Jaime (shouting): Grandma! Grandma! I have to tell you something!
Grandmother (in a tired voice): What is it, my little Jaime, what’s got you so excited?
Jaime: John, the best singer in the whole school, is having a party this weekend for his birthday, and he invited me! When he came over to give me the invitation, he told me not to miss it.
Grandmother: Mmm… Jaime, don’t you think it’s a little strange? You have told me that this boy has never been very nice to you… and now that he invites you to his birthday party and tells you not to miss it, I don’t have much confidence in him.
Jaime: Well grandma, maybe he is always in a bad mood because he is tired of practicing so much and that’s why he has been a little rude to me, maybe now he wants to vindicate himself and that’s why he is inviting me to his birthday party.
Act III:
Setting: Jaime’s grandmother’s room.
Introduction: The days went by and the day Jaime had been waiting for arrived, it was finally Saturday and he was going to John’s birthday party!
Jaime: Grandma! Grandma! I’m going to John’s birthday party, I’m going to have so much fun!
Grandmother (with her characteristic tired voice and worried tone): Good luck my little Jaime, and please promise me you will take good care of yourself!
Jaime: I will, Grandma!
Act IV:
Setting: Courtyard of John’s house.
Introduction: All of Jaime’s classmates are there. The party is filled with delicious sweets, lots of music and fun.
John: Jaime, you came! Remember I told you we were going to have fun? Well, guess what: We’re going to start a singing contest right now!
Jaime: Ehhh, John, I don’t think this is a good time for all of us to sing in front of so many people, why don’t we play something else where everyone doesn’t have to see us?
John heads towards the stage that his father had built especially for his birthday. He orders the dj to turn down the music.
John: Listen to me, everybody! Now that we’re all here, I want to play a fun game! But this game will only be between me and another opponent. In this game, my opponent and I have to sing the same song, and you will be the audience who will judge the winner. To the loser, you can throw these foam cupcakes that are being handed out right now. MY OPPONENT FOR THIS CONTEST WILL BE: JAIME!
The lights on the stage pointed at Jaime, everyone in the party saw him and started screaming. Jaime, very scared, aware that he was not as good at singing as John, signaled him to please not make him go up.
John (in a mocking voice): Come on, Jaime, what’s the matter, are you afraid? But we all know that after every class you go running to sing to your grandmother who has been in bed for years and is half deaf. Surely you must sing very well for her to want to listen to you every day!
Everyone at the party laughed.
Jaime goes up on the stage. The dj plays the song. To everyone’s surprise, the song for which John was awarded as the best singer in the whole school starts to play.
John: Come on Jaime, it’s your time to delight us like your grandmother!
Jaime begins to sing, his obvious nerves start to play against him. He is out of tune and at the same time having a hard time concentrating.
His classmates began to laugh and boo, cupcakes soon flew into Jaime’s face and foam was getting on his clothes.
Jaime, still frozen with fear, was still doing his best, but the humiliation of feeling the cupcakes hitting him in the face kept him from concentrating.
Jaime (with a broken voice): STOP THIS! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS, JOHN?
John (laughing): But it’s just a little game, Jaime, it’s my birthday and you do what I say!
Jaime with tears in his eyes gets off the stage and runs out of John’s house.
Act V:
Setting: living room of Jaime’s house.
Introduction: Jaime, upon arriving home, tries to make as little noise as possible so that his grandmother will not hear him arrive, but when he enters the house he accidentally steps on his cat Ramona’s tail and she screeches.
Grandmother: Oh, who’s there, is it you my little Jaime?
Jaime can’t stand it any longer and bursts into tears. He goes up to his grandmother’s room.
Grandmother (surprised to see Jaime crying with all his dirty clothes): Jaime! What happened?
Jaime: You were right grandma, John was always mean to me and this time was not going to be the exception, I should have listened to you and not go to his party!
Grandmother (with tears in her eyes): Oh my little Jaime, everything is all right now, you are home! Lie down here with me, now it’s my turn to sing to you.
Act VI:
Setting: Jaime’s grandmother’s room.
Introduction: Sunday passed and by Monday Jaime was feeling much better.
Jaime: Grandma, you know what, I won’t let John’s practical joke get to me and I’ll go back to my classes as if nothing had happened.
Grandmother: That’s the attitude my little Jaime!
Jaime returns to school, during that week the teasing and comments from his classmates towards him were not lacking, but Jaime was still strong attending classes and believing in him.
Act VII:
Setting: Office of the director of the music school.
Introduction: A week went by and one afternoon, the school principal calls Jaime and John to his office.
Director: Boys, I suppose you are wondering what you are doing here.
John (with an arrogant voice): Yes, Director, being here in your office doesn’t do my curriculum any good and it doesn’t help me to set an example to my classmates so that they continue wanting to be like me.
Director: That is precisely why you are here, John. The board of this prestigious music school has heard about what happened at your birthday party. Your behavior was so despicable that we cannot allow students with no morals and no empathy for their classmates to attend this school.
Principal: Regarding you, Jaime, we have been evaluating your behavior during the week after what happened at the party, and seeing your courage and your stance of wanting to follow your dreams, regardless of the daily mockery of your classmates for the humiliation that John caused you, you have inspired us. You really are an example of moving forward without caring about the opinion of others, and exactly that stance has caught the attention of a good friend of mine who is a headhunter. When he told him about your case, he did not hesitate for a second in wanting to meet you and give you an opportunity to be part of his talent agency. As for you, John, as of today you are dismissed from our prestigious institution.
John (surprised and astonished): This can’t be possible, I’ll call my dad right away to report you! You can’t do this to me, I’m the best singer this school has ever had!
John’s father: I feel very disappointed in you, John.
To James and Jim’s surprise, Jim’s dad came out of the bathroom in the principal’s office.
John’s Dad: John, I want you to know that I saw everything that happened at your birthday party, but I didn’t do anything because I wanted to think that you would publicly apologize to James and all your classmates for your irresponsible attitude. But it never happened. The director called me and when he told me, I told him that I was already aware of the whole situation, and that I agree with his decision.
John (in a pretentious voice): YOU CAN THINK WHAT YOU WANT, BUT NOTHING WILL TAKE AWAY MY EXCELLENT TALENT FOR SINGING!
Director (in his characteristic wise voice): No talent is worth anything if it doesn’t come hand in hand with great humility.
John ran out of the director’s office, and on his way out, he slammed the door with all his might.
Director: There should never be a lack of reasons to keep moving forward in life, in spite of difficulties, in spite of fears.
John’s father looked down at the floor, unable to believe his son’s spoiled attitude. The school principal looked proudly at Jaime and Jaime couldn’t wait to get home to tell his grandmother the great news.
THE END.