Moving Mountains
Moving Mountains - A One Act Play (revised version below)
Stage: recycled cardboard mountain backdrop, blue cellophane river, with origami fish “jumping”, recycled chopstick tree mid-stage with leaves, fruit, birds and a nest on the branches.
Dimmed lights on stage rear. Spotlight on river. Full lights on stage front. Sounds of birds and stream gurgling in the distance.
A mother in apron and daughter in pigtails playing hide and seek around the tree
Daughter: “Look, mama, the first fruit this year!”
She reaches up and takes a bite of the fruit and shares with her mother.
Mother and daughter sit down together.
Daughter: “Mama, do you think I can….
Mother: “Baby, you can do anything you want to do. You can move mountains!”
Mother looks toward the mountains and daughter follows mother’s gaze
Lights dim. Parts of the mountain removed. Sounds of heavy equipment, men shouting.
Lights up.
Mother in server uniform, looking tired, and daughter with straight hair-a little older- are sitting in front of the tree.
Daughter: “Mama, I haven’t seen you much lately.”
Mother: “I know, Baby. The mine is doing so well and I have to put extra hours in at the cafeteria to feed all the men they’ve hired.”
Daughter: “Look, Mama, the first bird has come back to the nest this year!”
Mother: “It’s a good sign, Baby.”
They stand up and walk toward the tree to look at the bird.
Daughter: “I think that mama bird is like you, Mama. Working hard.”
Mother: “Yes, Baby. We all move mountains in our own way.”
Mother puts her arm around her daughter.
Mother: “I’ll tuck you in after I get done with my shift tonight.”
Lights dim. More mountain removed. Nest, birds, and some leaves removed from the tree. The stream is polluted and there are no more fish jumping in the water.
Lights up. Mother in a sweater and gray hair leaning on daughter’s arm; daughter with hair pulled back in a bun; both walk on from stage left.
Daughter: “Look, Mama, poor tree. We used to see so many firsts here.”
Mother: “Can’t be any more firsts, Baby. The tree doesn’t have any more firsts to give.”
Daughter: “We don’t have anymore mountains to move.”
Mother: “Yes you do, Baby. Yes you do.”
Lights dim. Mother and daughter move off stage in the dark. The rest of the mountain is removed, the tree is stripped bare, and the water is completely brown and polluted. There is trash strewn about and yellow “ hazard, keep out” tape barrs the path to the tree.
Daughter with her little daughter (granddaughter of Mother) walk on stage and up to the tree.
Daughter: “Oh, Baby, that used to be my favorite tree. I saw the first bird of each springtime here. I tasted the first fruit of each season from this tree. It was sitting under this tree that your grandma told me that I could move mountains. Now the miners have destroyed the mountain and polluted the streams and my beautiful tree has no life in it to show you.”
Daughter begins to cry. Her daughter tries to comfort her mama.
Granddaughter: “Mama, your mama said you can move mountains. So why don’t we move this mountain back. It won’t be easy, Mama, but you always say “things that are most valuable cost more.”
Daughter now mother: “You know, Baby, you’re absolutely right. My mama knew about trees and birds and moving mountains. She knew what mountains needed moving and which ones were best left.”
Granddaughter: “I can help move a mountain.”
She bends down picks up several pieces of trash and puts them in a trash bag.
Narrator voice: “It’s true we can move mountains. It’s up to us to choose carefully which mountains those will be."
Revised version
Moving Mountains - A One Act Play
Stage: mountain pp slides tree, fruit, birds and a nest on the branches. Clean river with jumping fish.
Dimmed lights on stage rear. Spotlight on river. Full lights on stage front. Sounds of birds and stream gurgling in the distance.
Mama in apron and Aliah in pigtails playing hide and seek around the tree. They stop to catch their breath and sit down together looking at the mountains
Mama: “We’ll hike that mountain this summer.”
Aliah: “Mama, do you think I can?
Mama: “Baby, you can do anything you want to do. You can move mountains!”
Lights dim. Parts of the mountain removed. Sounds of heavy equipment, men shouting.
Lights up.
Mama in waitress smock, tired, and Aliah with straight hair-a little older- are sitting in front of the tree.
Aliah: “You’re tired.”
Mama: “Yes, Baby. So many men to feed at the mine.”
Aliah: “Mama, can we hike our mountain again this summer?”
Mama: “I don’t know, Baby. We’ll have to see.”
They stand up and walk toward the tree to look at the empty bird’s nest.
Aliah: “Mama, you’re moving mountains, working so hard.
(Pause. She puts her hand on Mama’s shoulder.)
Mama: “Yes, Baby. We each move mountains in our own way.”
Mama puts her arm around her daughter.
Mama: “Remember to lock the doors. Don’t answer to anyone but me. I’ll tuck you in after I get done with my shift tonight.”
Lights dim. More mountain removed. Nest, birds, and some leaves removed from the tree. The stream is polluted and there are no more fish jumping in the water.
Lights up. Mother in a sweater and gray hair leaning on daughter’s arm; an older Aliah with hair pulled back in a bun; both walk on from stage left.
Aliah: “Look, Mama, poor tree. We used to see so many firsts here.”
Mama: “There aren’t any more firsts, Baby. The tree doesn’t have it in her anymore.”
Aliah: “We don’t have anymore mountains to move.”
Mama: “Yes you do, Baby. Yes you do.”
Lights dim. Mother and daughter move off stage in the dark. The rest of the mountain is removed, the tree is stripped bare, and the water is completely brown and polluted. There is trash strewn about and yellow “ hazard, keep out” tape barrs the path to the tree.
Aliah with her little daughter walk on stage and up to the tree.
Aliah: “That was my favorite tree in this park. I saw the first bird of each springtime here. I used to pick the first fruit of each season. My mama and I would watch the fish in the stream and hike in our mountain. It was under this tree that your grandmama told me that I could move mountains. And I did-- in my own way. Now, our mountain is gone and so is our tree.”
Aliah turns her head and brushes a tear away.
Daughter: “Mama, Grandmama said you can move mountains. Do you think she had any idea that this mountain would be moved?”
Aliah: “No, Darlin’. We had no idea it would turn out like this.”
Pause. Daughter looks around at the trash. Picks up a trash bag. She bends down, picks up several pieces of trash and puts them in a trash bag. Aliah joins her.
Lights dim.
Part two
Discuss what you learned about storytelling from having to craft a story that is driven almost completely by dialogue. Who would you cast in your play? Why? What kind of set(s) would you use?
I have crated a story that is driven by dialog but I feel that scene not dialog drives this story further in our play. I think this play could be put on with little to now words and get the point across. The biggest reason to include it in this case is to try to appeal to people's emotions that they may have in regard to the tragedy in the loss of so much that could have been given to our future and in that grief many of us can share.
I would cast a mother and daughter for this play and have them show progression of age/generation by costume change. Only minimum transitions in costumes would be needed as written. The reason to cast an actual mother and daughter may relay that this play was personal not only for the authors but any that may be a parent. Which may drive/stir emotion into action.
A set with at least 2 sets of lights one for front stage one for rear. And all the props mentioned (that are in the works). Maybe a wearable microphone but I doubt that will be necessary where we are thinking of doing it.