Leaping Off the Page: Any Time of the Year Edition
Page 13
SISTERS
Dedicated to my nieces Michelle and Aimee, who now have children of their own.
A Sketch
This play is a short dialog between two sisters. They are seven and eleven years old. While the main theme of the play is about friendship and the sister relationship, it also deals with forgiveness.
CAST:
Michelle: The eleven year old. She is despondent because her family has recently moved and she has no friends in the new place. She thinks.
Aimee: The seven year old. She may have the same problems as Michelle, but she has a different way of looking at them!
SCENE: It takes place in front of a home. It could be the front porch or the sidewalk. You may have steps for the girls to sit on or a curb. Whatever it is, Michelle is sitting dejectedly with her chin cupped in her hands. Aimee skips in, large ball in hand.
Michelle: (Sighing with gusto) Sigh!
Aimee: (Sitting on curb next to Michelle) What’s the matter, Michelle?
Michelle: (Not moving much) Now that we’ve moved, (wails) I don’t have any friends!
Aimee: (Big smile) You have me.
Michelle: (Stares at Aimee) You’re just my sister. (Shifts away from Aimee and turns her back.) How can you be my friend?
Aimee: (Pondering) Oh? What are friends?
Michelle: (Superior tones) Friends are people you can play with. (She gets up and starts to move away)
Aimee: (Scrambles to her feet. Bounces ball to Michelle when she turns to her) You can play with me.
Michelle: (Catching ball) But you’re four years younger than me. (Tossing ball back) We don’t like the same things. (Starts away)
Aimee: (Catches ball, runs after Michelle and circles her to stop her) Do you like to run?
Michelle: (Heavy sigh of impatience) Yes.
Aimee: (Skipping in front of Michelle to her other side. Over her shoulder) D’you like to skip?
Michelle: (Frowning uncomprehendingly) Sure.
Aimee: (Pitches ball to Michelle) Play softball?
Michelle: (Catching ball) You know I do.
Aimee: (Coming right up to Michelle conspiratorially) D’you like to pretend?
Michelle: (Growing irritated, pushes past Aimee) Well, yeah. Sure.
Aimee: (Standing her ground, fists on hips) D’you like to laugh?
Michelle: (Turning and staring at Aimee) You crazy?
Aimee: Well, do you?
Michelle: (Sits glumly, hugging ball) Well, sure. Naturally.
Aimee: (Softly, down on her haunches beside Michelle) I like to do all those things.
Michelle: Well, yeah, but...
Aimee: What’s so different, then?
Michelle: (Turning her back on Aimee. She’s making too much sense for a lowly seven year old) A seven year old can’t do as mush as someone who’s just turned eleven.
Aimee: (Circling Michelle and standing tall) I can climb a tree as high as you can.
Michelle: (Starts to protest) But... (She catches Aimee’s eye and turns away)
Aimee: (On her haunches beside Michelle, addressing the back of her head) I beat you at checkers 14 times.
Michelle: (Quick turn of head) Six.
Aimee: Fourteen.
Michelle: (Turns head away grumpily) Who’s counting?
Aimee: I am. (Gets up and strolls nonchalantly a couple of feet away. A sideways glance at Michelle) My jokes are just as dumb as yours.
Michelle: (Starting to laugh) Hey!
Aimee: (As if conceding a major point) Well, the faces you make are funnier. Look what you’re starting with!
Michelle: (Tossing ball upstage, she wrestles Aimee to the ground) Watch it!
Aimee: (Michelle is sitting on her and they’re both laughing) I guess you are stronger than me. (Puff, puff) But we can have lots of fun together!
Michelle: (Grudgingly) Yeah. (Grins) It’s fun beating you up. (Aimee makes a mock, “Who me?” gesture) You talk too much. (Helps Aimee up) But friends are more than just people to play with. Friends are with you all the time.
Aimee: (Brushing herself off) Dummy! I’m with you a lot more than other girls. We live in the same house, you dough brain!
Michelle: (Going to pick up the ball) Friends are people who care.
Aimee: (Following Michelle) I care.
Michelle: (Stops with ball in hands and stares at Aimee) You do?
Aimee: (Take ball and bounce it a couple of times) Sure. I’m your sister, aren’t I?
Michelle: (Take ball back and hold it high) No matter what?
Aimee: (Rolls eyes) Welll...
Michelle: (Toss ball at Aimee and huff away) You see?
Aimee: (Calling after her) How many of the girls at school would forgive you for spilling grape soda on her favorite white sweater?
Michelle: (Turning in) It was just an accident!
Aimee: I forgive you.
Michelle: (To Aimee) But it was! It...! (Stops and stares) You what?
Aimee: Yup. I forgive you.
Michelle: (Astounded) You forgive me? (Aimee smiles and nods) But that was your favorite sweater!
Aimee: I forgive you.
Michelle: (Sitting down on curb again) I guess you really do care.
Aimee: (Sitting down, too) No matter what.
Michelle: Me, too. No matter what.
Aimee: (Hand out) So are we friends?
Michelle: (High fives) Yup! My sister is my best friend.
Aimee: (Leaps to her feet) Great! Let’s go play in the park. There’s a great –
Michelle: (Her chin propped in her hands again) I can’t. (Big, shuddering sigh) I’m still depressed.
Aimee: (Puzzled) Why? I’m your best friend now!
Michelle: (Grins) I don’t have any second best friends!
Aimee: Oh, you! (Aimee throws ball at Michelle and they have an impromptu dodge ball game as they run off to play in the park.)
Curtain
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Monodramas
These are one-person plays.