Being Watched

Time ~ 5 minutes

Characters:

A girl – in later teens.

3 to 5 boys – late teens too, they are sitting on stools throughout the play.

Play:

Part 1

1. The lights are off as the curtain opens.
2.  A ray of light follows a girl as she enters from left, moves from left to right – she is singing to herself (a locally popular song), there is a bit of dance in her movements, and she is smiling, laughing to herself.
3. As she moves a little ahead, lights turn on a little ahead on her path to reveal some boys sitting on stools on one side. She becomes self-conscious, stops for a moment to check her clothes – she stops singing and laughing and crosses in front of them with a serious look on her face, her gaze down, somewhat scared as the eyes of boys follow her movements as far as they can.
4. Once she passes them, the lights on the spot where boys are sitting will go off, and she again loses herself in mirth –singing, same easy steps and laughing.
5. Reaching the right end of the stage she exits, the light goes off.
6. A few moments pass.

Part 2

1. She enters from the right end – half-dancing, singing to herself and laughing. As in step 2 above but this time she moves from right to left.
2. Again, lights turn on a little ahead on her path to reveal the boys sitting at the same spot they were last time. She again becomes self-conscious, stops for a moment – she stops singing and laughing and crosses them. her gaze down as eyes of boys follows her down her path.
3. She exits from the left end, the light goes off.
4. A few moments pass

Part 3

1. Step 2 and 3 of part 1 above are repeated.
2. But this time, she doesn’t quickly resume her relaxed moments, nor singing or laughing, as she gets away from boys, she continues looking down but just a few moments before making exit, she starts singing, she suddenly slaps herself at back of her head, as if she has a caught herself in error and exits with a frustrated look on her face.
3. The curtains close.

Copyright – Sidharth Vardhan