Scholastic Spotlight: Scobie Bathie

Family Troubles
Bathie, Scobie
Grade: 11
School: Fargo North High School, Fargo ND Educator: Lori Koenig
AWARD: Silver Key, Dramatic Script

Characters 
Paula
A caring mother of the four children, Mark’s wife, funny, but can be stern when needed.
Mark
The laughable father of the four children, Paula’s husband.
Jackie
A daughter of Paula and Mark, a typical teenage girl, has a stereotypical sibling bond with Josh, 17 years old.
Josh
A son of Paula and Mark, a witty gamer, has a stereotypical sibling bond with Jackie, 12 years old.
Sam
A daughter of Paula and Mark, a curious little girl looking for adventure, 6 years old.
Devin
A son of Paula and Mark, infant. This character is to be played by a doll wrapped in a blanket that covers most of the face as to give the illusion of an actual child.

Setting
This play is set in the early 2000s in a modern house of a family of 6. The set is shown as the living room of the house. A couch stands center stage right, with a coffee table in front of it. On it lays a game controller and a TV remote. The television is not on stage; instead its screen is in the audience. All actors should face out completely when looking at the TV as if a small part of the audience was the screen. Other furniture and accessories are found throughout the room, including a small round dining table with several chairs. There is a large, glass, operable window along the back wall of the house, a front door positioned upstage left, and a kitchen door exactly opposite of it stage right. A staircase leading up to the upstairs, stage left.

(Scene starts in the living room; starts out with SAM, JOSH, JACKIE, and PAULA holding DEVIN, in the room, PAULA standing beside JACKIE, and JOSH sitting on the couch while SAM colors on the floor)

PAULA: All right, that’s the lowdown on what I expect for tonight. Now, repeat it so I know you understood.
JACKIE: You guys leave, we take care of Devin, make sure the house doesn’t burn down, I watch the little ones, blah blah blah (takes DEVIN from PAULA’s hands). And then, (talking towards DEVIN but to PAULA) when you get back, I’m going to get a shiny new car!
PAULA: That’s right. But, if anything bad happens, no one will be getting anything. Understood?
JOSH: Yes Mom, we understand. You don’t have to worry about anything. (aside) Except for me playing the new Forge Striker game you told me I couldn’t buy but went behind your back and did anyway.
PAULA: What was that honey?