We proudly present to you one of the finalists of the 2022 YTF Playwrighting Challenge. This event is participated by various international schools across Mainland China. Our very own Grace Huang from Grade 9 is chosen as one of the finalists of this event!
2022 YTF Playwrighting Challenge Finalist
LINK from Theater Education Organization: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/JPrqGaGLzngmWLCcZmtUug
Characters
Juliette- a modern day teenage girl
Emma- a teenage girl from year 1450
Teresa- a teenage girl from year 1450
Health inspector- a middle-age man from year 1450
Setting
2022, Verona, Italy
1450, Verona, Italy
2022, Verona, Italy
Juliette, a 16 years old girl is obsessed with Shakespeare’s plays. In order to read books, she doesn’t even want to go to school. Her parents are so frustrated.
Act one
Scene one
Juliette’s mom
Hurry up Juliette, it’s time for school. You can read your books after school.
(Opens Juliette’s bedroom door.)Come on, ‘Romeo and Juliet?’ You’ve read this book for like a thousand times. Now get yourself out of the bed right now!
Juliette
I’m sorry mom, just let me finish these few paragraphs. You know ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is my favorite book. I feel like I’m stuck in their world. Did you name me Juliette on purpose? I think it’s the reason why I love this book.
Juliette’s mom
Sorry to upset you, actually I used a random name picker for your name.” (Makes a funny face.)
Juliette
(She mumbles to herself.) Then it must be providential that I’m named Juliette.
Time seems to be dragging in school for Juliette. She doesn’t pay any attention in her classes. All she ever thinks about is ‘what if Friar John hasn’t been stopped by health officials who was suspected of being hit with the plague and was able to deliver the message to Romeo. Will it lead the story to a good ending?’ She doesn’t like tragedies at all! So, she is desperate that the story can have a turning point-Instead in Romeo and Juliet’s suicide, they’d live together for the rest of their lives. Juliette feels sad that they died at such a young age.
(BLACK OUT)
(END OF SCENE)
Act one
Scene two
(English, which is her last class of the day has just finished and Juliette packs her bag as she heads out.)
Juliette
I’m pretty sure that no one else knows Shakespeare more than me in this class. I’ve learned these when I’m like what…maybe 3?
(What Juliette hasn’t noticed is that something is changing mysteriously. It is already 4 o’clock in the afternoon when Juliette’s school bus had just arrived at her house. She brisk walks home as fast as she can. She hurriedly opens the door, takes off her shoes, throws away her schoolbag, and rushes into the room, dives to her bed and opens the book, “Romeo and Juliet”
“Tick tock…. tick-tock”
(The clock in her house is ticking. Juliette started to read the book as she normally does, but what’s unusual is that she found herself worn-out and fell asleep.)
Juliette
Why am I so exhausted today? It’s unusual. (Juliette wonders as she says this. She yawnsand soon falls asleep.)
(BLACK OUT)
(END OF SCENE)
Act one
Scene three
Juliette wakes up and finds herself in an unfamiliar environment, a small shabby, and damp house. There is no window, only a “door”- not exactly a door, it’s just a rotten plank that blocks the entrance.
Juliette is startled, she wondered if she has been kidnapped. She looked around warily, with no guards, hands or feet tied, and knives or guns near. Juliette feels relieved. She gets out of the bed and walks towards the door to go outside to see where she is in. She realizes that she is wearing yellowish clothes made of rags.
As she steps out of the door, a pot of water pours down. Luckily, she pulled back a bit, otherwise, she would have been drenched all over.
A Lady
“Yo, watch out little girl! (A voice from upstairs shouted.)
Juliette
That’s rude! What kind of place is this? (Juliette mumbles to herself).
The next second, she is petrified. She is in an alley, dark and dirty, with rats scurrying along the road and human waste is everywhere. At the other end of the lane, there is a lot of traffic, some people are riding horses, some are pulling a cart with fish on it, and children are playing across the crowd. It confuses Juliette because she has no idea where she is and how she got here.
Juliette hears a group of girls chatting, sounds like they are gossiping about something. She walks toward them and wants to ask where this place is. To her surprise, the girls all seem to know her and wave at her to come over.
Emma
(Yells to Juliet from a distance) Juliette! We knew a piece of big news! Come here so we can tell you.
(Juliette walks towards them and sits between them as they start talking.)
Emma
Have you heard about Lady Capulet who is also named Juliet has died!
Teresa
I heard that she killed herself because she doesn’t want to marry Paris. She is only 13! What a pity!
‘Lady Capulet’, ‘Juliet’,’suicide’,’Paris’,’13’. Things started to make sense to Juliette. These names, and these events all happened in the book, “Romeo and Juliet.”
Juliette
I can believe this, I am actually in my favorite book!
Emma
What happened Juliette, is everything all right?
Juliette
Nothing! It just occurred to me that I had something to do. Thank you for telling me this. It really helps me a lot. (Juliette says this, and she scurries away.)
(Juliette hurries back to her house, trying to sort through the information she has so far. She tears a small rag from her dress, picks up a stick, dips it into the ink, and writes, “Current identity： a lower-class person with the same name as me -Juliette. Juliet Capulet pretended to commit suicide, which means that Romeo is in already in Mantua, and will soon receive news of her death and decides to buy the poison to kill himself. In the end, they will both commit suicide.”)
(To stop this from happening, Juliette has a plan. However, the problem is that this identity is a poor lowly class girl who might die tomorrow due to starvation!)
Juliette
Anyway, this is the best and the last chance that I can fulfill my dream of letting them live together happily. I’m can’t guarantee whether I can come into this world again or not. I must act fast or else…!
In Friar John’s sake, Juliette decided to tell Romeo that Juliet is in fake death.
(BLACK OUT)
(END OF SCENE)
Act two
Scene one
Juliette
The first part of the plan is to find Romeo in Mantua and tell him the truth.
Juliette picks up a rotten apple on the table, washes her face, and wears the best clothes that she could find in this house. Although it still looks ragged. Juliette arrives at the entrance of Mantua. However, she still isn’t able to get into Mantua.
‘
Health inspector
Sorry, Miss, we suspect that you are infected with black plague. We have to quarantine you.
Juliette
Wait no, I’m sure that I’m not infected, and I have something really important to do!
Health inspector
I’m sorry, but we have to do so. Please cooperate with our work.
(The inspector sounds serious and tries to reach Juliette.)
Juliette
(Pleading) Give me a few minutes sir, can I use the bathroom now? After that, I will go with you.
(The inspector points to her where to go. On the way to the toilet, Juliette quickly runs away. Hiding in an alley, thinking about what to do next.)
Juliette
(Muttering to herself) If I’m caught by them, then what’s the point for me to come here? I won’t be able to deliver the message either way.
(Suddenly, a carriage with goods passes in front of her, and she has a flash of inspiration and an idea.)
(BLACK OUT)
(END OF SCENE)
Act two
Scene two
(The sun perches halfway up the mountain, and the setting sun shines in fiery yellowish red.
At the entrance to Mantua, every passerby is checked by the health inspector. Among them is a cart filled with silk, which appears to be fabrics for custom-made clothes for nobles. One of the health inspectors, notices and turns around and whispers to the other. The other listens, and immediately invites them into the city respectfully.
What they don’t know is that Juliette is hiding under the cloth and sneaks into Mantua.
The carriage keeps moving and shows no intention of stopping.
Even though Juliette is hiding under the layers of cloth, she could feel that it’s getting dark which means it’s evening now. She is worried about not being able to stop Romeo from drinking the poison.
An hour later, the carriage stops in front of an advanced clothing shop where it is in a crowded street. Juliette tears apart the cloth and looked around to see if someone notices her. After making sure that no one is looking at her, she gingerly jumps off the carriage and mingles with the passing crowd.
Juliette hurries along to Juliet’s tomb. She hopes she can make it on time.)
(BLACK OUT)
(END OF SCENE)
Act two
Scene three
When Juliette reaches Juliet’s tomb, she notices that there are some signs of torn clothes lying on the ground surrounded with sword marks, some pebbles, and bloodstain as if someone has been dragged along.
Juliette
(gasped)Oh no! Romeo must have killed Paris and dragged him beside Juliet! Am I late?!!!
Juliette feels like her heart skipped a beat. She has cold feet. She walks slowly towards the entrance of the tomb. She didn’t even dare to look inside. She’s afraid that she’s late; afraid that what she will see is Romeo’s corpse; afraid that her previous efforts would be in vain, and it would be meaningless to come to this world.
Juliette musters up her courage and glances inside. She sees a man holding a bottle that seems like poison, a girl lying on the tomb, and a man who looks dead lying beside her.
Juliette
(Exclaims loudly and claims this hypothesis of hers.) The man with the bottle must be Romeo! He is still alive! I’m not late!
From a distance she sees Romeo kissing Juliet.
Romeo
Come, thou Hades of the Underworld! Thou must take me! Thy desperate lover, must die at once! Thy dashing hopes must cease!
(Romeo is about to drink the poison)
Juliette
(Cries in muffled voice) Don’t! Juliet has not died!!
Romeo doesn’t hear Juliette. The lid of the poison bottle touches the tips of his mouth.
Under such emergency, there is no time for Juliette to run to Romeo and stop him. Thus, Juliette could only throw the rotten apple that she took with her earlier.
Aim…gathering energy…throws hard at him!
The apple hit the bottle and knocks the bottle out of Romeo’s hand.
Romeo
(In exasperated voice.) Who’s over there! Why do you stop me from following my love and die! I would rather die instead of living without her!
Juliette
Calm down! Juliet has not died! She drank a sleeping potion which makes her look dead. She doesn’t want to marry Paris.
Romeo
What do you mean? Who are you? How do you know? Why should I trust you?
Juliette
(Juliette explains) It doesn’t matter who I am and how I know. I can’t explain it. Just do what I say. Runaway with Juliet now! Otherwise, if the Capulets finds out that Juliet is faking her death, they will definitely bring her back and force her to marry another guy.
Romeo
(Confused)Bu…but…where should we go?
Juliette
I don’t know! Just go!! (Exclaims in exasperation.)
Romeo and Juliet exit.
(BLACK OUT)
(END OF SCENE)
Act three
Scene one
Juliette is exhausted and is starving. The only food she brought is that rotten apple, and she used it to stop Romeo.
Juliette
(Feels relieved) I can’t believe I actually did it!
But what should I do next? Where should I go? How can I get back to my world? I’m dying of hunger now.
The street is now dark, empty, and quiet. Juliette is walking aimlessly.
Juliette sits down with her back against the wall, curls up herself and starts to cry. She has no idea of how to get back, worrying about how to survive in this world.
Maybe she is too tired, she feels her eyelids are getting heavier each second. Juliette falls asleep.
In a trance, she seems to hear someone calling her. Who is it? It sounds like her dad. Has she returned home? Juliette opens her eyes with expectancy.
Juliette
Daddy? (Juliette looks puzzled)
Health inspector
Ah there she is! (Shouts this from a distance)
In a daze, Juliette sees several men approaching her. She rubs her eyes and sees the face of the man who screamed. It’s the health inspector whom she lied to!
Juliette is disappointed, she thought she has returned home. Juliette’s eyes burst into tears. She wants to go back! She is out of breath from crying.
Health inspector
(Panicking) Are you alright? Yesterday there was a homicide case, and you haven’t come back to me, so I’m worried about your safety. Don’t cry, we will send you home.
Juliette
You don’t know what happened! I’m not able to get back!
Juliette cries at the top of her lungs.
Probably because of hunger and in an emotional state, Juliette fainted. She hears the inspector is trying to wake her. And wait…
Juliette’s mom
Hurry up Juliette. It’s time for school!
When Juliette opens her eyes again, she sees the familiar ceiling, smells the familiar scent, and hears familiar voices.
Juliette smiling from ear to ear, picks out the book beside her “Romeo and Juliet” and turned to the last few pages. She was shocked, in the story, it says a miserable girl carried the message to Romeo and stopped Romeo from committing suicide. Juliet woke up and saw Romeo. Both of them run away and live happily together for the rest of their lives…
(BLACK OUT)
(END OF THE STORY)
Image Reference: Holly Dunn Design(2021)Latest Book Cover Designs[Online]Nelson, New Zealand. Available from Holly Dunn Design [Accessed 8th May 2022 ]
ULink College Wordsmith Society 2019 