Script

Title: Life As We Knew It

Author:Susan Pfeffer

Setting: Sunroom(both before and after)

Character List:

Miranda: Maddeline Lanni

Mom(Laura): Grace Greene

Matt: Michael Davis

Johnny: John Jiang 13 Years old

Peter/ Dad:Jack Shi

Prop List-

Food chest

Two benches

Chocolate chips

Can food/ bowl

Coffee table

Two blankets

Throw blankets to cover everyone up

Game

Black box (furnace)

Laundry and basket

Book

Backpack

Lighting (Sound N/A): 

BEFORE lighting will be standard stage lighting.

AFTER the lighting will be lower with maybe a bluish tint. 

Costuming-

Miranda- Pants and t-shirt/ jacket AFTER: Winter jacket and warmer clothes

Johnny- CA sports jacket and shorts, no tie. In AFTER he will be wearing longer pants and winters accessories. 

Matt- Casual dress (rolled up sleeves, no tie, maybe shorts.) AFTER he will wear a jacket and longer pants (maybe sweatpants)

Laura- Regular academic dress(pants and ‘“mom” blouse). She’ll wear a hat and gloves and be perpetually covered in a blanket in AFTER. 

Peter- Button up, dress pants, and tie (business casual). He’ll wears a big black jacket over his outfit during AFTER.(hobo chic) 

Scene 1: 

(Opens in sunroom. Mattresses on floor. Shelving or chest to one side. Furnace or something resembling one opposite. Laundrey tub in corner.)

Miranda is curled up in ball with her face not visible to the audience. Sits up pulls book to her lap to read it. Gets visibly frustrated and pushes it onto the floor. Sighs gets up and goes to chest. Rifles through and pulls out bag of chocolate chips. Looks around, tears it open, and begins eating. 

Mom: Miranda! (pause. Miranda wipes her mouthly slowly, unrepentedly)

Mom: What do you think you’re doing?! What in the hell is wrong with you?! You know we need to save food- what about your brothers? What about me?

Miranda: What about them? We have food and you’re starving us! We’re dying because you’re a goddamn hoarder!

Mom: This is the only way we survive! You are so selfish! What the hell happened to you? We need to save-

Miranda: What’s the point?!(makes hand gesture.Chocolate chips go flying. Both just stand still. All emotion drains from Mom’s face. Miranda pics ups a few and then justs stares waiting.)

Mom: Eat them. 

Miranda: What?

Mom: Eat them. You wanted them. Eat them. Pick them up and eat them. They’re yours. I don’t want to see a single chocloate on the floor.

(Miranda bends down and begin eating them as she goes. Some time passes. Miranda stops. She looks sick.)

Mom: Eat them.

Miranda: Mom, I don’t think I can.

Mom: Eat them. 

(Miranda finishes them. She looks sick. Mom reaches for bag.)

Mom: Give me the bag. (Miranda hands it over.) This was your food for today and tommorow. You can join us for supper on Thursday.

Miranda: Mom! It was just some chocolate chips!

Mom: I was saving them for Matt’s birthday. (silence) You’ve eaten enough for four people, so your going to skip your next four meals. Maybe then you’ll understand how important food it.

Miranda: I’m sorry. Can you make him something else for his birthday?

Mom: There is nothing else. This food has to last us a long time and we can’t just eat when we’re hungry. We only have a chance if we’re very careful.

Miranda: I’m sorry, I’ll never do it again.

Mom:(nods) You’re a good girl Miranda. Now go, I don’t want to deal with you  anymore.

Scene 2:

(Opens in sunroom with two chairs and a coffeee table with some books stacked on it.) 

(Mom sits on couch in sunroom, reading. Miranda walks in sheepishly. Tries to exit into room.)

Mom: How was the math test?

Miranda: It was alright.

Mom: It doesn’t sound like it was all right.

Miranda: I could have done better.

Mom: Uhum. 

Miranda: I got an 82. 

Mom: Did you study?

Miranda: Enough.

Mom: Well maybe it wasn’t enough. Miranda you’re smart you shouldn’t be so carelss. 

Miranda: I know; I’m sorry. 

Mom: If you just apply yourself-

Miranda: I do, Mom.

Mom: (sighs) You're a good girl Miranda. Why don't you sit and do homework with me?

Miranda: I've got to go work on that moon paper. (She exits)

Mom: Ok. (Lights down)

Scene 3:

(AFTER  setup)

(Mom is lying on mattress. Kids surround her. Peter knocks. He enters)

Peter: How are you guys? 

Matt: Good. How's the hospital?

Peter: It's alright. 

Mom: Do you guys mind if I speak to Peter for a second? 

Matt: Sure, mom. (Kids exit)

Mom: How are you doing Peter? 

Peter: How are you doing? How's the ankle?

Mom: I still can't put pressure on it.

Peter: You shouldn't even be trying. You need to stay off your feet. Are the kids making you work? Do you-

Mom: No they've been great. Don't worry about us. (Silence) How are things down there?

Peter: they're not great, Laura.

Mom: What's happened?

Peter: (silence) Did you find the bug spray? There are cases of malaria down at the hospital. You can't ever be too careful. There's been a couple cases of salmonella, so make sure you cook everything, but be wary of leaving the furnace on too long; the fire department's no longer in commission. 

Mom: We'll be careful. (pause) Peter, what's wrong?

Peter: The flu is making a comeback and no ones strong enough to stop it. It seems to be killing everyone. (He chokes)

Mom: Peter-

Peter: Ashley and Ellen- they're dead. 

Mom: I'm so sorry. 

Peter: They got the flu. (Mom moves to talk but doesn't say anything) I have togo back to the hospital. It's been very busy.

Mom: Can't you go home?

Peter: No, I don't think I can.

(Peter exits)

Scene 4: 

(BEFORE setup)

Game board is on coffee table and Family and Peter sit around it.

Johnny: I'm winning- as usual.

Mom: Johnny- no bragging.

Miranda: Don't worry about it; he'll be crying soon when I beat him.

(They bicker over game. Mom recognized that Peter is standing off to the side awkwardly. She nudges Matt.)

Matt: So you’re a doctor?

Peter: Yep, I work at the hospital down the street.

Johnny: So, you save people’s lives? Do you ever see any of those crazy illnesses where people grow extra limbs?

Mom: Johnny!

Peter: No. (chuckles) It’s pretty standard, but I love it.

Johnny: Cool.

Peter: Yeah, cool. (checks watch) Looks like I have to get home to the twins.( Kisses Mom on cheek) 

Mom: Say hi to the twins for me. 

Peter: I will. 

Johnny: Twins?

Peter: I have two daughters - Ashley and Ellen. 

Scene 5: 

(AFTER setup)

Family are all present in sunroom. Johnny is grabbing a can of food from the chest. He pours in into a pot and brings in to the stove. The rest of the family are dispersed around the room. Matt’s on his bed. Miranda and Mom are doing laundry. Johnny stills and looks around the room.

Johnny: How come none of you eat lunch?(silence)

Matt: Not hungry. When I’m hungry, I eat.

Miranda: Same here. (both smile)

Mom: We all eat when we need to. Don’t let what we do stop you, Johnny.

Johnny: No, if you’re all eating one meal a day, then that’s what I should do, too.

All but Johnny: No! (Johnny looks scared and angry and upset)

Johnny: Why?

Mom: Johnny we need to know that one of us is going to stay strong, in case we need them. 

Johnny: But that’s not fair. You should eat! I don’t need it.

Mom: You’ve got to eat Johnny. You’re going to be our strong one.

Johnny: I don’t know if I can be the strong one! What if you die? What if you all die? (silence)

Miranda: Then you live. You move and you you’ll be strong enough to live. No one knows whats going to happen. No one knows! Just eay your damn lunch and don’t feel guility.

Scene 6:

Johnny: Matt, this is so cool, did you hear it? Red sox are undefeated!

Matt: Interesting haha, Porcello’s been playing bad the last few outings, glad he finally had a good one today though. What was the score?

Johnny: 5-1 so far. They’re going to take it!

Matt: What inning are we in right now?

Johnny: Bottom 6. We’re up. 

Matt: Who’s up?

Johnny: David Ortiz. We got a good chance to go up another run.

Matt: I don’t know about that, his batting average is barely over 3, he’s been in a slump lately.

Johnny: Come on Matt, have faith in your boy

Matt: (giggles and messes Johnny’s hair) I always have faith.

Johnny: Dad promised to take us both to Boston next summer and he said that we could go to Fenway and see the Sox play. 

Matt: He took me to Fenway when I was 5 or 6 but I don’t really remember it that well. I just remember going and being under the lights. So beautiful. 

Johnny: One day, you will get to watch as I play on the field. I'll be the best shortstop ever! Derek Jeter will eat my dust. I’ll still be the best- a Red Sox legend. 

(Mom and Miranda come in. )

Miranda: A red Sox legend? I don’t know.

Mom: Well, I believe in my boy. He’s strong. He’ll make it. 

Scene 7: 

(AFTER setup)

Matt checks on Johnny and Mom and then goes to grab food. Johnny and Mom asleep on beds. Miranda walks in. 

Miranda: How are they doing?

Matt: No change. 

Miranda: What about you?

Matt: I’m fine.

Miranda: You forget you almost died. The flu almost-

Matt: I’m fine. 

Miranda: I’m going into town. I want to go to the post office. 

Matt: Do you really think you have the strength? To make it there and back?

Miranda: I know its crazy, but how much longer can I last anyway? A week? Two? It’s better this way. 

Matt: (silence) But if you can, you’ll come back. 

Miranda: If I can. But its all right if I don’t.

Matt: What about Mom?

Miranda: I think this ways better. I mean, what’s the likelhood that I’ll actually be able to outlive her? This way she’ll hope.

Matt: (silence) How are you going to get there? Johnny needs the skis, you can’t take those. 

Miranda: I’ll walk. 

Matt: Are you planning on saying goodbye?I don’t think you should wake them. 

Miranda: Ok. I'll just go. (Miranda exits. Matt goes back to food chest. Suddenly drops everything. Matt slides down to the floor. Blackout.)

Scene 8:

(BEFORE setup)

Family gathered in sunroom. Matt is carrying a bag. He walks to the door and then turn to face his family.)

Matt: I have to go.

Johnny: Good luck! You need to tell me all about those college girls-

Mom: Johnny!

Matt: Sorry Johnny; I won’t have any of those stories. (Nods his head obnoxiously and then messes up Johnny’s hair) 

Mom: Good thing. I don't want to have to send Miranda to supervise you.

Miranda: I’ll be there in a few years though.

Matt: At Cornell?I’m not so sure…( Miranda punches his arm) I’m just kidding. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you in a few years. 

Miranda: You’ll call, right?

Matt: Of course. You’ll see me again before you can even miss me.

Miranda: I better.

Mom: I love you.

Johnny: Bye Matt.

Miranda: Love you. See you soon.

Matt: You will;  I promise. (head slowly drops and walks out)

Period.

So far this project is going too well to believe we actually did it, and I am so ready for starting staging this skit. I really like this story because of two main reasons which are characters and plot. This two parts plus together create this skit which you can never predict what will happen, so it will be great story on stage. I also want to say that this project also reflect how much we grow through this school year.

At the beginning of the year, we could cut lines form the original play and put them together which was just basically gather the main plot and put it together. Then we started to write our own script and develop characters. That was a hard time for everyone, and we had to rewrite and edit our script so many times which I can’t even count. However, all of our effort is showing it’s value now. In this project, we only spent one long class period to write our whole script which was so fast. Thus, IB does worth it’s experience and education.

Our skit will be great to be presented on stage because our plot has so many changes and character development. The story starts with a peaceful setting and happy family scene, then at a sudden everything starts going bad. People die; electricity is lost; people have no enough food, and weather goes crazy. All characters was so happy and enjoy their lives, then they will all have a huge change to a completely different direction. This skit will give audience a impression that this will be a happy story, then bring everyone into dark side of humanity. I personally like this kind of story so much because it can make audience to think more than other kind of story.

With all we learned in this class and a perfect story we will put on a amazing skit on stage for this final project. I believe we will spend less time to make a more quality production. We will work hard and draw a perfect period with this production, and we will tell Ms. Guarino that this class is the best English and Art class!

Let's create our own show!

The Giver is the first English novel I read, and it is also one of my favorite novel. The Giver by Lois Lowry, is a world without emotion and memory. A young boy called Jonas who lived in this world, at the start Jonas did not has all his memories, and he is chosen to be the receiver who receives all the memories and knowledge from the giver. Then he realized that this society is wrong, so he finally escaped from this place. People in this society they just live by orders and they try to fellow rules to make sure they will not be released which is death. If we make this book into a play, we can discover so much on human’s emotion and how important it to us. Also, we can improve our acting skills better because we have to show different levels’ emotions and reaction through the whole story.

I want to choose this book because of two reasons. The first one is that we do not need a huge cast to do this skit because the main part is the scenes between Jonas and the giver. I want to have 4 characters in this skit, and they are Jonas, the giver, Jonas’ mother and the president. At the beginning, I want to show how the relationship works between Jonas and his mother which can show how this emotionless society works. Then I want to focus on how he becomes the receiver and starts working with the giver. At this point I want to switch around the conversation between Jonas with his mother and Jonas with the giver, so audience can actually see how his reaction changes along his learning with the giver. Meanwhile, I also want to put some scenes between his mother and the president to show how dark this society is. At the end I want Jonas runs into a conversation between the president and his mother, then he goes to the giver and starts planing to escape. I don't want to use the original ending which is so unclear. I would change the ending to a happy ending like the movie version, but since we don't have the ability to do it. I will add a monologue which tells how Jonas have been doing after he escaped a year later.

I believe that this skit will be so fun to work in this class, and it will also be a good literary work for us to do because the script will be the most important part for this story. How can we make the each character to have its own style? How can we make audience feel the lines are spoke by the character? Those are the question we have been working on, and I believe that we can creat a great version of The Giver! Finally, I hope that I can have 3 or 4 amazing classmate which can be anyone in this class work with me to build this society together!

Keep Calm and Take the Exam!

“IB” the first time I heard this word was in my sophomore year, and all my junior and senior friends who took IB classes was complaining about it. Except this one “Andrew” one of the most famous student at Cheshire Academy told me that he felt so happy because he can finally show all his two years’ hardworking on 10 pages. I have to say that 10 pages sounded so scary to a me as a sophomore. After a year, at the same time me my self had to take my own IB exam, and I want to say that it was actually not so bad.

I bet you want to ask me why. Well, I am telling you right now! I was so nervous about this exam because I felt it will be so hard. I remember every time I ask teachers about the quiz, test or exam. They always tell me that John don’t worry, you will be okay and it won’t be so hard. However, when I see the actual test it looks somehow so hard to me. This time my dear English teacher Ms. Guarino told me that I will be fine, and the truth is that I actually did okay. Before the exam, we did so much work to help us to be ready, especially the practice exam. I had no idea how to do those question until I have to start write the essay in class.

Not only in class writing, but also the discussion and projects we had in this class. Since the beginning of the year, we have been working on every details we need for this exam. Starting with Romeo and Juliet, we learned how to analysis the literary work. Then we studied the staging through My Love My Love project. Finally, when we put everything we learned together we present our final production on the IB exam paper!

notes

"Nature is what we see" "Nature is what we hear" "Nature is what we know"

three times start with the exact same sentence with three different ending word. Bring the emotion from different sense, see and hear are two most important sense we have to everything.

"Nay" showed up two times at the end of see and hear, Not after know to give reader it's own space to think and feel.

In Blood "true Arab" showed up 4 times.

1. At the beginning to show true Arab do not like to kill

2. It's when they say abput watermelon and I changed it. It tells reader how her attitude to the True Arab and how it changed later

3. Father respond after "I" said to give name back, to show that True Arab respect the nature and they love the nature

4. At the end, It gives a question of "What does a true Arab do now?" This sentence is the ending sentence, which is also a question that can make reader to think the deep meaning of the poem and give a open ending to have more creative thoughts

simple? no it's complex

"Nature" is what we see— This poem is leading us to the higher level question and concern at the beginning. However, this poem finally leads us to the simplicity of nature which was not I was thinking when I was reading at the first time. All the poems are written to pass a meaningful massage, and author always use simple things and scenes to give or represent a bigger picture of life or human. However, this poem gives it’s purpose and idea of the connection between human and nature at the end of the poem which is ambiguity. Even though it lead us into another direction, but we can still analysis the first part on our own perspective.

When I first time read Emily Dickinson write all the things such as the hill, bumble bee, thunder and cricket, I felt that she is trying to tell us to pay attention to the nature and enjoy it as “Heaven” and “Harmony”, but at the end she wrote “So impotent Our Wisdom is To her Simplicity.” (Dickinson). this is the main point she is trying to tell us. It’s about the simplicity of great nature which she thinks is simple, but I feel that even if a most simple thing that exist in the nature it is absolutely beyond our wisdoms and art we have created. This massage which is ambiguity lead people to think that nature is simple, but on my perspective it is too hard to be studied, and that’s why people call it simple which our art cannot say.

I know there are so many poems which do not give the main passage or only direction, so readers will have to discover and analysis in their own way. However, this "Nature" is what we see— poem is very different from those kind of poem. In this poem, the author gives us the idea of the simplicity which provide all the Heaven and Harmony which we call art. Through this point so many people discover the simplicity, but I see the other side which is complexness. Thus, even though there is ambiguity to lead readers to different directions, but there is always some reader who sees things differently.

Curious of story? No it's about the stage

The curious incident of dog in the night-time this is the first Broadway production I saw, and I was just amazed by the stage and skills! I read both the novel and play version through last summer. However, I have to say that the Broadway version still shocked me in many different ways. As the symple of best theater in the world, Broadway productions always have their own perspective and setting. 

When I was reading the novel version, I felt that Mr. Shears is a kind scary character because he was the one yelling and complaining at Christopher, but I in the play he is a funny person, especially when he hands books to Christopher, and he makes those funny sound effects. I also feel that the Christopher in the play is so different from the one I pictured in my head when I was reading the book. I thought he is the kind of boy who is extremely quiet, but on stage he is so loud. I think it is beacuse they need to pass the emotion and craziness to audience.

Another thing and one of the most important thing is stage. I have to say that this stage is the best stage I have ever seen before in my life. The lighting and sounds together picture out an amazing environment for us. When he walks on the wall and jump on the subway rail, I was speechless. The theater technology helps the whole show improve to a whole new level. I never thought that without computer technology a production can bring audience into the story. 

The way to deliver a story can be so different from play and novel, and this is also way Broadway can always amaze audience because you cna never predict the setting and character’s development. The curious incident of dog in the night-time is a such big success combine stage technology and character performing.