NAME: THE PARK BENCH PROBLEM
Characters:
● PEARL: (Elder A) The main, grumpy reader.
● SUNSHINE: (Elder B) Pearl's reading friend, slightly calmer.
● VIOLET: (Disturber 1) The girl with the loud speaker (formerly Ana).
● DAISY: (Disturber 2) The girl with the dog (formerly Leo the basketball player's replacement action).
● TWINKLE: (Disturber 3) The dancer (formerly Emily).
● STAR: (Disturber 4) The juggler with a small ball (the new disturbance).
PEARL: (Closes her book loudly and sighs. Looks at Violet, annoyed.) Excuse me, young lady. Do you not
see that I am reading?
SUNSHINE: (Looks up, annoyed.) Pearl is right. The music is quite loud. This is a public park, you know.
It's meant for peace and quiet.
VIOLET: (Doesn’t hear them. Sings along and bobs her head.) La, la, la! This song is my favorite! It's so
good for a sunny day.
PEARL: (Louder, with a huff.) I said, "EXCUSE ME!" I am trying to enjoy the park. I'm sure you have
headphones for that.
VIOLET: (Takes off headphones, surprised.) Oh! I am so sorry! I didn't see you there. Hello! My name is
Violet. What are your names? The music is awesome, right?
SUNSHINE: My name is Sunshine, and this is my friend, Pearl. And no, the music is not awesome. We are
reading a very beautiful poem, and we simply cannot concentrate with all this noise.
VIOLET: Okay, Mrs... Pearl and Sunshine. I can make it lower. I love poems, too! But I also love music. We
can have both, right? I'll just turn it down a little. (Turns the music down a little.) Is that better?
(STAR enters from the right, juggling a small, soft ball. She is not very good. The ball keeps
dropping and bouncing near the bench. Bounce, drop, bounce, drop.)
PEARL: (Looks at the ball, annoyed.) Oh, no. Not only loud music, but now a noisy ball. What's next?
STAR: (Running to get the ball and smiling.) Bounce, bounce, bounce! I am practicing! My name is Star! I
love this park. So many good spots for juggling.
SUNSHINE: (To Star.) That bouncing is very distracting. Must you do it right here?
STAR: (Picks up the ball.) I'm just getting ready for my big show next week. My class needs me to be the
best. Who are you?
PEARL: I am Pearl, and my friend is Sunshine. We were enjoying a perfectly quiet afternoon until you all
arrived. This park is not for loud balls or loud music. It's for relaxing.
(DAISY walks in with her dog. The dog is invisible. The dog barks (DAISY makes a sound: "Woof!
Woof!").)
SUNSHINE: (Points.) Oh, look, Pearl. Now there is a dog, too! It is barking and near my feet.
DAISY: (Pulling the leash.) Stop, boy! (To the ladies.) I'm Daisy! He is a small dog. He is a good boy!
(TWINKLE enters from the left, dancing to the music from VIOLET's speaker. She is doing big,
expressive moves.)
PEARL: What is this?! Stop! This is a park, not a dance studio! You are taking up too much space. It's
just too much!
VIOLET: She is my friend, Twinkle. She loves to dance.
STAR: (Bouncing the ball faster to the beat.) I like the dancing, too! Look, ladies! We can all be in the park
together.
PEARL: (Gets up from the bench, frustrated.) This is a disaster. A loud speaker, a bouncing ball, a jumping
girl, a barking dog. I just wanted to read my book. I'm leaving!
VIOLET: Why is it a bad day? We are all having fun. We are just being ourselves.
DAISY: Yes! We are happy. And this park is for everybody, isn't it?
TWINKLE: You can be happy too, Pearl! Maybe we are just different kinds of people.
PEARL: (Stops and looks at them.) We are different, that is true. I just wish everyone was... more tolerant.
STAR: What is tolerant? Is it like being nice?
SUNSHINE: (To the girls.) Yes, but more. It means to accept other people. To understand that their way is
okay, even if it is not your way.
DAISY: Oh! We can do that. That sounds like a good idea. So... tell us about your poem. What is it about?
TWINKLE: Yes! I love poems. I think poems are like dances with words.
PEARL: (She looks at them, and a smile starts to form.) It's a poem about... well, it's about being okay with
people who are different. I think it's a bit funny.
VIOLET: Can we hear it? I can play some soft music now, just for the poem.
STAR: I can bounce the ball quietly. I can listen too. (Bounces the ball with one hand, gently.)
TWINKLE: I can do a special quiet dance for your poem.
PEARL: (She sits back down on the bench. She smiles, truly this time.) Okay. I can be tolerant too. Let's
try.
(VIOLET plays a calm, gentle song. TWINKLE begins to dance slowly. STAR bounces the ball gently.
PEARL holds up her book and reads the poem.)
The Poem
PEARL: (Reads clearly.) My park has music, loud and fast.
SUNSHINE: And a player who makes his ball last.
PEARL: A dancer who twirls, left and right.
SUNSHINE: It’s not my park, all quiet and tight!
ALL SIX: But hey, they laugh, and they don't fight. They're all just having a great time. So I will listen to
their sound, and read my rhyme. Maybe their fun is also fine!