Excerpt: ‘The Gym Class’
At the beginning of the play we find the animals picking teams for a baseball game. Our cast includes Reggie Raccoon (the coach), Gus Gorilla, Patty Pig, Amanda Panda, Clara Chicken, Monroe Monkey, Duke Dog, Ellie Elephant and Anthony Tiger.
Reggie: Heads it is! Let’s start choosing sides.
Gus: O.K., let’s see . . .
Patty (waving her arms and jumping up and down): Pick me! Pick me! I’m gonna be great at baseball. I want to be on a winning team!
Gus: Believe me Patty, I’m not going to choose a jumpy little runt like you. I choose Ellie. (Gus beats his chest. Ellie trumpets, comes over to him and they high five each other.)
Patty: That wasn’t very nice, Gus! Well I guess I won’t get on that team.
Amanda: I get to choose next, and I choose Patty. (Gus and Ellie break up laughing.)
Patty: Really? You actually want me on your team?
Amanda: I’m pretty sure you’re going to try your best.
Gus (laughing): Good luck with that choice. Next I choose (he looks over the group, where Clara is trying to hide) – well I certainly don’t want that skinny-legged, geek of a chicken – so I’ll take Tony! You roar! (Beats his chest.)
Anthony (roars): Thanks, guy! We do make a great team!
Amanda: Well, I think I’ll take a chance on Clara. (More laughs from the other team; they make chicken noises and walk like a chicken.)
Clara: I’d really rather not. Can’t I be the water bird or something?
Amanda: I think you’re going to fit into our team just fine. (Clara gets in line.)
Gus (shaking his head): I don’t know, Amanda. Maybe I should pick that gimp, Monroe, just to save you from yourself. But, nah . . . I think I’ll go with the winning group and choose – Duke Dog! (He beats his chest.)
Duke: Thanks, guy! (He howls as he comes over.)
Not very nice, is it? Fortunately by the end of the play we see some changes in some of the characters.
Reggie: Well, maybe there was more real talent in some of the animals you didn’t pick than you thought.
Ellie: You mean this might not have been an accident?
Reggie: Could be the case. I think there’s a lesson or two here for you.
Anthony: Like what?
Reggie: Well, maybe you shouldn’t always judge people by the way they look.
Duke: Yeah, that might be true. They may have had some luck, but it wasn’t only luck today. Did you see how Amanda used that bunt?
Anthony (laughing): Yeah, and once Clara got moving in the right direction she could really move!
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