I love collecting books of plays. Sometimes I find ones that are really cheesy and hard to resist. This play comes from just such a book. It's called Prize Plays for Teenagers: 24 outstanding one-act royalty-free plays for all occasions by Helen Louise Miller, It was published in 1956 and it is very much of its time. The plays are very short, more like sketches or skits, but they are called plays and as such I am going to read them and write about them. Not all at once though. I'll be sprinkling one here and there in among the other plays, I think it will be good to have a short play to do, keep the blog active, keep my hand in.
The first play is under the heading General Comedies and is called Beany's Private Eye. The play begins with Mrs. Reynolds typing when her eldest adult child Stephanie enters, exasperated. Beany, her teenage brother has been following her around town with his friend Wacky. He has been tailing her as part of his new found fascination with becoming a detective. Mr's. Reynolds defends Beany but agrees to talk to him about his antics.Stephanie goes upstairs to prepare for the arrival of Digby her boyfriend, but not before complaining of her worries regarding Digby's flagging attentions. Perhaps he's seeing someone else.
Daisy, the maid, comes in to help Mrs. Reynolds get her typing upstairs. A relative comes to visit to complain of Beany staking out their house. Mr's Reynolds is now determined to speak to her son. She and Daisy leave the stage empty. Beany and Wacky now enter and plan more of their Detective training. Beany is going to get Digby's fingerprints by putting a fingerprint powder on the gumdrop jar,. Wacky is going to practice disguises by wearing a mask and confronting Beany's brother, Chalky. Who names their kids Beany and Chalky?
Wackty frightens Daisy and runs away. Beany is told to get rid of the detective shenanigans. Mr. Reynolds shows up with a new client, Mr Bolton. Mr Bolton turns out to be the father of Sally, a girl with whom Beany is smitten. Mr. Bolton goes for the gumdrops, getting fingerprint power all over his hands and face. Beany is going to get in trouble. Digby arrives but has to break his date with Stephanie. She proceeds to dump him. Beeny intervenes to explain why Digby has been breaking dates. Beany has been tailing him as part of his detective training and knows digby has been moonlighting to save for an engagement ring.
Mr Bolton is also Digby's boss. He is impressed with Digby's work ethic and gives him a raise. The police enter with Wacky. Using his mask and some dumb luck he has foiled an attempt to steal Mr. Reynolds car, Beany gives Wacky the detective kit because he was recently asked by Sally to grow up and stop playing detective. All ends well.
Not much to say about this one. Painless, pleasure-less, reads like a Disney sitcom but with less edge. Just silly less than fun, Might be fun for young teenagers to act, Very bland. More of these to come. I think i'd like to do these way over the top with improv, sketch actors and just mock the hell out of them.
The first play is under the heading General Comedies and is called Beany's Private Eye. The play begins with Mrs. Reynolds typing when her eldest adult child Stephanie enters, exasperated. Beany, her teenage brother has been following her around town with his friend Wacky. He has been tailing her as part of his new found fascination with becoming a detective. Mr's. Reynolds defends Beany but agrees to talk to him about his antics.Stephanie goes upstairs to prepare for the arrival of Digby her boyfriend, but not before complaining of her worries regarding Digby's flagging attentions. Perhaps he's seeing someone else.
Daisy, the maid, comes in to help Mrs. Reynolds get her typing upstairs. A relative comes to visit to complain of Beany staking out their house. Mr's Reynolds is now determined to speak to her son. She and Daisy leave the stage empty. Beany and Wacky now enter and plan more of their Detective training. Beany is going to get Digby's fingerprints by putting a fingerprint powder on the gumdrop jar,. Wacky is going to practice disguises by wearing a mask and confronting Beany's brother, Chalky. Who names their kids Beany and Chalky?
Wackty frightens Daisy and runs away. Beany is told to get rid of the detective shenanigans. Mr. Reynolds shows up with a new client, Mr Bolton. Mr Bolton turns out to be the father of Sally, a girl with whom Beany is smitten. Mr. Bolton goes for the gumdrops, getting fingerprint power all over his hands and face. Beany is going to get in trouble. Digby arrives but has to break his date with Stephanie. She proceeds to dump him. Beeny intervenes to explain why Digby has been breaking dates. Beany has been tailing him as part of his detective training and knows digby has been moonlighting to save for an engagement ring.
Mr Bolton is also Digby's boss. He is impressed with Digby's work ethic and gives him a raise. The police enter with Wacky. Using his mask and some dumb luck he has foiled an attempt to steal Mr. Reynolds car, Beany gives Wacky the detective kit because he was recently asked by Sally to grow up and stop playing detective. All ends well.
Not much to say about this one. Painless, pleasure-less, reads like a Disney sitcom but with less edge. Just silly less than fun, Might be fun for young teenagers to act, Very bland. More of these to come. I think i'd like to do these way over the top with improv, sketch actors and just mock the hell out of them.
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