I really like this one. I'd love to adapt it into a short film. There's a great message here, and so you don't miss it, I'll tell you at the top: deep down, we're all the same. We all have our ups and downs. We've all had those days when we just couldn't remember something that was on the tip of our tongue, that little bit of trivia that kept us awake. (At least we did before Google.) This could be a great tool to remind people to love their neighbor - and that their neighbor is anyone they happen to meet, no matter what their race, color, creed, or economic status.
His Name Is…
By John Cosper
www.righteousinsanity.com
CHARACTERS
Grace and Christy – Two fit stay-at-home moms
Juan and Marco – A pair of guys looking for work
Alan – A serious business man
Joe – Alan’s colleague
Shara – A hard working waitress
Malcolm – An almost as hard working bus boy
A Big, Scary Looking Guy
Grace and Christy enter stage right, wearing workout clothes. They’re pushing strollers across toward stage left.
GRACE: I can’t believe I’m drawing a blank on this.
CHRISTY: I can’t believe it either.
GRACE: I’ve watched a thousand hours of it with the kids. Why can’t I remember this?
CHRISTY: Its going to bug us the rest of the day.
GRACE: I know, I hate when this happens.
CHRISTY: It’s always something silly, too.
Juan and Marco enter, stage right. They are in second hand clothes, dirty, ragged, shuffling along.
GRACE: Of course! It’s never anything important.
CHRISTY: (checks her phone) Come on, Jim, check your text!
GRACE: Too bad you don’t have Internet on your phone. We could end this.
CHRISTY: I can’t believe I’m obsessing over the Oscar the Grouch’s pet worm.
GRACE: It’s something simple, like… Like Sammy!
They stop.
CHRISTY: Sammy?
GRACE: No, that doesn’t sound right?
CHRISTY: We need to get to a computer.
Christy and Grace exit. Juan stops. Marco stops.
MARCO: What is it?
JUAN: I can’t remember either.
MARCO: Remember what?
JUAN: Oscar the Grouch, man. He had a pet worm.
MARCO: He did?
JUAN: Little cute guy. He inched along on the garbage can. What was he called?
Alan enters, stage right, walking briskly toward stage left in his three piece suit.
MARCO: Wormy?
JUAN: No, it’s it’s not Wormy!
MARCO: Maybe this guy knows.
JUAN: Hey, man, you got a second?
ALAN: (keeps moving) I don’t have any change, sorry.
JUAN: Man, I don’t need any change. I just wanna know if you know the name of Oscar the Grouch’s pet worm.
ALAN: Sorry, I don’t have any kids.
Alan exits. Juan sighs. He and Marco walk toward stage right.
JUAN: This is gonna bug me all day.
MARCO: I can tell, man.
As Juan and Marco exit, A table is set at stage left. Alan and Joe sit down with menus. Shara enters with a note pad. Alan stares off into space as Joe orders.
JOE: I think I’ll do the chicken fingers.
SHARA: Fries or chips with that?
JOE: Let me have the chips.
SHARA: And do you want ranch, buffalo, barbecue, or honey mustard?
JOE: Honey mustard.
SHARA: And for you?
They look at Alan.
JOE: Alan, you okay?
ALAN: Hmm? Oh, sorry. I was just a little distracted.
JOE: Something catch your eye?
ALAN: Do you remember the name of Oscar the Grouch’s pet worm?
JOE: What, from Sesame Street?
ALAN: Yeah! Do you remember? He had a worm. He was yellow and orange, and his name was… Gosh, why is this bugging me?
SHARA: Oh, I hate when that happens. I went around for two days last week could not remember the third girl that was on Friends. Courteney Cox.
JOE: I know the feeling.
SHARA: You know, I don’t remember the worm’s name.
ALAN: You don’t?
SHARA: My kid watches it all the time, and I can see him in my mind, plain as day. Can’t remember his name.
JOE: I’m drawing a blank too.
Malcolm crosses from stage right with a tub, filled with dishes.
ALAN: This is gonna bug me until I remember. Burger and fries, please. Medium well.
JOE: And an answer on that worm question.
SHARA: No kidding. (turns to Malcolm) You watch Sesame Street?
MALCOLM: Yeah?
SHARA: What was the name of Oscar the Grouch’s worm?
MALCOLM: (thinks for a moment) I don’t know.
SHARA: You remember him, right?
MALCOLM: Sure, I remember. But I don’t remember his name.
Shara takes Malcolm’s tub and exits. Alan and Joe exit as Malcolm walks back to center. He takes off his apron. He pulls out a cell phone. He dials.
MALCOM: Yo, man, what’s up? Hey, I got a question. What was the name of Oscar the Grouch’s pet worm?
The Big, Scary Guy enters, walking slow, looking menacing. He eyeballs Malcolm – and his cell phone.
MALCOLM: You don’t?... Some girl at my work brought it up and it’s been bugging me ever since… Is that Eddie? See if he knows… That’s right, Oscar the Grouch. He had a pet worm. Yellow and orange, little black eyes, hung out on his garbage can…
Malcolm sees the Scary Guy. He turns away, a bit nervous.
MALCOLM: Oh he doesn’t? Anybody else there?... I know, man, I hate when you get that one thing stuck in your head you can’t remember. It’s right there, right on the…
The Scary Guy starts to walk to Malcolm. Malcolm tries not to notice.
MALCOLM: It’s right there, but you can’t remember… No, man, I don’t have Internet either. I…
Malcolm looks up at the Big Scary Guy.
SCARY GUY: His name is Slimy.
The Big Scary Guy walks off. Malcolm watches him go.
MALCOLM: Mick? His name is Slimy.
Malcolm exits.
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