Part One:
(This all takes in California)
Laverne is sitting on the couch eating pudding reading a magazine, when Carmine comes barging in with Lenny,
Squiggy, Rhonda, and Mr. DeFazio and Edna. Laverne looked up startled. She got up fast.
Laverne: Um hi! You guys want somethin’?
Carmine: Yeah, I need everyone to sit down and getcomfortable because I have something every important I need to talk about. Where’s Shirl?
Laverne: Oh, she’s upstairs, I’ll go get her.
Laverne walked over to the end of the steps and yelled up to Shirley.
Laverne: Hey Angelface!? Get down here!
Shirley walked out of the door to the bedroom and saw everyone sitting down in the living room. They were all looking at her waiting for her to get down stairs. Her eyes got big and she smiled a sheepish smile.
Shirley: Hi everyone!
She whispered over to Laverne:
Shirley: Who died?
Laverne whispered back.
Laverne: NO one, Carmine has something he needs to tell us.
They walked over to the couch and they made a place for both of them to sit.
Rhonda: Ok, so spill! Rhonda doesn’t have all day!
They all rolled their eyes, then focused their attention at Carmine.
Carmine: Ok, here’s the deal: See, I know this guy who owns this dance studio and he is selling it. But he doesn’t want to sell it to just any person. He wants someone to take good care of it and till keep it a dance studio. So he said that I would have to put on a short performance for him. He wants me to do that so one, I can see what it is like to practice in the studio, and two, to prove to him that I really am a dancer and all that. Plus, he said we would give us money!
Laverne: Wait a minute… us?
Carmine: Oh yeah-
Lenny: Oh I think I see! You want us to help put on the performance!
Carmine: Yeah!
Everyone looked around and then started to laugh. Everyone stopped and went back to solemn faces.
Carmine: Look, I know y’all don’t want to do this, but it would be a really big favor to me! And Shirley, it would be an extra favor for you if you did it for me!
Shirley just rolled her eyes and Lenny and Squiggy made their noises.
Shirley: Well…
Laverne: I think…
Rhonda: It would…
Lenny: Gee…
Squiggy: Carmine…
Shirley: Oh what the heck! I’m sure it would be… fun!
Rhonda: And maybe Rhonda can be… discovered! OHHHH!
Laverne: Yeah, Shirl’s right! I mean, he’d probably do it for us!
Everyone agreed.
Carmine: Good! Look, I was thinking that we could do a love story musical type of thing.
Rhonda: OH! Rhonda loves a good love story!
Carmine: Here’s the story: This beautiful girl from a wealthy story is in love with a poor guy. But her parents won’t let her marry him because he is poor. But they keep meeting places and secretly get engaged and are secretly in love. Then one day, the girl gets sick and her brother who is a doctor tries to make her better. While she was laying in her bed sick, he was watching her and she pulled out her engagement ring that was around her neck so he walks over and rips it off her neck. She then dies of a broken heart. What do you think?
Laverne: Who are the main characters?
Carmine: Well, I’m the leading man, I thought it would be ok with all of you since it is my play I’m putting on. And I have found a girl to do the leading women.
Edna: You mean you don’t Shirley to be the leading women?
Laverne: Yeah!
Rhonda: Oh that would be perfect! What’s the matter with you?
Lenny and Squiggy: Yeah! After all she is your girlfriend.
Shirley was a bit ticked off but let it pass.
Shirley: Oh, no, it really doesn’t matter. It’s just a play. Anyway, it’s not like it’s Broadway and even if it was it still wouldn’t matter.
She didn’t want everyone to think that she was mad.
Carmine: Well, do you want to be the leading lady?
Shirley: It’s up to you Carmine! It’s your play! I mean, I wouldn’t want to cause any trouble since you have already picked a person to play the leading lady, it’s fine.
Carmine felt bad and wondered why he didn’t pick Shirley to be the lead. Everyone in the room knew that he felt bad and that was mad. They could tell.
Part two:
Everyone is at the studio ready to practice. They were all assigned parts. They were:
Carmine: Leading man- Johnny Hustle
Edna: Queen of the leading lady- Queen Lovely
Mr. DeFazio: King of the leading lady- King Harold
Squiggy: the “joker” of the kingdom (like in a deck of
cards)- they call him the Local Joke
Lenny: the leading lady’s brother/doctor- Prince James
Laverne: the entertainment for the king and his
friends-
Shirley: a servant for the kingdom- Emily
Julie Comings: leading lady and princess- Princess Ginger
Rhonda: Usella’s partner, Jingle
They dressed in their regular clothes and Carmine handed them all a script. They all looked through it. Shirley, who was already mad and fuming, received a script where she was only in a few parts of the play and sang a short verse in a song. She had the shortest script in the whole play. Everyone else was ok with their script. Shirley noticed the way Carmine and Julie were flirting and hated it. She was trying all that she could to not freak out.
A few days had gone by and they had all worked very hard. A week passed and they had already memorized their scripts and started to put the set together and get costumes. They had many dress rehearsals and finished the beautiful set and scenery in no time. They couldn’t believe that they finished so quickly. They set the play to be on a Saturday and the guy who owned the place decided to invite a few friends, which actually seemed like the whole state of California to them. They put in lots of practice and made it perfect. But one thing: the chemistry between Julie and Carmine was growing closer and closer everyday. Shirley couldn’t handle it.
Part Three:
Two days before the performance.
All the sudden, it seemed like a tiny play that was meant to buy a studio was suddenly blown up like it was a big television event that would mark history. They were set to do the play three days in a row. Saturday, Sunday and Monday. There were so many people coming.
One day, Shirley was in the apartment getting some things together. She wanted to get an early start. She was alone and Carmine walked in the front door. She didn’t hear him and he figured she was up stairs so he went up there. He slowly walked in the door and scared Shirley.
Carmine: Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you!
Turning away she said:
Shirley: That’s ok. Do you need something? Carmine: Yeah! Um, well Julie got in a bad accident and can’t be in the play, so I was wondering if you could fill in for her.
She turned around.
Shirley: You can’t be serious? I don’t know her lines!
Carmine: Well what am I supposed to do? I have to find someone else, and I don’t think anyone else can play the part better than you!
Shirley: How would you know? I wasn’t picked to play the precious Princess so obviously I’m not your woman to play the part.
Carmine: Look, I know that you have been mad ever sense this whole thing happened. I knew you would be. But now I realized that Julie it just a substitute for you, and may I say not a very good one at that. I thought that it would be a change, but it was a bad one. This may be mean, but I am glad she can’t be in the play, even if it means that there will be no leading lady. I decided that I don’t even like her all. It seemed like all she wanted was money and my looks and fame. She wanted to be in the spotlight and was very greedy and was nothing compared to you. Seriously, you might be thinking that I am just saying this, but I’m not. I wouldn’t have come here today if I was just gonna say it for no reason but to get you to do the play. I should have picked you in the first place. If you don’t want to that’s fine, we don’t have to have leading lady… well yeah we do but I can always pick someone else, so just say it if you don’t want to do it!
Shirley: Well, how can you expect me to say no after you said all that. But who will my part?
Carmine: Rhonda had some friends that I am sure would be willing to do it.
Shirley: Well, ok then. But how am I supposed to learn her lines?
Carmine: Well we better rehearse don’t you think? Come on! We got two days!
Carmine grabbed Shirley’s arm and ran down the stairs and out the door.
Part four:
Shirley and Carmine are at the studio. They had been there all day and were still rehearsing. They got there at 11:30 A.M. and it was now 9:00 P.M. They were the only two ones there all day. It was supposed to be everyone’s day off and rest day before the play. Shirley and Carmine were on the last scene they had to rehearse that night. The part where the peasant boy proposes to her. Of course this part had been rehearsed
several times and each time was not done right. They were in the middle of the stage and the audience was empty. They stood close and said the lines they were
supposed to. Here comes the kissing part. They came close and were about to kiss when Laverne came barging in through the doors like a mad man.
Laverne: Boy am I glad you’re here Shirl!
Shirley: Why?
Laverne: My pop needs some help down at Cowboy Bills.It is really crowded.
Shirley: But how could it be crowded? It’s 9:00!
Laverne: Yeah well it’s been a strange night! She pointed her fingers at both of them as if to say that them being together the whole day was strange and for sure it was.
Shirley gathered her things and left for Cowboy Bills. She had not time to talk to Carmine or give him a good good-bye, but he understood.
Part Five:
Night of the play. Everybody was ready and they were playing around waiting for the play to begin. It was
5:00 P.M. and the play started. Everything was going smoothly. It was near the end and it was the part where the Princess and the peasant boy were to kiss. They hadn’t gotten to the kiss even when they rehearsed. Something always went wrong or they just skipped it. But now, there was nothing to stop it and they were ready. They came close to each other and their lips touched, leading into a passionate kiss that was longer than expected, but it went well. Right when they kissed, the crowd went wild, clapping and cheering and even the people back stage were cheering. Carmine and Shirley almost forgot that there was a crowd of people in front of them and almost couldn’t stop kissing. They
were pretty much on their way to making out. They finally snapped out of it and finished the rest of the play. Everything went smoothly. They finished the last
to nights of the play ok too.
After the last play, the owner walked over to Carmine who was standing next to Shirley. They weren’t talking, just waiting. Waiting for something they didn’t even know what they were waiting for. Carmine noticed the man and greeted him. He reached his hand out to shake the man’s hand.
Carmine: Hi Mr. Jenkins! So did you like the play?
Mr. Jenkins: Oh my, it was wonderful.
Mr. Jenkins was an old man and a little slow at talking and walking and doing everything else. He was very old fashioned.
Carmine: Great! So do I get the place?
Mr. Jenkins: As long as you introduce me to this beautiful co-star of yours!
He reached for Shirley’s hand and kissed it.
Carmine: Oh, this is Shirley, my girlfriend. Shirley this Mr. Jenkins, the owner of this place.
Shirley: It’s nice to finally meet you!
Mr. Jenkins: Well I have waited patiently in the audience to meet you too! Carmine, as for you, I hope you take good care of this place.
He handed him some papers.
Mr. Jenkins: And take good care of your baby too!
He patted Shirley on the arm and walked away with a smile on his face.
Carmine and Shirley looked at each other surprised and looked at the papers saying that the place was Carmine’s. Shirley screamed a scream of excitement and they hugged.
Shirley: Oh Carmine this is what you have always wanted! I’m so proud of you! You followed you dream and now maybe you will become famous and your studio will be noticed and all the wonderful things you have told me you want to happen will!
Carmine: Yeah! I hope so! But they won’t come true if we aren’t together. So… even if we break up, let’s always be friends! Because I don’t know what I would do without you!
Shirley smiled and they came close and kissed. This time making it better then the brilliant kiss in the play.
And they all lived happily ever after!
The End