Play Twelve- Miserable Lungs.

[Lights come up on a man sitting in a recliner watching television. He has on a bath robe and is curled tightly into a big blanket. He has a box of tissues on his lap, cough syrup tucked in close to him, and used tissues all around. He looks completly miserable. he moves to grab the remote that is close to his feet. He starts to hack and cough. After what seems like forever he gives one giant cought and a lung is flung onto the floor. His breathing becomes labored.]

MAN:
My (Gasp) Lung! (Gasp)

[The man takes one last labored breath and drops dead. Lights fade to the sound of an infomercial and the visual of the dead man.]

Play Eleven- Have a text message.

[A voice is heard in the dark. As the the story is told by the voice, the lights come up and the actors play it out.]

VOICE:
Once upon a time there was a girl named Jenn and she had a BFF named Sam. Jenn was thought to be crazy, but she really wasn't and Sam knew that. One day Jenn actually went crazy. Sam could tell that she really was,  for serious, crazy. So, Sam did the only thing that he could think of. He shot her and buried her in his backyard.

[Lights go down on Sam burying Jenn's body.]

VOICE:
THE END!

Play Ten- Animal Instinct.

[Lights come up on three girls. Each are on all fours/crouching. Two are on one side of the stage facing the other crouching girl. Behind the two girls is another girl. She stands normally. Behind the one girl, is a man and a woman, they hold hands. The three crouching girls circle each other, growling and hissing. One of the two lunges out at the one girl. The other is soon to follow. They attack the one girl, who holds her own. After a brief tussle they retreat in front of the people they are protecting. They still hiss and spit at each other. After a brief pause, the two attack again. This time they do more damage than before, but the one crouching girl still holds her own. They retreat and hiss and spit at each other some more. The two girls finally start to back down. As they back down the girl they were protecting comes over to the one crouching girl. She pets her. The one crouching girl curls up in the girls lap as she strokes her. The two crouching girls sulk in the shadows of the lights. The Man and Woman stay holding hands. Lights fade on the new friends.]

Play Nine- You blinked.

[A man sits cross legged in front of a sitting dog. They are staring into each other's eyes with blind determination. After a few beats the Man eyes get wide and he starts to laugh. softly at first, but it progresses to a deep belly laugh. The dog barks at him]

MAN:
Don't you bark at me! I WON! BECKY! BECKY, HONEY!? I WON THE STARING CONTEST! I WON!

[The man run off stage to find Becky. The dog looks after him for a beat, sneezes and walks off as the lights fade.]

Play Eight- I love you, 'Lissa.

[Lights come up on a man, Thomas. He sits on a couch with a laptop in his lap. He hums a little and types away. A Woman, Alissa, enters and comes up behind him and sets her chin on his head. He stops humming and tries to look at her. He laughs when He can't]

ALISSA:
What are you writing?

THOMAS:
A story..

ALISSA:
About what?

THOMAS:
About us.

ALISSA:
What about us?

[Thomas shrugs. Alissa looks at him for a moment and then grabs the laptop. He lets her take it. She climbs over the back of the couch and settles down cross legged next to him. She reads from the computer.]

ALISSA:
I love you. I told her. She smiled at me happily. I don't think that she knew how much I really need her.

[Alissa looks at Thomas questioningly. He nods encouragingly she continues.]

ALISSA:
So today is the day that I am going to show her how much I need her. I am going to ask her hand in marriage. Alissa.....[Choking up] will you marry....me?

[Alissa bursts into tears and Thomas takes her in his arms. There is a beat and then he pulls away from her enough to look in her face.]

THOMAS:
Well, what do you say?

ALISSA:
Y-Yes!

THOMAS:
I love you, 'Lissa.

ALISSA:
I love you. I love you too.

[Lights fade as Thomas pulls a ring out of his pocket and puts it on her finger. Alissa looks at it with a hand over her mouth and they embrace.]

A Shared Love.

[Lights up on an empty stage. A woman and a man enter. They meet in the middle and each pulls out a heart from the inside of their shirts. The woman, a pink heart, the man a blue. They exchange hearts and nod happily at each other. They exit off the opposite that they entered. Lights fade.]

[Lights come back up on an empty stage and the man and woman enter again, from where they exited last. They give each other back their original heart. They nod sadly at each other and walk off the way that they came from the first time. Lights fade.]

[Lights come back up on an empty stage. The man and the woman enter again. They meet in the middle and pull out their original hearts. They smile at each other and rip them in half. They exchange half so they both have one blue half and one pink half. They put it in their shirt, and pause. They take each other's hand and exit together center stage. Lights fade on the empty stage.]

Play Seven- The Customer is alway right.

[Lights up on a grocery store. A man hums a little as he stacks some apples. A woman rushes in and grabs the man by the collar of the shirt and holds him up against the case, some of which have fallen to the ground.]

WOMAN:
WHERE IS IT?!

MAN:
What? Where's what?!

WOMAN:
You know what I'm after, don't you play games with me!

MAN:
HELP! HELP ME! THIS WOMAN IS CRAZY!

[The woman releases the man and looks shocked. She smacks him.]

WOMAN:
How dare you! I am not Crazy!

[The manager rushes over and the man throws himself behind her/him]

MANAGER:
What is going on here?

MAN:
She's crazy! That's what's going on here. She thinks I know where it is. I don't even know what IT is.

WOMAN:
[Starting to sob]
H-he does though! He knows where the c-coke is.

MANAGER:
Crazy or not Johnson, this woman is a customer. You could have told her where the coke is. The customer is ALWAYS right. No matter what their mental state. You're fired.

MAN:
But-But...

MANAGER:
NO BUTS! Get out of my store.

[The manager takes the woman's arm, supporting her.]

MANAGER:
There, there miss. I'll show you where the coke is.

[The woman nods, still sobbing. They walk away. The Man stands, looking after them with a shocked look on his face. Lights fade.]

Play Six- Mermaid Kisses.

[A sailor sits in a little row boat. He whistles and holds a fishing pole. There is a tug on the line and the fisherman pulls it in to find a mermaid at the end of it. He stops whistling. The Mermaid pulls herself up onto the edge of the row boat, grabs the sailor’s cheeks, and gives him a big kiss on the lips. She then swims away. The sailor looks shocked. Beat. ]

SAILOR:
…No, best not tell anyone about this…

[He nods happily with his decision, casts his line and starts to whistle again. Lights fade.]

Play Five- Free Like The Birds.

[Lights up on a little boy struggling to open a window. He gets it open and climbs up on to the sill. He looks down and waves.]

NATHAN:
HI MOMMY!

[A mother’s panicked voice is heard.]

MOTHER:
Nathan? Baby? What are you doing up there, get down!

NATHAN:
No Mommy, I want to be free! I want to be free like the birds!

[Nathan spreads his arms and jumps. His mother screams and a dull thump is heard. Blackout.]

Play Four- Mardi Gras in my MOUTH!

[Lights rise on Bob. He holds an unmarked container. He reaches his hand in, pulls something out and sniffs it. He pops it into his mouth and his eyes light up. He turns and sprints off stage, lights fade. Lights come back up on Bob and Jim. Bob excitedly holds out the box. Jim looks at him questioningly]

BOB:
Best. Thing. Ever.

[Jim reaches his hand in and pops it into his mouth. His eyes light up. Bob and Jim look at each other and they turn and sprint off stage. Lights fade. Lights rise on Bob and Jim, Bob offers the box to Phillip, while Jim bounces excitedly.]

PHILLIP:
What’s this?

BOB:
Best.Thing.Ever.

JIM:
It’s magical!

[Phillip puts his hand in and pops it in his mouth. His eyes light up. All three look at each other, turn, and sprint off the stage. Lights fade. Lights rise Jim and Phillip bounce excitedly around Bob as he holds out the box to Carl.]

BOB:
Best.Thing.Ever.

JIM:
It’s magical!

PHILLIP:
Mardi Gras in my MOUTH!

[Carl looks at them all skeptically. He reaches his hand in and pulls out the food. He looks at it and then pops it into his mouth. He swallows and raises an eyebrow at the three others.]

CARL:
Uh, guys? You know that these are just Cheerios, right?

[Bob holds the box high while Jim and Phillip flank him.]

BOB, JIM, AND PHILLIP:
ALL HAIL THE CHEERIOS!

[Bob, Jim, and Phillip all freeze t admire the cheerios, Carl shakes his head sadly and mutters as he walks off.]

CARL:
I need to find new friends…

Mi Corazon.

[Lights up on a kitchen. Poppy sits on one end of the table, while Maria sits on the side. They are playing go fish.]

MARIA:
Go Fish. Poppy?

POPPY:
Mmm?

MARIA:
Will you tell me a story?

POPPY:
Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Maria and her Poppy loved her very much. And they lived happily ever after. The end.

MARIA:
No, Poppy! A real big story!

POPPY:
A real big story you say. Hm. Come sit over here.

[Poppy pats his lap and Maria excitedly jumps out of her seat and makes her way onto his lap.]

POPPY:
Let’s see… Once upon a time, in a land far away, there was a fish.

[Lights go down on Poppy and Maria. They come up on a fish. The story is played out from this point on.]

This fish’s name was Phillip. Phillip was a pet fish. He lived a sheltered life in a bowl on the dresser of a little girl, much like you. Phillip loved the girl, but the girl loved cats. Now, she did love Phillip as well, but you can’t pet a fish, or let it lay on your lap, can you? The little girl spent most of her days playing with the kitties, but at night, she always kissed Phillip’s bowl and said goodnight. The cats became jealous of this because they never got a goodnight kiss or a goodnight from the little girl. They plotted to have Phillip killed. One night, while the little girl was away, the cats came out and knocked Phillip over. They tried to get him, but he flopped his way to safety. The cats taunted him the whole night. In the morning when the little girl came home, she found Phillip. Thinking that her friend had died, the little girl started to cry. One of her tears hit Phillip and he came right back to life. He started jumping around in her hand. The little girl squealed with joy and put Phillip back in a tank. They are still best friends, to this very day and the cats are no longer allowed to play in the little girl’s room. The End.

[Lights fade on the story and come back up on Poppy and Maria. Maria is asleep, curled into Poppy’s chest. Poppy scoops her up and gives her a kiss on the head.]

POPPY:
[Whispering]
Mi Corazon.

[Poppy carries her off. Lights fade]

Play three- Dog Eat Man.

[Lights rise on a man. He is all bundled up and has a cigarette in one hand. The other is crossed over his chest. He leans against the wall and tugs the collar of his coat to protect himself from the cold. He finishes his cigarette, flicks it to the ground and grinds it out with the toe of his boot. He spots the audience.]

MAN:
Oh, I didn't see you there. Cold innit? You should be inside, where it's warm. That's where I would be. You never know what could happen on a cold night like this. The cold dulls the senses. Someone could steal up behind you, slit your throat, steal your shoes, your coat. You never know. [He lights another cigarette.] You never know. [He looks at his watch.] Eh. It's a cruel world out there. Man eat man, dog eat dog, Hell, even dog eat man. That's the problem with us humans. We think we're better than everyone and everything else. Yet, we can be taken down with one bite from a rattler. Or a single sting from a jellyfish. Jesus, even bees can get the better of us. [He looks at his watch again.] Eh. I best be gettin' back to the wife. The kids should be down by now. It was nice chatting.

[He nods his head politely and tucks it into his jacket. He walks off into the dark. Lights fade.]

Play two- Reach.

[Lights come up dim on a man, dressed in red and a woman, dressed in white. They sit cross legged. The woman’s arm is stretched all the way towards the man; the man’s arm is stretched towards her, but only half heartedly.]

WOMAN:
Reach!

MAN:
I don’t think I can.

WOMAN:
It’ll be alright. It’s not hard.

MAN:
I don’t think I’m ready.

WOMAN:
I’ll help you.

MAN:
I don’t know…

WOMAN:
It can work, just reach.

MAN:
We’ll see.

WOMAN:
Please?

[The man looks into the woman’s eyes for a beat and then reaches his arm out towards her they touch and the lights come up full force. He pulls his hand away in shock and the lights go dim again.]

MAN:
I’m sorry. I can’t.

[The man lets his arm drop to the ground and he hangs his head. The woman looks at him in something that resembles anguish. She keeps her arm outstretched to him, though not as desperately as before. Lights fade.]

Play one- The Dark Man.

[A spotlight clicks on, center stage. It’s empty until a man dressed in dark clothing steps into it. He looks out into the audience with a blank face.]

DARK MAN:
You shall not covet thy neighbor’s things.

[A spotlight clicks on to a man hanging from the ceiling by a rope that is wrapped around his neck. The Dark man does not recognize that he is there.]

DARK MAN:
You shall not lie.

[A spotlight comes up on a man slouched against the wall with a bullet hole in the middle of his forehead.]

DARK MAN:
You shall not steal.

[A spotlight comes up on a small child lying in a pool of blood, cradling the stump of an arm with a missing hand. He moans and rocks back and forth.]

DARK MAN:
You shall not commit adultery.

[A spotlight comes up on a dead woman surrounded by pill and alcohol bottles.]

DARK MAN:
You shall not murder.

[A spotlight comes up on a man, pinned to the wall. A stream of blood trickles out of his mouth.]

DARK MAN:
Honor thy father and thy mother.

[A spotlight comes up on a little girl. Her throat is slit ear to ear.]

DARK MAN:
Remember the Sabbath.

[A spotlight comes up on a man in a pool of blood, his wrists slit.]

DARK MAN:
Do not take the lord’s name in vain.

[A spotlight comes up on a man. His eyes are glazed and blood is pouring out of his mouth. His tongue has been cut out.]

DARK MAN:
You shall not worship idols.

[A spotlight comes up on a woman underwater with a cinder block tied to her leg.]

DARK MAN:
[Changing from expressionless and starting to cry]
And you shall have no other gods before him.

[The Dark man pulls out a knife and plunges it into his stomach. He sinks to his knees. All lights fade as the Dark man stays on his knees, clutching the knife and gasping for breath.]
END