The Escape – Bridgehampton School (2011)

Elizabeth Hochstedler and Laura Uribe in Giselle Carmona’s play “The Escape.” Photo by Star Black.

The Escape

by Giselle Carmona

Bridgehampton School

Click here to watch a video of this performance

Location: in a government lab at afternoon in summer

INTRO MUSIC

LIGHTS UP – LABORATORY LIGHTING

Bianca: Who’s that? (Turns around)

Ana: Hey, do you know the way out of here?

Bianca: No, I don’t even know how the world looks anymore.

Ana: (confused) What do you mean, and why are you here?

Bianca: You don’t need to know.

Ana: Okay well ….. I’m the general’s daughter, Ana.

Bianca: Ana, the general’s daughter, huh?

Ana: Can you please tell me who you are and why you are here?

Bianca: (a bit annoyed) My name is Bianca. I’m an experiment.

Ana: (surprised) Experiment………

Bianca: Yeah, my dad sold me to a man that sold me to a government agent for testing.

Ana: (Really surprised) Why?

Bianca: Well, my mom died, and my dad is a drunk.

Ana: Oh well… What experiments have they done with you?

Bianca: Well, they made me drink things and take pills. Then they’d put me through all kinds of tests. This morning they made me move a boulder with my mind.

Ana: With your mind!

Bianca: Yeah, I have telekinesis. I don’t even know what other powers I have. They don’t tell me what they give me.

Ana: That sucks.

Bianca: Yeah it really sucks.

Ana: So, I guess you wouldn’t know the way out of here.

Bianca: Why don’t you call your dad for help?

Ana: He is busy and anyways he never spends time with me. Same thing with my mom. Both are in the military. They don’t care what I do.

Bianca: I guess we both have it bad.

Ana: Yep.

Bianca: You should stay here and in an hour they’ll come to check on me. Then they can show you the way out.

Ana: Well I don’t know.

Bianca: Come on please stay.

Ana: Okay I guess I could stay for a little bit. (Looking at a control panel) Cool! What do these buttons do?

(Ana starts pressing buttons)

Bianca: Stop that before you hurt yourself!

Ana: What does this one do?

SOUND OF AN EXPLOSION IN THE DISTANCE

Bianca: See, be careful!

Ana: I’m going to stop now.

Bianca: Good!

Ana: (quickly) But this one looks cool! (Touches the button)

Bianca: NO!!

SOUND OF ELECTRONIC DOOR OPENING

LIGHTS GRADUALLY BECOME BRIGHTER/MORE NATURAL AS DOOR OPENS

Ana: (Gasping) It opens the door!

Bianca: Wow, it’s so beautiful!!

Ana: Well, come on!

Bianca: Come on, what?

Ana: You can leave now.

Bianca: (In disbelief) No, I can’t go outside with all these powers.

Ana: Sure you can. You can stay with me and my aunt.

Bianca: Isn’t your aunt going to notice?

Ana: She barely notices me.

Bianca: No, I just can’t.

Ana: I will help you deal with your powers and fit in.

Bianca: (Defiantly) No, I’d rather stay here.

Ana: (Grabbing Bianca by the hand) Come on!

Bianca: I can’t step outside.

Ana: Why not?

Bianca: I’m afraid.

Ana: Afraid of what?

Bianca: Of hurting people (pause) or for them to know the real me.

Ana: I will help you fit in.

Bianca: I mean staying here is so horrible.

Ana: Yeah I bet it is; so come on.

Bianca: But you will get in so much trouble if you let me leave.

Ana: My dad never spends time with me, so he won’t even try to find me.

Bianca: Are you sure?

Ana: Yeah, totally.

Bianca: Yeah, but if they find out where I am they’re going to send me back here and arrest you for helping me.

Ana: No, they won’t. If you practice controlling your abilities then you will be fine.

Bianca: It won’t be easy. (pause) I will need time.

Ana: My aunt’s house in the woods. You can practice there.

Bianca: That would very helpful.

Ana: Yeah, see? I got your back.

Bianca: Thanks Ana. (pause) You’re the first friend I’ve had since my mom died.

Ana: You are the first friend that understands what it’s like to have a horrible family.

Bianca: Yeah.

Ana: So come on. Let’s go.

Bianca: I don’t know.

Ana: Come on, I got your back through thick and thin.

Bianca: Really?

Ana: Yeah.

Bianca: Well, I guess it would be a great experience to go outside and see the world and how it has changed.

Ana: Yeah Bianca, I will show you all the cool places around my town. The world is an awesome place, trust me.

Bianca: It does sound like would be fun.

Ana: So how about it?

Bianca: (spotlight shines on her) Out of all the things that they have done to me, this is the hardest thing I have to do.

Ana: Listen, I have everything planned out. You will be able to practice controlling your powers and learn some things about the world.

Bianca: No, I just can’t.

Ana: WHY?!

Bianca: (spotlight shines on her) It’s just my mom; ok? She always knew what do. She would always help me!

Ana: Well, at least you had a mom for some time. I never get to see mine!

Bianca: Well, at least your parents are living, and one of them is not a drunk.

Ana: At least you got to spend time with your parents. Even on my birthday I never get to see them. All they give me is a thousand dollars, but it means nothing to me. I would give back all the money just to spend one day with them.

Bianca: It seems that we have more in common than we think.

Ana: Yeah.

Bianca: You know, I wonder why they havn’t closed the door.

Ana: Yeah I wonder. Maybe it’s a sign for you to leave and to have a normal life.

Bianca: Maybe. It does look very beautiful out there.

Ana: Yeah it does. The world is a wonderful place, tons of fun.

Bianca: Hey, what’s that?

Ana: The sun, why? You forgot how it looks?

Bianca: (embarrassed) Well, no, they show me pictures, but I guess I forgot how it looks in real life.

Ana: Well, there are also the moon and stars.

Bianca: Seen the moon in pictures, but they’ve never shown me stars.

Ana: Well, you’re going to love them.