raw
accepted & first performed as part of 2nd annual baltimore one-minute play festival.
characters: fred, visitor to garden; susan, community garden founder; carl, youth gardener; mark, gardener.
[garden on stage could be completely invisible or suggested by creative use of four chairs and props such as plants, flowers, cardboard, stuffed animals. play begins with fred and susan walking into garden. you could have carl and mark farther in the back making gestures indicating work and then have them come up to the others as directed.]
fred: can’t believe you’ve gone and got pigs! chickens i can wrap my head around, but pigs!
susan: no good in another vacant lot full of broken glass and trash. got where we knew our seasons and what to grow. had hands in the dirt and the leadership of little old me. mayor has our backs, loves what we’re doing with kids and families. when you offer a tangible garden of eden, that’s promise. anyhow, my little guy carl asked me, susan, why don’t we have pigs? i said, okay, carl, we’ll order some. checked a few legal things, got pigs.
fred: wow!
susan: that’s not all. taste a sliver of raw eggplant.
fred: is it good raw? [eats the sliver.]
susan: pretty much all things are good raw. kale and peppers? dig in and eat. see this flower? you can eat that raw, and raw eggs.
[carl runs up with mark walking behind.]
carl: mr. fred, want to meet my pig? i named him.
fred: sure.
mark: [interjecting] susan, check out the pumpkins.
susan: i’ll be back, fred. carl’s right, he has a good pig. [susan and mark walk toward the back to look at pumpkins; fred and carl go a very little way back and reach an invisible or suggested pigpen.]
fred: what’s his name, carl?
carl: alfred! get to feed him from this garden, and i feed the chickens. mama got me hooked up with susan so we could have eggs.
fred: alfred’s beautiful! this garden’s something.
carl: i know. i don’t want winter to come. though susan says we’ll have plenty to do with the yard and animals. so i’m happy. mama wants to see me do like susan or something bigger. this is just my start. watch how alfred likes the green peppers. [gestures like he’s feeding the pig. lights dim.]
THE END
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