Artistic Discoveries in European Schoolyards

Rui Pina Coelho (Portugal)


30 Schoolyard Nano-Plays

Text Extract

1.
A boy enters a school cafeteria packed with young people. Everybody is talking loudly. The boy can’t even hear his own thoughts. He looks around, sadly and slowly. Vangabondly, he leaves.

2.
Two Boys.
JIM, indicating a beautiful girl passing by.
Look.
GEORGE
Yes. I know.
The girl slides away – everybody necking like windmills.

3.
MARTHA
Go away!
KATIE
You gotta believe me! I really love you.

4.
A boy is sitting in a classroom. He sighs and finds peace while staring at Jane.

5.
Two girls giggling.
JANE
I will never do that again. Never. I swear.

6.
JIM, with his headphones, parades around a schoolyard walking like a gladiator. Lou Reed. He rocks.

7.
MISS PATRICIA, a young good-looking English teacher looks sadly through a foggy window. She draws random pictures on the glass as she starts to smile. She goes away.

8.
A girl enters the library. She looks around. Her reflection in a mirror catches her attention.
SHE
That’s the last time I’m entering here.

9.
A girl sits. She carefully spreads her legs, looks around for a familiar face and pulls her summery dress up to her knees. Then, she melancholically sighs – oh, not yet.

10.
Two girls stare at each other. JULIE reaches out to touch SISSI on the shoulder. They smile. They kiss. They stare at each other. They embrace and kiss.

11.
Two boys stare at each other. JOHN reaches out to touch MIKE on the shoulder. They smile.

12.
A girl sits on the corner of the schoolyard, alone. She waves into the distance. She stands up and waves persistently. She tries to take a better look. Suddenly, she stops.
- Oh, not yet.

13.
A group of boys run, madly chasing a football.

14.
Seven girls sitting on a table. They talk happily. Suddenly, one of them stands up and leaves. She looks at her watch and hurries away.

15.
A pretty girl enters a room. Everybody looks at her. She smiles nervously. The seconds seem to last hours. Finally, she spots ANDREY.
PRETTY GIRL
I though I wouldn’t see you until next week.

16.
JIMMY
There is nothing left to fight about. I can’t see anyone to whom I can say “let’s fight this.” I’m bored. I’m bored. I’m bored.

17.
Two friends at the school entrance.
- Shall we?
- Yes, please.
- After you.
- Certainly, my dear friend.
-Have you got it?
- Yes. It is going to be a memorable day.
- A day never to forget.

18.
FRED looks around searching for JANE. He is standing in the middle of the schoolyard. Looking for JANE. JAMES kicks a ball from a corner of the court, hitting FRED violently in the face. He kneels, his nose is bleeding and he’s crying. At this precise moment, JANE passes by – like a bird.

19.
A fight. Three boys fighting – kicking, hitting and biting. Apparently (in fights it’s hard to tell how things start), one of them said something about someone’s mother. MARK, a blind kid, sitting down, listens to his headphones and smiles. The Clash.

20.
A girl smiles at her boyfriend.
HER BOYFRIEND
I think I have to go now.
SHE
Oh, not yet.

21.
RACHEL’s birthday. Everybody sings her “Happy Birthday”. She goes to blow out the candles. But she stops. She waits a second – in silence.
- Tomorrow I’ll smoke.

22.
JAKE reads a book. He’s overwhelmed and completely involved in it. He hears nothing around him. All of a sudden, it rings:
- Oh, not yet.

23.
In a classroom, a boy looks out the window. Outside, the sun is inviting everybody for a walk. A pretty girl passes by. The boy stands up
- Did you all know that it must be great to be all the things we’re not?!

24.
Two friends play childishly: they are warrior kings. They fight with imaginary swords, shields and helmets. Two girls observe them. One girl comments:
- Oh, not yet.

25.
JASON looks at himself in the glassy reflection of a glass door. He thinks of Van Gogh.

26.
A girl sitting in the back row of a classroom. She gently smiles to HENRY, sitting opposite her. HENRY, embarrassed, drops his pencil. She continues to smile, flooding him with desire. Clumsily, he thinks to himself: Oh, not yet.

27.
A teacher enters the cafeteria and asks for a coffee. Tired and sad, he looks around looking at all the students. He smiles softly and exits.

28.
Two colleague teachers talk happily in the shade of an old tree, in the schoolyard. The boys and girls disturb their conversations with screams, cheers and yells.

29.
A girl passes by, running. Her hair is like the wind.

30.
A boy enters a school cafeteria packed with young people. Everybody is talking loudly. He can’t even hear his own thoughts. He looks around, sadly and slowly. Inquisitively, he sits.

Summary

Written for the PLATFORM 11+ Final production FACE ME Time of Transition


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www.obando.pt


Performances:

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