Time Spinning

A One Scene Play for Two Actors

by

C. Shaun Wagner

Copyright ©2008 by C. Shaun Wagner
May be performed without license fee for educational purposes.
No license required for small, non-profit performances.

Email: cs@kainaw.com

Cast of Characters

Alex:A person. May be any gender.
Bobby:Another person. May be any gender.

I-1-1

ACT I

Scene 1

SETTING:A nondescript location.
AT RISE:AA is standing.

(Bobby enters.)

Bobby

Hey! You're still here?

Alex

Yes. I was beginning to think you weren't coming.

Bobby

Well, I've had a very weird morning.

Alex

How weird?

Bobby

I accidentally discovered that if I spin compeltely around, time reverses a few seconds.

Alex

That is the dumbest excuse for being late that you've ever used.

(Bobby spins around)

I-1-2

Alex

How weird?

Bobby

It is really weird. In fact, you won't believe it.

Alex

Try me.

Bobby

What if I told you that I can make time jump back a little, not a lot, just a little?

Alex

I'd say you are trying to make up a silly excuse for being late.

Bobby

I swear, I'm not.

Alex

Well, show me.

Bobby

All I have to do is this...

(Bobby spins around)

I-1-3

Alex

I'd say that you are trying to make up a silly excuse for being late.

Bobby

I'm not.

Alex

Well, show me.

Bobby

I just did.

Alex

You did what?

Bobby

I reversed time when I did that spin thing.

Alex

What spin thing?

Bobby

Wait. When I spin around, you rewind, and then you don't remember me spinning around.

Alex

Are you trying to say that you reverse time, but nobody notices when you do it?

I-1-4

Bobby

I'm just now realizing that is how it works.

Alex

I'm done with all these stupid things you make up.

(Bobby spins around)

Alex

Are you trying to say that you reverse time, but nobody notices when you do it?

Bobby

I know it sounds stupid. It is new to me and I'm just trying to wrap my head around it.

Alex

It does sound a bit stupid.

Bobby

Maybe you can help.

Alex

Help with what?

Bobby

Pretend that you just found out that when you spin around, time rewinds, and nobody notices it. What do you do?

I-1-5

Alex

How much does it rewind?

Bobby

I'm not exactly sure. Start counting seconds, you know, one-Mississippi, two-Mississippi... I'll reverse time when you get to ten and see how many Mississippis back it goes.

Alex

One-Mississippi, two-Mississippi, three-Mississippi, four-Mississippi, five-Mississippi, six-Mississippi, seven-Mississippi, eight-Mississippi, nine-Mississippi, ten-Mississippi...

(Bobby spins around)

Alex

Three-Mississippi, Four...

Bobby

Stop.

Alex

Don't you want me to count to ten?

Bobby

You did and after I spun around, you were back on three. That's seven seconds.

Alex

So, you say you can rewind time by seven seconds?

I-1-6

Bobby

It appears so.

Alex

How do I know you didn't just stop me at three and you're making all this up?

Bobby

Why would I make up something as stupid as, "I can spin around time and reverse time!"

Alex

You once said you couldn't go bowling because you were abducted by space aliens who did tests on you and your legs were still very wobbly.

Bobby

I just didn't want to go bowling.

Alex

You said that your dentist's absence note was delayed because your dentist is Chinese and the note had to be sent to a translator in Beijing and it will take four-to-six weeks to get back the English translation.

Bobby

Well, Dr. Jia is Chinese.

Alex

Do you remember when you said...

I-1-7

Bobby

I get it. I make up stupid stuff all the time, but this isn't made up and I don't know what to do.

Alex

You say you can rewind time.

Bobby

Yes.

Alex

Seven seconds.

Bobby

Yes.

Alex

Can you show me?

(Bobby spins around)

Alex

You say you can rewind time.

Bobby

Yes.

Alex

Seven seconds.

I-1-8

Bobby

Yes.

Alex

Can you show me?

Bobby

I just did.

Alex

You just did?

Bobby

When I reverse time, you go back and you don't remember seeing me do it. You don't realize that time reversed at all.

Alex

There might be something there.

Bobby

What do you mean?

Alex

You remember everything that happened during those seven seconds, right?

Bobby

Yes.

I-1-9

Alex

I wonder if we should try the grandfather paradox.

Bobby

What paradox?

Alex

The grandfather paradox is where you go back in time and kill your grandfather, so your mom or dad won't be born, so you won't be born.

Bobby

I was born more than seven seconds ago.

Alex

Right. That won't work, but there has to something where you can get some knowledge, go back seven seconds, and use it to your advantage.

Bobby

When is seven seconds useful?

Alex

What number am I thinking of?

Bobby

I don't know.

Alex

It is 42. Rewind and try it again.

I-1-10

Bobby

Try what again?

Alex

Quickly, rewind.

Bobby

OK.

(Bobby spins around)

Alex

What number am I thinking of?

Bobby

42.

Alex

That's right!

Bobby

You just told me.

Alex

No, I didn't. You did the reversing thing and I never told you.

Bobby

So, you are saying I should get the lottery numbers and play the lottery.

I-1-11

Alex

You need more than seven seconds for that.

Bobby

I can buy them right before the numbers come out.

Alex

No. They close the ticket sales ten minutes before the numbers are called.

Bobby

I have an idea.

Alex

What?

(Bobby slaps AA as he spins around.)

Alex

What the...

(Bobby finishes spinning.)

Alex

No. They close the ticket sales ten minutes before the numbers are called.

Bobby

I think I can live with this.

I-1-12

Alex

Live with what?

Bobby

Live with reversing time.

Alex

I guess. It is kind of like a super power. It is strange that you never noticed it.

Bobby

I guess. I didn't really notice it until I was rushing over here and bumped into that guy down by the park.

Alex

What guy?

Bobby

I don't know. Some guy seemed to just pop up out of nowhere and we collided. I was in a hurry to get here, so I just kept running.

Alex

Are you sure you didn't hurt him.

Bobby

I'm sure. That is the first time. After I ran a few steps, I worried that I might have. So, I spun around to check on him. He was standing up and looking confused for a moment and then suddenly, I was back on the ground right after we collided.

I-1-13

Alex

You reversed time when you spun around.

Bobby

Exactly. I actually did it a couple times: on the ground, get up, run a couple steps, spin around, back on the ground again.

Alex

Wait, what if you spin around more than once?

Bobby

It reverses time.

Alex

What if you spin twice to go back fourteen seconds, three times to go back twenty-one seconds, and so on?

Bobby

No harm in trying.

(Bobby spins around three times)

Alex

Don't make yourself dizzy. It looks like only once works.

Bobby

Time's not going back?

I-1-14

Alex

Nope. You are just spinning around like an idiot.

Bobby

I can fix that.

(Bobby spins once)

Alex

You just spun around again.

Bobby

I think I'm broken.

Alex

It looks like it. Maybe it was just a temporary super power.

Bobby

At least I'm back to normal and I can spin around without sending the world into reverse.

(Bobby spins and giggles)

Alex

You still look like an idiot.

Bobby

You are just too scared to be seen spinning around.

I-1-15

Alex

I just have some self respect.

Bobby

Even people with self respect can spin around.

Alex

Well, I...

(Alex spins around)

Bobby

You are just too scared to be seen spinning around.

Alex

No I'm not. I just... wait. What did you just say?

Bobby

You are just too scared to be seen spinning around.

Alex

Say something you would never say.

Bobby

Like what?

Alex

Anything.

I-1-16

Bobby

Like purple warble nuts?

(Alex spins around)

Bobby

Like what?

Alex

Anything.

Bobby

Like

(Alex speaks at the same time, saying the same thing)

Bobby

Do we both have the power?

Alex

I think so.

Bobby

That is amazing!

Alex

We need ground rules.

I-1-17

Bobby

Like what?

Alex

First, no slapping each other.

Bobby

I won't do that again.

Alex

Again?

Bobby

And no using it to win arguments.

Alex

Of course. And we can't tell anyone.

Bobby

Too late. I already told you.

Alex

I mean anyone else.

Bobby

Agreed.

Alex

(Thinking.) Did you reverse me just then?

I-1-18

Bobby

No. Why?

Alex

We came up with those ground rules so easily.

Bobby

So, now, whenever we get along, we will think we are being reversed?

Alex

Pretend I didn't say anything.

(Bobby spins.)

Alex

I said pretend, not spin.

Bobby

So, you know when I spin now?

Alex

I guess so. I just saw you spin.

Bobby

I haven't seen you spin.

Alex

Well, I didn't spin. Want me to try?

I-1-19

Bobby

Sure. I think we both have the power so we are immune to it.

Alex

OK. Here goes.

(Alex spins.)

Bobby

I haven't seen you spin.

Alex

Just now.

Bobby

Yes. Spin now. Let me see if I can see it.

Alex

I did spin. Just now.

Bobby

I didn't see it.

Alex

Wait. let me try something...

(Alex spins.)

I-1-20

Bobby

Yes. Spin now. Let me see if I can see it.

Alex

You first. I want to make sure I can see you spin.

(Bobby spins.)

Bobby

Did you see that?

Alex

Umm... Let me try something.

Bobby

So, you didn't see me spin?

Alex

No. Of course not. I must have been imagining things before.

Bobby

This is great. We can both reverse time.

Alex

Yes. We just can't use it on each other.

Bobby

Of course not. No matter how important it might be.

I-1-21

Alex

How important?

Bobby

Like if I have some secret that is really weighing me down and I really want to get it off my chest, but I don't want you to be upset with me.

Alex

That sounds very specific.

Bobby

OK. I borrowed your car without telling you and I'm the one who got the scratch on the door.

Alex

What!?

(Bobby spins.)

Alex

(Trying to hide being upset.) Umm... That sounds oddly specific.

Bobby

Oh, it isn't. It is just a general concept. I don't have any secrets that I need to hide.

Alex

You know, I think you are on to something.

I-1-22

Bobby

Really?

Alex

Yes. We can now share all our secrets with one another, spin, and it is like we never said a thing.

Bobby

The perfect friendship!

Alex

Yes. And by the time you figure out that you can't actually reverse time anymore, it will be far too late.

Bobby

I can't reverse time?

Alex

Nope.

(Alex spins.)

Bobby

The perfect friendship!

Alex

Yes. The perfect friendship.

(END OF SCENE)