Wipeout! set design Book by Flip Kobler and Cindy Marcus Music and Lyrics by Bill Francoeur © Copyright 2008, Pioneer Drama Service, Inc. Professionals and amateurs are hereby warned that a royalty must be paid for every performance, whether or not admission is charged. All inquiries regarding rights should be addressed to Pioneer Drama Service, Inc., PO Box 4267, Englewood, CO 80155. All rights to this musical—including but not limited to amateur, professional, radio broadcast, television, motion picture, public reading and translation into foreign languages—are controlled by Pioneer Drama Service, Inc., without whose permission no performance, reading or presentation of any kind in whole or in part may be given. These rights are fully protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America and of all countries covered by the Universal Copyright Convention or with which the United States has reciprocal copyright relations, including Canada, Mexico, Australia and all nations of the United Kingdom. COPYING OR REPRODUCING ALL OR ANY PART OF THIS BOOK IN ANY MANNER IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN BY LAW. On all programs, printing and advertising, the following information must appear: 1. The full name of the musical 2. The full name of the playwright and composer/arranger 3. The following notice: “Produced by special arrangement with Pioneer Drama Service, Inc., Englewood, Colorado” 60 WIPEOUT! Book by FLIP KOBLER and CINDY MARCUS Music and lyrics by BILL FRANCOEUR CAST OF CHARACTERS # of lines THE AVALON KIDS RIPTIDE ....................................leader of the Avalon kids and 113 best surfer around; has a crush on Midge, but is too nervous to act on it. Yet. MIDGE ......................................Mom and Cap’n Bill’s daughter; 150 a spitfi re and a dreamer, but always does what she’s told. Until… LOCO MOCO .............................beatnik complete with bongos; 16 rhymingly impaired BODHY .....................................Rip’s pal and an avid gambler; 42 everything is a bet to him FREDDIE SEATURTLE .................comic book fan; everything he 44 knows comes out of the comics WENDY .....................................good-hearted girl desperate to 43 fi t in; won’t do anything unless others do, too SANDY .....................................sassy bubble gum chewer; has 47 a little trouble keeping facts straight RHONDA ...................................has a transistor radio constantly 59 stuck to her ear; she bops in a world of her own THE COVE KIDS REEF ........................................leader of the rich Cove kids; 72 under pressure to be just like dear old dad JOHN B.....................................Reef’s sycophant; the ultimate 27 yes man FENDER BENDER ......................Reef’s sidekick and proud of it 16 BARBARA ANN ..........................spoiled rich girl and Reef’s 15 honey; sunbather type CAROLINE .................................joined at the hip to Fender 19 Bender ii 59 To give the audience a better view of the surfers in action on the ocean OTHERS platform, you might consider two options: the platform itself can be MARCELLA ................................“Surf’s Up” magazine reporter; 77 raked (built at a slope) with a 2” x 4” at the front edge to prevent the dictates life like a reporter boards from slipping. Or, the boards themselves can be raked and SHUTTERBUG ...........................“Surf’s Up” photographer who 13 set on a fl at platform. See directions below for the optional raked dreams of being an artist surfboard. SCRATCH ..................................Marcella’s stenographer 18 Materials to Rake Surfboard x Eigh-foot-long 2” x 4” ZELDA ......................................eccentric old lady looking to 18 x 6 - 2” wood screws get rich quick; fl ighty but lovable x 28 - 2½” wood screws MR. SAUCELITO ........................Reef’s father; cold, calculating 30 x 8 - 3½” wood screws and ruthless CAP’N BILL ...............................Midge’s father; a onetime 86 How to Rake Surfboard (See Diagram #3) dreamer who’s given up on life 1. Cut the 2” x 4” as follows: MOM ........................................Midge’s mom; a spunky gal 31 a. One 9” long segment EXTRAS ....................................AVALON KIDS, COVE KIDS, n/a b. Two 18” long segments SURFERS (DUKE, SALLY c. Three 12” long segments VALLEY and BROCK) 2. Screw the two 18” pieces together with eight 2½” screws evenly spaced. SET DESIGN 3. Screw the three 12” pieces together—two fi rst with six 2½” Time: Early 1960s. screws, then add the third piece with six more 2½” screws Place: A California beach. evenly spaced. A sign reads “Avalon Beach.” STAGE LEFT is an outdoor surf shop 4. Place the 9” piece at the front of the board and screw on with complete with counter, a few stools and a sign that reads “Mom & six 2” screws, the 18” piece in the middle with eight 2½” Poppy’s Surf Shack.” A surfboard hangs above the front of the shop. screws and the 12” piece at the end of the board with eight A bunch of surfboards (can be cardboard) are stuck in the “sand” like 3½” screws as shown in diagram #3. a fat, colorful picket fence across the UPSTAGE wall. All of this is in front of a backdrop depicting the scene of your choice—a brick wave 5. Always check for balance and make sure the wood pieces are wall with a railing on top, a street scene, etc. The ocean is over the secure. AUDIENCE. All surfi ng scenes take place on a raked platform in front of an 8’ x 8’ fl at painted to look like an ocean wave. Ideally, this set is on a wagon that can be quickly rolled on and offstage. Alternatively, this fl at and platform could be set apart from the main stage, perhaps EXTREME DOWN RIGHT. LIGHTING helps separate the surfi ng action from the beach action. (See PRODUCTION NOTES for details about constructing and raking surfboards.) 58 PHOTOCOPYING THIS SCRIPT BREAKS FEDERAL COPYRIGHT LAWS iii SEQUENCE OF MUSICAL NUMBERS sweep your feet under you. Make sure your feet are on the stringer, the line down the middle of the board. This move keeps your weight ACT ONE centered along the stringer. When you come up, remember to keep low. Assume the position of a sumo wrestler. Press your feet shoulder width TRACK MC SONG TITLE PAGE apart and grip the board with your feet. Have your hands a bit higher 1 MC 1 It’s Always 90 Degrees Ensemble 1 than your waist and just in view of your vision. Always look up! Calm on Avalon Beach and controlled is the smoothest way to approach this maneuver. 2 MC 2 Save the Shack Avalon Kids 9 SURFBOARD DESIGN 3 MC 3 Life in the Fast Lane Mr. Saucelito, 14 Cove Kids Surfboards can be cut out of plywood (or cardboard for the picket fence boards) and painted. Following is a list of materials and instructions 4 MC 4 Luau Love Avalon Boys 18 for making surfboards. 5 MC 5 Dead Man’s Reef Sandy, Wendy, 21 Surfboard Materials Rhonda, Extra x One 2’ x 8’ piece of plywood Avalon Girls x High gloss paint for the top 6 MC 5a The Accident Instrumental 26 x Flat black paint for the bottom x 7 MC 6 Wipeout! Ensemble 27 14’ of 4” non-slip tape Surfboard Construction (See Diagrams #1 and #2): ACT TWO TRACK MC SONG TITLE PAGE 1. Cut board to 78” x 20”. 8 MC 6a Entr’acte Instrumental 29 2. Draw a center line running down the length of the plywood. 9 MC 7 Heave Ho, Fiddle-dee- Zelds, Mom, 31 3. From the top, measure down and mark key lengths (4”, 19”, dee Cap’n Bill, Avalon etc.). Kids 4. From each key length, measure out from the center to the side 10 MC 8 Ride, Ride, Ridin’ the Cap’n Bill, Avalon 41 of the board according to the diagram and make a mark. For Dry Surf Kids instance, at the 4” length, the board should be 11” wide. At 11 MC 9 Big Surf Paradise Riptide, Midge, 45 the 33”, 39” and 45” lengths, the board should be 20” wide. Avalon Kids 5. Connect the marks to give a rough idea of the shape of the 12 MC 10 The Competition Instrumental 47 surfboard. 13 MC 10a The Competition— Instrumental 50 6. Round and shape the design to a pleasing replica of a Reprise surfboard. 14 MC 10b It’s Always 90 Degrees Ensemble 52 7. Cut out design and paint the board—color for the top and fl at on Avalon Beach— black for the bottom. Epilogue 8. When the paint is dry, add two strips of the 4” no-slip tape to 15 MC 10c Curtain Call—Ride, Ensemble 53 the top of the board from end to end as shown in diagram #2. Ride, Ridin’ the Dry Surf 16 MC 10d Optional Choral Ensemble 53 Finale—Big Surf Paradise iv PHOTOCOPYING THIS SCRIPT BREAKS FEDERAL COPYRIGHT LAWS 57 BLOCKING & BUSINESS WARNINGS & CUES Notepad, pen (SCRATCH) WIPEOUT! Manila envelope (CAP’N BILL) PROLOGUE Binoculars (FENDER BENDER) Shark fi n cutouts (CAROLINE, BARBARA ANN, JOHN B.) 1 BEFORE LIGHTS UP: MUSIC CUE 1: “It’s Always 90 Degrees on Avalon Shower cap with mop strings dangling (FENDER BENDER) Beach.” In the darkness we hear SOUND EFFECTS of the seashore. Surfboard, towel (MIDGE) WAVES CRASHING ON THE BEACH, SEAGULLS. We are immediately Beach chair (FREDDIE) transported to a surfer’s ocean-side paradise. FIVE SURFERS ENTER 5 in the darkness, each carrying a surfboard. They move DOWN CENTER ONSTAGE, ACT TWO, Scene Two: Same as ACT ONE but with a manila and prop up the boards next to them. (NOTE: See PRODUCTION envelope containing pages “buried in the sand,” two or three NOTES for instructions on simple surfboard construction.) An exotic benches or low sawhorses drumbeat begins, followed by a “vocal percussion” introduction to the BROUGHT ON, ACT TWO, Scene Two: song.