Chemicals Under Pressure

A brief stageplay.

Photo by andrew jay on Unsplash

Originally written for TA 114 at Victor Valley College,
Playwriting with Prof. Ed Heaberlin.

SCENE 1

[AT RISE: A small room off of a high school chemistry lab, used to store chemicals. Old shelves tower over a central work station with a couple of stools and a fume hood in the back. The room is heavy with neglect, the only people that usually ever see it are hurried chemistry teachers and students desperate enough for extra credit to help clean and organize.]

LOUDSPEAKER (o.s.): (Automated:) Active shooter on campus. Observe lockdown procedure.

[A long beat.]

HANNAH (o.s.): Shut up and get in here, now!

LOUDSPEAKER (o.s.): Active shooter on campus. Observe lockdown procedure.

KYLA (o.s.): What the hell? —

[HANNAH, the consummate goodie-two shoes braniac, practically drags KYLA, a fairy-aired girl who’s probably high, into the room. They are both wearing Halloween costumes. Once they are both in the room, HANNAH shuts the door and throws the deadbolt.]

HANNAH: Put up a fight, why don’t you? Jesus Christ.

KYLA: I don’t know what’s going on.