Day Three Drama

Characters: Alex, Great White, Octopus, Scuba-Man, Snorkel-Boy, Turtle.

(Day 3 Recorded Opening)

(Scene begins with SCUBA-MAN returning to the Scuba-Cave. He quickly emerges from the Scuba-Cave with his utility belt, which he’s holding loose in one hand.)

SCUBA-MAN: (speaking into his wrist-mounted transmitter) Scuba-Man to Snorkel-Boy, Scuba-Man to Snorkel-Boy, come in Snorkel-Boy.

SNORKEL-BOY: (“radio voice” effect; speaking from outside the auditorium) This is Snorkel-Boy. Did you find Alex, Scuba-Man?

SCUBA-MAN: No, unfortunately . . . she’s still at large.

SNORKEL-BOY: (“radio voice” effect) She’s still where?

SCUBA-MAN: No, no . . . I mean she’s missing.

SNORKEL-BOY: (“radio voice” effect) Oh, I know . . . I miss her too, Scuba-man . . . (slight pause as he gets “choked-up”) I miss her a lot!

SCUBA-MAN: Calm down, Snorkel-Boy.

SNORKEL-BOY: (“radio voice” effect; still emotional) We’ve just got to find her! It’s all my fault!

SCUBA-MAN: Now listen . . . It’s going to be a little harder to find Alex than we thought, so I’ve returned to the Scuba-Cave to get my utility belt. I suggest you do the same. We shouldn’t have left so unprepared.

SNORKEL-BOY: (“radio voice” effect) You’re right, as usual, Scuba-man. (trying to calm down) I’m on my way back. Over and out.

(SCUBA-MAN lays his utility belt out on the ground to check over its contents. SNORKEL-BOY enters the auditorium and rejoins SCUBA-MAN center stage.)

SCUBA-MAN: You’ll have to get your belt out of the dirty clothes. We forgot to do laundry again. (SCUBA-MAN lifts his arm and smells his armpit) Whoooo! And stick up a reminder note somewhere. We’ve gotta wash these uniforms!

SNORKEL-BOY: Okay. I’ll be right back. (as he goes into the Scuba-Cave)

(Then clangs and crashes [sfx] are heard as SNORKEL-BOY looks for his utility belt. Soon, he returns with a backpack, instead of a utility belt, and a bunch of supplies. SCUBA-MAN, curious, comes over to observe.)

SCUBA-MAN: What happened to your utility belt?

SNORKEL-BOY: Not enough pockets. (as he begins to carefully pack his backpack)

SCUBA-MAN: And what’s all this? Toothbrush? Nail clippers? A picture of your mother?? You really think you’re gonna need all this stuff? (suddenly notices SNORKEL-BOY’S stuffed animal) FLUFFY?!?

SNORKEL-BOY: (grabs “Fluffy” back) You never know. It pays to be prepared!

SCUBA-MAN: (impatient) Ok, Ok, whatever. I’m gonna check the other side of the reef. Meet me as soon as you can at Coral Point.

SNORKEL-BOY: Right! (attention divided as he’s focused on packing) I’ll be ready in a minute…(grits his teeth while talking to himself) if I can just…get this zipper to work!

SCUBA-MAN: (as he’s leaving) Oh, and don’t forget to close up the Scuba-cave before you leave! (Scuba-Man leaves the stage.)

SNORKEL-BOY: (focused on his backpack, he doesn’t hear SCUBA-MAN) Don’t worry, I will. (talks or hums to himself as he finishes packing) There . . . now to put it on. (he puts the backpack on over his cape, then realizes his cape is obstructed) Wait. That’s not going to work. (he takes the backpack off and then, after some effort, puts it back on under his cape this time) There . . . that's better. (he struts around for a moment, then realizes he’s alone) Scuba-man? Where’d he go? (then he sort of remembers) Uh-oh . . . we were supposed to meet somewhere, weren’t we. Oh, boy . . . what was it? Think Snorkel-Boy! Something . . . Point. Hmm…Coral Point? Yeah . . . Coral Point, that’s gotta be it! (then he runs away leaving the Scuba-Cave open) Up, up, and away!!

(As soon as SNORKEL-BOY leaves the auditorium, GREAT WHITE and OCTOPUS enter stage from the other side. OCTOPUS is carrying a coil of rope and a spray gun loaded with Sleep Walking Spray. They’re trying to sneak up on SCUBA-MAN and SNORKEL-BOY, but quickly find out they’re not at home.)

GREAT WHITE: (calls into the Scuba-Cave) Yoo-Hoo! Anybody home? Sewer-Man? Ha ha . . . Water-Boy? Ha ha . . . (short pause) Hmm . . . the lights are on but nobody’s home.

OCTOPUS: Ha! Ain’t that the truth!

GREAT WHITE: (sarcastic) Now, now . . . that’s not very nice. You’re going to give us villains a bad name. (They both laugh.)

OCTOPUS: (frustrated) Well, now what are we going to do?? We’ve got the spray gun all gassed up and no superheroes to use it on!

GREAT WHITE: We’ll just have to think of a way to get them back here. That’s all. Hey, maybe they have one of those secret red phones we could call them on.

OCTOPUS: Wait! Somebody’s coming!

GREAT WHITE: (pleased) Maybe this will be our opportunity!

(OCTOPUS quickly ducks into the Scuba-Cave, while GREAT WHITE waits to see who is approaching. Then, suddenly, ALEX bursts in from the back of the auditorium and runs down the side aisle toward the stage.)

OCTOPUS: (peeking out from inside the cave) Hey, it’s Alex! Maybe we can use her as bait! See what you can do.

GREAT WHITE: No problem. Just leave it to me.

ALEX: (looking, walking around, distracted, doesn’t notice GREAT WHITE) There’s gotta be a place to hide!

GREAT WHITE: How about over here?

ALEX: (startled) Ahhh!!!

GREAT WHITE: Sorry . . . didn’t mean to scare you. You’re Alex, aren’t you?

ALEX: (cautious) How does everyone know my name?!

GREAT WHITE: Hey, word gets around in Ocean Land. It’s such a friendly place, you know. So . . . are you in some kind of trouble?

ALEX: (looking out for the SUPERHEROES) It’s a long story and I don’t have time to get into it.

GREAT WHITE: (concocting a lie) Maybe I can help. Uh . . . you know . . . I’m the Sheriff of Ocean Land.

ALEX: (confused, skeptical) You are?? You don’t look much like a Sheriff. Where’s your badge?

GREAT WHITE: Badge?

ALEX: You know, your Sheriff’s star.

GREAT WHITE: (making it up) Oh, right . . . .well . . . uh . . . I . . . must have dropped it. Yeah, it must be around here somewhere. (they both start looking around) So . . . are you always this suspicious?

(Then, when ALEX isn’t looking, OCTOPUS tosses a sea star toward GREAT WHITE.)

GREAT WHITE: Here it is!! (picks up the sea star and sticks it on his chest). I’m always losing this thing.

ALEX: (not sure about this “sheriff business” but the star is convincing) So . . . what does a sheriff do down here? I mean you’ve got Scuba-Man and Snorkel-Boy . . . what more do you need?

GREAT WHITE: So, they’ve tricked you too, huh?

ALEX: What do you mean, tricked me too?

GREAT WHITE: Well . . . believe it or not, our superheroes really aren’t heroes at all. Actually, they’re quite the opposite! They’re fakes!

ALEX: What???

(OCTOPUS steps out of the Scuba-Cave and inserts herself into the conversation.)

OCTOPUS: That’s right, Alex. Fakes!! They’re nothing more than a couple wreckless vigilantes.

GREAT WHITE: And you know what vigilantes are, don’t you?

ALEX: Uh . . . well . . . not exactly.

GREAT WHITE: Outlaws! In fact, they’re wanted for violating Article III, Section 2 of the Ocean Land Code: Impersonating Superheroes without a License.

OCTOPUS: Which is VERY SERIOUS.

GREAT WHITE: And that’s why I’m here. To arrest ‘em!

ALEX: Fakes?? I . . . just . . . can’t believe it! I mean . . . what about their costumes . . . and . . . the Scuba-Cave . . . and . . . and . . .

GREAT WHITE: You can imagine our shock when we found out.

OCTOPUS: Believe me . . . we were shocked!

ALEX: So, how are you going to arrest them? They’re not here.

GREAT WHITE: Well, funny you should ask. I was hoping you could help.

ALEX: Me? Why me? I . . . I . . . I don’t want to get involved.

OCTOPUS: Alex . . . I’m disappointed in you. That’s not very patriotic. When a law enforcement officer needs help to catch a criminal, every citizen should be willing to do his or her part.

ALEX: Well . . . I don’t know. Are you sure, I mean absolutely sure, they’re fakes??

GREAT WHITE: Believe me. I’ve done a thorough background check.

OCTOPUS: Really, really thorough!

GREAT WHITE: Besides, do you think I’d ask for your help unless I was absolutely sure??

ALEX: (disillusioned) I don’t know . . . I guess not.

OCTOPUS: C’mon, Alex? It’s for everyone’s safety. What do you say?

GREAT WHITE: We’ve got to get them off the streets right away!

ALEX: (reluctant) Well . . . all right, I guess I’ll help.

OCTOPUS: Now, that’s better. Trust me. You won’t regret this.

ALEX: What do you want me to do?

GREAT WHITE: Well . . . perhaps you might know how to lure them back here to the Scuba-Cave.

ALEX: How would I know that?

GREAT WHITE: Aren’t they out looking for you??

ALEX: Yeah, but I don’t know—(suddenly gets an idea)—hey, wait a minute. (walks over to the Emergency Button) Over here. See this? It’s their Emergency Button. I’m sure if I push this they’ll come back.

OCTOPUS: Really? Well then, what are we waiting for?! We’ll hide, and you push the button.

(GREAT WHITE and OCTOPUS quickly take cover.)

GREAT WHITE: Okay, Alex, we’re in position. Go ahead, push it!

(ALEX pushes the Emergency Button [sfx], then the SUPERHEROES enter the rear of the auditorium and run toward the stage.)

OCTOPUS: (excited) Here they come!!

(The SUPERHEROES see ALEX and call out to her.)

SCUBA-MAN AND SNORKEL-BOY: (while running) Alex! Alex!

SCUBA-MAN: Are you okay??

SNORKEL-BOY: We were really worried about you!

SCUBA-MAN: Why’d you push the Emergency Button? Is there a problem?

(Then GREAT WHITE and OCTOPUS come out of hiding.)

GREAT WHITE: Yes, Super Duds! The problem is you! You’re both under arrest!!

SCUBA-MAN AND SNORKEL-BOY: WHAAAAT??

(OCTOPUS immediately sprays the SUPERHEROES with Sleep Walking Spray, which causes them to instantaneously fall asleep and snore while standing.)

GREAT WHITE: (to ALEX) Sleep Walking Spray. We were afraid they wouldn’t come peacefully.

ALEX: (confused) Now what are you going to do?

GREAT WHITE: That’s easy . . . we’re gonna tie’em up and take’em where we always take’em.

(OCTOPUS takes the coil of rope and begins to tie-up the SUPERHEROES.)

ALEX: Where’s that?

GREAT WHITE: The Abyss, of course!

ALEX: (shocked) The Abyss!

OCTOPUS: It’s where they belong!

GREAT WHITE: Oh . . . and Alex. Don’t go anywhere . . . ’cuz we’ll be back with your reward! (sinister laugh) Ha! Ha! Ha!

(As GREAT WHITE and OCTOPUS walk the sleeping SUPERHEROES away, ALEX doesn’t know what to think.)

ALEX: (to herself) Something doesn’t seem right about this. I’m so confused. (then she sits down in front of the cave with her head down)

(TURTLE enters the stage and sneeks up from behind her.)

TURTLE: Boo!

ALEX: (unmoved) Oh . . . hi.

TURTLE: (notices mood, kneels down beside ALEX) Hey, why the long face?

ALEX: I just wanna go home.

TURTLE: Homesick, huh? I was wondering when that might happen.

ALEX: No, that’s not it.

TURTLE: Really? Then, what is it? I’d like to help you if I can.

ALEX: I don’t know . . . I’m just so confused. I don’t know what’s right and wrong or . . . who’s good and who’s bad.

TURTLE: Why not?

ALEX: What do you mean, “Why not?”

TURTLE: We gave you the Bible, remember?

ALEX: Yeah.

TURTLE: But, let me guess . . . you didn’t read it. Thought you’d just do it your own way. And so now you’re all mixed up and don’t know who or what to trust.

ALEX: Boy, you can say that again!

TURTLE: Listen, Alex. There’s no one more worthy of your trust than God. I mean, c’mon . . . He’s perfect! And if you can trust God, you can trust His Word. In fact, Jesus said that “Heaven and earth will pass away but His Words will NEVER pass away."

ALEX: Wow . . . never?

TURTLE: NEVER! I’m telling you, Alex . . . you can trust God and you can trust the Bible!! And, actually . . . you MUST in order to go to heaven.

ALEX: What do you mean?

TURTLE: Let me explain. You see, God is perfectly pure and holy, but humans aren’t—they’re sinful, they’ve broken God’s law. And that’s a huge problem because God says that the penalty for sin—even one little sin—is death and separation from God forever.

ALEX: Uh-oh.

TURTLE: “Uh-oh” is right . . . but, because of God’s amazing love and mercy, He provided a solution to the problem. Do you know what that was?

ALEX: Uh . . . you mean Jesus?

TURTLE: That’s right. Jesus, God’s Son, came to Earth, lived a perfect life, and died on the cross to pay the penalty for the sin of mankind past, present, and future. Then he rose from the dead three days later, showing that the penalty had been paid in full.

ALEX: So now everyone gets to go to heaven?

TURTLE: No . . . first, you have to turn from your sins, and then this is where trust comes in—you have to trust and believe in what Jesus did. It’s like Noah’s Ark. If you remember, Noah and his family trusted in God and believed what He said, and so they were saved. But what happened to everyone else?

ALEX: They died in the Flood.

TURTLE: Right. Even though Noah called out to them, they refused to believe. May that never be said of you, Alex.

ALEX: And it never will.

TURTLE: That’s good. So, like I said, you can trust God and you can trust the Bible. NEVER forget that.

ALEX: (a bit embarrassed) Uh . . . there’s only one problem.

TURTLE: Hmm . . . you don’t know where your Bible is. That’s okay. You can have mine. I’ll get another one. (as she hands ALEX her Bible)

ALEX: Thanks.

TURTLE: Oh, you’re welcome. Well, I'd better get back to the office. (as she looks at her watch and then stands up) Got a bunch of sea-mails that I need to respond to.

ALEX: Oh, by the way, how was your trip?

TURTLE: (stops, turns around) What trip?

ALEX: You know . . . to get your shell inspected??

TURTLE: Shell inspected? What are you talking about? You’re joking, right? Oh, Alex . . . you’re so silly! (walks offstage) I’ll see ya later!! Shell inspected (as she laughs) . . . that’s a new one.

(TURTLE exits.)

ALEX: (to herself) But . . . Octopus said . . . (realizes she’s been deceived) . . . she lied to me!! (pause) And that means the Sherriff, or whoever he is, also lied! (jumps to her feet and runs offstage after GREAT WHITE, OCTOPUS, and the SUPERHEROES) And they’re going to The Abyss!!! Scuba-Man! Snorkel-Boy! Stop!!!

(Day 3 Recorded Closing)