The Drummer

~Here is a little one act play that I have written!  This is my first time dappling in the art of play writing, but it was so much fun!  I think I did a good enough job for it to be at least understandable. All I have to say is: "I wrote a hit play! What did you ever do?" -Rushmore ~

The Drummer

by Beatrice L.

Characters

Indiana: The bands photographer who is quiet and collected, but doesn't like being told what to do.  Although she prefers flying under the radar she is still a team player.

Cesar: The lead singer of the band.  He is very over dramatic and narcissistic.  Despite this, on stage he is a charming and cool.

Hal: The bands guitarist.  A very sweet good-natured guy who believes in Indiana’s talents.  Can be flamboyant and corny at times.

Katie: The band manager who is responsible and very kind.  She is bubbly and always keeps things positive.

SCENE 1

(Three band members and their photographer are backstage in the green room, waiting for their irresponsible drummer to show up.  They are about to go on stage and CESAR is pacing the floor while HAL tries calling the late drummer)

HAL: He doesn't seem to be answering

CESAR: Where is he! My god I'm going to kill him!

HAL: He’ll be here! Don't worry...

CESAR: God damnit. He is always pulling BS like this! What are we gonna do!

(KATIE enters with clipboard)

KATIE: Guys...Five minutes till show.  I don't want to jinx anything but maybe start coming up with a creative solution!

CESAR: SOLUTION! What solution! How can we play without a drummer? How can a rock band play without its crappy drummer?!

KATIE:(Shrugs) Well, we have to do something!

CESAR: This is STUPID! I don't want to deal with this, its beneath me!

HAL: Guys-

KATIE: How about we get someone from one of the other bands to play?

HAL: Hey you guys-

CESAR: They’re not gonna want to play two sets, thats insane!

HAL: YOU GUYS! Why don't we get Indiana to play?  She took drumming lessons as a kid?

(Indiana is sitting on the couch playing with her camera, she looks up)

INDIANA:(confused) What?

KATIE: Oh Indiana! Thats perfect!

CESAR:Wait wait wait, she USED to play the drums?

HAL: (to INDIANA) Do you know the songs?

INDIANA: Well pretty much but...

CESAR: PRETTY MUCH?

KATIE: We don't really have a choice! Indie, you’ll be fabulous!

(KATIE exists with a flustered CESAR, going to the stage)

INDIANA: Hold on! I don't even want to play the stupid show!

HAL: (puts hand on INDIANA’s shoulder) Indiana, we need you

(INDIANA rolls eyes)

SCENE 2

(The band walks out on stage and the crowd cheers.  It is a small smoky and crowded room filled with shadowy faces.  Indiana has a music stand with all the song sheets on them, she looks nervous.  Cesar takes the microphone.)

CESAR:(clears throat)Hello, hello! Isn't this a fine looking crowd! So it seems we have a little surprise tonight.Since our regular drummer is a huge bastard, our usual photographer will be taking his place tonight! Lets give a round of applause to INDIANAAAAA!!!!

(Slow awkward claps)

CESAR: She hasn’t played the drums since she was a teenager and has never before played our songs. (silence) I'm kidding of course! Let’s do this!

( The band begins playing and INDIANA is struggling.  The crowd seems to notice the mistakes.)

HAL: Don't worry Indie, you're doing great!

INDIANA: I...am...NOT doing great! ( trying to concentrate)

CESAR: (in the middle of the song) You know what I want? I’m in the mood... for a hardcore DRUM SOLO!

(BEAT.  Not knowing what to do,INDIANA goes crazy smashing drums and cymbals with no rhyme or reason. At the end she pushes over the drum kit with a bang.  BEAT.  Everyone goes nuts and the room explodes with cheers.)

SCENE 3

( The band is running back into the green room, everyone is thrilled with the performance)

HAL: That was AMAZING!

KATIE: You DID do fabulously, Indiana!

INDIANA: That was pretty fun!

CESAR: You had fun?

INDIANA: I just said-

CESAR: You’re hired

INDIANA: I’m hired?

KATIE: Welcome to the band! (tries to hug INDIANA)

INDIANA: Hey I never accepted!

HAL: Yay! We have never had a drummer who could do a good solo! You're a god, Indie!

CESAR: Lets not go that far, I'm the only god in this band

INDIANA: What if I don't wanna be in your dumb band!

(Silence)

HAL: Well do ya?

(INDIANA looks around at all the smiling faces.  She purses her lips in suspense)

INDIANA: Sure

END OF PLAY

An announcement

 I have a very exciting announcement! Me and the fam just adopted our first pet!
What sort of pet you might ask? A RACCOON! He is the cutest thing and we love him dearly :)

that's him ^ We decided to call him Jeffery <3

Just thought I'd share the latest!

A Love Story (Part 2)

~Here is the second half of my romance story with Alfonzo!  Find out if we lived happily ever after or if our relationship faltered (I think you could guess).  Enjoy my story and comment :) ~  
     The "Welcome" mat was edged with soft green moss.  I held my breath as Alfonzo pushed open the door.  I didn't know it then but this would be my first time meeting my family in law and business partners.
      The living room was cozy, furnished with plush couches and soft Persian rugs.  Alfonzo asked me to sit while he made us some tea.  I sat down slowly still clutching awkwardly to the handle of my bulky suitcase.
      "Hey guys!" Alfonzo yelled from the kitchen, "My lovely girlfriend is here!".  I blushed at the word "girlfriend" when suddenly there was a stampede crashing down the stairs and I was being bombarded with hugs and hellos.  His family was so incredibly sweet.
      There was his mother, at the time with long brown hair tied in a bun that has since become gray at the roots.  I remember meeting her for the first time and noticing her impeccable smile and voluptuous curves.  His father was a stick thin man who almost always had a cigarette hanging out his mouth.  Maria, his sister and now one of my best friends, was a strikingly delicate girl with a fire in her eyes.  She was the one to calm me in this overwhelming whirl of meet and greets.
      "Let me show you to your room while Alfonzo gets the tea ready" Maria released the suitcase from my iron grip.  The house was so sweet, all the rooms were filled with sunlight and the beds covered with hand made quilts.  My room was adjacent to Alfonzo's.  After setting my stuff down we went back down stairs where the whole family was sitting around the living room with warm cups of tea.  Alfonzo motioned for me to sit next to him and we spent the night discussing dreams and reliving sweet memories.
      I can remember the exact moment I fell in love.  I woke up early, before anyone else.  I decided to take a walk down to the beach.  The stone path was dimly lit by swaying lanterns and the trees stretched there limbs, waking from slumber.  When I got to the cliff leading down to the beach the light was so beautiful and the sky was just the perfect amount of cloudy.  I felt different here.  I can vividly recall standing on the rocky beach, pebbles crunching under my feet, staring out at the ocean.  I was in love with this country and there was no way I was going back to live in America.  ~~~
   
     I spent several months in the Wales cottage, dropped out of school and soon got married to Alfonzo.  His family business was thriving and I agreed to help as a manager.  We moved to London soon after so I could help with their new branch and it was such an amazing adventure where I got to work with amazing people.  Alfonzo picked up a job too, as a shoe repair man.  He is surprisingly very happy with his work and we always have the nicest shoes.
       We were ready to start a family, but to anxious to wait for the birthing process.  So we got to work filling out forms to adopt.  We ended up with five beautiful little children whom we love dearly; two boys and three girls.  Adopting was the most humbling and purifying thing I have ever experienced.
        We have filled our secluded house with love and happiness and I could not adore my family more.  All I know is that my life took blossom on that the faithful day in Psychology rm 204 where I met my husband and everyday since has been a beautifully maturing flower.

Lists

~For me it has always been calming to make lists and organize my thoughts.  Here are some lists of things I enjoy and categories that have interested me~

My personal favorites:

1 Cookies
2 Movies
3 TEA
4 Writing
5 Foxes
6 Reading a good book
7 My family
8 kittens <3
9 Rain
10 the beach

People who have inspired me:

1 Wes Anderson
2 Jack London
3 John OCallaghan
4 Amy Poehler
5 My family
6 My friends
7 Richard Ayoade
8 Simon Amstell
9 Jim Henson
10 Myself

Places I would like to go:

1 Brazil
2 Venice, Italy
3 India!
4 Australia
5 Prague, Czech Republic
6 Iceland
7 Barcelona, Spain
8 South Africa
9 Egypt
10 Germany

Things in people which I like:

1 Compassion
2 Intelligence
3 Friendliness
4 Similar humor as mine
5 Adventurous
6 Trustworthy
7 Peaceful attitude
8 Sincerely humble
9 Good music taste
10 Love of music

Things in people which I dislike:

1 Mean
2 Rude
3 Bad manners
4 Superiority complex
5 Phoneyness
6 Ignorant
7 Unflexible
8 Lots of anger
9 Braggy
10 No sense of self

Things that worry me:

1 DEATH
2 Ruining my life somehow
3 Growing up
4 Never fulfilling my dreams
5 SCHOOL
6 Getting eaten by a shark
7 Everyone leaveing
8 Everything
9 Bugs getting into my mouth at night
10 the state of the human race

Things I would like to know how to do:

1 Juggle
2 Spell perfectly
3 Sew
4 Play the guitar
5 Work technology
6 Cook wonderfully
7 SING
8 Magic tricks
9 Make people adore me
10 Survive in the wild

Favorite movies:

1 Submarine
2 The Darjeeling Limited
3 Elizabeth town
4 The Princess Bride
5 Harold and Maude
6 The Royal Tenebaums
7 The Incredibles
8 Little Miss Sunshine
9 The Breakfast Club 

How to Stay Sinngle

~this is a poem I wrote as a teen girl who was still very confused about boys and relationships.  Its a silly, humorous piece that was lots of fun to write.  I hope you like it~

First off
Try to always avoid boys
If they try talking to you
Be sure to look bored and pissed off
The best way to steer clear of conversation
Is to simply not reply

Wear mostly sweatshirts
And show as little skin as possible
If necessary, don't brush your hair
Leave little tangles at the end to say:
Stay away, I'm wild!

Try to miss any event
Where hormonal boys will be abundant
If you find yourself in an unintended public situation
Be sure you're with people who are generally
more attractive to the male species
"Forgetting" to shave your legs is always helpful

Do not listen to love songs!
Do not talk about him with your friends!
Do not think about his hands running over
his soft hair!
Just sit in your peaceful boy-free room
And read Edgar Allen Poe or something

A Love Story (Part 1)

~One of my most favorite love stories, is my own. So this is the story of how Alfonzo and I met and fell deeply in love.  Remember kids, the best love stories are the ones that last forever!~

       I had just transferred from Alaska University to a private college in California, on account that my family had run into quite a bit of money when my grandfather found oil in his backyard.  The school was in San Francisco, a city I had loved growing up.  It had been so long since I had been in California and even though I was all alone with no family members, I was happy.
     This is where I met Alfonzo.  We were in the same psychology class and on the first day he sat next to me and said "You are very pretty" and that was all.  Class was beginning so I had no time to respond.  I tried to keep my cool, but I was intrigued by this young man.  He had an English accent, or so I thought, but also a very dark completion and black hair, long enough to reach the top of his neck.  He was wearing a yellow sports coat and suspenders, yet all this time I spent analyzing him he never even once glanced over at me.  After class, as I was gathering my book bag, he tapped me on the shoulder.
     "Would you like to get something to eat?" he said.  I agreed and we left together as he told me about some diner that he loved.  He had a yellow Datsun car, a similar color to his jacket.  I can remember that night very fondly.  It was raining like crazy and he was driving much faster than necessary.  When we reached the diner, the rain had stopped and we took a short stroll, hopping puddles and avoiding drops from extending tree branches.  The diner was sweet and small and all the waitresses rode around on their roller skates.  We both ordered a hamburger and fries.
     Ketchup was dripping down my chin, "Still think I'm pretty?" I joked.
     "Certainly" he said "One of the most beautiful creatures I have ever seen.  You said your name was Beatrice?  Such an elegant name to fit your elegant structure".  It seemed like he was probably bullshitting all this but nothing was more desirable to me than when someone could appreciate my perfect name.  He talked like a poet and moved like an actor, and I had never felt better or worse than when I was with him.
     So we continued going on spontaneous little dates, sometimes to the diner, sometimes to the movies but always planned on the way there.  This was driving me crazy because I quite like to prepare for things and establish routines or plans.  I was one date away from calling it off when he told me he had to go back to Wales, where his family was.  I was surprised how sad I was to hear the news but he left soon after without much fuss.
      A week or so later I received a letter from him in the mail.  It was sealed in a leaf green envelope and hand written.  While I had thought we had broken up, this letter proved different.  I had never heard any man be so freely open about his emotions as he described his situation.  We began corresponding through the mail.  To me this is the most romantic thing a couple could do, as they say absence makes the heart grow fonder but letters keeps the intimacy alive.  Its like you can crawl through the letters and curl up inside the mind of the writer, living off their vocabulary and breathing the shape of their handwriting.  Our letters became longer and fuller and I started to realize how much I loved this young man.
      As my sophomore year as a college student came to a close I remember feeling suddenly depressed and lonely.  The letters from Alfonzo were becoming less frequent.  He was very busy at the time helping to keep his family business of yarn manufacturing alive.  At last I received a letter from him, it was surprisingly much shorter than his last letter.  It read only five words: "I want to see you".  Enclosed was a plane ticket to Wales.
     I arrived at the Wales airport at four in the afternoon with only one suitcase.  Alfonzo was there to pick me up in his yellow Datsun (you cant imagine all the crap he had to go through to get the car shipped over to the UK).  We drove to his family cottage out in the hills, it was a relatively cloudy day and the air smelled nice and fresh.  The family cobblestone cottage was in Swansea and had the most beautiful view of the ocean.  Alfonzo got my suitcase out of his trunk and invited me inside to meet the family......

TO Be Continued

Vignette

~ This is my first vignette! If you are not familiar with the word "vignette", please feel free to Google it because I'm not sure how to explain it. This is about a revelation I had when I was younger, a true story. Please enjoy and leave a comment if you experienced a similar experience!~

I sat with my tiny legs crossed on the floor, tilting my head from side to side.   I had become enthralled with drawing on my Magnadoodle, a yellow plastic pad with a red magnetic pen that pulls the graney metal to the surface of the screen to create a fuzzy image.  I would draw squiggly houses and disproportionate stick figures, then I washed the whole scene away with a quick sweep of the small handle.

Of course before I erased my art I would show my dear mother.  Her reaction was always similar, “Oh, thats nice sweetie” she said.  After my fifth drawing and fifth nonchalant compliment I began to question the consistency of her reviews.

Pulling my stringy hair behind my ears with the tips of my fingers, I got to work to make the worst picture I could possibly make.  I took the red pen and scratched like a wild animal on the pad, the noise similar to the sound of buzzing bees, if bees were made out of plastic.  My end result was an out of focus blob of black.

Satisfied with my horrid work, I got up and adjusted my cotton shirt.  I ran into our tightly packed kitchen where my mother was washing presumably dishes over the sink that was too tall for me to see. She was wearing water splattered pajamas and looked pretty tired “Do you like my drawing?” I asked, showing her my crazy mess of lines.

“Thats nice sweetie” she stated.  I had my results.  My small brain now contained the information that no matter what I showed my mother she would compliment it.  I nodded my head slowly and walked back down the shadowy halls to my bright room. Gotcha, I thought.