Somewhere in the Middle

Here's the play I wrote for the Vermont Young Playwrighting Residency, the formatting got all messed up when I pasted it in here, but its readable.

Characters: Mr. G., English teacher, 32
Bridget, A student, 13
Stacy, Bridget’s friend, 13
Scene: Classroom in School
At Rise: Lights come on Mr. G
Telling the class about a new assignment
MR. G.
This is a creative writing assignment, a personal essay.
BRIDGET
(Raises hand)
Aren’t you going to like, tell us what to write about?
MR. G.
No this is supposed to be personal, I want you to be free to write what you think and feel without guidelines.
BRIDGET
(a little unsure)
Okay…
(Small break, Bridget starts writing, then scribbles something out)
MR. G.
NO! Bridget! STOP!
BRIDGET
(Alarmed)
What?
MR. G.
You can’t cross things out! That’s an idea! An idea can’t be abandoned, an idea must be PERSUED!
BRIDGET
What, are you turning my English paper into a life lesson now?
MR. G.
It’s like writing, life is like writing
BRIDGET
(Waves pencil in air)
You can erase writing!

MR. G.
(Pulls pencil out of Bridget’s hand and chucks off stage pulls out pen)
Not with a pencil with a PEN! You can’t erase life!
BRIDGET
Life’s not like writing it’s not as simple as putting pen to paper, its applying logic and knowing when and why and thinking! Thinking about everything!
MR. G.
But what if you cover your page with um with… whatever it is, it should be YOU, it’s writing outside the lines, it’s not caring about when or where but WHY! It’s saying yes to everything and no to nothing and…
BRIDGET
It’s not that simple.
MR. G.
YES! , well I mean no it’s not that simple its LIFE!
Bridget
No! It’s not life it’s my ESSAY!
MR. G.
But you can treat it like life!
BRIDGET
If life is writing then life is pushing so hard the tip breaks, I’d like to write something powerful but my tip is breaking and I CAN’T DO IT!
(Pause)
(Startling Mr. G.)
And expectations, why is everyone always expecting so much from me, it’s too much!
MR. G.
I’m only expecting your best
BRIDGET
(Rolls her eyes at Mr. G. turns to her fiend as he walks away)
Geez! English is horrible, this paper, and then there’s Mr. G. who’s always trying to turn simple things like crossing out an idea into a life lesson!
STACY
Oh I know! He can be so agh, and it makes me so agh! And it just makes me wanna go AGH!!
BRIDGET
Okay Stacy slow down your gonna kill yourself! And maybe he has a point with the whole “writing is life!” thing.

STACY
Ya ,and I have to work on this thing now, I have soccer tonight, so don’t over think it, okay? You over think way to many things that don’t need to be over thunk.
BRIDGET
Thunk isn’t a word Stacy
STACY
Oh, well, I gotta work on this, you should too.

BRIDGET
fine
(later in class)
(Bridget Discreetly crossing something out)
MR. G.
I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU NOT TO DO THAT!
BRIDGET
But it made no sense!
Mr. G.
Don’t you get it? Making no sense is great, perfect even!

BRIDGET
But how can you give me a good grade if you can’t understand what I’m trying to say?!
MR. G.
It’s not about the grade but on a bigger scale! It’s about how leaving something, even the tiniest little thing, can result in something HUGE!
BRIDGET
Mr. G, will you just calm down! I was crossing out ONE thing, ONE thing not “something HUGE”!
MR. G.
That’s NOT THE POINT!
BRIDGET
If that’s not the point than what is?
MR. G.
Listen, I have “crossed out” way to many ideas in my life, I just don’t want you to make the same mistake.
BRIDGET
Mr. G., come on! It’s not like I’m going to drop out or anything! I’m not doing something LIFE CHANGING!
MR. G.
But you are! You’re eliminating a potentially great idea!
BRIDGET
Do you seriously think that writing my personal essay on pencils is a “GREAT” idea!?
MR. G.
Not at that stage but you could develop it a little more and get something amazing!

BRIDGET
Okay some of my idea have potential but come on, pencils!?
MR. G.
It could be something!
BRIDGET
So you want me to use EVERY thing I have!? That’s gonna be really hard to do! I have like 15 ideas here.
MR. G.
I’m just trying to tell you to keep your options open.
(Bridget starts writing again, ignoring him, he walks away)
(Stacy turns to Bridget)
STACY
Hey, Bee, How do you spell “schizophrenic”
BRIDGET
(sighs)
s-c-h-i-z-o, hey wait a minute why do you need to know how to spell schizophrenic?
STACY
Well part of this is about my friends
BRIDGET
Hey! I am NOT schizophrenic!

STACY
Come on! You always say you’re open minded when you happen to be the least open minded person in the ENTIRE world
BRIDGET
I think maybe I just over think things a little too much…
STACY
Well Bee, you do always seem to think an awful lot…
BRIDGET
But I have to think about things or else nothing will go as planned and that would be horrible!
STACY
(thinking)
Well… can you help me with this word now?
BRIDGET
Ya, fine, here
(writes the word down on a piece of paper and gives it to her)
STACY
Is that really how you spell it, s-c-h-i-z-o-p-h-r-e-n-i-c?
BRIDGET
Ya
STACY
That is messed up…

BRIDGET
Ya well there are a lot of messed up things in the world… LIKE THIS PAPER! AGH!
STACY
(right out of the blue)
You know you could give him a chance, he’s really just trying to help.
BRIDGET
Who?
STACY
Come on, you know who I’m talking about

BRIDGET
Ya… but hey why are YOU giving ME advice
STACY
Well, I may not know that much but I know people and he really isn’t trying to make your life miserable
BRIDGET
Well, maybe I could give him a second chance… I mean he has always tried to help…
STACY
Ya, and I mean what harm could it do? As it is you’re probably already failing for fighting with the teacher all the time.
BRIDGET
You know you’re really not that great about making people feel better.
STACY
(joking)
I know I really should work on that!
(Next Day in Class)
BRIDGET
(walks up to Mr. G.’s desk gives him her paper)
Here
MR. G.
Pencils?
BRIDGET
Pencils

Curtain