Characters:

TREE #2 - 20, Unnamed cast member

BUSH #4 - 18, Another unnamed cast member

DIRECTOR - 30, eccentric ring leader

Setting: Large theatre stage, mostly empty except for backgrounds of shrubbery and forest that line the backstage.

(Set starts off dark, with only the sounds of conversations filling the room. Slowly, lights begin to illuminate the space as the voices quiet down. There’s silence as the lights fully illuminate the space, revealing two figures idly standing center stage, wearing costumes with crudely painted images that distinguish them as TREE #2 and BUSH #4. Suddenly, another figure, the DIRECTOR, comes on stage. He takes notes on a notepad before accidentally bumping into BUSH #4.)

DIRECTOR

Christ!! How long have you two been there?! Damn near gave me a heart attack.

BUSH #4

Sorry, we didn’t mean to! We just thought we’d stay where we were since you said you had some notes to give us, right?

DIRECTOR

(Clears voice)

Yes, and I commend you both for sticking around. God knows we’ve been having issues with people leaving before they’ve had the chance to receive feedback. Just hope you two haven’t waited too long for me.

TREE #2

Oh of course not! Just casually sitting and waiting for 30 minutes, wondering when you’ll remember to speak to us.

DIRECTOR

Hey, hey, I never forgot anyone! Listen, just because we have a large cast of incredibly talented individuals doesn’t mean I will forget to talk to anyone. I’ll have you know I’ve directed much larger shows before this, and damn it all if I say I made sure everyone was on board for that one. And now that we’ve been given this incredible opportunity to do Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, I’ll be hard-pressed to not only make sure that we give everyone in the audience the best evening of their life, but we do it right in making sure that happens!

(Both TREE #2 and BUSH #4 glance at one another as the DIRECTOR finishes his monologue. He takes notice, then flips through his notepad to find the notes he has to offer.)

DIRECTOR

(Cont’d)

Right, here we are! So, love the energy you two bring, you’ve done great with your roles thus far. However, my only issue would have to be with your blocking. It’s fine where you’re standing on stage, but just to experiment a bit, maybe we could just.. (He motions for both to follow him backstage. They oblige and take a couple steps back.)

DIRECTOR

Mm, actually how about just a teensy bit more..

(He motions the duo to step back, and once again, they follow him further backstage.)

DIRECTOR

Perfect!

BUSH #4

Hold on, how will anyone in the audience be able to notice us from here? The lighting barely makes it to where we are.

DIRECTOR

Exactly! That’s the point. Would just be too confusing if we had both of you posted in the light. Just trying to be mindful of the other actors and make the scene less confusing.

TREE #2

But we were already barely noticeable..

DIRECTOR

Sorry, what?

TREE #2

I’m saying that where we were originally, we were already hardly noticeable. And now with where you want us to be, it just.. it makes us practically vanish into the background. How will anyone be able to see us then? What was so wrong about where we were originally?

DIRECTOR

No, nothing was wrong. It was fine really, but it just feels like you two aren’t needed there. Since you both don’t quite fit into the scene, what with your roles as being.. y’know..

TREE #2

Yeah, backgrounds. We know, hard not to at this point..

(Beat. There’s an awkward silence between the duo and the DIRECTOR. DIRECTOR tries to formulate a response but fails. Eventually, he clasps his hands together, breaking the silence.)

DIRECTOR

Alright, well just keep what I said in mind for next time you’re called for rehearsal! And yeah, overall just keep up the great work and be sure to let me know of any complications.

(DIRECTOR exits offstage. Both TREE #2 and BUSH #4 wait in silence, till a loud crash of a door being closed can be heard echoing through the stage. At once the two quickly move away from their spots backstage.)

TREE #2

FUCK!

BUSH #4

I mean really, who actually would be able to see us from there?? This place is already dark enough as is!

TREE #2

If I hear one more time that we gotta move back god knows how much, I don’t even know what I’d do!

BUSH #4

How will anyone make us out? What will my parents say? They can barely see what’s in front of them half the time.

TREE #2

It’s targeted! I mean it’s gotta be the only explanation at this point. He don’t treat any of the other cast like that or give them the same bullshit notes and directions, and one of them plays the goddamn king’s horse for christ’s sake!

BUSH #4

All the effort of getting in.. the hours spent rehearsing afterschool and nearly vomiting on the day of auditions.

TREE #2

The time spent hyping myself up, saying that it’ll all work out in the end. Just to wind up playing a..

(TREE #2 looks down at their costume, bitterly exhaling. In a fit of rage,

they attempt to quickly take off the costume, failing to do so.)

BUSH #4

Woah dude, what the hell are you doing?

TREE #2

What’s it look like I’m doing? Trying to get this shit off me is what I’m doing.

BUSH #4

Yeah, well you might end up ripping your costume doing so. Besides, it’s just a piece of cardboard wrapped around your neck by some rope. How hard is it really to take it off?

(After some time, TREE #2 is finally able to take off their costume. They toss it to the side, watching as it slides across the floor.)

TREE #2

I swear if I stayed any longer with that thing around my neck, I would have started to lose my mind! It’s maddening, every time we come in here we just get screwed over and over again. Already bad enough that we gotta stand for hours at a time wearing those things all day, but we also gotta deal with getting pushed further from the spotlight! We aren’t leads, we’re not important, we’re just observers in some larger story made up by some guy 400 years ago. And supposedly we aren’t good enough to contribute in some way? Who even said we wanted to be in these roles anyway? Not like that was a choice we even wanted in the first place. If we didn’t have the skills or weren’t needed, then why even bother calling us back? Why give us the hope of being able to have a role that just might be more than some random fucking tree in the woods? Anything would have been better, even not being cast at all. But no..

(TREE #2 points to their costume.)

TREE #2 We just get handed that instead. For what reason, I don’t know. Maybe some long humiliating punishment for thinking that we’re even deserving of something more. For even dreaming of being made to play anything that isn’t forgotten by the general audience. Certainly feels like it at times.

(Silence falls between the spaces. BUSH #4 quietly takes off their costume, as TREE #2 slowly goes over to where they threw their costume.)

BUSH #4

Y’know, when I was first thinking about auditioning, I didn’t actually know what I was doing. I never did anything relating to performing arts before, so I had no clue where to begin. I didn’t know what auditions would look like, how best to prepare or anything. Sorta just left it all to chance, and I went into this whole thing blind.

(BUSH #4 chuckles.)

BUSH #4

To say I was nervous would be an understatement..

TREE #2

Oh wait, were you the one who was constantly fidgeting in the waiting area?

(BUSH #4 nods.)

TREE #2

(Cont’d)

Yeah, I remember you now! Dude I thought you were about to pass out even before our group’s name was called up.

BUSH #4

Oh trust me, when that door opened and I realized it was our turn, I damn near did!

TREE #2

(Laughing)

Hey I mean, if it makes you feel any better, I think you did pretty good for someone who’s never auditioned. I mean, you did get cast after all.

BUSH #4

True, but I really feel like I botched that audition. They don’t tell you about this part of acting. And how can people just do this on a regular basis? I do this once and I’m out.

TREE #2

Oh trust me when I say this but it doesn’t get any better. Everyone just has gotten to a point where they can act like they’re calm and collected, but secretly everyone is just one surprise away from passing out.

BUSH #4

I believe that for sure..

(BUSH #4 holds their costume close to them, cradling it in their arms as they stare blankly at it for a while. TREE #2 notices, but chooses not to

acknowledge.)

BUSH #4

(Cont’d)

You, um..

(Tree #2 looks up.)

BUSH #4

(Cont’d)

You ever been in any other productions here?

TREE #2

Oh yeah, most of them. Never really got cast to play a major character per se, just ensemble most of the time and minor speaking roles if I got lucky. My old school wasn’t any better, most action I’d get is if there so happened to be a musical in the works and I got to play some small sung role.

(BUSH #4 looks up at TREE #2, stunned.)

BUSH #4

You were a part of musicals??

TREE #2

Well.. technically I was. But like I said before, I never got the chance to be the lead. Most of the time, I get cast in some small role that usually only has one line of dialogue and part of a song.

BUSH #4

Still that’s just.. just.. how on earth did you end up playing some background in Shakespeare??

TREE #2

Honestly, I couldn’t tell you if I tried.

BUSH #4

No but like, how?? I get why I would ‘cause I suck compared to everyone else but just..

TREE #2

Hey, I wouldn’t say you suck. Far from it. I think you’ve got potential! Just a matter of honing your skills and building your confidence in performing. And hey, the first performance for you is Romeo and Juliet so..

BUSH #4

Yeah, well among those who do get to play, how many of them say that they get cast to be.. well..

(They hold up their costumes. TREE #2 laughs.)

TREE #2

Well, it’s a start y’know.

BUSH #4

Sure.. well here’s what I think of this “start!”

(BUSH #4 chucks their costume across the stage, TREE #2 watches in shock as the costume slides across the floor.)

BUSH #4

(Cont’d)

Screw this shit! If they can’t respect the effort we put into getting in this show, then why respect what they’re trying to do to us? They’re pushing us into the shadows, having people who’ve been in goddamn musicals play some background! Meanwhile, you got people who hardly show up to rehearsals in the first place and hardly do the bare minimum, and they get to be main leads?! Fuck all of that! Who are they to say that we aren’t worthy of being relevant to the show? If they can’t see the kinda dedication we put into this whole mess, then I say to hell with all of it, and especially with what they’re trying to make us do!

(TREE #2 stares conflictingly at BUSH #4, then ultimately chuckles and joins in their rebellion by chucking their costume to the side. Both cheer in celebration, before swiftly checking to see if they happened to damage either of their costumes.)

TREE #2

Hey um.. if ever given the opportunity, what role would you like to play in any production?

BUSH #4

(Looking up from their costume)

Oh uh.. gonna be honest, I don’t know all that many plays. Never really heard or seen all that many.

TREE #2

Oh, yeah I get that.

(Both stare back down at their costumes.)

BUSH #4

I guess it would be nice to play someone important. A part of me wants to say I’d want to be cast as a lead but.. I doubt there’d be a chance of that happening, right?

TREE #2

Hey, it could happen. This is your first time after all. If you do want to continue doing this then I’m sure you’ll be able to get a lead one day.

(TREE #2 clutches their costume, moving to exit offstage. They then stop, turning back to see BUSH #4 still standing where they were, looking deep into their costume. TREE #2 slowly approaches BUSH #4 before talking.)

TREE #2

(Cont’d)

Look, don’t think too much about what your role is right now. Trust me when I say it, these will become footnotes in due time.

BUSH #4

Yeah.. guess that’s true..

(TREE #2 pats BUSH #4 on the shoulders before walking off. BUSH #4 takes a deep sigh. One last time, they look down at the costume, cradling it between their arms. They take a few minutes to stare at it, the costume barely visible due to the shadow of their body. Then, silently throwing the costume over their shoulder, BUSH #4 exits the stage on the same route TREE #2 took.)

-END OF PLAY-