Students wander on speaking in unison each with an assigned feel-good news headline.

They
take positions for the first tableau.

Good Poem

ISABELLA
I was raised that being good
Meant to do admirable things
Instead of being rude
To be polite and caring

The idea is to be kind

To all we meet
Not to constantly remind
Them of their terrible feats

To show selflessness
Even when in a pinch
For to show selfishness
You would be called a grinch

We hold heavy burdens on our shoulders

Let alone carry the worlds too
To be good and steady leads to wonder
Forcing us to read between the lines for clues

To be acceptable in this life

I have to pretend to be better
For to be good is the drive
To be exceptionally greater

Every day that I awaken

I do so for my family
I do this as a token
For this amazing phantasy

It seems to be wrong
Wanting to be good
But still feel I belong
Or feel like I could

Being good not only in aiding others

But stopping all of their blunders
For they will be there for your suffers
That lead to a well deserved wonder

Being good is a universal quality

That can be found in every one
Though it creates equality
It can leave us standing alone

Think of others no matter what

And think of yourself just as much
Because good is to be evil I know that
But evil is to be good in the clutch

Super Intros

DANTE crosses center stage and assumes the role of a Saturday Morning Cartoon announcer.

DANTE
In a theatre classroom at a Miami High School, a group of Super Students dedicate their
lives to fighting the forces of evil!

STUDENTS come up one by one and give a high energy introduction. The last one to go is
SELENE.

SELENE
And I’m Super Seline! Leader of the Super Students! Come on, gang! Evil’s not going to
fight itself!

ALL
Yeah!

STUDENTS transition right into…

Bottoms Scene

PJ (Emma)
Listen up, losers! Welcome to our fight club!

JOSIE (Soleil)
Our self-defense / club.

PJ (Emma)
As you all know, Huntington is on the prowl. And they’re picking on the weak and
defenseless, meaning all of you. So we’re going to teach you to defend yourselves. We start with
dropkicks, tackling, and knifeplay. Then punchbucket where we throw you in a bucket and
punch you till you bleed.
 JOSIE (Soleil)
But first stretching…and like trust falls.

SYLVIE
Is this like what happened to you in juvi?

PJ (Emma)
No, it was way crazier. I mean, one time, this girl starts punching me in the rain. I fall to
the ground. It’s muddy. I get up. I’m blind… I punch her square in the face. Broke her nose…
Josie?

JOSIE (Soleil)
Um…things did get kind of crazy. This one girl tried to poison my lunch with rat kill so
after drill practice, I found her outside. Her and her two friends tried to fight me but I beat the
life out of them. One died.

ANNIE
…So you killed a girl?

JOSIE (Soleil)
Well… the ambulance came and brought her back to life so it was chill. Beef squashed.

PJ (Emma)
Yeah, so since she killed a girl, Josie’s going to start off us off by showing you all how to
effectively throw a solid punch…
(Confused, JOSIE looks from PJ to the eager girls)
Josie…would you…kindly step forward, please?

JOSIE (Soleil)
Um…no.

PJ (Emma)
What’s the problem?

JOSIE (Soleil)
Who am I going to punch?

PJ (Emma)
Me… Just punch me.

JOSIE (Soleil)
You know what? …The punching came a lot easier to you in juvi. I’m more of a tackling
kind of girl—
 PJ (Emma)
When you killed that girl though, you through a solid punch—

JOSIE (Soleil)
I’m not doing this to you!

PJ (Emma)
Josie, I know how to take a punch.

JOSIE (Soleil)
Oh, really?

PJ (Emma)
YES. REALLY. Remember? … Come on.

JOSIE swings a heavy punch knocking PJ to the ground. STUDENTS gasp. EVERYONE freezes.
DANTE returns to center stage as the ANNOUNCER.

DANTE
We’ll be right back after these messages.

Hakuna Matata Transition (Shera & Isabella)

DANTE
And now a message from our Emperor.

The Great Dictator Speech

ANTHONY
I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be an emperor. That’s not my business. I don’t want to rule
or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone – if possible – Jew, Gentile – black – white. We
all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other’s
happiness – not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and despise one another. In this
world there is room for everyone. And the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The
way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way.

Greed has poisoned men’s souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into
misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery
that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical. Our cleverness,
hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery we need
humanity. More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life
will be violent and all will be lost…
The airplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions
cries out for the goodness in men – cries out for universal brotherhood – for the unity of us all.
You are not cattle! You have the love of humanity in your hearts! You don’t hate! Only the
unloved hate – the unloved and the unnatural! You, the people, have the power to make this life
free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure. Now let us fight to fulfil that
promise! Let us fight to free the world – to do away with national barriers – to do away with
greed, with hate and intolerance. Let us fight for a world of reason. Let us all unite!!!
(Cheers)

I Have a Dream Transition (Koi, Kaliyah, Shamar)

I say to you today, my friends, though, even though we face the difficulties of today and
tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a
dream that one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold
these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia sons of former slaves and the sons of
former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of
injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom
and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be
judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream . . . I have a dream that one day in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its
governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, one day right
there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys
and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today . . .

Good Place/ “Sound Effects” Pantomime

DANTE returns as the announcer.

DANTE
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back. Up next on the program we have some Improv for
you. We’re going to play a game called “Sound Effects.” This is for Jaiden and Koi. Jaiden you’re
going to improvise a scene, and Koi will be providing the sound effects. The scene is, you’re
trying to obtain points to see if you’re a good person. The more good you do, the more points
you receive. The more evil you do, the more points you lose. In addition to sound effects, Koi
will also be keeping score. At any point, the rest of the class may interact to help or hinder you.
Take it away.
(Pantomime)
KOI
Someone seems a bit down.

JAIDEN
Go away.

KOI
You good?

JAIDEN
All day long, I’ve tried my best to be the best version of myself. But in every instance, I
came up short. And if I can’t succeed at being good, what does that make me? Am I evil?

KOI
You know, we often give ourselves so much grief. Are we good? Are we evil? But as I’ve
watched you continue to pick yourself up, and dust yourself off, I realize we’ve been asking the
wrong question. What matters isn’t if people are good or evil. What matters is if they’re trying
to be better today than they were yesterday.

JAIDEN
Really?

KOI
Hey. Ten points.

JAIDEN
Thanks.

Immediate transition to…

“Two Planets” / “Echoes”

THE SUN (Kaliyah)

Two planets meeting face to face,
One to the other cried,
PLANET A (Emma) How sweet
If endlessly we might embrace,
And here forever stay!
PLANET B (Shamar) How sweet
If Heaven a little might relent,
And leave our light in one light blent!
THE SUN (Kaliyah)
But through that longing to dissolve
In one, the parting summons sounded
Immutably the stars revolve,
By changeless orbits each is bounded.
PLANETS (Emma & Shamar)
Eternal union is a dream,
And severance the world’s law supreme.
THE SUN (Kaliyah)
Overhead the albatross
Hangs motionless upon the air
And deep beneath the rolling waves
In labyrinths of coral caves
The echo of a distant time
Comes willowing across the sand
And everything is green and submarine
PLANET A (Emma)
And no one showed us to the land
PLANET B (Shamar)
And no one knows the where's or why's
THE SUN (Kaliyah)
But something stirs and something tries
And starts to climb toward the light
(STUDENTS enter speaking in unison. They freeze unaware of each other)
Strangers passing in the street
By chance, two separate glances meet
PLANET A (Emma)
And I am you
PLANET B And what I see is me
And do I take you by the hand
And lead you through the land?
PLANET A (Emma)
And help me understand the best I can?
THE PLANETS (Emma & Shamar)
And no one calls us to move on
And no one forces down our eyes
No one speaks and no one tries
No one flies around the sun

The PLANETS spread empathy to the rest of the class. Everyone awakens and begin to
acknowledge each other.

PLANET A (Emma)
Cloudless everyday
You fall upon my waking eyes
Inviting and inciting me to rise
PLANET B (Shamar)
And through the window in the wall
Come streaming in on sunlight wings
A million bright ambassadors of morning
PLANET A (Emma)
And no one sings me lullabies
And no one makes me close my eyes
PLANET B (Shamar)
So I throw the windows wide
And call to you across the sky

STUDENTS take position and tableau for…

The Dogs

RONIN
It was the dogs. The dogs are what got me. A few years ago we visited the 9/11 Memorial
Museum, and we saw a lot. Twisted steel girders. Baby faced portraits of the deceased.
Mutilated emergency vehicles. But it was the dogs that wrecked me.
The dog exhibit is pretty small. Located in the far corner of the museum, with photographs of
search and rescue dogs. You see dogs nosing through rubble, wearing safety harnesses. You see
them in their prime. They’re all deceased now. But they were spectacular.
EMMA
There was Riley. Golden retriever. She was trained to find living people. But, she didn’t find any.
Instead, she recovered the remains of firefighters. Riley kept searching for a live survivor, but
found none. Riley’s morale tanked.
ANGELO
“I tried my best to tell Riley she was doing her job,” said her handler. “She had no way to know
that when firefighters and police officers came over to hug her, and for a split second you can
see them crack a smile—that Riley was succeeding at doing an altogether different job. She
provided comfort. Or maybe she did know.”
MILA
There was Coby and Guiness. Black and yellow Labs. From California. Surfer dogs. They found
dozens of human remains. And Abigail. Golden Lab. Happy. Energetic. Committed. Big fan of
bacon. Sage. A border collie. Cheerful. Endless energy. Her first mission was searching the
Pentagon wreckage after the attacks. She recovered the body of the terrorist who piloted
American Airlines Flight 77.
RONIN
Jenner. Black Lab. At age 9, she was one of the oldest dogs on the scene. Jenner’s handler, Ann
Wichmann, remembers:
BEA
“It was 12 to 15 stories high of rubble and twisted steel. My first thought was, ‘I can't send
Jenner into that…’ At one point, [Jenner] disappeared down a hole under the rubble and I was
like, ‘Ugggggh!' Such a heart-stopping moment..."
SELINE
Trakr. German Shepherd. Tireless worker. Worked until he couldn’t stand up anymore. Trakr
found Genelle Guzman-McMillan, who was trapped for 27 hours among the debris. Genelle was
as good as dead, until the cold nose poked through the mangled steel.
Apollo. German shepherd. An NYPD police dog. Coal-black muzzle. Liquid eyes. The first dog on
the scene, only 15 minutes after the attacks. Apollo worked 18-hour days. Once, he was nearly
killed in a fire during his search. But Apollo had been drenched in water and he was quick on his
feet. No injuries.
ANTHONY
Jake. Labrador. As a puppy, Jake was found on the side of the road in Dallas. Abandoned. Left for
dead. Like trash. He had a dislocated hip and a broken leg. They made him a rescue dog. Jake
worked until his body threatened to collapse from exhaustion.
DANTE
After his shifts, local New York merchants saw his rescue-dog vest and treated him to free steak
dinners in upscale Manhattan restaurants.
RONIN
And, of course, there was Bretagne. Golden Retriever. Easygoing. Dutiful. Obsessed with food.
Her owner and trainer, Denise Corliss, a firefighter from Harris County, Texas, brought Bretagne
to Ground Zero while the rubble was still hot. Bretagne went straight to work. She worked for
10 days solid. Ten agonizing days. Bretagne never quit. She napped onsite. Denise recalls:
BEA
“...There are images of Bretagne going to where she was directed to search, into the unknown,
the chaotic environment. But even then, she knew who needed the comfort of a dog, and which
firefighter needed to hold her close and stroke her fur.”
ISABELLA
After 9/11, Bretagne also helped recovery efforts during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and
Ivan. She retired at age 9. Old age finally overtook her, she had a hard time using stairs, so
Denise installed an above-ground pool to keep Bretagne’s joints limber.
RONIN
In retirement, Bretagne became a reading dog at a local elementary school. First graders, too
shy to read aloud, would read to a white-faced, elderly retriever who looked them in the eyes
and smiled. Bretagne visited students with special needs. She visited students with autism. She
visited everyone. She suffered kidney failure at age 16.
She was put to sleep on June 7, 2016, and became the last of the 9/11 rescue dogs to end her
earthly career. Bretagne hobbled into the Cypress, Texas, animal hospital, one sunny Monday,
only to discover the sidewalks and hallways were lined with firefighters, first responders, and
rescue workers who saluted her. Her remains were later escorted from the hospital, draped in
an American flag.
ALL
We do not deserve dogs.
STUDENTS take tableau for…

Why Study Theatre?

(NEVE takes center stage)

NEVE
“Why study theatre,” they ask us? “Don’t you realize how hard it is to make a career out
of it? Don’t you realize you have a one in a million chance of making it? You’re so smart,” they
say. “Why don’t you study something practical? Why study theatre?”

RONIN
Why study theatre? Because I want to be the best actor I can be.

SHERA
Why study theatre? Because ever since I was young, I wanted to be onstage.

MILA
Why study theatre? Because I have a passion for bringing complex characters to life.

DANTE, ISABELLA
Why study theatre? Because we enjoy creative writing for stage and film.

EMMA
Why study theatre? Because I don’t just want to be an actor. I also want to direct.

BEA, ANTHONY
Why study theatre?

ANTHONY
Going to school and studying musical theatre…

BEA
…has helped us launch our singing career.

ANGELO, SHAMAR
Why study theatre?

ANGELO
As basketball players…

SHAMAR
…theatre taught us to work as a team.
 KOI, JAIDEN
Why study theatre?

KOI
As lawyers…

JAIDEN
…our theatrical training helps us present our arguments…

KOI
…in a convincing manner pleasing to the jury.

SELINE
Why study theatre? As a pilot, theatre has helped me with communication and
collaboration in the air.

KALIYAH
Why study theatre? As a medical professional, theatre has helped me connect personally
with my patients.

SOLEIL
Why study theatre? As a social worker, my theatre studies have taught me how to help
my cases deal with trauma.

JULIA
Why study theatre? Because art and entertainment, can sometimes provide a much
needed escape.

NEVE
Why study theatre? Because theatre teaches us to see each other. Theatre teaches us to
understand each other. Theatre makes us better human beings.

Final Scene