Character List – CHRISTMAS ALL THE YEAR! By Dakota Balmore
______________________________________________________
♀: TESS: An 11-year-old orphan living on the streets
of Philadelphia, PA. with a heart bigger than the city itself.
♀: AMBER: A typical 14-year-old financially stable
kid.
♀: CARRIE: A typical 16-year-old financially stable
kid.
♀: SHIRLEY: A typical 8-year-old financially stable
kid.
♀: NANCY: A typical 11-year-old financially stable
kid.
♂: ROGER: A typical 14-year-old financially stable kid.
♂: TIMMY: A caring 9-year-old financially stable kid.
♂: OFFICER PIERCE: A good-hearted flatfoot (cop).
♀: OLD WOMAN: A crabby Christmas shopper.
♂: CAB DRIVER: A kind-hearted cabby.
♂: SANTA: A nasty Santa.
♀: YOUNG LADY: A carefree Christmas shopper.
♂: BOY (BARRY): A desperate10-year-old escaped orphan.
♀: SPIRIT: An early teen (13-15). Between the living
and the hereafter.
SETS: 1. A graveyard
2. An alley
3. A street near Market Street
4. Market Street.
TIME: Christmas Eve, 1933.
PLACE: Downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania..
SCENE I: In a graveyard in Philadelphia, Pa. the night before Christmas Eve day: When the curtain rises, TESS is D. C. at the graves of her father and mother. She is laying some flowers down.
TESS
Well, Papa, tomorrow is Christmas Eve: my first ever without you. I hope you and Mom are having a good time now that you’re together. Don’t worry…I’ll remember to do the good things you taught me…just like we used to do every Christmas Eve. No matter how tough life gets…you’ve always taught me to offer help to…
OFFICER PIERCE
Enters Right.
Tess! What are you doing? I know I look the other way most of the time, but…I have to talk to you.
TESS
Jumps to her feet
No, Officer Pierce. We don’t have to talk. I know what you’re going to tell me, and the answer is “no.”
OFFICER PIERCE
Puts his hands on his hips.
Tess. You know I wouldn’t suggest it if I didn’t think your safety was at risk. Now you…
TESS
Darts C. L. and turns back to the Officer.
No. No, no, no! I won’t!
TESS turns and runs off L.
OFFICER PIERCE
Smacks his lips in frustration and says the
following more to himself.
Tess…sweetie. I love you, but it’s for your own good.
OFFICER PIERCE runs off L. after TESS.
SCENE II: In a back alley in Philadelphia, on Christmas Eve morning: When the curtain rises, we see a huge cardboard box U. C. that is being used as a makeshift living space. There is a column just to the L. of the cardboard box. Tess climbs out wrapped in a blanket. She stretches, allowing the blanket to fall revealing that she is still attired in the same raggedy dress. Then she wraps her arms around herself, shivers, reaches back inside the box, and pulls out her raggedy coat. Seconds after putting it on, the children enter stage L.
AMBER
Crossing to Tess
Oh, my. What are you doing in this alley?
ROGER
Points to the cardboard box.
I think she’s living in that box.
TIMMY
Really?
CARRIE
Look at her clothes.
NANCY
She’s living like a pig right here in Philadelphia.
SHIRLEY
How can you live like that?
CARRIE
Don’t you have parents?
TESS
Wait a minute. I can explain if you’ll only stop asking so many questions. No, my parents are dead. My mother died when I was born, and my father died a few months ago.
NANCY
So, if you don’t have parents, why aren’t you in some orphanage?
TESS
Because I don’t want to be.
SHIRLEY
That’s no answer.
CARRIE
Yeah. Orphanages are supposed to take care of kids who have no parents.
ROGER
That’s their job.
AMBER
You wouldn’t be running around in rags if you lived in an orphanage.
TESS
Crossing over to them.
Plenty of kids in orphanages are dressed like me. Some even worse.
ROGER
That’s silly. You’re making it up.
TIMMY
Sympathetic.
Well, Roger, maybe she’s not. Maybe she knows.
TESS
No, I’m not making it up. They don’t really care what happens to you in orphanages. I know…because I’ve been there.
AMBER
Touches TESS’ raggedy dress.
How can you stand to be poor?
CARRIE
You like being dirty?
TESS
It’s better than being in an orphanage. Besides the cops don’t care if I live around here. I can take care of myself.
TIMMY
Concerned.
You must be very sad.
TESS
Actually I’m not. I love this time of year. Why, last year, when my father was still alive, we went into downtown Philadelphia…Center City…and spread good Christmas cheer. We helped people on Christmas Eve and had a good time. And I’m going to do the same thing this year…only by myself.
SHIRLEY
Yeah, and beg for money I suppose.
CARRIE
Or even steal.
TESS
I am not. Christmas is none of that. Christmas is for giving.
NANCY
Yeah…right. Like we believe you believe that.
TIMMY
Sympathetic.
What have you got to give? You’re poor.
NANCY
Yeah, you little church mouse.
TESS
Puts her hands on her breast and then throws
them out toward the children.
A piece of my heart. That is what my father taught me.
ROGER
Heart shmart…the truth is: you can’t live unless you beg or steal.
TIMMY
Curious, pointing to the box.
And where do you go to the bathroom?
TESS
I have never begged or stolen anything in my life.
CARRIE
Then how do you live? Food just doesn’t grow on the park trees you know.
TIMMY
Really wanting to know.
Where do you go to the bathroom?
AMBER
Carrie, I can’t believe she hasn’t stolen at least one hot pretzel.
NANCY
Yeah, Amber. When kids get hungry enough, they’ll steal most anything.
TIMMY
Tugs on CARRIE’s dress.
Gosh darn it! Where does she go to the bathroom?
SHIRLEY
To TIMMY.
Will you stop worrying about the bathroom, toilet brain?
ROGER
Yeah, let it alone, Timmy.
TESS
Crosses D. R.
I’ll have you know, that I earn everything I eat.
TESS turns to face them as they walk over to
her.
And stores and places let me use their toilets and washrooms; because I earn it.
AMBER
In TESS’ face.
Earn it? That’s stupid. You probably sneak in their places when they’re not looking.
CARRIE
Closes in on TESS.
Why not admit it. You beg for food.
ROGER
Steps up to TESS.
And you probably steal, too.
CARRIE
Approaches TESS.
Yeah, you little thief.
SHIRLEY
Moving in on TESS.
Beggar.
NANCY
Closes in on TESS.
Beggar thief.
All the children except TIMMY begin chanting
“Beggar thief” and take turns pushing her backwards.
TESS
Shaken.
I am not a beggar or a thief. My father taught me to bring good into the world.
AMBER
Oh, stop with the goody-goody garbage, sweetheart. Just admit what you are.
TESS
Pointing to her chest.
Today is Christmas Eve day, and I’m going over to Market Street and help people on their last day of shopping.
NANCY
That’s a laugh. You’ll go over there all right…with your pockets open as wide as a church collection plate.
TESS
Steps into their midst.
If they offer me anything, I’m going to turn it down and give them back good Christmas cheer, just like my father and I did last year. Don’t you understand what Christmas is all about? It doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor. The Christmas spirit is there for all people. I say: take it, and put it to good use.
ROGER
What a bunch of horse stink.
TIMMY
Genuine.
It sounded good to me.
NANCY
Shut up, Timmy.
TIMMY
You shut up, Nancy.
NANCY makes a fist and TIMMY backs away.
CARRIE
To TESS.
You’re not fooling anyone, Miss Bleeding-heart. You’re out for only one thing.
NANCY
That’s right, Carrie…she’s out for good old number one…and by her definition, that’s her selfish self.
TIMMY
Innocently
Isn’t everyone out for themselves?
TESS
No, Timmy. Everyone is not. There are many decent people in the world.
AMBER
But you’re not one of them.
AMBER grabs TESS and throws her down. The
other children jump on TESS. A scuffle ensues. When the crowd of kids part.
AMBER is sitting on top of TESS’ chest facing downstage. TESS struggles
uselessly for several seconds, and then gives up.
There that’s better. How about that…we tamed the wild-girl beast.
TESS
Okay. You‘re right. I’m not who I seem to be.
CARRIE
Pointing a finger down in TESS’ face.
Admit it then. You are nothing but a thief and a beggar.
TESS
Actually, I’m a lot more than that. You see…I’m not really poor.
TIMMY
Innocent.
You’re not? You look poor to me.
TESS
I only use the form of a little girl to fool my victims.
AMBER
Immediately jumps off TESS.
Victims?
TESS
Gets up and dusts herself off as the
children all come around S. L. of her. As TESS speaks the following, her voice
grows more menacing and scary.
I’m a witch. I don’t really look like this. I fool people, and especially little children, into thinking I’m a beggar girl. Then when they let their guard down, I…
TESS raises her hands and steps toward them
as they slowly back away from her.
Hibity-jibity horsehair on toad. Put a wicked spell on these children who goad. Carry them off to my home in the dell…my home in the darkest corner of H…E…L…L!
TESS lunges at them, making a threatening
sound. They all scream and run off L.
Lights out.
SCENE III: A street near Market Street early Christmas Eve: When the curtain rises, OFFICER PIERCE enters carrying a screaming and kicking TESS under one arm. He stops center stage and sets her down on her feet.
OFFICER PIERCE
Settle down now and listen to me. I’m going to talk some sense to you and I want you to understand that it’s nothing personal. I have to take you there. I have no choice in the matter.
Tess tries to dart off, but OFFICER PIERCE grabs her and holds her firm
by the shoulders.
Okay, young lady. Like it or not, I’m turning you over to the orphanage.
TESS
Struggles
No, I don’t want to go there. Let me go!
OFFICER PIERCE
No, Tess. It’s just for the next few days. There’s a northeaster off the Jersey coast. That storm is going to make it get awful cold the next few nights.
TESS
I’m not going! I can take care of myself.
OFFICER PIERCE
I know you can, or I would have told them to keep you under lock and key the last time I brought you to the orphanage. You should really let them find some new parents for you. Every kid needs parents, Tess.
TESS
I don’t want no new parents.
OFFICER PIERCE
Tess, sweetie, you can’t go on living like this. It ain’t right.
TESS
Then why did things turn so sour? My father had a good job until that stock market thing broke.
OFFICER PIERCE
You mean crashed. That’s just the way things went. Don’t ask me to explain. Not even President Roosevelt can explain it. Now, you come along with me and stay in that orphanage for the next few nights. You’ll be safe there until that northeaster passes. I’ll come and get you. I promise.
TESS
Stomps on OFFICER PIERCE’s toe and kicks him in the shins.
No! I won’t go!
TESS runs R. as OFFICER PIERCE makes a lunge for her and
misses. SANTA enters R. and blocks her way causing TESS to double back. OFFICER
PIERCE is getting to his knees and makes a lunge for her as she passes upstage
of him. He manages to grab her ankle, and she desperately tries to pull herself
out of his grasp. SANTA makes his way quickly U. C. holding his tripod and pot watching OFFICER PIERCE and
TESS.
No! No! You can’t make me go!
OFFICER PIERCE
Well, you’ve got nothing to say about it, young lady. I’m stronger than you are and you’ll just have to do as I tell you.
THIS IS THE END OF
THE SAMPLE.
HIT THE BACK BUTTON
TO RETURN TO THE STAGEPLAYS PAGE.
EMAIL THE AUTHOR FOR A COMPLETE SCRIPT: webmaster@DakotaBalmore.com