Week 21, Day 147 - “Rock and Roll Trouble!”

“Rock and Roll Trouble!”
Written by Joe Janes
6/14/09
147 of 365

CAST:
Johnny, 17
Trouble, 17
Dad, 40s
Mr. Dillman, 50s
Narrator
Various friends and students

NARRATOR (VO)

He came from the right side of the tracks.

(Lights up stage right on Johnny, a clean-cut young boy, walking to school, his books in a book bag.)

NARRATOR (VO-continuing)

He had never seen trouble…until she rolled into town.

(Lights up on stage left on Trouble in the cab of a semi-truck, her dad is driving. She is wearing a typical schoolgirl outfit and holding school books in her lap. He brings the rig to a stop.)

DAD

Now, young lady, you be good at school. Make your momma proud, you hear?

TROUBLE

Sure thing, Daddy.

(She exits and runs into Johnny as we hear the truck pull away.)

JOHNNY

Hi. You must be new. I’m Johnny.

(She throws her books into a trashcan and moves passed him towards the school)

JOHNNY (continuing)

I’m having a party at my house after school. Me and the gang. You can come over if you want. Hey, what’s your name?

TROUBLE

Trouble.

JOHNNY

Trouble?

NARRATOR

See Johnny’s world go topsy-turvy.

(Lights up on a party where Johnny and his friends are listening to Andy Williams. They are having a pleasant time. Trouble enters.)

JOHNNY

Trouble, you made it. Hey, everybody, this is Trouble. We were just listening to a cool new recording from Andy Williams.

(Trouble walks over to the record player and pulls the needle off it followed by a rally of “hey's” from Johnny’s friends.

JOHNNY (continuing)

Hey, Trouble, that was Andy Williams. One of the hippest cats around.

TROUBLE

Maybe you need to hear some of this, Johnny. It’s called rock and roll.

(She puts on a new record. It’s Chuck Berry. She starts to dance.)

JOHNNY (trying to join in)

Hey, where’d you learn to dance like that?

TROUBLE

Magazines.

(The kids all joyfully join in dancing.)

NARRATOR (VO)

Just like Romeo and Juliet… with a Rock and Roll beat!

(Lights up on a classroom. Johnny slouches at his desk and wears sunglasses. Mr. Dillman, the history teacher, is looking at him sternly.)

MR. DILLMAN

Who discovered America, Johnny?

JOHNNY

I don’t care, Mr. DILL-man. Not since I discovered rock and roll!

(Chaos erupts in the classroom. More Chuck Berry is heard. Johnny grabs Trouble and they dance around Mr. Dillman. All the students are up and dancing.)

NARRATOR (VO)

Rock and Roll Trouble! See how absolute rock and roll corrupts absolutely. (Mr. Dillman starts dancing, too.) Coming soon to a drive-in near you.

(Blackout)