DMP Final Script

 Script:

Three “actors”:

Sammy

Sydney

Annie

Poets/choral:

Alli

Beth

Jeremy

Tech/Ethereal Being:

Kelsey

(1.5 minutes) WORDCLOUD PROMPT

As the audience comes in, the projector has instructions for how to fill out the wordcloud. “Help” by the Beatles plays. Audience has time to fill out the prompt. “What is stressing you out right now?”

Stress prompts Kels will add:

I miss my family, anxiety about politics, 

(2 minutes) INTRO STORY/VERBATIM

Empty stage with projector and prompt. except for Sammy, she shares her story, two others add on. 

(54 seconds)

Sammy: So over the summer I was living with my family and it was very difficult I- I missed my friends I had a hard time living back at home... and I was so overwhelmed with just- stress and the pandemic and being alone and I was so- just scared and frightened...and I didn’t know what to do. And so one night I was out taking a walk, um...you know as the, the sun was setting and I ...there was uh, some railroad tracks by my family’s house. And I stood there and there were no trains coming but it was, it was dark and the moon was starting to rise in the sky and I was so overwhelmed with everything that I just….screamed for all that I could I just...screaaaamed. I dont know if anyone could hear me all the way down the railroad tracks, but...

Sydney: The worst part would have to be not being able to see my friends everyday because I didn’t even get to finish middle school with them. And now I’m a freshman and online school stresses me out and I miss going to school. Feels like there’s double the work cuz usually I would be doing something in class then my work at home but now it’s both at home so I’m always behind. And it’s terrible because our volleyball season was so short we only had two games.

Annie: Verbatim theatre (45 seconds)

Nowadays the missions have their game plans but when I was out in Texas, they made us sit in our apartment, which had all 4 walls like the inside of a parking garage and no carpet. And we just read our scriptures from morning to night without being allowed to leave. And, uh, it wasn’t super fun.You see, I was trapped in my mind. You’d think that dedicating yourself 24/7 to the scriptures for months would be empowering, but instead my head became foggy, until something snapped and well, my brain stopped working right. The world looked physically different, like I was wearing goggles that inverted objects and distorted color. 

 

(2 minutes) CLIMAX

Kelsey reads stress prompts, everyone else comes in and says things stressing them out. 

Drawing chalk scribbles, getting more and more chaotic. Sammy does not draw. 

Jeremy’s music mix (one song starts, then more and more are added) begins to play, louder, and louder. 

Sammy begins to scream, people freeze. 

SCREAM

(30 seconds) BREATH WORK

Everyone breathes in unison. Music starts, (Harp music.) Hopefully the audience will join in.

(new music starts) 

Sydney: Ask the second question.

(1 minute) NEW PROMPT

New prompt appears on the screen, word cloud instructions: How do you deal when you just can’t deal? Or How do you take care of yourself/What self-care do you do to help yourself?

Start drawing flowers coming out of the scribbles and Kelsey “reads” some of the responses to the word cloud

At the crescendo of the music, Beth, Jer, and Alli will go off stage to retrieve the colored clothes.

Beth will enter first to share color with Sammy followed by Alli and Jer.

Sammy, Sydney, and Annie will exit to retrieve plants during the poem

(20 seconds)- POEM

Beth: If the mountain feels too big today...

Beth, Jeremy, Alli: Climb the hill instead.

Jeremy: If the morning brings you sadness...

Beth & Alli: it’s okay to stay in bed.

(beth, alli, jeremy exit to get plants) 

(2 minute)- Verbatim theatre

Throughout this part, alternate tending the garden and looking at the person speaking.

Sammy: And I woke up the next morning and I...I just kept going. And I don’t know how I made it this far but...I made it somehow. (Laugh). Who knows how, cuz I still feel like I need to scream sometimes but…

Beth enters with plant: I like to sleep. Cuz then I’m not even conscious, and usually when I wake up I feel better. And if I don’t, I can just go back to sleep. I also like piano playing, and finding release in the sound it makes. It makes a lot of noise, which feels pretty fulfilling. 

Sydney: Well, I’ve taken the 16 personalities thing. And I got like ENFP and um it said...I can’t remember what it said. *clears throat* I can actually look it up. Um it says “these people tend to embrace big ideas and actions that reflect their sense of hope and good will toward others and their vibrant energy can flow in many directions. I’m vibrant. *Reagan laugh* um, I think I’ve gotten more conf- confident in the last year cuz I don’t think I was very confident in eighth grade but I think now I’m a lot more.

Alli enters with plant: I just cry first. Then I started doing, uh, yoga, and focusing on hair care and skin care, things like that. Without all of it, I wouldn’t have gained this maturity that I kind of have been growing into.

Annie: You know, I like to hop in my truck, listen to music, and just drive around to kind of take a break from things and try to relax for even a few minutes. That and I talk to my family when things get tough. They, uh, keep me grounded, you know? And being with my younger siblings. Well they can be pretty wild when they want to be, but being with them, it gives me hope. I guess what I’m saying is that taking a step back sometimes just gives me that strength I need to really dig deep and make it through.

Jeremy enters with plant: I think my self care is like...one...one of things is I go to the gym a lot. Um because I recognize it helps me feel good. Um I like really high intensity work outs. So ya know I can go to the gym, work super hard, feel like I accomplished something really good.

Sammy: if I can't scream then I’ll...talk to my friends or I will…(sigh) get a good night’s rest or do something nice for myself. But I’m making it. I’m still here.

Everyone stand

Kelsey- Start rotating through the pictures of people watering themselves as plants

(48 seconds),- POEM

Music underscores the poem

Sydney: If a shower stings like needles…

Jeremy: And a bath feels like you’ll drown

Alli: if you haven't washed your hair in days…

Beth: Don’t throw away your crown.

Sammy: It’s okay to take a moment

Annie: From an Anxious, Fractured mind. 

Sydney: The world will still keep turning

Jeremy: while you get realigned.

Annie step forward: Zac’s verbatim line:

“I’ve survived every single day so far. If I survived all that, I bet I can survive this too. Cuz I have before.”

Alli: The mountain will still be there

Beth: when you want to try again.

Sammy: You can climb it in your own time.

All: just try to love yourself till then. 

Exit order: Beth, Alli, Annie, Syd, Jer

Sammy: and I’m still here.