I’m Dreaming of a Junior High Game Show
I’m Dreaming of a Junior High Game Show addresses the common issue of bullying many middle schoolers deal with in a lighthearted script meant to point students toward a posture of forgiveness. This script was originally written as a custom piece for the 2017-2018 Fine Arts Festival and can be easily performed by student actors/actresses. It would also be an exceptional illustration for regular youth services.
A pdf download of this script with complete production notes (character descriptions, director’s notes, setting & stage area design, props, game show card instructions, and costuming ideas) can be purchased HERE. The script is available below for free.
If you are interested in a custom script for your church or ministry, please contact me HERE. I would LOVE to help!
Synopsis
SHELBY is a junior high girl who is having a hard time fitting in with the kids at her school. She goes to sleep one night and has a peculiar dream that she is on a variety of game shows that all lead her to believe forgiving a particular classmate is the best way to respond to the conflict. Her dream, inspired in part by her bedtime prayer, encourages her to give her new school another try.
Script
(STUDENT ENSEMBLE is divided evenly at the end of stage right or stage left with their backs to center stage, heads down, and hands clasped behind their backs. A row of backpacks filled with appropriate character props (for students standing on the opposite side of the stage) sit at the feet of the STUDENT ENSEMBLE forming the right and left boundaries of the stage area.)
(MOM and DAD are positioned on opposite sides of the stage in line with the rest of the STUDENT ENSEMBLE. DAD wears a sticky mustache. He will ONLY wear it when he is playing DAD.)
(SHELBY is seated on her bed of chairs holding a small stuffed animal with her blanket draped over her legs. Scene begins with her stretching and yawning as she gets ready for bed.)
SHELBY: (calling offstage) G’night Mom! G’night Dad!
(MOM and DAD turn out toward the audience and center stage. Feet remain planted at end stage right and left. They wave toward the audience as if they are calling offstage to SHELBY.)
MOM & DAD: Good night honey! Love you!
(MOM and DAD quickly turn back to end stage right and left with the rest of the STUDENT ENSEMBLE. DAD removes mustache. SHELBY clutches her stuffed animal, folds her hands and looks to the ceiling.)
SHELBY: God? I’m having a really, (emphasis)really hard time at school. Could you help me? Please? I don’t know what to do…and really I’d just love to not have to go back. (awkward pause) I realize that would probably be hard to arrange. Anyway… ummm… thanks for listening. (begins laying down, sends a big wave toward the ceiling) C-ya in the morning!
(SHELBY pulls the blanket up and turns her body toward the back of the chairs. In a moments time she is snoring loudly.)
(STUDENT ENSEMBLE begins the dream sequence by twirling across the stage from stage right to left, and stage left to right by shuffling their feet one over the other, and swinging their arms in a windmill fashion in the direction their feet are moving. Depending on time, they can all go at once and cross each other in the middle, or twirl in pairs until all eight have switched sides. They make the sound of a howling musical wind during their travel across the stage.)
(While attention is diverted from SHELBY, who is still under the covers, she bends the pipe cleaners in her hair to make the braids stick out from her head, and pulls some of her hair out at the crown so she looks exceptionally disheveled.)
(Once everyone in the STUDENT ENSEMBLE reaches the opposite end of the stage, they pause a beat in front of their respective backpacks, and in unison ring like a school bell.)
STUDENTS: Briiiiiiiiing!
(Students in the ENSEMBLE pull baseball hats, purses, or books out of their backpacks and sling their backpacks over their shoulders. They begin to walk toward center stage, slapping fives, saying hi, and forming small clusters of middle school students starting their school day.)
(NARRATORS 1 & 2 walk out from the ENSEMBLE toward down center stage and begin talking to the audience.)
NARRATOR 1: Welcome to Middle School.
NARRATOR 2: Home of the someday somebodies of high school…
(As each archetype is named, a student from the ENSEMBLE disengages, raises their hand to wave and smile at the audience, then quickly returns to their group. NARRATORS walk in and out of the ENSEMBLE as if they are visible only to the audience.)
NARRATOR 1: The athlete.
NARRATOR 2: The loner.
NARRATOR 1: The smarty-pants.
NARRATOR 2: The class clown.
NARRATOR 1: The goodie-two shoes
NARRATOR 2: And who can forget…
(BULLY growls at the audience. Everyone in the STUDENT ENSEMBLE takes a frightened step back.)
NARRATOR 1 & 2: The Bully.
NARRATOR 2: All trying to make their way through the chaotic maze of adolescent life.
NARRATOR 1: But we’re here today to honor someone special.
(STUDENT ENSEMBLE freezes in action, clustered on either side – right center or left center. NARRATORS continue from down center stage. They begin walking among the frozen students inching closer to where SHELBY lay still and sleeping.)
NARRATOR 2: A Middle School girl who just recently moved in district…
NARRATOR 1: …trying to find her way in a brand new school.
NARRATOR 2: Navigating the junior high-ish waters of fitting in and being shut out.
(STUDENT ENSEMBLE unfreezes on the next line. Everyone turns toward SHELBY).
EVERYONE: (loudly) Shelby Taylor!
(SHELBY sits straight up, beyond startled. She has wide eyes, wild hair, and is clutching both her blanket and animal close to her.)
NARRATOR 1 & 2: (sing song, with flair) This is your life!!!!
(STUDENT ENSEMBLE begins singing a cheesy unrecognizable game show-type tune. The two students closest to SHELBY help her out of bed and excitedly bring her down center stage where HOST steps out from the ENSEMBLE to meet her with a cordless microphone hidden in her pocket. NARRATORS 1 & 2 are absorbed into the ENSEMBLE.)
(Remaining students in the ENSEMBLE leave their bags and props in a line in front of SHELBY’S chair/bed and form a centered human line, standing shoulder-to-shoulder, in front of everything upstage. This is done with some kind of coordinated flair while they continue singing the cheesy game show song.)
SHELBY: (still stunned) What is going on?
HOST: (ignoring SHELBY, walking her toward audience) Here she is, our This is Your Lifehonored guest Shelby Taylor, from Middle School!
(STUDENT ENSEMBLE begins clapping and cheering for SHELBY. She tentatively waves toward the audience.)
HOST: Isn’t that nice? Don’t you feel welcomed and loved?
SHELBY: (looking around) I don’t understand why you’re all here…(looking down at her clothes)…or why I’m dressed like this?!
(STUDENT ENSEMBLE members slowly turn their heads in unison toward stage right. SHELBY feels for her braids and realizes they are sticking straight out. She is mortified.)
HOST: (putting a hand on SHELBY’S shoulder, sympathetic) There, there. It’s not so bad.
FRIEND: (stepping out of ENSEMBLE to straighten SHELBY’S braids and fix her hair)It kind of is…
(FRIEND steps back into ENSEMBLE. HOST continues.)
HOST: We begin your life Shelby Lynn Taylor in Columbia, South Carolina where you are born to a loving mom and dad.
MOM & DAD: (stepping out of the ENSEMBLE, DAD with mustache, excitedly wave at SHELBY)Hey baby girl!
(MOM and DAD immediately step back into ENSEMBLE. DAD removes mustache. HOST continues.)
HOST: (sing song) Yours was a happy childhood filled with pony rides, and fairy dust, and butterfly songs…
SHELBY: That doesn’t even make sense!
(FRIEND pops out of the ENSEMBLE to whisper to SHELBY.)
FRIEND: Psst! You’re dreaming.
SHELBY: Ooooohhhh…(gaining her composure, playing along)…you may continue.
HOST: Then your father accepted a job out of state…
(STUDENT ENSEMBLE turns their heads toward the audience with a menacing Dun-dun-dun and immediately turn their heads stage right again.)
HOST: …and that happy childhood gave way to the awkwardness of a new school, (getting more and more emotional as she continues) trying to fit in with kids who had been together since the first grade, missing the final audition for the school play…
SHELBY: (attempting to comfort HOST) I don’t know if it was all that bad…
HOST: (near sobbing) Oh but it was! And then that girl! (stammering)That…bully…who purposely flipped your lunch tray all over that adorable Justiceensemble you picked out for Christmas last year…
FRIEND: (stepping out of the ENSEMBLE) It was pretty bad Shel…
(FRIEND immediately steps back into ENSEMBLE. SHELBY is shrinking with the memory of what happened.)
HOST: …and everyone was standing there watching you with tater tots and ketchup dripping from your chin. And the bully….
BULLY: (Begins to laugh slowly, creepily calls out to SHELBY)Oh Shelby….
SHELBY: (holds her hand out to HOST, looking around frightened) Who was that?
(BULLY’S laugh gets louder and harder and more evil sounding as she turns her head toward the audience.)
HOST: …that laugh! So horrible.
(SHELBY starts to hyperventilate. FRIEND pops out of the ENSEMBLE.)
BULLY: (still taunting) You want some ketchup to go with those tater tots?
FRIEND: Remember it’s just a dream Shelby!
SHEBLY: (still trying to catch her breath) You’re right. Just a dream.
(BULLY is still cackling and slowly stepping toward SHELBY. ENSEMBLE joins the BULLY in laughing at SHELBY. HOST is still reeling with the injustice of SHELBY’S situation. FRIEND is close to SHELBY attempting to calm her down.)
SHELBY: (to FRIEND) Quick. Pinch me.
FRIEND: I don’t think it works that way…
SHELBY: Just do it!
FRIEND: Ok…
(FRIEND pinches SHELBY. Immediately the scene begins to transition from This is Your Lifeto Jeopardy. FRIEND joins the STUDENT ENSEMBLE. They begin singing the Jeopardy theme song and creatively move across the stage, left to right, bringing GSC from their backs to their fronts. ENSEMBLE then positions themselves into two columns of a living Jeopardy board, three students to a column. Category titles are held by two standing students. First price in each column is held by two students kneeling. Second price in each column is held by two students sitting on the floor. Living Jeopardy board should set up down stage right.)
(While ENSEMBLE is setting up, SHELBY has been slowly twirling across the stage from right to left. ALEXA TREBEK steps out from the ENSEMBLE down center stage to begin the segment. She holds a stack of prop notecards in her hands from her back pocket. CONTESTANT, who also happens to be SHELBY’S MOM, also steps out from ENSEMBLE and joins SHELBY down stage left.)
CONTESTANT: (focused and intense) I’ll take “What to do with a bully” for $400.
(Lines between CONTESTANT and ALEXA will move quickly. As each value is called, the Jeopardy Cards are flipped to the blank side.)
SHELBY: (surprised) Mom?
ALEXA: Persistently hanging on to bad feelings and resentment over a past insult or injury.
(CONTESTANT makes a buzzing noise.)
ALEXA: Mom?
CONTESTANT: What is holding a grudge.
ALEXA: You are right.
CONTESTANT: “What to do with a bully” for $600.
ALEXA: To purposely inflict hurt or harm on someone for an injury or wrong suffered at their hands.
(CONTESTANT makes a buzzing noise.)
ALEXA: Mom, again.
CONTESTANT: What is taking revenge.
ALEXA: Correct.
SHELBY: Is that really what you should do with a bully?
(CONTESTANT and ALEXA are no longer paying attention to SHELBY.)
CONTESTANT: “Middle School Crisis” for $400.
SHELBY: Mom? Mom!
ALEXA: A girl covered in tater tots and ketchup.
(CONTESTANT makes buzzing noise.)
ALEXA: Mom.
CONTESTANT: (starting to get creepy silly) Oooh I know this! Who is Shelby Taylor?
(BULLY starts laughing loudly from the Jeopardy board. The ENSEMBLE joins her in laughing. ALEXA and CONTESTANT are still playing the game but things have gotten increasingly faster and weirder. No one is listening to SHELBY.)
(CONTESTANT makes buzzing noise.)
ALEXA: Mom.
(CONTESTANT makes buzzing noise.)
ALEXA: Mom.
(This continues back and forth with ENSEMBLE continuing to laugh at SHELBY. SHELBY is visibly distraught as the dream continues spiraling out of control.)
SHELBY: Why is no one listening to me? Mom! Stop! Please!
(SHELBY puts her hands over her ears and cowers as she moves to center stage. ENSEMBLE begins doo-wopping the Wheel of Fortune theme song and seven students move to form the living puzzle board as a centered line in front of SHELBY’S bed. This is again done with some kind of dramatic flair.)
(PAT stands behind the Wheel of Fortune puzzle board until called forward by the CONFETTI KID.)
CONFETTI KID: (skipping stage right to left throwing glitter confetti from his pocket as he goes) From Sony Pictures Studios … it’s America’s favorite game!
(SHELBY looks up incredulously as she is showered with confetti and starts backing up toward stage left.)
ENSEMBLE: (with excitement and emphasized as the televised show intro) Wheel of Fortune!
(ENSEMBLE erupts into claps and cheers.)
CONFETTI KID: (now stage left) Ladies and gentlemen here is the star of our show Pat Sajak!
(PAT steps out from behind puzzle board and waves to the audience. He stops stage right. CONFETTI KID joins the ENSEMBLE at the appropriate place in the puzzle line.)
PAT: (in a different voice than DAD) Thanks everybody! (to the audience) How are you all? (to SHELBY) Nice of you to show up!
SHELBY: Dad?
PAT: (chuckles) Well yes, but not today! Get ready Shelby, it’s toss up time. “What to do with a Bully” is the category.
(ENSEMBLE makes the puzzle board sound as they hold up their cards.)
PAT: Here we go!
SHELBY: But I don’t know what to do with a bully!
(During the toss up the ENSEMBLE doo-wops the puzzle song. ENSEMBLE begins turning the cards over at random to show letters from the word FORGIVE. SHELBY stands stunned not knowing what to do.)
PAT: (awkwardly) When you know the word, just press your buzzer.
FRIEND: (speaking from the puzzle board) You know this Shelby! What do you do with a bully?
SHELBY: I…uh…
PAT: Time’s almost up…
SHELBY: (before the last letter turns) Uhh…Forgive?
PAT: Yep! You got it!
(ENSEMBLE erupts into cheering. They drop their cards around their neck so FORGIVE is still showing and begin clapping and tossing glitter confetti from their pockets. ENSEMBLE and PAT begin chanting SHELBY’S name.)
EVERYONE: Shel-by! Shel-by! Shel-by!
SHELBY: So you’re saying I should forgive? Is that what this means? I should forgive the bully?
(ENSEMBLE begins stepping toward SHELBY. No one is answering her, but continues to cheer and chant her name. MOM and DAD stand on either side of SHELBY. The ENSEMBLE gathers around SHELBY surrounding her. MOM and DAD pull SHELBY through and behind the ENSEMBLE. ENSEMBLE forms a new line in front of MOM, DAD, and SHELBY hiding them from the audience. SHELBY crawls back in bed, under the covers. MOM and DAD sit on either side of her on the bed. DAD replaces his mustache.)
MOM and DAD: (from behind the ENSEMBLE line, urgently) Shelby! Shelby! Shelby!
(ENSEMBLE immediately stops chanting and drops to the floor so the audience can see SHELBY and her parents. SHELBY sits straight up doing kung-fu moves as she is slowly starting to wake up.)
DAD: Woah, woah, woah. Settle down!
MOM: It’s ok sweetie. It’s ok. We’re here.
SHELBY: (waking – looking at MOM) But you were on Jeopardy…and you were (looking at DAD) the host ofWheel of Fortune…
MOM: You were dreaming honey…you were just dreaming…
SHELBY: (catching her breath, rubbing her eyes) Wow. What a dream!
MOM: I know that bully has been really bothering you honey (looking to DAD) but I don’t think we realized how much.
DAD: Do you want to talk about it now Shelby?
SHELBY: No. I mean, yes. I mean…
MOM: (interrupting her) Because I can be on the phone with the principle first thing in the morning…
SHELBY: (laying a hand over MOM’S, finally calm) I mean…know what I need to do.
MOM: What’s that?
SHELBY: I think the only way I’m going to move forward…is if I forgive her.
(MOM and DAD are both touched and relieved. DAD puts a hand on top of SHELBY’S.)
DAD: Ok.
(MOM puts her hand on top of DAD’S.)
MOM: Ok.
(SHELBY brings her hand out from underneath and places it on top of both of them.)
SHELBY: Ok.
(The three smile. SHELBY puts her arms around her parents in a huge embrace.)
DAD: (chuckling, slipping into the PAT SAJAK voice) That must have been some dream!
(SHELBY is momentarily surprised by her DAD’S voice change but recovers quickly. She shrugs and smiles, then touches his fake mustache.)
SHELBY: You have absolutely no idea!
(END SCENE)
TERMS OF USE
I’m Dreaming of a Junior High Game Show was first written for and performed by Union Youth Group and entered in their District Fine Arts Festival.