Aboard The Ship

A short play I did for a school assignment. My first attempt at something like this, and I'm happier with it than I thought I would going into it.

Characters

Jasper, ten year old deckhand.

Captain McHuckabeagle, aging captain.

Tumble, confident first mate. Occasionally a know it all, and stick in the mud.

Bunce, teenage deck hand. Can be immature, but accomplishes his jobs.

Granite, teenage deck hand. Easily influenced, due to low intelligence.

Setting: The play takes place aboard the Cyst, a merchant ship, during the early 1700s.  Its deck is old and worn. Up stage is the port side, dropping off to the ocean.

Act 1, Scene 1

Dusk is settling and the deckhands are finishing their duties, mopping and moving things as needed. Bunce and Granite suddenly stop to lean over the starboard railing and talk, Jasper does not notice and continues working.

GRANITE

How many days have we been sailing?

BUNCE

I don’t know…

GRANITE

But if you were to guess how many days we have been sailing, what would you say as your guess, if we were guessing would be.

BUNCE

(Sighing)

Um.. I would guess the same number… as the number of nights we’ve been sailing.

GRANITE

(Obviously Mistified)

Oh, okay…

(Silence is allowed for a moment as they stare across the ocean)

How many nights have we been sailing?

BUNCE

Oh, Je-

JASPER

(Cutting into the older boys’ conversation)

Five.

GRANITE

Five what?

JASPER

Days. We have been sailing for- five days.

GRANITE

I feel it's been longer.

JASPER

Why? Why would you think that?

GRANITE

I don’t know. I had this dream a few nights ago, and we were all sailing like normal, and then one of you guys died, or… like melted. And then everyone melted, except me, and a dog that was here for some reason. But your melted-ness melted through the ship, and the ship sank, and the dog drowned and I hid in a barrel. Then I ran out of food and water as I floated in the barrel for a few weeks, but then I saw a dolphin in the distance, and I thought he was going to save me but then I woke up and you guys weren’t dead and I forgot what the days were.

JASPER

...Oh.

BUNCE

The- the dog died?

TUMBLE

(Enters scene carrying a map and other papers)

Why aren’t you guys working.

BUNCE

Granite just told us about a sad dream he had were a dog died.

TUMBLE

(Obviously upset)

Oh…

(He then quickly begins to exit scene)

I’m sorry I’m not good with feelings..

JASPER

What’s so important about the dog, in that story?

(Begins to move upstage and into the background to resume scrubbing the deck)

BUNCE

Perhaps you are still too young.. to understand the miracle of life.

(Bunce and Granite stare out over the ocean as the stage lights dim ending the scene)

Act 1, Scene 2

It is early the next morning, the crew is still sleeping in their bunks. Granite and Bunce share one bunk bed, with Granite on top. Jasper is on a top bunk above an unnamed sailor.

TUMBLE

(Enters the scene carrying an old bugle, he then begins to badly sing Reveille as loud as he can to wake the others up)

BUNCE

Ahh! Why are you screaming?

TUMBLE

(Satisfied that everyone is up)

Horn’s broken.

JASPER

Since when have you used a horn?

TUMBLE

...Horn’s been broken.

GRANITE

(Sits up with sheet covering him entirely)

Is the dying animal dead yet!?!

TUMBLE

Captain has today’s announcements.

CAPTAIN MCHUCKABEAGLE

(Slowly walking into scene)

First of all, good morning… Second of all, some seagulls spent the night on the deck and you guys are gonna have to scrape off what they left behind…

CREW

(Group groans)

CAPTAIN MCHUCKABEAGLE

It has also come to my attention, that many of you are in mourning for Granite’s dog.

JASPER

(Holding his head)

Why god is this the focus?

CAPTAIN MCHUCKABEAGLE

I told Granite four times when he joined the crew, that there are no animals allowed on board, so yeah- I’m glad its dead… Anyway, have a good day, there is gooey seagull crust on the deck, and I am now onto those of you who are hiding animals.

(The captain then exits the scene)

JASPER

The dog never existed!

BUNCE

Shouldn’t we be focusing on McHuckabeagle’s glee in the death of animals.

JASPER

I don’t know what I’m supposed to focus on anymore…

(He hops out of bed and throws on his jacket)

I’m going to go scratch a thick coating of seagull splat off the ship before I’m engulfed in the garbage fire which is our usual conversation.

(He then exits the scene)

BUNCE

...What type of dog was it?

GRANITE

What dog is everyone talking about?

Act 2, Scene 1

It is just before noon, Jasper has just finished cleaning the deck.

JASPER

...Where is everybody?

BUNCE

(Enters scene with Granite and several unnamed crew members, they have Tumble hogtied and are carrying him to the captain’s quarters)

Hi, Jasper.

JASPER

What are you doing?

BUNCE

Mutinying.

GRANITE

We are also revolting.

JASPER

What!- Wait… is this about the dog.

BUNCE

You could say this is directly because of the dog.

JASPER

(Immediately losing interest)

Oh, yeah- carry on. I don’t care anymore.

GRANITE

You sure, this might be pretty fun.

JASPER

I would rather bathe in broken glass, then even try to understand you people and your actions.

BUNCE

So, thats a no then.

JASPER

Sure.

BUNCE

Does that mean you are allied with the captain?

JASPER

No, it means I’m going to go back to sleep until this crud blows over.

(He drops whatever he is holding and begins to exit the scene)

GRANITE

That’s cool.

JASPER

Yeah, whatever.

BUNCE

Okay… resume mutiny.

(The mutineers run off stage toward the captain’s quarters as the stage lights dim to end the scene)

Act 3, Scene 1

It is noon and the captain is having lunch in his quarters when the mutineers burst through the door.

BUNCE

Captain! Surrender!

CAPTAIN MCHUCKABEAGLE

Uh… surrender to what?

BUNCE

Surrender to the mutiny.

CAPTAIN MCHUCKABEAGLE

(Alarmed)

There’s a mutiny!

GRANITE

Yes.

CAPTAIN MCHUCKABEAGLE

Who is mutinying?

GRANITE

We are sir.

CAPTAIN MCHUCKABEAGLE

Why in the- is this about your dead dog.

BUNCE

Maybe…

JASPER

(From offstage, and muffled because he is below deck.)

The was no dog!

CAPTAIN MCHUCKABEAGLE

Well then…

(He then draws a flintlock pistol and shoots one of the unnamed sailors.)

Crew

Ahh!

(The room then goes silent.)

CAPTAIN MCHUCKABEAGLE

Soo… are we done here then?

GRANITE

Yeah- we’re good.

(The crew quickly exits and the captain goes back to his lunch.)

JASPER

(From offstage, and muffled because he is below deck.)

Come on! Someone actually died!  

Reviews

[Stan Lee]

I liked this but I thought there could have been more.

This line had me laughing out loud! : GRANITE: What dog is everyone talking about?
I think that's gonna be a new quote for me :D I love it!