Title of the play: “What if the colored one teaches you a lesson?”
Author: María Gabriela Méndez
Topic: Small play, especially aimed at high school students. It is focused on the topic of bullying due to racial discrimination. Its purpose is to transmit a message of “NO” to Bullying, as well as showing how we could teach through example.
7 Characters:
- Narrator: the narrator is at times only an observer, and at other times participates through his comments, which may be somewhat humorous or satirical.
- Juan (Young man with dark skin)
- Pedro (Juan’s friend)
- Julio (Young aggressor)
- Carlos (Julio’s friend)
- Miss Martina (Teacher)
- Extra characters (without direct participation) (Two girls of the same age as the others)
Note: In parentheses () are suggestions of non-verbal expressions (annotations).
Environment: An ordinary morning at school, between the playground and the classroom of high school students.
Narrator: Juan was having a quiet breakfast in the courtyard of his school, enjoying the break time while sharing with his friend Pedro about two girls who, according to them were the prettiest girls in school and who were also having breakfast in front of them, but at some distance, so they knew they wouldn’t be able to hear them.
Suddenly Pedro wanted to eat an ice cream and got up to get it.
Act 1
Setting: The schoolyard. A small space is needed where there is a bench or a simulation of it, or a plastic table with two chairs, with a table in front of it with two chairs as well.
Pedro: – Juan, I’ll go get an ice cream, do you want one?
Juan: (begins to organize his food while he answers) – No, I don’t want one for now, go quietly while I finish my breakfast. (And he continues doing his business, so he takes out a container with juice)
(Pedro leaves the place and goes out of the scene in search of the ice cream)
Narrator: – But when everything is quiet, undesirable people must always appear.
(Julio and Carlos enter the scene talking to each other, without being heard by the audience. Julio and Carlos are arrogant young men and have complicity between them, they are always laughing mockingly at something.)
(When they pass in front of Juan, Carlos makes signs to Julio indicating the place where Juan is, then Carlos tells Julio to come closer. They both have a plan in hand)
Julio: (Addressing Juan) – Hey, black kid.
Juan: (Tries to ignore them but can’t help but look at them out of the corner of his eye but doesn’t say anything)
Julio: (Approaching Juan and quickly knocking the juice container to the ground)
(Carlos says nothing but shows his pleasure at what his friend is doing and laughs in a mocking way)
Juan: (He stands up from his seat and says) – What’s wrong with you, why did you do that?
Julio: (looks at him haughtily and answers) – Because I wanted to, black boy. Now practice your profession and clean the floor.
(When saying this, both (Julio and Carlos) decide to leave the scene, talking among themselves and laughing at their prank).
Juan: (He realizes the foolishness of his classmates so he decides to ignore the offense and pick up his container from the floor, however he feels a little offended and shows an expression of annoyance and sadness at the same time)
Narrator: -Over time, discriminated people get used to receive insults, offenses and aggressions, and often decide to keep quiet to, according to them, continue their lives in peace while they continue to allow their aggressors to enjoy their practices of verbal and physical violence.
(Pedro enters the scene eating his ice cream and realizes that something has happened, he can sense it and shows slight signs of annoyance and impotence).
Pedro: (Turning to Juan) – Once again, Julio and Carlos are bothering you, aren’t they?
Juan: (finishing gathering his belongings and approaching Pedro to leave the place, he answers) – Yeah, well, I don’t pay attention to them anymore, I think I’m going to get an ice cream now.
Pedro: (laughs lightly) (and they both walk and leave the scene).
(A change of scenery must be made)
Narrator: (As they do the scene change he says) – Recess time is over and everyone went to their respective classrooms. They were anxious because Miss Martina, the Math teacher would deliver the results of the evaluations done last week.
Act 2
Setting: Classroom. A small space is needed where there are six desks organized in the shape of a classroom, in rows perpendicular to the audience. A table in the teacher’s place that will serve as a desk.
(The scene begins with everyone entering the classroom and taking their respective seats.)
Miss Martina: (enters the classroom with exams in her hand, with a serious and worried face and says): -Good morning.
(Everyone stands up in reverence and responds in one voice) – Good morning Miss Martina (Everyone sits down and remains attentive to the teacher).
Miss Martina: (Addressing the students) -I have corrected your evaluations and I am very concerned about your results. Most of you failed the evaluation with a few specific exceptions. (A pause and she continues) – I must give special recognition to one of you who got a perfect grade. (A pause and she observes all to generate the suspense) – Juan, stand up.
(Juan stands up from his seat in surprise and everyone continues to watch what is happening).
Miss Martina: (Observes him with an expression of pride and recognition on her face) – Juan, you got the highest grade in your Math exam, I want to publicly recognize your dedication and responsibility during the whole year of classes. You are a great student, I am very proud of you. (She hands him his exam) (She pauses again and goes back to take the rest of the evaluations from her desk).
Ms. Martina (turns to everyone again) – Here are your evaluations.
(Passes by each of the seats and each student takes his or her exam without making any expression, only resignation, then returns to the front and addresses them again)
Miss Martina: – I have a proposal to make to you (pauses again) I have thought that for the next few days, the students with the best grades can help their classmates who did not achieve a passing grade, by studying with them and preparing together for the next evaluations. I will allow you to choose for yourselves which classmate you would like to help by coming to their desk right now. (He pauses again and returns to his desk, giving them space to talk to each other.)
(Students exchange their exam papers, talk to each other, and then all return to their seats.)
Miss Martina: (Turning to Juan she says) – Juan, for example, you were the highest grader, who did you choose to help (pauses again).
Juan: (gets up from his seat and turns to Julio and says) – Teacher, I choose Julio. (He moves to Julio’s desk and shakes his hand).
(Julio looks a little surprised and shakes Juan’s hand with a fist bump as a sign of friendship while everyone else applauds Juan’s gesture).
Narrator: -That day, Julio and all his classmates learned that skin color does not represent less value in a person.
That day, Juan demonstrated that nobility, kindness, excellence and the gift of forgiveness do not depend on social appreciation or physical prototypes, but on the essence of the human being and the decision that each person makes every day as to how to act in the face of what his surroundings offer him.
That day Juan won the affection and respect of everyone in his school, because soon the news spread that the “Black Boy”, helped study for his Math exams the one who assaulted him for a long time in the corridors.
This is a way to eliminate bullying, not returning evil for evil, but demonstrating that change begins with ourselves and our example of behavior, respect and cooperation with those we consider weaker.
End.