Adopt-a-Virtue

This is my first real attempt at an epic theatre piece and it is still at this stage considered a draft. Though I would really appriciate constructive critism so I can improve it before I have to act it :P

Dedicated to Gene Tolentino - Great friend, listener, carer of the world, inspiration and one of the most selfless and generous people I have ever had the pleasure to meet.

 

CHARACTERS

HONESTY- an omniscient observer and narrator.

VALOUR – middle school student, Generosity’s sister

GENEROSITY – Valour’s brother, only a few years older

PATIENCE – Valour and Generosity’s Foster parent.

 

HONESTY:

The world we reside in is a maze

Of dark twisting alleys

Where many are lost

 

Never realising.

 

The darkness and dead ends

Twists and turns

Become a way of life

 

Forever wandering.

 

Never finding the pretty garden

The centre of hope; the heart

Nor seeing the signs along the walls

 

Blind.

 

I too am amongst these lost souls

Always present, but rarely seen

Telling things how it is

 

I am honesty.

 

And here it is

Two orphaned kids and a foster parent

In an uncaring society

 

Alienated

Mistreated

Lost.

 

(HONESTY morphs into VALOUR)

 

VALOUR:

School is scary. Gene will always hold my hand to the gate. He tells me not to notice the faces that stare, but I can’t help it! Their eyes pin me to the spot. I can’t move! But then somehow I do… Not because I have to, but because I want to. I want to learn, to read to grow up and become a vet and take care of animals. I, Val, shall go somewhere; say things and people will listen! ... But no one does now, not at school anyway. They spend their days uncaring, like books are boring and that little sticks of lip-gloss are Holy or something. (Mockingly) “Oh my God, how cute”

At lunchtime they keep their distance and turn their backs. No one would want to sit with the “povo orphan” the street girl with her lack of style… I can see why Gene doesn’t dare set foot here, it’s unwelcoming. Here we are aliens.

 

(VALOUR morphs into GENEROSITY)

 

GENEROSITY:

(At a train station a book about space opened in lap)

Yep aliens gotta exist. The universe is simply too big. You… are…here (points to spot on page.) Here I am a tiny spec, forever just a spec. But I know this place, these streets, this station, my destination: the old Salvos. It has this smell… mmm and I love that smell. The smell of old women, men, children, items with stories and histories of their own. And the books! Words and words, many I don’t understand but they are there. And today I plan on adding to that collection, I’ll let someone else marvel at space. And I saved up for another book for Val, she loves them, gonna go far she is.

And it’s quiet there, always quiet… not like here. The trains and the people and noise… There it’s like a forgotten sanctuary of gifts… of…

(Trails off, gets up and begins to back away)

What do you want from me? I have nothing! Please... don’t!

 

(GENEROSITY scrambles backward and falls over, then morphs into HONESTY)

 

HONESTY:

Unconscious on the concrete

Book gone

Change gone

 

Alone.

 

Alone in the world

Alone in the station

While elsewhere Pat

 

Searches.

 

(HONESTY morphs into PATIENCE)

 

PATIENCE:

(On the phone)

Please Val, slow down… where is Gene? … Did he say where he was going? … … Okay, bye then... (Putting phone away)

I guess not, and not at school. Typical Gene. The kid could be anywhere. Val and Gene are close siblings, it’s evident from the stories Val tells… and they are good kids, even if Gene runs off a lot and gets himself lost. They always seem so lost, I even feel lost… But they give me some direction, hope. Look, even here at the station it’s so easy to get lost in these… penguins! Black and white suits and cases waddling at an incredible speed, racing off to where the next pool of fish is, only to have to wait.

But wait, beyond them… Gene?!…

Start CPR, someone call an ambulance, 2 breathes…1…2, 30 compressions…1…2…3….

 

(PATIENCE morphs into HONESTY)

 

HONESTY:

Tick Tock, Tick Tock

Long into the night Pat works

Until 30 minutes later at last

 

A breath

 

5 more hours at his side

Without him he could have died

And still he will care for even longer

 

Waiting

 

In the foster home

Sitting by the telephone

Until that long hoped for call

 

When someone in society will

Adopt them.

 

Author's Note

Please note:
>this is still a draft, be hard
>This is EPIC theatre, if you do notn understand the conventions and want to be really critical please look it up first
> this is made up of monologues due to only one person will be acting

Please if you could let me know if the following messages come through the dialogue:
What I want to convey to my audience:
 people are lost in the dark, trapped in routine just �living� without greater meaning
 Virtues are lost, ignored, forgotten
 People are too materialistic
 People do not seek greater heights
 No willingness for change
 Not helping those who need help most
 Society no longer gives as it should
 Too many simply rush through life
 Take control of life, don�t let it pass by
 Adopt some virtues in your life dammit!

Thanks!
~Jazlean

Reviews

[The Lovely Sound Of Cra..]

Wow, this was really freaking amazing Jaz. I'm impressed by it.
It really is deep and poetic. You did a great job on this. =)
Dedicating it to me though... heh. You're making me blush! XD
But I loved the monologues and I really enjoyed reading every bit of this. I could just hear everything being spoken in my head as I went through it. I knew you'd write something amazing!
Keep up the good work as always!