Final Script
Poet Eleanor
Soldier Sophelia
Monarch Alex
Teacher 1 Student 3 Naura
Teacher 2 Dad Oran
Teacher 5 Student 1 Suheli
Teacher 4 Student 2 Nabihadf
Teacher 3 Mom Emily
Councelor Student 4 Mihika
KEY
[ ] Stage notations
{ } Internal Monolougs DO NOT MEMORISE WE WILL RECORD THESE SEPERATELY
Preshow
[Poet, Soldier, and Monarch all stand on stage in black clothing. Holding their GPA sign.]
VC [on loop for entire entrance period]: Dearest audience, you are now college administration
representatives choosing one of these three students to be admitted to your college. As you enter,
you will be handed a paper with their grades, classes, and GPAs. Please, after selecting your
candidate, place your sheet of paper in one of the boxes located at the end of each row. Your
choice should be individual, so please do not discuss decisions.
[after audience has settled]
VC: Thank you all for attending tonight and for your decision on who is the best candidate for
your university. With that, please turn off all cell phones and devices and enjoy the story. Thank
you.
Scene 1
Class: English SL & HL Combined
[Teacher 1, Monarch, Soldier, Poet, Student 1, Student 2, Student 3]
[Poet, and Soldier Exit, Teacher enters and hands monarch test paper and exits]
[Teacher 1, Soldier, Poet, Student 1, Student 2, Student 3 all enter and settle into class.]
Teacher 1: Students, now that you have received your Paper 1 tests, we will continue our analysis
of The Handmaid’s Tale. [Turns back to write on the board]
[Monarch looks down at his test paper, Not Visible to the Audience, sighs, folds the paper up, and
puts it on the corner of the table. Poet looks at the test paper and brushes it off. Soldier sees their
paper and starts grumbling.
Teacher 1: Now, how do we think Moira’s change in character affected Offred’s perception of
Freedom? [Soldier Raises Hand], Yes
Soldier: Moira’s change really affected Offred’s view that freedom is an illusion. It’s like- Moira
showed them there was no such thing as a “perfect” freedom. It also kinda shows that freedom
comes at a high cost.
Teacher 1: And what impact do you think that has on the reader?
Soldier: Well-um. I think it makes the reader question freedom in their own lives. I guess it
makes the readers wonder if their decisions are truly their own or if they are following what the
world has told them.
Teacher 1: Excellent analysis. Students, now divide yourselves into groups of three to discuss
freedom in relation to individual character and society. [Proceeds to number]
[Soldier, & Poet gather to Monarch’s Table]
Poet: Individuals decide what their freedom is—my favourite kind of Analysis.
Soldier: But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t disregard the importance of society in our own
perspective of freedom.
Monarch: Can you elaborate a bit on what you were saying earlier?
Soldier: Well, when it comes to the illusion of freedom, it's essential to recognise that all your
decisions are based on what others have told you. This book reminded me of how, once, I had a
theater teacher tell me that Nothing you know, or think, is your own, is merely made up of what
everyone has told you. I don’t quite like the saying, but it does ring true in this case with
freedom.
Poet: I disagree, [Leans back in chair, Fiddles with pen], I wou…..
Soldier: [Leans back in chair, joking] You finally made it back down to earth Major Tom?
Poet: [annoyed] I mean that no matter what, you are still deciding for yourself if everything you
have heard in life is something of value, so in the end, the choice to find freedom is still an
individual choice. The downfall of humanity is that we never actually see, hear, or feel each
other. Meaning that everyone is isolated in everything they do.
Monarch: [increase in breathing pace, but not by much] Well, couldn’t Moira be an example of
freedom? Like, couldn’t we just take it to be that she just wanted to be a Jezebel after all?
[Poet and Soldier look to Monarch in confusion]
Soldier: Well, I would have never thought about it that way, but…
Teacher 1: It is indeed an interesting point to bring up; there can be many interpretations after all.
Well Done.
[Bell Ringing]
[Poet and Soldier start packing up and leave]
[Rest of group starts leaving as well]
[Monarch packs up his stuff and grabs the paper in the top corner of the desk, unfolds it, looks up
at the audience, folds it back up, and puts it in his pocket. Looks back up at the audience.] Good
Job? [voice of confusion and stress]
[proceeds to exit the stage opposite to where poet enters with the teacher]
Global Politics
Teacher 2: No, this is absolutely horrible work. One would think that you don’t even care about
my class. You seem absent-minded here, and your work is disorganized.
[mubbles something in reply when Monarch enters]
Teacher 2: Now, here is a model student, a spitting image of how smarts and intelligence pay off;
you ought to take some notes.
[poet huffs, Monarch inhales deeply]
Teacher 2: Today, you will be working with them [gestures to monarch] to give feedback on the
person next to you’s IA.
[Student 2 moves to Monarch’s desk]
Student 2: Hi, I am thrilled I got put with you. You are really good in this class.
Monarch: Well, I mean, you are pretty good too.
Student 2: Not……
Teacher 2: [Comes to Monarch’s desk] Do me a favour, it's best for you [gestures to Monarch], to
spend time giving feedback to them. You're doing well in this class, and you don’t need the extra
time; your past work is already perfect. I am assured this piece will be stellar as well.
[Monarch reads over the Student 2’s paper, while Student 2 is quite nervous and fidgety]
Monarch: Is it okay if I just add comments.
Student 2: Yeah.
Monarch: [Types for a while] {Wow, the idea for the paper is really strong, it just needs better
evidence.} You have a really good paper, it just needs some more effective pieces of evidence. I
made some suggestions at the top.
Monarch: Well, I think that’s it from me. We do have a few minutes left. Do you mind looking
over mine?
Student 2: Yeah,
Monarch: [Turns Laptop towards student, inhales, then exhales quickly] Here
[Pause for reading, just watching students' expressions fall as they are reading]
Student 2: [Laughs] You must be joking
Monarch: What do you mean?
Student 2: I mean, there is absolutely no way this is your work; your language is sloppy, your
work is disorganized, and the structure is nonexistent. [Turns to Monarch, looking concerned and
confused]
Monarch: [Looks up at audience, scared] Yeah [laughs] it was a joke, glad you thought it was
funny.
Student 2: Oh, for sure, there was no way you had written this. [Leaves Quickly]
Monarch: [Pauses, looks up at audience, only they are lit] There’s just no way.
[walks through/around audience with friends, who are all talking about the English test]
Student 2: I was honestly so worried about paper 1 when I first saw the test, but then something
came over me, and I actually wrote a good paper.
Student 4: Really? I loved the magazine cover, but I hate writing paper ones. It drives me insane
how much I have to limit my analysis. But I’ve been really focusing on improving my
organization, and he said I really improved.
Monarch: [Sighs]
Physics
[Lights back up on stage to transition]
[two other students already in classroom]
Soldier: {Come on, deep breaths, [exhales] it's just physics [tries to inhale, struggles] I love
physics, remember that love. I just have so much fear, fear of disappointment, fear of looking
like a complete idiot to my teacher, fear of failure. I could fail and be nothing, nothing, nothing
at all. No, I must not think of all that. I walked into this class today, and I am here to try, try
something, anything, then maybe, maybe this will work.}
Teacher 3: Hello!
Soldier: {Come on, respond, just say hi, it's not that hard.} [Soldier Waves, shakes their head,
and walks drearily to their seat]
Teacher 3: Today, we will do a short practice paper on Topic E. [begins to pass out papers] We
just finished learning about this last week, so that you might struggle with some of the Paper 2
subquestions. Try to write a little for everything. [If not finished passing out the papers, finish]
Soldier: [Inhales] {Ok, remember start with your name, in the top right-hand corner, this is step
one, then flip to the 2nd, no 3rd, page, start with the Paper 2 questions, they are longer, harder,
and more confusing. So you need time on them. }
[There is a time shown on the white board, a timer, changed by a figure every minute]
[Moving head on, soldier]
Soldier: Ok, this is five marks, [muttering but still audible to the audience] that means
approximately 9 minutes need to be spent on the whole question.
[Soldier anxiously writes, solves on the calculator, and it's a moment of pure action and no
stopping.]
[Max 2 minutes, and lights come back up on stage, the time on the clock has gone from 30 to 15]
Soldier: [Looks back up at the clock] {Damn it. I took way too long on that question. I only have
15 minutes for the last paper 2 question and the paper one questions. [flips page quickly and
dramatically] I don’t know what to do, come on, think, think. [starts running through the formula
booklet] I can’t remember, I can’t remember anything,} [tries to write something]
[sits up in chair and looks around, everyone in the class is instructed to have the same
coordinated motions ]
[Moving head on soldier]
Soldier: {How can they be so calm? We have only just learnt this. How can they all be so
confident? [Starts hyperventilating] I don’t know, I can’t remember [continues writing and
hyperventilating] I can’t remember anything, why can’t I remember anything? I remember
nothing, nothing at all.}
[lights come back up]
[timer has changed to 5 minutes]
Soldier: Have… to… move… to… paper… ones [tries best to answer what they can]
[Timer changed to 2 minutes remaining]
Teacher 3: Please take a moment to go back through some of your answers.
Soldier: [Reads through answers] {I don’t know if a single one of these is right—first question:
one in multiple choice. I have narrowed it down to two: B or D. Come on, B or D, which one?
It's fifty; it should be fine, B. Go with B.}
[Bell Rings]
Teacher 3: [starts picking up papers] Students, I will have these graded and give them back to
you next class. Have a good rest of your day. [Arrives at the soldier's desk, who is packing up
rapidly, trying to get out of class.] Hey, I just wanted to let you know that I have graded your
thermodynamics retake, and your grade will be on PowerSchool before advisory is over.
Soldier: Th–thank you.
Teacher 3: How did the timed practice go today?
Soldier: It went okay [stuttering quietly, sniffles, then turns away from the teacher]
Teacher 3: Well, have a good day
Soldier: [Quietly] You too [Looks up at audience, light tears beginning to stream down face,
wipes face with sleeves, and exits]
[Monarch, Poet, and Student _ and _ walk together behind/through the audience]
Monarch: Do you know what we are doing for advisory today?
Student 3: We have individual meetings with the counselors about college applications.
Poet: [Whispers] Dang it
Student 3: It shouldn’t be that bad; she’ll probably just ask about what area of study we are
thinking of going into for college.
Monarch: Are you all set with your answers?
Student 3: Yeah, I want to study medicine, more specifically, pediatric medicine. What abt u
Monarch:
[Turns/Gestures to poet] You haven’t said much today. Do you have any ideas?
[Arrives at Classroom Entrance, there are two doors on stage]
Teacher: [Gestures to Poet] You are first.
[Poet starts walking to the second door, pauses, and looks up at it]
Poet: I don’t know [Opens the door and takes a seat across from the counceller]
Counsellers Meetings
Counselor: How are you doing today?
Poet: Good, it's been a reasonable day so far.
Counselor: Then let’s jump straight into it. The questions I have for you today are complex, but
also important. If you don’t know the answers, we can discuss what they might be together. Does
that sound alright?
Poet: Yeah.
Counselor: Okay, firstly, I was wondering what some of your individual character strengths?
Poet: Umm… I can stay pretty calm {Only because you can’t hear the chaos of my mind.}, And
like people can get along with me most of the time, but can you ever be truly close with someone
if you never open up? I like to consider myself a fun, chill person.
Counselor: Okay, that's quite interesting. And what do you think your character flaws are?
Poet: {Cannot express individuality, indecisive, close off, isolated, emotionally unexpressive}
Ummm… well.. Maybe I can… Um, it can be hard for me to make decisions.
Counselor: It is important to be able to identify your weaknesses as well as your strengths. Now
for the final question, what subject area do you want to study in university that will eventually
lead you to the career you choose?
Poet: I… I am not… sure [Line decreases in volume, “sure” is spoken like a squeak]
Councelor: That's okay, now let's just see what classes you have right now?
Poet:
HL English - 5
HL 1 Art- 6
HL Physics-5
Math AA SL-6
Global Politics SL-5
French SL-6
Councelor: Oh, based on these classes, I might assume you would be looking for a career in the
humanities. Some possible majors could be Global Relations, Literature, Communications,
Teaching, Law, but there are so many more. How does the possibility of a humanities major
sound?
Poet: Ummm… I don’t really know that much about those majors, so…
Councelor: How about this, since we are at the end of our time, why don’t you try to go home
and look over these majors and shoot me an email tonight with your top choices so far? That
way, we can at least have a clearer idea of where we need to go.
[Poet Exits, and another student enters the Office, but the lights go dark on them, leaving only
the soldier, poet, and Monarch]
Soldier: How did it go?
Poet: [Shrugs] It went alright
Soldier: Lucky. I hate these meetings; I always feel like I don’t say the right thing.
Poet: Neither do I, I mean, I struggle to is all
Soldier: You know, I genuinely don’t believe you. You are always so cool and calm. You know
what to say even when you don’t see what your talking about. I am sure your meeting went well
Poet: Excuse me–
Soldier: [angry, jealous] I just mean everything is simple for you, never study, get good sleep and
good grades, and you're doing well. Like I’d kill to have your life.
Poet: [angry mocking] My life, you mean the one I wake up into every day, you mean the one
with the pressure that lands on my shoulders when I wake up. You don’t know anything about my
life.
Soldier: [defensive] I mean, it can’t be that bad. Otherwise, you couldn’t always stay this calm.
Poet: People don’t even see me in this place. I am not good at anything, and I barely know what I
want for the future, let alone what I am going to do. So I go and be calm. [spit] The happy one.
The child that everyone thought didn’t grow up, who glides above it all. Relaxed, kind, happy.
Tries everything. Is good at some, but often not as good as they wish. They’re right, you know. I
do try even if no one sees me do so. I try because why not, better be something at everything
than continue to be nothing.
I sit in those college sessions and wonder, who do I want to be? Should I listen to the counselor,
or just start looking quickly and decisively at what I will do with my life? I can't think of
anything, I can't- I don't think I will ever do anything. I don’t want to know what the future holds
right now and I am scared to find out scared to find out the cost for what I might choose. Scared
to actually commit to that choice and possibly hate my life from there on out. I'll just stay as the
background character because it's not like you can see me.
Soldier: We see you doing fine.
Monarch: And even when you are not, you don’t tell us. We can’t read your minds.
Poet: But I do tell you
Soldier: No, you really don’t
Poet: Why do you think I said that in English today
Monarch: what in english
Poet: The downfall of humanity is that we never actually see, hear, or feel eachother.
Soldier: But we can empathize
Poet: [numb] Humanity is an isolated population of individuals who think they are individuals.
Monarch: But we are not alone, we are never truly alone.
Poet: [looks up at audience] I beg to differ.
Soldier: I am sorry I shouldn’t have said life is just easy on you. I know that we all have our
challenges.
Poet: [Looks away and whispers] Just leave me alone.
[Soldier backs away, clearly hurt, student exits the counselor's office]
Student: [Taps Soldier’s shoulder] Your next
Soldier: [walks up to the counselor's office door] Well [inhale] here we go
Counselor: How are you doing today?
Soldier: {Today? Today has been an absolute nightmare. I have again suffered through physics.
And I just lost a friend. So yes, it has been a fantastic day.} I have had a great day.
Counselor: Then let’s jump straight into it. The questions I have for you today are hard, but also
important. If you don’t know the answers, we can discuss what they might be together. Does that
sound all right?
Soldier: [nods]Yeah.
Counselor: Okay, firstly, I was wondering what some of your individual character strengths are?
Soldier: I am super empathetic. {But that means I spend more time in others' emotions than my
own.} I am really hard working { But I drive myself into the ground and can’t actually do
anything successfully.
Counselor: Okay, that's quite interesting. And what do you think your character flaws are?
Soldier: I am not very good at umm [starts to get visibly sad] at like{not crying, actually seeming
emotionally regulated in any way, shape or form} keeping my emotions from being too much
Counselor: It is important to be able to identify your weaknesses as well as your strengths. Now
for the final question, what subject area do you want to study in university that will eventually
lead you to the career you choose?
Soldier: I want to study Chemical Engineering! [cheerfully]
Counselor: Very well. What classes are you taking and how are you doing right now in those
classes?
Soldier: Well…[confidence slowly dims as they list their classes]
Language: In HL English, I have a 6
Math: Math AA SL I have a 5. She is probably wondering why I am taking an SL math when I
want to do engineering, ugh}
Humanities: Glo-p,o where I have a 5
Second Language: Spanish SL, where I have a 5 And back to the HLs is where it gets bad.
Science: HL Chemistry, where I have a 4 {Barely passing, can you believe that, and now the
worst physics, I can’t, I don’t, I really don’t want to say it}
Science: HL Physics where[pause, swallow] I have a 3 [looks up] {Please don’t remind me of
how bad it is, I already know how bad it is, how bad it makes my GPA, how bad I am}
Counselor: Now, for Chemical Engineering, your most important classes will be Physics,
Chemistry, and Math, all of which you are not doing the best in, one in which you are failing.
Soldier: {There we go, Failure that's what I a,m a Failure}
Counselor: I have a question for you. Does the place you plan to apply require you to complete
the full DP program?
Soldier: No, {But is it wrong that I require it of myself? It hurts me to consider how little I am
without that program.
Counselor: I believe then you have a simple decision to make. If you drop the full diploma
program, you can get credits for the classes that are beneficial to your future, like Chemistry,
Physics, and Math, and decrease the workload of the other courses by only taking them at the
high school level, or because you already have two years of Spanish, dropping the unnecessary
courses.
Soldier: What if I don’t want to drop the diploma program?
Counselor: Well then, it might be time to consider another pathway for your future. Possibly in
the liberal arts or English?
Soldier: {Hah, liberal arts, English, I would lose everything, everything I have ever worked for in
this lifetime, or lose the title, lose the diploma I have spent the last year slaving for. All the joys I
have sacrificed for either of these options mean they weren’t even lost for a purpose. [Internal
Monolouge crying now] It would have been lost for nothing, nothing at all.} [Starts getting really
upset] I don’t know right now.
Counselor: How about you get back to me on which option you would like to move forward with
by 4:00 today?
Soldier: [Very Quietly] Okay
[Soldier exits the office]
[Pauses, looks at the poet, but then just runs out of the room]
[Monarch enters office]
Counselor: How are you doing today?
Monarch: Good.
Counselor: Then let’s jump straight into it. The questions I have for you today are hard, but also
important. If you don’t know the answers, we can discuss what they might be together. Does that
sound all right?
Monarch: Sound great!
Counselor: Okay, firstly, I was wondering what some of your individual character strengths?
Monarch: I am a leader, and I do a lot of things to support my community {Because I constantly
feel like I have to make up for every little mistake}
Counselor: Okay, that's quite interesting. And what do you think your character flaws are?
Monarch: I honestly haven’t had the time to think about it
Counselor: And why do you think that is?
Monarch: I don’t have time,[cheerful] because I spend any additional moments that I am not
studying dedicating my time to service.
Counselor: It is important to be able to identify your weaknesses as well as your strengths. Now
for the final question, what subject area do you want to study in university that will eventually
lead you to the career you choose?
Monarch: I would like to get a Bachelor of Laws.
Councelor: Very well. What classes are you taking and how are you doing right now in those
classes?
Monarch:
Math: Math AI SL 7
Second Language: Spanish SL 6
Humanities: Glopo HL 7
Science: HL Bio 7
Humanities: Economics HL 7
And Language: SL English, where I have uh- a 4
Counselor: Wow, you are doing exceptionally well. You don’t need much support at all. Just
keep doing what you are doing!
..
[Monarch exits councilor's office]
Poet: How did it go?
Monarch: Great [shrugs]
Poet: Lunch then?
Monarch: Yeah
[Poet and Monarch exit silently and walk around/through the audience, building tension]
[Soldier sitting at the lunch table lookking really sad]
[poet and Monarch sit down]
[soldier opens computer]
Soldier: Oh no, it's here.
Monarch: What is here?
Soldier: My physics teacher put my grade for my retake of the thermodynamics test.
Monarch: Oh yeah, I remember you telling us it went well.
Soldier: Yeah, but I don’t know…
Monarch: Go ahead and check it, I am sure it's not that bad.
Soldier: {Not that bad, NOT THAT BAD., It will be ba,d it is always bad [opens the grade on
powerschool] oh no, it is bad, awful, what made me think that the test had gone well?} [starts
crying]
Poet: It's not the end of the world, you're being so dramatic.
Soldier: I am not being dramatic! [Loud]
Poet: Getting a couple of bad grades is not burning your life to the ground.
Soldier: But what if it does[Decrease in Volume]
Poet: This is insane, I tell you, insane. People don’t do well in school all the time, but this is not
gonna stop you from doing what you want in life. It just might adjust the path.
Soldier: Adjust the path? [Decrease in Volume]
Poet: Anyway, you could do so many other things with your life
Soldier: [Quiet Pause]
[Poet and Monarch Freeze]
Soldier: Other things, Other things, I didn’t know that was an option, I didn’t think you could
wake up one day and decide you're just gonna throw it all away. All that time, effort, and energy
ran down the drain. I mean, am I really the crazy one, like, why are we doing this? Up till 2 am
every night, still not getting everything done, then why? [pause] success, just find something
where you can be successful. [pause] I love to write. [pause] Ah, but writing doesn't bring money
in, and the money means success, or so I have often been told. So I chose this, I chose science as
my poison, and I certainly think that if you pick the glass up, you have to drink it, poison and all.
Relight stage:
Monarch: I absolutely love the poem you showed me yesterday. You should really become a
writer.
Poet: See what I am saying, alternate path
[Poet and Monarch continue talking quietly in the background]
Soldier: And be the disappointment, the child who failed. Oh, they will think that at least she
doesn’t suck at English, so she can still be a teacher. What would I amount to then? I know my
poetry might be strong, but my English skills aren’t. I have crappy grammar skills, and words are
nonexistent in the spelling rules. I can’t be a writer. Imagine the disappointment when I could
have been something great, something successful. Without that, without this career in science, I
am truly nothing.
Soldier: I…I…Guess [starts getting sniffily, might tear up a bit]
Poet: [up in the soldier's face] See what I mean, over dramatic
Soldier: [Just sits there frozen]
[Monarch and poet exit]
Soldier: If I give up the sciences, it just means that all the pain, the sleepless nights, the effort,
sweat, and tears were for nothing. The punishments, the yelling, the self-torture, none of that
damage would amount to anything.
It's just nothing
I’m just nothing
Nothing at all
[Looks up at the audience, light tears on their face, and mouths silently Nothing]
French
Teacher 4: Bonjour, bonjour mes étudiants
Students & Poet: Bonjour
Teacher: Students, please, as you're coming in, just take out a stylo and leave your bags at the
front of the room. We will start today with a pop quiz and a reading assessment. Your papers are
already on the desk, so go ahead and take a seat. I will let you know when you can start.
[Poet sits at desk]
Poet: [Looks down at paper, looks up at audience, and back to paper] A reading test, today of all
days. Why reading, as if this class isn’t hard enough to study for, it has to be a surprise, and
reading is probably my most complex area in French.
[Bell Rings]
Teacher 4: And with that, you may all begin.
Poet:[Picks up pencil] Ok, remember questions first, then keywords, questions first. [Looks down
at paper]
It's the reading, I don’t know what this says. How am I going to do this in the future? “Consider
your options in the classes you take today”, but I don’t have options. I don’t have anything right
now. I don’t know, I just don’t know.
[full on panic and speed writing, gecko, and aurtaud style. Heavy breathing, shaking leg, and
more of an acting moment draw focus to the audience. ]
[then complete switch back to calmness]
Teacher 4: Now we will take some time to write a Resume for your future career.
Student: Do we need to put our actual Career?
Teacher 4: It would be effective for you to use your future career.
Poet: [Mutters] Danm it
Teacher 4: Also, let's try to do this in pairs so that you can help each other with the format.
Student: [approaches poet] Do you want to work together?
Poet: Sure
[Student 1 and Poet sit down together]
Poet: {Ugh, I hate doing this. Why does it have to be today of all days. I don’t know what I want
to be. I really, really hope they don’t ask me what job I am writing about.}
[Anxious typing]
Poet: {But maybe I should find out. I should start looking into the majors the counselor
suggested. Okay, global relations ……mhm…… analyzing world affairs, interesting but sounds
scary, and would probably require confidence I don’t have. Ohh, this looks cool, college majors
lists, communications, education, undeclared. Undeclared, I wonder what that is about.
Undeclared: There are different kinds of undeclared majors, but they as a whole mean that the
applicant is unsure of their future…}
Student 1: Do you know if we need to include information about the references?
Poet: Uhhh, I am not going to lie, I haven’t started.
Student 1: That's okay, I just picked a Canva template.
Poet: [goes back to reading] {and allows them to spend the first year of their university taking
general courses to better learn about their future interests. Wow, that sounds like what I need; it
wouldn’t necessarily be the most clear option for my future. But it would be what I need right
now. I am still learning about myself, and that’s okay with me to continue learning.}
Student 1: By the way, what are you writing about?
Poet: [looks up] [kind of like sadly]
Student 1: As in like what job?
Poet 1: [Deep breath] {Come on, you can do this} I decided to write just a generic application,
like for any job.
Student 1: Oh, that's really smart, you can then like apply it to whatever you want.
Poet: What about you?
Student 1: [Laughs] I hadn’t decided yet, I was going to use yours as inspiration, but I might use
yours as my explanation of my indecision.
[Poet Laughs]
[Bell Rings]
Student 1: Do you know where we have CORE today?
Poet: I think it's a CAS day, so probably in the primary classroom.
[walk together in comforting silence to CORE.]
CORE
[Soldier, poet, and Monarch walk in. Poet is glaring at Soldier, Soldier is quiet, Monarch has
their head held high, they all sit.
Teacher 5: Today is going to be a relaxed day. So, can everyone get with their cas project
partners and discuss next steps? Please also get your teacher's approval on your CAS reflections
and check in with your supervisors.[Teacher exits]
Monarch: Okay, I believe that we all need to give it our all for one more week, and then we will
be done with our project! Now I think that- [stop, looks at the Soldier and poet, soldier is silent
and makes themself look smaller and Poet is “relaxed”, confused] are you both alright?
Poet: Alright? You finally noticed?
Monarch: I don’t know what you mean. If this was about this morning, I’m sorry I didn’t notice
this sooner–
Poet: Of course, you're sorry, you were always a people pleaser. The perfect golden child
Monarch: What? What do you mean I’m not–
Soldier: [quiet] They are right, y’know? You– [gestures to the Monarch] you are perfect! Classes,
extracurriculars, service learning!
[Frozen scene, The Monarch steps out]
Monarch: perfect? I’m not perfect, how could they think I’m perfect? No… no.[chuckles and
shakes their head] I try! But I’m not, I’m human. Can’t you see that? I make mistakes too! It's
just.. You don’t see it. [realization silence]. I’m not perfect.
[Monarch goes back on stage.]
Monarch [Silent] I’m perfect..?
Poet: Yes, that is what we just said.
Monarch: [quietly] I’m perfect.
Soldier: I mean– didn’t you ace that chemistry test! And aren’t you, like, the leader of a service
group? Don’t you save puppies in your free time? I bet that you didn’t even sweat that English
paper 1. You probably got a 7
Monarch: [quietly] I didn’t get a 7.
Soldier: Sorry, what was that?
Monarch: [a little louder] I didn’t get a 7
Soldier: What do you mean? I thought you would excel in English!
Poet: Yeah! Your perfect
Monarch: [quiet] Why do you two keep saying that?
Poet: saying what?
Monarch: [Montone becoming angrier throughout the entire section, their voice slowly rises as
they speak, but does not reach the shouting yet] That word– perfect. Sure, I get 7s in chemistry, I
participate in service learning, and have been a service leader for 3 years, “saving puppies”. I
spoke in front of the school board about placing pads in the girls' bathrooms without breaking a
sweat! So sure, I guess I’m– perfect. But I’m not. The thing that stops me from being perfect is
one measly little class. One you [points at the poet] excel at.
Soldier: What do you mean?
Monarch:[rising voice] Don’t you understand? I’m not perfect. I can barely scrape together a 5 in
English, let alone a 7! I keep trying, and trying, but it's not clicking. I don’t understand. And I am
tired. I am so tired. Of studying for chemistry, for [spit word] English. For service learning. Do
you know how much effort it took me not to burst out crying in front of the school board!?!
[laughs, their voice rising]. I am SICK of having to show up! And I don’t show it because I am
too busy with the PERFECT 4.0 GPA, 100 hours of service, and being a leader student. Look!
[grabs the English paper one and gets up and shoves it to the soldier] Look at that piece of paper
and tell me that I AM PERFECT.[loudest] I AM NOT PERFECT. DON’T YOU
UNDERSTAND?!?! I DON’T WANT TO BE PERFECT. I NEVER WANTED TO BE [spit the
word]PERFECT. [rise and fall of the Monarchs breath]
Poet: We.. we didn’t know
Monarch: I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell, it's just–
Soldier: [numb] save it. We heard enough. I’m just gonna go. [leaves]
Poet: Yeah.. We can worry about the CAS project later. We all need a break. [leaves]
Monarch: [left alone on stage, quiet, then slams fist on table] DAMN IT
Afterschool:
Soldier: [Opens door, two parents are already in the room] Hi Mom, and Dad.
Mom: How was school?
Soldier: It was, it was honestly one of the longer days. I had a discussion with my councelor
about my future, and she said that she thinks it is best that I drop the DP program if I want to
continue to possibly pursue the career of chemical engineering because it would decrease my
overall workload.
Dad: Well, isn’t the IBDP a widely respected Diploma?
Soldier: It is, but I am applying to a place with no requirements for a diploma, and they would
just be looking at my credits anyway, rather than the full diploma.
Mom: Well, as long as you are okay with it, I don’t mind.
Dad: Just promise you will use that additional time to work harder in Chemistry, Math, and
Physics.
Mom: We just want you to succeed, and if you feel this is the best way to do this then that's
alright with us.
Soldier: Thanks.
Final scene
[lights out, spotlight, each person comes and says their monologue]
Poet:
Dear Counselor,
I hope this email finds you well. After giving it alot of though I have decided to apply to
university with an undeclared major. I have found that there still much I need to learn about
myself and I think I can continue that at university. Thank you so much for all of your help and
support. I know this might not be the most conventional approach but I do think that it is what is
best for me and I think that for right now that is all I need.
Kind Regards
Solider:
Dear Counselor, IB Coordinator, and Advisor,
I hope that all people included in this email are doing well. After a discussion with my counselor
and my parents I have concluded that the best decision for my education. Is to reduce my IB
Diploma to just specific IB DP credit courses. As of right now I plan to continue taking Physics,
Math, Chemistry, English, and CORE. I would like to not continue taking spanish as I don’t need
the credits, and reduce Psychology to just a regular High School Course. Please let me know
when you can meet me to finalize this change. I am satisfied with my choice I would now just
like to go through the process of finlalizing it.
Thank you for your time and support.
Monarch: [ stays on stage, head in hands]
Dear My Two Friends,
I owe you an apology for yelling at you. But I am kind of glad I was able to tell you what I was
really hiding for months. I have been struggling with school specifically english for a while but
our teachers, and our classmates make me feel like I have to constantly keep up the facade of
perfection. I don’t want to keep up the facade. I need some help but I honestly don’t know where
to look.
Regards,
Soldier: We know you aren’t perfect, and we apologize for continuing that idea of perfection in
you. Look to us, we can support you.
Poet: We can help you in english, but also in a balance. We need to hang out like we used too, to
be honest we could all use a break from the chaos of School.
[Lights out]
[VA actors in black come back, and they basically do the beginning. Which student would you
like in your college? _GPA, _GPA, or _GPA? [Audience doesn’t give an answer, black out end of
the play]