a silly little play

This was inspired by my little cousin, Brennan, and my little brother, Hudson.

STOP!
By Ashlee Farr
CHARACTERS:
DAWSON- about four years old
MRS. CONTENTO

SETTING:
A neighborhood, small cul-de-sac at the end. The porch of a
house coming out of the left of the stage. A small white
swing hung on the porch. Five steps that lead
down into gardens with various flowers of all different
colors. A little sidewalk leading to the street curb.
A child’s bike. Mid-morning. Summer.


[The lights fade from complete darkness to what seems like sunshine. We see DAWSON wearing a white t-shirt and black sport shorts, playing in the yard. He also has a helmet in his hand and a pair of sneakers on his feet. MRS. CONTENTO is sitting on the swing, a book in her hands.]

DAWSON: Hey Mom?! [waving excitedly to her]
MRS. CONTENTO: Yes? What do you need?
DAWSON: Well, I was wondering if I could ride my bike in the road for a little bit. [slightly begging] Please? I promise to be careful!
MRS. CONTENTO: Well. [small sigh and pause as she considers] Only if you snap that helmet on and look both ways before you even think of riding out onto the road.
[Already snapping his helmet on, DAWSON runs to the porch to hug his mother and grab his bike jump.]
DAWSON: Oh! thank you, thank you, thank you!! I will be really careful. Don’t even worry. You just read. I’ll play.
[DAWSON runs to set up the jump in the middle of the cul-de-sac. The grinding of the plastic jump is audible to MRS. CONTENTO. She looks up. DAWSON hops onto his bicycle, the chain rattling as he accelerates.]
MRS. CONTENTO: [raises voice] Remember what I said, young man!
DAWSON: [skids to a stop] Yes, mother. I will be careful. Don’t worry.
[MRS. CONTENTO sits back and continues to read. DAWSON accelerates, aiming for the jump.]
DAWSON: And the super bike racer sets up for his next jump. Just a simple, warm up one! [the bike hits the jump] Woo Hoo!! [DAWSON lands successfully] and the crowd goes wild! The super bike rider is ready to take on the biggest stunt ever performed!
MRS. CONTENTO: [oblivious as to what DAWSON is preparing to do, she looks up from her book] You still doing alright, honey?
DAWSON: [yells in excitement as he sets up for another jump] Yes! I’m better than alright!
MRS. CONTENTO: Alright. Let me know if you get hungry. [resumes reading]
DAWSON: Okay. [he speeds up and resumes narration] The great rider starts to accelerate faster than any person has ever gone before! The tires are screeching and the audience wonders what will happen next! If only the great rider would be able to land the most dangerous stunt!
[a look of determination crosses his face and he stops talking, the bike is almost to the jump. MRS. CONTENTO looks up, horrified]
MRS. CONTENTO: [screaming] Stop! Oh my goodness! I cannot believe that this is happening! Dawson!!
[DAWSON stays focused and he hits the jump, sailing into the air. MRS. CONTENTO closes her eyes and gasps]
DAWSON: [standing on the pedals in mid air, yells] The crowd goes… [the bike lands after a 360 degree turn] wild!! Woo hoo! And the greatest bike rider ever wins first place and a chance to… [he pauses, looks at his mother, and sits back on the seat of the bike while he rolls up to the sidewalk, resuming his narrative in a subdued voice] go inside, eat, and stay off of his bike for a while.
MRS. CONTENTO: [now standing at the bottom of the steps] That is exactly what you will be doing! Get up this sidewalk right now! You must remember that, even though you love jumping, some day you’re going to get hurt really bad if you mess up! Now, put your bike next to the sidewalk and come inside to wash up. I’ll be making lunch.
[MRS. CONTENTO walks up the steps and into the house. DAWSON slowly rolls his bike to the spot he was directed to. He walks up the stairs and unsnaps his helmet. Before going inside, he turns and stares into the sky]
DAWSON: [determination and excitement mark his face as he exclaims boldly] And, someday, that man is going to really become the best bike rider of all time, and his mother won’t be yelling stop!
[he turns and runs into the house, while yelling like a crowd of excited people]