As Slow White deals with always doing chores and not getting to be with his friends, his mother has an accident that leaves her crippled and blind. He wants to take care of her and his love and compassion for her melts her hardened heart. There are references to the story of Snow White with a magic mirror and seven characters with interesting names. With the changes Mrs. White goes through, she suddenly gets the use of her legs again and when she starts crying and wiping her eyes… she realizes she can see.
15 actors (At least 4 males and at least 2 females) (12 speaking parts plus extras) About 45 mins.
CAST OF CHARACTERS:
ANDA WHITE: (Speaks 1429 words) Mean and uncaring woman who goes through the biggest transformation.
SLOW WHITE: (Speaks 1265 words) He is very slow and immensely huge for his age. Played by an adult but he’s actually just a boy, and not as smart as other boys his age.
THE DOCTOR: (Speaks 863 words) A kind doctor who really wants to help, but can’t see how anything will help Anda.
ELVIS: (Speaks 804 words) Slow’s young friend who goes by Elvs.
SEVEN: (Speaks 674 words) Elvs’ younger brother, Steven, who goes by Seven because he was the seventh born.
FELICITY: (Speaks 599 words) An older sister of Elvs and Seven.
EMCEE: (Speaks 304 words) Announcing the contest.
HANKY: (94 words) The one that sneezes a lot.
MIRROR: (60 words) Recorded or read offstage into a mic.
RAGE: (60 words) The grumpy one.
SLAPPY: (40 words) The happy one.
ZEEZ: (22 words) The sleepy one.
BASH, QUACK AND DING DONG: (0 words each) The bashful one, the doc and the dopey one.
Most of the action takes place in the garage of Slow’s friends next door. The final scene is the contest concert, so the stage can be cleared and used as an actual stage.
Excerpt:
LIGHTS UP ON:
SCENE ONE.
The setting is the inside of a garage. Slow White enters and picks up a book to read. He opens it and begins to read it out loud, very slowly. Slow looks clearly like an adult, but he is actually an overgrown kid who is mentally behind the other kids his age.
SLOW WHITE
(Reading slowly at a young child’s level.)
Once upon a time in a land far, far away, there lived this wicked queen…
ANDA
(Shouting from offstage in the distance)
Slow White! Slow White where are you?
SLOW WHITE
(Shouts back)
I’m over here, MA!!
ANDA
(Still offstage)
Where?
SLOW WHITE
In the garage!
ANDA
(Entering)
What are you doing in the neighbor’s garage?
SLOW WHITE
I come here all the time. We like to hang out in here.
ANDA
Where are the boys?
SLOW WHITE
They’re not here yet.
ANDA
Then you shouldn’t be here! You wait till they invite you.
SLOW WHITE
It’s okay, Ma. They don’t care.
ANDA
They might think you are trying to steal something.
SLOW WHITE
Why would I do that?
ANDA
I don’t suppose you are even smart enough to figure that out. Where did you get that book?
SLOW WHITE
I found it.
ANDA
Well, they might think you are trying to steal it. Besides, you know you can’t read.
SLOW WHITE
I can so read.
ANDA
Maybe at a snail’s pace!
SLOW WHITE
Well, if you read to me, then I could just listen. I listen pretty fast.
ANDA
I don’t have time to read to you. There is no point. Books and learnin’ just fill your head with ideas and nonsense. You don’t need that. You need to come home anyway… I have things I need you to do.
SLOW WHITE
I did all my chores.
ANDA
Don’t you talk back to me! I have more chores!
SLOW WHITE
More chores? Can’t I do them later?
ANDA
No! You are so slow at whatever I give you to do that I need you to get started early! Now get moving!
Elvis and Seven enter.
SLOW WHITE
Oh! Hi guys!
ELVIS
Hey Slow! Sorry we’re late… we were still eating breakfast.
SEVEN
YOU were still eating breakfast!
ANDA
So, you boys are friends with Slow?
ELVIS
Yes ma’am.
ANDA
Why?
ELVIS
Why?
ANDA
Yes… why would you want to be friends with someone like him? He’s just a big slow giant of a kid. He’s nothing like you.
SEVEN
But we like him. He’s our friend. And he likes us, too.
ANDA
Oh, he likes everybody! If you just talk to him he’ll think you’re his best friend.
SLOW WHITE
It’s true. I DO like everybody.
ELVIS
But you like us more, right Slow?
SLOW WHITE
That’s right, Elvs.
ANDA
What’s your name?
SLOW WHITE
His name is Elvis. But we all call him Elvs for short. Like my name is Slow White, but they just call me Slow for short.
SEVEN
And my nick name is Seven.
ANDA
Seven!?!
SEVEN
Yeah.. It’s really Steven. But because I have six older brothers and sisters, they started calling me Seven since I am number seven. We just dropped the T.
ANDA
Well, that explains all of Slow’s ramblings about his friends, Elvs and Seven. I thought he had it all wrong. Well.. .let’s go, Slow! And don’t be so slow about it!
ELVIS
Does he have to go already? We just got here!
ANDA
He has work to do. You boys need to find someone your own size to play with.
SEVEN
But who will Slow play with? Nobody is his size!
ANDA
He doesn’t need to play!
ELVIS
Please let him stay, Mrs. White!
ANDA
NO! He has work to do!
They all stand there looking so down and sad.
ANDA
Ohhh! I’m going to regret this, I just know it. One hour! That’s it! I doubt you can tell time, Slow… so I will be calling you in ONE HOUR!
She exits
SLOW WHITE
I can tell time. One hour means the little hand moves to the next number on the clock.
ELVIS
Why is your mom so mean, Slow?
SLOW WHITE
I don’t know.
SEVEN
I heard that she isn’t your real mom.
SLOW WHITE
She’s my real mom. I mean, she’s my mom… but she ain’t who birthed me.
ELVIS
(Repeating in a mimicking way)
Who birthed me! That’s funny, Slow. You say things so funny sometimes.
SLOW WHITE
What so funny about that? It’s true. She never birthed me. She’s a foster.
ELVIS
So do you know who birthed you?
SEVEN
Yeah… is she a really big woman? Because you’re a really big kid!
SLOW WHITE
No. I don’t know her. I was a orphan. I did foster homes. Nobody wanted to adopt me because I was so big. Then Pa and Ma took me in and they adopted me.
ELVIS
I guess she’s not so mean after all. She didn’t care that you were big, huh?
SLOW WHITE
No. She liked it. She said that I could do more chores because of my size. And she says I don’t need as much school. So, I get to stay home and do work for her and she sometimes teaches me stuff.
SEVEN
I wondered why you didn’t come to school. I figured it was because you wouldn’t fit in the desks.
SLOW WHITE
I wish I could go to school. I want to learn more. Maybe if I learned more I wouldn’t be like this.
ELVIS
That makes sense.
SLOW WHITE
Ma says I can’t learn much. Says there is no point in trying.
ELVIS
You know, instead of adopting you, your mom should have just hired you. You are more like her handy man rather than her son.
SEVEN
Yeah, but’s it’s cheaper to have a son.
SLOW WHITE
What do you mean, it’s cheaper?
SEVEN
She don’t have to pay you.
ELVIS
Never mind. We need to start playing… we’ve only got an hour.
SLOW WHITE
Now it’s less. Hey guys? What’s behind that cover over there? I was always wondering but I was a feared to ask for some reason.
SEVEN
Oh that? It’s a big mirror.
ELVIS
We aren’t supposed to play with it.
SLOW WHITE
Why do you keep it covered up? You’re sposed to look at mirrors.
ELVIS
It’s a magic mirror, Slow.
SLOW WHITE
Nuh uh… no such thing as magic. That’s what Ma says.
ELVIS
But it’s true. We keep it covered to keep the magic in.
SEVEN
Our dad told us all about it. It has been around in our family for hundreds of years. My dad says he only uses it for very important questions.
SLOW WHITE
Your dad is pulling your toe!
ELVIS
I think you mean leg.
SLOW WHITE
Okaaayyy! Whatever!
ELVIS
Come on! Let’s see if it works!
SEVEN
What if we get in trouble?
ELVIS
We won’t if no one knows.
SLOW WHITE
I want to see it, but I don’t want you to get in trouble.
Elvis removes the cover.
SLOW WHITE
Wow! Look at that! How does it work?
ELVIS
We just ask it a question…. I guess.
SLOW WHITE
And it can hear us?
SEVEN
Why don’t you ask it, Slow?
SLOW WHITE
Okay. Hey mirror! Can you hear me?
No response
ELVIS
Oh, I just remembered! You have to make your question rhyme.
SLOW WHITE
Oh. That’s hard. What rhymes with me? See! Okay! Mirror, mirror, that I see… please, can you hear me?
MIRROR (VOICE OVER)
YES.
They all laugh with excitement, especially Slow.
SLOW WHITE
Ask it something else!
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