Lost and Found 2014
Audition Script
Partial List of Characters
(In order of appearance)
Mrs. Cooper Ellie’s mom
Ellie Cooper First grade girl
Mr. Cooper Ellie’s dad
Ashton Marcella’s assistant
Marcella an evil business person; she/he steals imaginary friends
Anna Ellie’s best friend
Sparky a imaginary friend
Pokey Ellie’s imaginary friend; his/her hands shoot laser beams
Oswald a nervous friend; sort of Cowardly-lionish
Sal a grumpy friend; very sarcastic, negative; looks an aging pirate
Mrs. Fritz a miserable elementary schoolteacher
Mrs. Burke upbeat, hippy elementary school teacher
Declan Ellie’s classmate
Cassie Ellie’s classmate
Scene One
Ellie’s House
On a darkened stage, we see a dim light turning on and off. Lights rise slightly to reveal Ellie’s bedroom in the Cooper house. Ellie is under her covers, turning a flashlight on and off and humming a soft tune. Lights continue to rise as Ellie’s mom enters.
MOM: Ellie, are you still awake?
ELLIE: I can’t sleep.
MOM: (Pulling the covers down, seeing the flashlight): Well of course you can’t, not when you’re playing with this. Dear, it’s bedtime. You’ve got to get your sleep.
ELLIE: I can’t, Mommy.
MOM: Honey, we’ve talked about this. There are no monsters under your bed, or in your closet. You’ve got the nightlight on in case you wake up, and daddy and I are right downstairs. There’s nothing to be afraid of.
ELLIE: I’m not afraid.
MOM: Well then what’s wrong?
ELLIE: I’m lonely.
MOM: Why?
ELLIE: Cause Pokey’s gone.
MOM: (exasperated) Ellie, dear, we’ve talked about Pokey. You’re getting too old to have imaginary friends.
ELLIE: But he’s not imaginary. He’s…
MOM: Ellie, let’s not start this again. It’s time for you to go to sleep. Now goodnight.
DAD: (Entering) Hey girls. Are we having a little late night chat again?
MOM: Yes, and guess who it’s about?
DAD: Let’s see. (Pretending to look around for someone) I bet he’s a little fellow, with green hair, funny ears, and….and fire coming out of his nose!
MOM: Charles, don’t encourage her!
ELLIE: Dad! Fire doesn’t come out of his nose! That’s crazy.
DAD: Then it must be his…elbows!
ELLIE: Dad, the light comes from his fingers. And he doesn’t have funny ears. That’s mean.
MOM: He doesn’t have any ears. He’s imaginary. You’ve got real friends now, dear, and your pretty stuffed animals, and Archie.
ELLIE: Mom, Archie’s a dog…a pet. I mean I love him and all, but a pet’s different. You see a pet is more like a…well I mean a dog is like a…
DAD: Like a wild animal…(Growls loudly and then starts to pant like a big, old, tired dog)
MOM: That’s enough, you two. It’s bedtime…long past bedtime. Ellie needs to get some sleep, and Rudy (pointing to Dad, angry) needs to report to the doghouse.
ELLIE: But, Mom, I’m really worried this time. Pokey’s never been gone for this long and…
MOM: (Tucking her back into bed) Honey, no more Pokey talk for tonight.
ELLIE: But Mom, I’m not tired, and really I think…
MOM: Honey, seriously, it’s time to stop using that imaginary friend as an excuse for wanting to stay up later. Big girls don’t have imaginary friends. (Kisses her goodnight.) Now goodnight dear.
DAD: Sleep tight and we’ll see you in the morning. Mom and Dad start to exit; Ellie’s calls out, sad:
ELLIE: Mommy!
Scene Two
The Island
A strange island in a distant sea. Flats are designed to resemble bizarre factory-type buildings disguised as huts. The backdrop reveals a deep, mysterious jungle. Lighting should be eerie and dramatic. As the curtain opens, music plays. Twelve to fifteen strange looking characters work and sing. These are the imaginary friends. Each character has a number pinned to the front of his costume.
As the song ends, ROSS enters. Although he appears to be in charge and extremely confident, he is also overly cheerful and a tries too hard to make everyone like him.
ROSS: Ok, people, back to work now. There’s a lot to do. We have new clients on their way even as we speak. They’ve got to believe that we are the key to their success. Without us, their dreams of wealth and happiness are nothing! C’mon, 4881, that smile’s not big enough. We’ve got to warm people’s hearts. Smiles everyone, smiles! 3774, c’mon, we’ve been working on this for months.
C’mon, champ. You remember how we do it: (chanting, as if leading an exercise class) Smile muscles flex…show me those teeth!…and smile muscles relax. And smile muscles flex…show me those teeth!…and smile muscles relax. (To an employee) Thompson! Get over here and keep working with this one. He’s just not getting it. Keep working, big guy! You’ll get it!
As ROSS speaks Marcella, enters. As soon as she speaks we see that she is really the person in charge. ROSS appears a bit frightened by her; all others are very frightened.
MARCELLA: ROSS! Enough with your smiles. Get over here.
ROSS: Oh, yes Marcella, right away boss.
MACELLA: Why are you touching them?
ROSS: What’s that, chief?
MARCELLA: Touching them. I saw you with your hands all over that one’s face. I’ve told you before, don’t touch! Besides, all this “work” you’re doing is a waste of time.
AHSTON: Well Marcella, I think it’s important that we make sure they’re all ready for…
MARCELLA: They are ready! They’re practically perfect. (Getting gradually more excited, almost diabolical) Why, from the second they’re created, they do exactly what they’re supposed to do. No more, no less. They’re cute, and intelligent, and loyal, and trustworthy! But most of all they are completely, unavoidably, indisputably lovable. All we need to do is to wrap them up and hand them over to the highest bidder.
AHSTON: Yes, but now that you mention it, I was wondering about that. How exactly do we…
MARCELLA: I’ve told you before not to worry about the particulars. Let me handle the business end of things. Now get back to the office and get ready for our next meeting.
END OF SCENE TWO
Scene Three
Ellie’s living room
Setting: The family room of the Cooper’s house. Ellie stares at a TV, the back of which is to the audience. Ellie’s friend Annis is trying to cheer her up.
ANNA: Wanna play Malibu Barbie?
ELLIE: No.
ANNA: How about hide and seek?
ELLIE: Nah.
ANNA: (Noticing Ellie is not listening) How about The Blind Man and the Extremely Fat Alligator?
ELLIE: No thanks.
ANNA: Ellie, that’s not even a real game! What’s the matter?
ELLIE: Nothing.
ANNA: I know. I bet you have Thyroid Fever. (Rushing towards her.) Let me see your tongue!
ELLIE: My what? What kind of Fever?
ANNA: Thyroid Fever. It’s a rare disease from the tropics. Which is somewhere around Florida I think. C’mon, open up. Anyone who catches it gets a spotted tongue, and then they die in like 15 minutes.
ELLIE: (scared) What? (Sticking out her tongue and trying to talk at the same time.) Does it look ok? (Anna investigates) How do you get the spots off? Mom! Come quick, I’ve got a fever! (Anna continues to examine Ellie as Mom enters.)
MOM: Girls, what is going on in here?
ELLIE: Anna says I have a fever and a spotted tongue.
MOM: Anna, don’t be silly. What are you talking about?
ANNA: Thyroid fever. A rare contagious disease from Florida. My mom and I saw a special about it last night on the Infectious Disease Channel.
MOM: There’s an infectious disease channel? I think you mean Typhoid Fever, which Ellie does not have, by the way. (Walks over and checks her tongue, just to be sure.) You and your mom watch way too much cable.
ANNA: Yeah, well, my mom doesn’t trust the networks. She gets all her news from cable. And Wikileaks.
Dad enters.
DAD: Hello, ladies. Wow, here’s my three favorite girls. What’s new?
ELLIE: I’ve got a fever.
ANNA: And spots on her tongue.
MOM: No, she doesn’t. She’s just fine.
DAD: Except for this frown. You look miserable. And why are you two lying around on the couch? Why aren’t you out playing…oh, I get it. No word from Pokey?
MOM: Charles, don’t start.
ANNA: What’s wrong with Pokey?
MOM: Nothing. Nothing is wrong with anybody! Everyone is just fine. Now you two go get washed up and we’ll eat dinner. Anna, I already talked to your mom; she’s going to pick you up about seven.
ANNA: Great. What are we having?
MOM: Hamburgers and french fries. (Exiting) It’ll be ready in about ten minutes.
ANNA: Uh-oh, hamburger.
DAD: What? You don’t like hamburgers?
ANNA: Mad cow disease. It’s coming back.
ELLIE: Huh? Mad Cow what?
DAD: Nothing, dear. Nobody has any disease. The hamburgers will be great! Where do you get this stuff, Anna?
ANNA: My mom and I saw a special on the American Agricultural Network. It was scary!
DAD: There’s an agricultural network?
ANNA: Sure, we watch the Epidemic Update every night before bedtime. But it’s ok. I think we’re safe. They think it’ll start somewhere in Northwestern Canada.
DAD: Oh, good. So you’ll stay for dinner?
ANNA: Sure, love to.
DAD: Great. I’m going to help out in the kitchen. We’ll call you when it’s ready. (Exits)
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ANNA: So that’s why you’ve been such a grouch all day? Pokey? What happened to him?
ELLIE: He went away. I haven’t seen him in so long I almost forget what he looks like.
ANNA: Oh. That stinks. No more fire from the fingers, huh?
ELLIE: (Frustrated) You’re worse than my dad. It’s not really fire, I’ve told you about a hundred million times.
ANNA: Right. So…what is it then?
ELLIE: It’s like a red light, that shoots out.
ANNA: Like a laser beam?
ELLIE: I guess so. I don’t really know what that means, but it’s this light that shoots out, and it can get bad guys, if there’s bad guys around, but it can also just be a light. You know, like a night-light, or a light for the front of your bike, or…
ANNA: Or like a light saber, like Darth Vader! (Jumps up and strikes at Ellie with an imaginary light saber). Luke, I am your father Luke. Join the Dark Side.
ELLIE: Stop it. It’s not funny. I’m sad. I don’t think he’s coming back.
Scene Four
The Island
MARCELLA: (Threatening, to Pokey) When our next guest gets here, you better be one cute, cuddly creature! (To all) Now I have to get to my meeting, with a very important friend. You all make sure you’re on your best behavior, got it? (She exits and all look relieved.)
SPARKY: (To Pokey) Wow, you are one tough little critter! I don’t know how you can stand up to her.
POKEY: Stand up to her? I’m terrified of her. I’m not standing up to anyone.
SPARKY: But you’re so tough and…grouchy. How do you do it?
POKEY: I don’t mean to be. I can’t help it. I don’t understand why I’m here, or how I got here, or what happened to my friend…
OSWALD: (Rushing forward, very excitable) Don’t say it! Don’t say anybody’s name who isn’t here. Something terrible will happen to them.
POKEY: What do you mean? How does that happen? And how did I even get in this mess?
SPARKY: We don’t know, kid. We’re all in the same boat, actually. We’re not really sure how we got here. Some of us don’t remember much of anything else, we’ve been here so long. And all we can do is listen to “Queen” Marcella.
POKEY: Is she the mean one?
OSWALD: Yep, she’s the boss around here. Get on her bad side, and you’re in big trouble.
POKEY: But if she’s in charge we have to say something to her. Or do something so she can’t keep us here anymore. We’ve got to get out of this place.
SPARKY: Buddy, it’s an island. In the middle of an ocean. We don’t know how we got here. Or how to get home. What are we supposed to do? All we know is that whatever Marcella says, you’d better do. Or else.
POKEY: Or else what? (No one wants to answer.)
OSWALD: Tell him about Rodney. Go ahead, tell him, tell him.
SPARKY: Oswald, no. He’s not ready for that.
POKEY: Ready for what? C’mon, you can tell me.
SPARKY: No, kid. You’re not ready.
SAL: (Joining the conversation) I’ll tell him.
OSWALD: Yeah, Sal. You tell him. You tell him, Sal. Go ahead, tell him.
SPARKY: No, Sal, you shouldn’t.
SAL: (very serious) He’s got to learn sometime, Sparky. (To Pokey) Rodney was a rabbit. A great rabbit. One of the best. Absolutely FULL of energy. Never stopped moving. Not only that but he was a musician, a drummer. One of the best. I tell ya, he could keep a beat like nobody’s business. He carried this big bass drum around, strapped around his neck. He’d march all around, banging on that old drum. He just kept on…
ALL JOIN IN: Going and going and going.
POKEY: What happened to him?
SAL: One of Marcella’s “friends” visited one day and thought old Rodney was the greatest. Started calling him the “energetic bunny,” or something like that. Apparently Marcella met with the guy for a few hours, and next thing we knew, he was gone. Never saw him again.
POKEY: That’s terrible. And there’s a “friend” coming today. What happens if he likes one of us? Could he take us away?
SPARKY: Sure, he could. It happens sometimes. But the chances are slim. There’s a whole BUNCH of us on this island. Nobody even knows how many. It’s only once and a while that somebody ah, you know…
OSWALD: Disappears.
POKEY: But it could happen, to anybody, right? We have to do something, to protect ourselves!