Breaking Free
CHARACTERS
PENELOPE – a woman who hears things
KRIS – a voice inside Penelope’s head
KAT – a voice inside Penelope’s head
SETTING A stage with a door, window, a table, and three chairs.
TIME Present.
SCENE 1
Lights up on a circular table and three chairs stage center, a large window stage right, and a stand-alone door stage left.
Penelope sits at the table rocking back and forth
PENELOPE
I have to get out of here, they’ve made a mistake.
(KRIS appears and takes a seat next to PENELOPE)
KRIS
Who did?
PENELOPE
Do you know where we are?! The lady at the front, you know the one with the long white coat, well I overheard her talking to another one of the long-coated people saying that this was a cooky bin or a coo-coo club, or –
(KAT appears and places a hand on PENELOPE’s shoulder)
KAT
A loony bin sweetheart. A loony bin … wait a second, is that where we are? That makes sense.
KRIS
A what?! A place for crazy people? I wondered why all the walls were white and we never get to go outside.
PENELOPE
Yeah. But I don’t belong here. I have a life outside these walls.
KRIS
And you think I don’t?
KAT
Or Me?
PENELOPE
Well then let’s make an escape. It shan’t be too difficult. The people here are all crazy after all, for what kind of cook would choose to work in a place like this?! Why they must be as crazy as they think we are!
KAT
I don’t know, it seems a bit too strenuous and complicated of a plan.
KRIS
Mimicking KAT. “Strenuous and Complicated”… have you no adventure?! I say yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! What an exciting prospect.
PENELOPE
Well Kat, what are your concerns about breaking out of this place? I mean, there couldn’t be a worse fate for us than landing back here.
KAT
Well in my days as a social worker I’ve seen more than my fair share of tragedy and, let me tell you, nothing good ever comes to those that try to break the chains society puts on them.
KRIS
While that may be true, progress comes only from those who dare to break the mold society creates.
PENELOPE
Enough about this “breaking the chains of society” mumbo-jumbo. Are we breaking out of this asylum or not?
KAT
I advise against it. We were put here for a reason, maybe we ought to accept it and try to work within the reality we are presented with.
KRIS
Or, we can take hold of our own futures and break out of this godforsaken place. I know I’m not crazed or dangerous.
KAT
Neither am I but I am afraid of what should happen to us if we were to be caught in our flight.
PENELOPE
Hmmmm well many a man has committed a successful jailbreak. My little brother ran away from home when I was but young and we never saw him again. I hear he’s doing good things for a farm upstate.
KAT
Well in that case, how do you two plan to break out without a hitch?
KRIS
I say we drug the people in the white coats the next time they try to enter the room and make our escape.
KAT
Well, considering the information we do have, it’s safe to assume there are several people put in place to secure the building. Penelope when you arrived did you notice anything strange or of note?
PENELOPE
Well, there are two people manning the front desk, both dressed in scrubs and long white coats who I presume to be nurses or doctors maybe. There were also two men dressed as security guards standing outside the building manning the doors which I found rather odd considering I was told this place was a doctor’s office of some sort. The whole compound is also fenced in with the exception of a car-sized gap at the far end of the parking lot for cars to drive in and out of.
KAT
So that’s our point of exit, now to figure out how to get around the guards and nurses…
KRIS
Drug em
KAT
With what exactly?
KRIS
Kill em
PENELOPE
And how do you suppose we do that?!
(KRIS proceeds to make jabbing motions with her hands)
KAT
Well that’s just perfect. Can we get a real plan now please?!
(PENELOPE starts to pace)
PENELOPE
Well we could always raid the files for a sort of work schedule. They have one of those at the clinic I work at.
KAT
Well that’s a great idea but how do you propose we, one, know where said files are, two leave undetected, and three make it to said files with enough time to find supposed schedule. And then how do we make it back here without being found out?!
KRIS
Hey guys look!
(KRIS points out of the window of the small room, KAT and PENELOPE both rush to the window)
PENELOPE
Pointing. That’s the lady that checked me in!
KAT
Well it looks like there’s a shift change happening right now. What time is it?
(KRIS whips around to look at the clock)
KRIS
4:30 pm
KAT
So we know there’s a shift change that happens at 4:30 pm every day, meaning we can easily slip out during all of the commotion.
KRIS
We need a sort of –
(KRIS is interrupted by a knock and PENELOPE stares at the door while both KRIS and KAT disappear)
(Garbled voice from behind the door speaks)
PENELOPE
Dinner? Come out there? Ok, come on guys let’s go.
(Lights go down)
SCENE 2
Lights up on a rectangular table with chairs stage center
(PENELOPE enters)
PENELOPE
Oh there you are guys, where’d you go?
KRIS
We didn’t go anywhere, we’ve been here the whole time.
(KAT nods)
PENELOPE
Oh…I could’ve sworn…well nevermind … so this is a development. Do you think we have regular meal times?
KAT
It would seem logical to be so. The problem is all the security. How will we be able to escape when –
(KAT is interrupted by an ear-splitting alarm)
KAT
Oh Kris! Really?!
KRIS
I told you we needed a distraction.
PENELOPE
When was that?!
KRIS
Well I was going to before we got summoned for dinner. Everyone’s leaving, come on now’s our chance!
KAT
No! I wouldn’t try to run away now! Look at all the guards! There would be no way!
KRIS
No silly! Let’s go find the files!
(Exit KRIS)
PENELOPE
Oh well we better go after her, who knows what will happen if you leave her on her own.
(Exit PENELOPE and KAT)
(Lights down)
SCENE 3
Lights up on a receptionist desk stage center and stand-alone door stage left
(Enter KRIS, PENELOPE, and KAT)
KRIS
Someone watch the door! I’ll rummage.
(KRIS rushes to the desk and KAT peeks out the window in the door)
KRIS
Found it!
(KRIS holds up two sheets of paper)
KAT
What’s that?
KRIS
It’s –
(PENELOPE snatches the papers out of KRIS’ hand)
KRIS
Hey!
PENELOPE
It’s schedules!!
(KAT looks around frantically)
KAT
Alright, we’re clear, let’s go.
(Exit KAT, KRIS, and PENELOPE)
(Lights down)
Scene 4
Lights up on a circular table with chairs stage center, large window stage right, and stand-alone door stage left
(Enter KAT, KRIS, and PENELOPE)
KAT
Ok let’s figure this out.
(KAT, KRIS, and PENELOPE sit down and PENELOPE lays out the papers)
PENELOPE
Alright, this one here is our daily schedule and the other one is the shift schedule.
KRIS
It looks like here, our next meal is breakfast at 7:30 am tomorrow. That’s our chance! We should create some sort of commotion during breakfast and break free! I say we start a fight.
PENELOPE
What is it with you and fighting?
KAT
Now, let’s think this through. We have to have a plan, it can’t just be willy nilly.
KRIS
Well ok, mom. When the nurse guy comes to get us for breakfast, we go with him as normal and then once in the café, one of us fakes sick and throws up everywhere, maybe even on a person, and then when the nurses come to help we start beating on them and by that point anyone that’s been puked on will probably want to fight back and then one of us gets the rest of the bystanders involved and then we slip out in the commotion.
PENELOPE
I like it. The only thing is, who would fake sick and how are we gonna do that? How do we make the puke look realistic?
KAT
(Shaking her head). We’re not gonna do that because it’s a dumb idea. It’s the oldest trick in the book, they’ll notice it and call our bluff!
KRIS
Oh yeah? And what brilliant idea do you have?!
KAT
Well, you see, um…aha! We could leave through the bathroom. We could say we have to go and then pretend to go but not really and hike up our skirts and sneak out through there! Yah!
KRIS
Yeeeaaahhhh…and that’s not obvious.
PENELOPE
Wait! I have an idea. We could start a food fight! It would take all the man power they have to stop it and we could slip out.
KRIS
As long as I get to fight someone.
KAT
Hmmmmm…I see no holes in this plan. I say we go for it.
PENELOPE
Hmmmm, ok. We’re going to need something big enough to cause a full-out frenzy. We need to get the guards involved. I say Kris throws the first punch…well figuratively, with food. No physical contact.
KRIS
Why would you get my hopes up like that man?!
PENELOPE
And Kat, you’ll be our eyes and ears.
KAT
I don’t know about this…
PENELOPE
Come on, it’ll be fine. You might even enjoy yourself a little.
KAT
(Looking pained). Alright let’s get some sleep, we got a big day tomorrow.
KRIS
(Smiling). I’ll finally get to fight people.
(Lights down and up)
PENELOPE
Alright, well today’s the day! Are you guys ready?
KRIS
Hell yeah I am!
(Knock at the door, KRIS and KAT disappear)
PENELOPE
Alright guys, this is it. Kris, remember you’re throwing first.
PENELOPE (As KRIS)
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was born for this task.
PENELOPE
And Kat, keep an eye on the guards, the easiest way to get them involved is to strike at the right time.
PENELOPE (As KAT)
I’m still not too sure about this…
PENELOPE (as KRIS)
Oh hush, you’re such a Debby downer.
PENELOPE (As KAT)
I’m just concerned about the outcome is all. You always have to think about the future, not just the immediate satisfaction.
PENELOPE
Alright guys, stop it it’s go time.
PENELOPE (As KRIS)
YESSSSSSSS!! I get to throw food at some guards!!
(Lights down.)