Playwriting

This play was created for an assignment in which we were asked to write a play over 500 words. Although the play itself was not hard to write, coming up with an idea proved to be a huge challenge! It was very hard to express a story that would only be conveyed to an audience through dialogue. This is my first attempt at playwriting.

The Face Juggler

Characters
Samantha: Your average teenage girl. She is a Sophmore in highschool. Samantha is popular at school, and is addicted to her iphone.

Dad: Samantha’s father is a classic American dad. He is not a lazy man, and he is a family man.

Setting
The family’s home. They live in a ranch style house. It’s tastefully decorated and tidy. The family is not rich however it is clear that they live comfortably.

Scene 1
Samantha is sitting at the kitchen counter playing on her iphone: texting, facebook etc.
Her dad walks in.

DAD: (calmly yet scornfully) Don’t you have better things to do Sam? Shouldn’t your teachers be overloading you with homework?
SAMANTHA: (looks up from her phone, then back down without a word)
DAD: You spend far too much time on that thing... (points at phone) I have half a mind to take it away.. See how ya cope for like 24 whole hours.
SAMANTHA: (not looking up from her phone) Mmhmmmm
DAD: What could possibly be so enthralling anyway?
SAMANTHA: (sassy but jokingly) Ok Dad, this is actually pretty cool.... Let me show you this new app! It’s called Face Juggler.
DAD: I hope you didn’t spend my money on this Samantha.
SAMANTHA: Nono, just come here dad. We have to take a pic.
SAMANTHA and DAD take a picture using the front camera on her iphone
DAD: K, now what?
SAMANTHA: Just wait a moment... (She turns the phone to face her dad showing a picture of their faces swapped)
DAD: Oh my! That’s horrible! (He chuckles deeply) Man these clever apps these days.. (He looks at the picture again, a second take) I look 10 years younger!

Scene 2
Later that night, Samantha is getting ready for bed.
SAMANTHA: Alright, good night Dad! I’m going to bed. See ya in the morning.
DAD: Ok honey, sleep tight. Oh and leave your phone out here for the night. I’m not going through it or anything! I just don’t want you texting boys ‘til all hours of the night.
SAMANTHA: (annoyed) Ohh my gosh, that is so unnecessary Dad! (groans) Whatever! I don’t text in bed anyway! That’s dumb. (she puts her phone down on the kitchen counter)
DAD: Thank you Samantha. Sleep tight.

Scene 3
SAMANTHA and DAD wake up like usual in their normal beds at the normal time. SAMANTHA rolls out of bed and walks into her bathroom where she plans on washing her face and putting on her make up. However, she sees in the mirror that she has her father’s face! Samantha runs to his bedroom to shake him awake.

SAMANTHA: (in horror) Dadddd! What the f*** is wrong with our faces?!
DAD: (sleepy and then in shock) Holy smokes! Jiminy Cricket! Son of a Gun! What did you do?!
SAMANTHA: (more upset) Me?! What did YOU do?! You took my phone last night! (sassy) Remember?!
DAD: I haven’t touched it Sam! It’s still in the kitchen...
SAMANTHA and DAD run to the kitchen counter where SAMANTHA’S phone lies.
SAMANTHA: How could this possibly happen?! We both look hideous!
DAD: (in a forced soothing tone) Ok, calm down Sam sweetie.. let’s figure this out. What could possibly have gone wrong?
SAMANTHA: (in tears) I don’t know Dad! Just fix it!
After hours of confusion and tension and worry, the two dissect the phone and put it back together. They then restart the phone and go to their own rooms. When they come out their faces are back their own normal faces! SAMANTHA and DAD walk out of their rooms and see each others faces are back to normal, and they embrace each other! SAMANTHA continues to use her phone; however, much less than before. She deletes most of her apps and only uses it for the essential.