Play

A play is a story that is written for actors to perfom. Plays have dialogue, or the words the characters speak. Plays also have stage directions that tell the actors how to look and act.

Look for details about characters in the dialogue and stage directions. Analyzing how characters respond to events can help you to better understand the characters.

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CHARACTERS

MS. ROSARIO, the manager of Dollar Rite Department Store

MISS PETAL, her assistant

YGOR, a lab assistant

VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN,  a scientist

THE MONSTER,  Dr. Frankenstein's creation

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SCENE ONE

MS. ROSARIO is pacing nervously in her office. It is 9:00 a.m

MS. ROSARIO. [desperate] I need a mascot for our Monster Sale. The broadcast starts in two hours! There must be at least one monster that needs a job!

[MISS PETAL enters. She looks terrified]

MISS PETAL. Ms. Rosario, someone is waiting to see you for the mascot job.

MS. ROSARIO. Great! Show him in.

[MISS PETAL leaves, still looking terrified]

[YGOR enters, holding a thick rope that is  pulled tight. At the other end os the rope is THE MONSTER, hidden offstage. MS. ROSARIO stares up at THE MONSTER. She looks amazed, then overjoyed.]

MS ROSARIO.  Perfect

YGOR. My name is Ygor Manic. [points to THE MONSTER, still offstage] This is my friend Frankensteinz. He wants to apply the job you advertised.

MS. ROSARIO.  [still staring at THE MONSTER] Frankensteinz?

YGOR. Yes, Frankensteinz is his first name. It's spelled with a z.

MS. ROSARIO. What is his last name?

YGOR. Monster

[Offstage, THE MONSTER makes a loud grunt.  A cat howls. THE MONSTER tugs the rope impatiently, pulling YGOR toward him. MS. ROSARIO pulls the rope back.]

YGOR. No, Frankie! Leave the cat alone! [turning to MS. ROSARIO] I think he's hungry. He hasn't eaten since he was born.

[MS. ROSARIO makes a  cell phone call.]

MS. ROSARIO. Miss Petal, Call Cluck-Cluck Chicken. Order a bucket of chicken and a broccoli salad. And hop to it, if you love your cat!

[The rope loosens suddenly. YGOR and MS. ROSARIO fall to the floor. MS. ROSARIO gets up immediately and brushes hersefl off]

MS ROSARIO.  [calmly] Let's take Mr. Monster to the lunchroom. We can sit down. And I can tell you about the job.

YGOR. And how much it pays;

MS. ROSARIO.  Yes, I can tell you that, too.

*****

SCENE TWO

Later that morning. MS. ROSARIO gives orders to MISS PETAL, who takes notes.

MS. ROSARIO.  We must hurry. The broadcast begins at 12:30. Call the makeup department. Tell them that Mr. Monster looks too scary. They should cover some os his stitches. Call wardrobe. Say we won't need them.

MISS PETAL. [breathlessly] Yes, Ms. Rosario.

[Noises offstage: tin plates clatter]

THE MONSTER. [from offstage] More food!

YGOR. [from offstage] Eat your brocoli. [from offstage, MISS PETAL's cat howls]

YGOR. [from offstage] No, Frankie! Not the cat!

[MS. ROSARIO and MISS PETAL look nervously at each other]

MS. ROSARIO. And other more chicken.

MISS PETAL. Cooked?

MS. ROSARIO. [sounding overwhelmed] Whatever.

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SCENCE TWO

That afternoon, MS. ROSARIO watches a commercial on TV from her desk. She looks impressed.

VOICE OS SALESMAN ON TV. [very jolly] So, come to Dollar Rite Department  Store right away! Discover our monster bargains. Shake hands with our monser mascot...

VOICE OF FRANKENSTEINZ ON TV. More food!

VOICE OF SALESMAN ON TV. [laughing] Shakes hands if you dare!

[MS. ROSARIO turns off the TV. MISS PETAL enters the office with DR. FRANKENSTEIN.]

MISS PETAL. Ms. Rosario, this gentleman wants to speak with you.

[She points to the man as she leaves]

DR. FRANKENSTEIN. [speaking angrily to MS. ROSARIO] My name is Dr. Victor Frankenstein. You stole my creation!

MS. ROSARIO. [surprised] You what?

DR. FRANKENSTEIN. My creation! I put him together from a hundred dead bodies! I created him. I did not give you permission to use him in your commercial.

[YGOR enters the office, pulling on the rope. THE MONSTER is offstage, at the other end of the rope]

DR. FRANKENSTEIN. [poiting at YGOR] You! You stole my creature to make money!

YGOR. We need the money. Do you know how much it will cost to keep this monster?

[As YGOR argues with the doctor, he drops the rope mistakenly. The rope disappears.]

YGOR. The cost of food alone will break our backs!

DR. FRANKENSTEIN. That's my problem! I created hime. I gave him life!

YGOR. Oh, yes, you gave him life. But did you give him love? Did you give him a name? Did you give him breakfast?

[MS. ROSARIO notices that the rope is gone]

MS. ROSARIO. Uh, gentleman? Gentleman?

[DR. FRANKENSTEIN and YGOR continue to ague, poiting at each other...]

DR. FRANKENSTEIN. You, you... listent..!

YGOR. No, you listen!

MS. ROSARIO. [shouting] Gentleman!

YGOR AND DR. FRANKENSTEIN. [turning toward MS. ROSARIO] What?

MS. ROSARIO. He's gone.

DR. FRANKENSTEIN. [look around] Oh no!

[YGOR and DR. FRANKENSTEIN both turn toward MS. ROSARIO]

DR. FRANKENSTEIN. Call the police!

YGOR. Call the highway patrol!

DR. FRANKENSTEIN. Call the hospital!

YGOR. Call the Recycling Center!

[The phone rings. MS. ROSARIO answers it. She listens quietly and then hangs up.]

MS. ROSARIO. He's in the lunchroom.

[YGOR and DR. FRANKENSTEIN rush out of the office. MISS PETAL enters.]

MISS PETAL. Here's the audience's response to the commercial. [reading from her notepad] Seventy percent loved the new mascot. Fifteen percent thought he was Ok. Nine percent thought he was disgusting. Six percent couldn't stop screaming. And... oh yeah, Mr. Monster got two movie offers.

[Noises offstage: a loud crash, then the cat howls. MS. ROSARIO smiles and sinks into her chair.]

MS. ROSARIO. [softly] A star is born.