600+ scripts now downloadable! agazine.com www.playsm 8) (see details on page 4 THE DRAMA MAGAZINE FOR YOUNG PEOPL NOVEMBER 2018 UPPER GRADES PA Crack inlthe Caeiling . .y. Chs ristina Hamlett 2 DRAMATIZED CLASSIC (F OR UPPER GRADES ) The Twelve-Pound Look. James M. Barrie 15 Adapted by Jesse J. Martin MIDDLE AND LOWER GRADES All in Favor. M. K. Schwartz 23 Lewis Hine, Intrepid Photographer . Carol D. Wise 29 Mexican Trio. Linell Wohlers 36 Perambulating Pie. Mary Thurman Pyle 41 Terms of Use • Vol. 78, No. 2 Subscribers . Persons and entities with subscriptions in force at the time of the performance may produce the plays in any issue of this magazine royalty-free, provided the performance is part of a regular school or dramatic club activity. Such persons and entities may also reproduce copies of the individual play being produced for members of the cast, and may videotape or record rehearsals or performances of the play, for use by such members in connection with preparation for a performance of the play. Subscribers may not videotape or record the production of the play for any other reason, and may not reproduce or transmit the production via television or radio, or via the internet or other electronic methods, without the written permission of, and the payment of any required royalties to, Plays/Sterling Partners, Inc. Non-subscribers . Persons and entities that are not current subscribers to this magazine must apply in writing to Plays/Sterling Partners, Inc. for royalty quotations and permission to copy, reproduce, distribute, transmit, publicly display, or publicly perform any of the plays herein. Permission will be granted on a per-performance basis only, and under no condition may permission be transferred. 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PLAYS, The Drama Magazine for Young People (ISSN 0032-1540, USPS 473-810) is published seven times a year, monthly except June, July, August, and September, and bimonthly January/February, by STERLING PARTNERS, INC., 897 Washington St., #600160, Newton, MA 02460. Subscription rates: 1 year, $59.00; 2 years, $109.00. Canadian: Add $12 per year to cover postage. All other for - eign: Add $25 per year to cover postage. Canadian & other foreign sub - scriptions must be paid in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank (or if in U.S. funds drawn on foreign bank, add $4 U.S.). Periodicals postage paid at Boston, MA, and additional offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Plays/Sterling Partners 897 Washington St. #600160 Newton, MA 02460 Printed in U.S.A. November 2018 The drama magazine for young people In this issue. P. l ays Upper Grades A Crack in the Ceiling , by Christina Hamlett 10 actors: 6 female, 4 male; 30 minutes. The story of Edith Wilson’s secret role in running the country after her husband, President Woodrow Wilson, suffered a debilitating stroke in 1919. Some say that she served, in effect, over an 18-month period, as America’s first woman President. The Twelve-Pound Look , by James M. Barrie; adapted by Jesse J. Martin 4 actors: 2 male, 2 female; 25 minutes. A clever story: A women exerts her independence from her wealthy and overbearing husband in 1900s England as she learns a skill and sets out to make a life of her own. Will he recognize the error of his ways and treat his next wife with more respect? Middle and Lower Grades All in Favor , by M. K. Schwartz 7 actors: 4 male, 3 female (or any combination m/f); 25 minutes. Prospective member of a club finds out some “friends” are not to be trusted. Lewis Hine, Intrepid Photographer , by Carol D. Wise 7 actors: 4 male, 3 female; 25 minutes. Based on the story of the famed photo-journalist, who works his way into factories in 1900s America to expose child labor exploitation and unsafe working conditions. His pho - tographs helped to improve life for millions of people. Mexican Trio , by Linell Wohlers 5 male and/or female actors; 10 minutes. Mexican folk tale: It’s a battle of wits as the big coyote is outsmarted by three of his smaller neighbors. Perambulating Pie , by Mary Thurman Pyle 10 actors: 5 male and 5 female; 25 minutes. Re-gifting: Sharing on Thanksgiving makes this “pass-around” pie a special gift for those alone on Turkey Day. NOVEMBER 2018 1 Upper Grades A Crack in the Ceiling is protected by U.S. copyright law. It is unlawful to use this play in any way unless you are a current subscriber to PLAYS Magazine (www.playsmagazine.com). A Crack in the Ceiling After President Woodrow Wilson suffered a stroke in 1919, his wife Edith stepped in to run the country— secretly—for the next 18 months. by Christina Hamlett Characters TIME : 1919-1920 The White House. EDITH WILSON, First Lady and SETTING : The stage is divided into two second wife of Woodrow Wilson sections separated by a low, cutaway HELEN WOODROW BONES, wall. Stage right represents the Lincoln Bedroom at the White House. Stage left Woodrow’s cousin and former is a comfortable sitting room with an White House social secretary Edwardian dining table and four WOODROW WILSON, 28th chairs. The two “rooms” are respectively lit only when action is transpiring in President of the United States them, the other half of the stage being in ISABELLA HAGNER, former darkness. Several scenes are also played in the theatre’s center aisle. See detailed White House social secretary Production Notes at end of play. ALICE GERTRUDE GORDON, AT RISE : Stage left, EDITH WILSON is wife of Dr. Cary Grayson hosting tea and a game of cards with DR. CARY GRAYSON, Wilson’s HELEN WOODROW BONES, personal physician ISABELLA HAGNER and ALICE GERTRUDE GORDON. As lights IKE HOOVER, White House Chief come up, a tinny rendition of “Oh, You Usher Beautiful Doll” is heard playing on vit - rola. Throughout the scene, the ladies ROBERT LANSING, Secretary of will take turns refilling each other’s tea State cups and playing their card game. NELL M CADOO, Wilson’s youngest EDITH (Inclining her head to the daughter music ): Goodness, but you’d think NURSE JOHNSON, Wilson’s that’s the only song Woodrow allows to be played in The White House. ( She attending nurse gets up to turn off the music. ) 2 PLAYS • playsmagazine.com ALICE (Laughing ): It’s certainly the England someday. only song I’ve ever heard played. EDITH : Oh Alice, that’s just silly. I’m not HELEN (Calling after EDITH ): You only older than His Royal Highness but should be flattered, Edith. He says it why on earth would the Prince of Wales always makes him think of you. want to take up with an American woman—and one previously married— ISABELLA (To ALICE ): Helen would know. when he can have his pick of European She’s the one who introduced them. princesses! ( They all laugh at this. There is a rapid knock on double doors .) ALICE (As EDITH returns to table ): A Come in! ( DR. CARY GRAYSON enters, blessing or a curse? wearing a worried expression. ALICE smiles when she sees him .) EDITH : A bit of both, I think. But most - ly blessing. ALICE : At long last! My wonderful hus - band has come to rescue me from an HELEN : You didn’t say that when he absolutely pathetic game of cards. was writing all those love letters! (She starts to scoot back her chair .) EDITH (Laughing ): How could I forget? CARY : I actually need to speak to Edith. ISABELLA : Have I heard this story? EDITH : What is it, Cary? You look as if you’ve seen a ghost. ( He gently lifts her HELEN : It seems, Isabella, that my by the arm to speak privately. EDITH dear cousin was so besotted with our is anxious .) What’s happened? Is darling Edith that he wrote to her something wrong? every single day. CARY : It’s the President. You need to EDITH : More like every single hour! come at once. I’ve left my nurse and He’d send a messenger from the White the Chief Usher with him but there’s House and order the poor man to wait no time to lose. I’ll explain on the way. for me to write a reply. Well, if I was (CARY hustles her out. Her friends look busy or having a luncheon and sent at one another in stunned silence as him back empty-handed, Wood-row lights go down. Lights come up slowly was beside himself. right. WOODROW WILSON is in bed and appears to be sleeping. NURSE ISABELLA : What did he do? JOHNSON is holding his right wrist and taking his pulse. An anxious IKE EDITH : He’d furiously write out three HOOVER stands nearby. ) or four more and send those over. (Sighs ) I had to say to him, “Woodrow, IKE (To NURSE ): I don’t understand. my love, I’m quite fond of you but don’t One moment he seemed just fine—a you have a country you should be run - little tired, maybe—and then— ning?” To which he replied, “All right, I promise to focus on the country if NURSE : No one can ever predict when you’ll just say yes and marry me.” something like this will come on—or how long it’ll last.