TWINKLE TOES
_____________________
A one-act dramedy by
Bradley Hayward
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Twinkle Toes © 2012 Bradley Hayward
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CAST OF CHARACTERS
CALVIN, a dancer, 17
BEVERLY, his mother, 40's
GORDON, his father, 40's
COURTNEY, his sister, 15
RYAN, his best friend, 17
MACKENZIE, his friend, 17
SETTING
Calvin's bedroom. There's a twin bed, night stand, computer
desk and arm chair with an ottoman. There are Broadway
posters hung on the wall and whimsical knick-knacks
scattered about.
STAGING NOTES
This is a memory play told in flashbacks. The lights will shift
many times throughout, denoting a passage to the past. The
lights, however, should never go to a complete blackout.
Quite often during these flashbacks, characters from the past
and present will appear on stage concurrently. The presentday characters may either be an audience to these flashbacks
while occupying the same space, or frozen entities. They
should not move to the side or exit the stage, unless otherwise
noted. This can easily be accomplished by making sure the
actors from the past and present never make eye contact, as
well as sharing pieces of furniture without noticing or reacting
to the presence of one another.
Twinkle Toes
5
(Calvin's bedroom is vacant as we hear voices off-stage.)
COURTNEY (O.S.): Hurry, mom! We're going to be late!
BEVERLY (O.S.): I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying. I just have to
look for Calvin's tie.
COURTNEY (O.S.): You already looked.
BEVERLY (O.S.): I know, but it must be around here
somewhere. It's his favorite tie.
COURTNEY (O.S.): He'll be fine without it.
(BEVERLY enters the bedroom. She's dressed up in a pretty
black dress, with her hair nicely done.)
BEVERLY: No he won't. This is Calvin we're talking about.
Everything has to be perfect.
(She takes a moment at the door to scout the room, then goes to
the night stand and rummages through a drawer.)
COURTNEY (O.S.): And it's not in the drawer.
looked, like, a hundred times already.
You've
BEVERLY: You're right, you're right, you're right.
(She closes the drawer and surveys the room for another possible
place to search. She goes to the computer desk and opens a
drawer.)
COURTNEY (O.S.): It's not in that drawer either!
(Beverly closes it.)
BEVERLY: Just get your shoes on. I'll be there in a second.
(She thinks for a moment and then decides to look under the bed.
She lifts the dust ruffle, takes a peek and coughs.)
Oh, Calvin. What did I say about dust bunnies under the bed?
© Bradley Hayward
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6
Bradley Hayward
(While on her hands and knees, she sees something poking out
from atop the dust ruffle.)
What's this?
(She pulls out a diary and opens it. A voice comes through the
sound system.)
CALVIN (V.O.): Dear diary—
(She slams it shut.)
BEVERLY: Whoops.
(She goes to tuck it back under the mattress, but curiosity gets
the best of her. She opens it again.)
CALVIN (V.O.): Dear diary—
(Then slams it shut again.)
BEVERLY: No, Beverly. Don't.
(She opens it again.)
CALVIN (V.O.): Dear diary—
(COURTNEY enters, also in fancy dress and sporting a pretty
hairdo.)
COURTNEY: Mom, are you coming or what?
(Beverly panics and slams the diary shut. She quickly tucks it
under the bed.)
What are you doing?
BEVERLY: Nothing.
COURTNEY: Sure looks like something to me.
BEVERLY: Don't scare me like that!
COURTNEY: This is hardly the time to be cleaning.
BEVERLY: I wasn't cleaning.
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Twinkle Toes
7
COURTNEY: Oh, come on. You're always cleaning. But right
now, those dust bunnies can wait.
BEVERLY: But—
COURTNEY: I know, I know.
bunnies.
They multiply like real
(Beverly points at Courtney's feet.)
BEVERLY: What are you doing with your shoes on?
COURTNEY: You told me to put them on. We're kind of in a
hurry, remember?
BEVERLY: I've told you again and again—
COURTNEY: Don't worry. I didn't disturb the vacuum tracks
in the hallway. I know how much they mean to you.
BEVERLY: Are you mocking me?
COURTNEY: We have this argument every day. I'm not
mocking you. And I apologize for wearing my shoes in the
house. Okay?
BEVERLY: It's just you never know what you're tracking into
the carpet. Dirt, gum—
BEVERLY: (Simultaneous:) Dog doo.
COURTNEY: (Simultaneous:) Dog doo.
COURTNEY: I know. And I'm sorry. Now let's get a move
on. Dad's waiting in the car.
BEVERLY: Go keep him company. Otherwise he'll listen to
public radio and get all sorts of crazy ideas.
COURTNEY: Oh god, you're right. And I refuse to give up
my room to another refugee jazz band. I don't care how
talented they are.
BEVERLY: Exactly.
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Bradley Hayward
COURTNEY: Just hurry, okay? Calvin will be fine without
that tie.
(Courtney exits. Beverly makes sure she's gone, then fishes the
diary out from under the bed. She opens it.)
CALVIN: (Simultaneous:) Dear diary.
BEVERLY: (Simultaneous:) Dear diary.
(CALVIN enters, sprightly. He's a headstrong teenager and
sassy when he needs to be. Beverly remains in the room, but he
does not see, nor react to her. He sits on the end of the bed and
speaks out loud. Although he speaks as though he were writing
in a diary, he should not have one with him. Rather, he tends to
other stage business.)
CALVIN: I know it's still a month away, but I can't decide
what to wear to my recital. Obviously I'll wear tights for the
dancing part. I'm not worried about that anyway. It's the
interview that terrifies me. What if I wear the wrong thing?
I'll dance my tail off, but what if I look stupid during the
interview? I need that scholarship.
(He gracefully stretches one of his legs forward.)
I've wanted to get into Julliard ever since I was five years old.
Okay, that's a lie. I didn't start dancing till I was seven. But
five sounds better if they ask me. Right?
(He hyperventilates.)
Okay, okay. Calm down. You'll be fine. It doesn't matter
what you wear. Right? It's how you dance. Right? That's the
important part. Right? I just don't want a stupid tie to dictate
my entire future. Maybe I should ask Mackenzie. She always
sets me straight.
© Bradley Hayward
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Twinkle Toes
9
(The LIGHTS shift.
Beverly stays put and observes.
MACKENZIE enters and sits on the end of the bed. Calvin
holds up a series of ties in front of his shirt.)
Which one should I wear? The yellow one or the red one?
MACKENZIE: The red—
CALVIN: Or the blue one or the purple one?
MACKENZIE: Umm...purp—
CALVIN: Or the mother of all ties. My favorite. Ta da! The
red and purple one.
MACKENZIE: That one for sure, then. If it's your favorite.
CALVIN: Maybe. But the stripes are a little strong, don'tcha
think?
MACKENZIE: Everything about you is strong. You might as
well have the tie to match.
CALVIN: I just don't want to look like I'm trying too hard.
MACKENZIE: I think you should try hard. The harder, the
better.
CALVIN: You think?
MACKENZIE: Of course. You've been dreaming about going
to the Julliard School of Dance since you were seven.
CALVIN: Five.
MACKENZIE: Right, five. Wink, wink.
(They laugh.)
CALVIN: Then red and purple stripes it is. Thanks, Mack.
MACKENZIE: You know, I've been considering changing my
nickname to Kenzie. What do you think?
CALVIN: I dunno. Why?
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10
Bradley Hayward
MACKENZIE: Mack sounds like I should be driving a big rig.
(In a deep voice:) "Hey Mack, pull over to the side of the road. I
gotta take a leak."
CALVIN: I like Mack. Kenzie is so Disney Channel. And you
know how I feel about the Disney Channel.
MACKENZIE: Ew, yuck. You're totally right. Mack it is.
(Her cell phone makes a mournful sound: DUM DUM DUM.)
God, mom! I'll be home when I get home. I never should
have showed her how to send text messages.
CALVIN: How do you know it's your mom?
MACKENZIE: I gave her a ring tone of her very own.
(It goes off again: DUM DUM DUM.)
It sounds exactly how I feel when she opens her mouth.
(It goes off again: DUM DUM DUM.)
CALVIN: She's pretty fast at typing those messages.
MACKENZIE: Yeah right. She hasn't quite got the hang of it
and sends them one word at a time.
(It goes off again: DUM DUM DUM. She opens her phone and
pushes a button.)
Come. (Pushes button.) Home. (Pushes button.) Now. (Pushes
button.) Missy. I better jet before she owes Verizon a crap load.
CALVIN: Okay. See you tomorrow, Kenzie.
MACKENZIE: God, you're right! That totally sucks.
CALVIN: Yup. Thanks again for helping me out.
MACKENZIE: No probs. And don't worry. You'll get in for
sure.
CALVIN: You think?
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Twinkle Toes
11
MACKENZIE: With your whole family cheering you on, of
course you will. And I'll be there, too.
(They hug. Phone goes off again: DUM DUM DUM.)
I'm coming!
(She rushes out. Calvin wraps the striped tie around his neck
and looks in the mirror.)
CALVIN: (Simultaneous:) God, I hope I get it.
BEVERLY: (Reading/Simultaneous:) God, I hope I get it.
(The LIGHTS shift back to the present as Calvin exits.
GORDON pokes his head in, dressed in a suit and tie.)
GORDON: Uh, Beverly...
(Beverly flinches and sits on the diary.)
BEVERLY: Don't sneak up on me like that. You know I hate
surprises.
GORDON: We're waiting in the car.
BEVERLY: Go ahead without me. I'll follow in mine.
GORDON: I think we should go together.
BEVERLY: Just because we're married doesn't mean we have
to do everything together.
GORDON: I know you're nervous. We all are.
BEVERLY: I just need a minute. It wouldn't be fair to Calvin if
I show up with butterflies in my stomach.
GORDON: Fine. I'll gas up the car and come back for you.
But we're doing this together. For Calvin.
BEVERLY: For Calvin.
(Gordon kisses her on the forehead.)
GORDON: Everything will be okay. I promise.
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BEVERLY: I just need a minute.
GORDON: I'll be back.
(Gordon exits. Beverly stands up and picks up the diary. She
sits at the computer desk and opens it.)
BEVERLY: (Reading:) Dear diary. I suck, I suck, I suck.
(The LIGHTS shift. Calvin appears in tights, followed by his
friend RYAN.)
CALVIN: I suck, I suck, I suck!
RYAN: I thought you did a good job.
CALVIN: What do you know? You're not a dancer.
RYAN: No, but I've been coming to your recitals since we
were little.
CALVIN: Big whoop. All you know how to do is throw a ball.
Football is easy. Dancing is hard.
RYAN: Fine. I won't come anymore if that's how you feel.
CALVIN: Don't get defensive. You know what I mean.
RYAN: No I don't.
CALVIN: (Sarcastically:) Fine.
means a lot.
Thank you for coming.
It
RYAN: You're welcome, your majesty.
(He flops on the bed, pouting.)
CALVIN: I'm sorry. I'm not mad at you.
RYAN: You'd never know it.
CALVIN: Okay, maybe I am mad at you. We started dancing
together when we were seven and we had so much fun. But
then you ditched me to become Mister Football. Mister
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Twinkle Toes
13
Superstar. Mister Popularity. Now all the girls look at you
with goo-goo eyes and practically throw themselves at you.
RYAN: That's not true.
CALVIN: Are you kidding? Every time you bend over on the
field, all the cheerleaders pass out.
RYAN: Correct me if I'm wrong, but I didn't think you were
interested in the cheerleaders.
CALVIN: Okay, fine. You got me there. Snap. But what does
that leave me? Twinkle toes?
RYAN: You're amazing on your feet. But I've got two left
ones.
CALVIN: I thought we were going to be besties for life.
RYAN: Why do you think I come to all your recitals?
CALVIN: Girls in tights.
RYAN: (Smiling:) Okay, yeah. That's a perk. But I come
because we are besties. Just because I play football doesn't
mean we can't be friends.
CALVIN: Tell that to your teammates. They call me names
whenever I go to a game.
RYAN: And I yell at them for it.
CALVIN: You do?
RYAN: Give me a little credit. They're just uncomfortable
because they think you're there to watch all the boys in tights.
CALVIN: (Smiling:) Okay, yeah. That's a perk. But I come to
watch you. You're my best friend.
RYAN: So then why are we yelling at each other?
CALVIN: Because I suck, I suck, I suck.
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RYAN: Now I get it. You're mad at yourself, but taking it out
on me.
CALVIN: Bingo.
RYAN: Come on. It wasn't so bad.
CALVIN: Not so bad? I did the splits and farted!
RYAN: I'm sure nobody heard it.
CALVIN: Nice try.
(Ryan tries not to smile, but it's no use.)
RYAN: Okay, we heard it.
CALVIN: Of course you did.
RYAN: The back row may have felt it.
CALVIN: Okay, stop.
RYAN: And I know the front row smelled it!
(He bursts into laughter and falls to the floor, barely able to
contain himself.)
CALVIN: What if that happens during my Julliard audition?
What if I stand in front of the entire selection committee and
fart in their faces?
RYAN: At least they won't forget you.
(Calvin sits next to Ryan.)
CALVIN: I'm scared.
RYAN: You have nothing to be scared about.
CALVIN: I've got one shot at this. And I'm afraid I suck.
RYAN: They'd be insane not to let you in.
CALVIN: You mean it?
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Twinkle Toes
15
RYAN: I do. And don't worry, I'll be at your audition. Front
and center, as always.
CALVIN: Cool.
RYAN: Just do us all a favor.
CALVIN: What's that?
RYAN: Lay off the pork and beans.
(They both burst into laughter.)
CALVIN: Snap!
(They laugh uproariously as the LIGHTS shift.
Ryan exit as Beverly chuckles.)
Calvin and
BEVERLY: "Lay off the pork and beans." Oh, Ryan.
(All of a sudden, she hears the ring tone from a cell phone;
something cheerful and girlie. She tries to figure out where the
sound is coming from.)
What the...?
(The ring tone stops. She creeps toward the bed and listens.)
That's the weirdest thing.
(The phone rings again, and she's drawn back toward the desk.)
Is that a cell phone?
(It stops. She waits for a moment, but nothing happens.)
Guess I'll never know.
(She shrugs her shoulders and goes back to the diary. She flips
the page and reads. She looks closer and holds her hand to her
mouth, shocked.)
CALVIN (V.O.): Dear diary. One week till my Julliard
audition and mom is driving me crazy.
BEVERLY: What?
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Bradley Hayward
CALVIN (V.O.): She doesn't believe in me.
BEVERLY: I believe in you.
CALVIN (V.O.): Sometimes I wish she would go away and
die.
(The LIGHTS shift. Calvin enters in leotards and begins
stretching. He bends down and holds a position as he counts.)
CALVIN: One, two, three, four, five.
(He switches positions. Still seated, Beverly calls out as if she
were off-stage.)
BEVERLY: Calvin!
CALVIN: One, two, three, four, five.
(He switches positions.)
BEVERLY: I need you to take your sister to band practice.
CALVIN: One, two, three, four, five.
(He switches again.)
BEVERLY: I've already asked you a dozen times.
CALVIN: ...three, four, five.
(He gets down into a split position and reaches toward his left
foot.)
BEVERLY: I'm not asking again.
CALVIN: ...three, four, five.
(Beverly stands up and enters the scene. Calvin reaches toward
his right foot.)
BEVERLY: Calvin!
(Calvin does not look at her through their entire exchange and
keeps stretching in different positions.)
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Twinkle Toes
17
CALVIN: I'm busy.
BEVERLY: So am I. And your sister has band practice.
CALVIN: Tell her it's not helping.
BEVERLY: Calvin.
CALVIN: Who plays the tuba anyway?
BEVERLY: Calvin.
CALVIN: Everyone knows brass is tacky.
BEVERLY: I'm serious.
CALVIN: So am I. It clashes with her silver earrings.
BEVERLY: Get up now!
CALVIN: My audition is in one week. I don't have time.
BEVERLY: You've been doing nothing but practice for
months. Mr. Klatt called and said your algebra is in the toilet.
CALVIN: I don't give a crap about fractions. I'm a dancer!
BEVERLY: Not at Julliard if you don't keep your grades up.
CALVIN: Yeah right. Football players don't know squat
about algebra and get full rides all the time.
BEVERLY: I don't think so.
CALVIN: I know so. And when they get to the NFL, they're
in and out of prison. But everyone looks the other way
because they know how to score a touchdown.
BEVERLY: Is that your plan? Because I don't think a dancer
would do so well in prison.
CALVIN: One, two, three, four, five.
BEVERLY: You know I'm proud of you. I even bought a new
dress for your recital.
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Bradley Hayward
(She twirls around.)
See.
CALVIN: (Disgusted:) Yeah, black. It's a recital, not a funeral.
BEVERLY: I think it's cute.
CALVIN: You're too old for the "little black dress."
BEVERLY: I'm not as stodgy as you think I am.
CALVIN: Yeah right.
(He switches positions.)
One, two, three, four, five.
(He stretches a little too far and pulls something. He grabs his
chest in agony.)
Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!
(Beverly kneels down, panicked. Calvin is suddenly not so
arrogant and clutches onto his mom like a little boy.)
BEVERLY: What's wrong?
CALVIN: It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!
BEVERLY: What hurts?
CALVIN: My chest! It hurts!
BEVERLY: Let's get you to the bed.
(She helps him up and he hobbles with her to the bed. She
strokes his head.)
CALVIN: Ow, it hurts.
BEVERLY: You must have pulled something.
CALVIN: I'll be okay. I have to practice.
BEVERLY: Just relax for a minute.
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Twinkle Toes
19
CALVIN: I don't have a minute! I have to be perfect.
BEVERLY: See. This is just what I'm talking about.
CALVIN: What does that mean?
BEVERLY: Okay. Let's say you make it to Julliard. But what
happens when you injure yourself? Then you'll need that A in
algebra and kick yourself for throwing away your future.
CALVIN: I won't injure myself.
BEVERLY: You don't know that. It would be a good idea to
have something to fall back on.
CALVIN: I don't plan on "falling back." I'm fine, okay? Just
leave me alone.
(He stands up, but it hurts and he collapses to the floor.)
Ow!
BEVERLY: You should see a doctor.
CALVIN: God! I'll take Courtney to band practice! Happy
now?
BEVERLY: You know, sometimes you're impossible.
CALVIN: And you're always impossible!
Courtney, let's go!
(Calling off:)
(He pulls himself up.)
BEVERLY: We're going to the E-R.
CALVIN: I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine!
(He storms out as best as he can. The LIGHTS shift and Beverly
goes back to the diary. She flops her head down onto the desk.)
BEVERLY: You're not, you're not, you're not.
(Courtney bursts into the room.)
COURTNEY: Okay, this is getting ridiculous.
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BEVERLY: You're back?! So soon?
(Beverly quickly opens a drawer and drops the diary in it.)
COURTNEY: What's that?
BEVERLY: What's what?
(She slams the drawer shut.)
COURTNEY: That.
BEVERLY: Nothing.
(Courtney gives her the third degree, and they snap back and
forth at each other very quickly.)
COURTNEY: Mom—
BEVERLY: Nothing.
COURTNEY: Mom—
BEVERLY: Let's go.
COURTNEY: Mom—
BEVERLY: Come on.
COURTNEY: Mom—
(She opens the drawer and takes out the diary.)
BEVERLY: Stay out of his things. That's private.
COURTNEY: (Grinning:) Well, would you look at this. It's
Calvin's diary. What ever could you have been doing with
Calvin's diary?
BEVERLY: What diary?
COURTNEY: Mom. You're talking to a teenager. Don't make
a fool of yourself.
BEVERLY: Okay, you caught me. Now let's go.
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Twinkle Toes
21
(She tries to pull Courtney out of the room, but she will not
budge.)
COURTNEY: Not so fast. Why were you reading his diary?
BEVERLY: I, um, just wanted to, um...you know... I was,
um...curious...you know... um...
COURTNEY: (Smirking:) Now I know why you do this to me.
It's kind of fun.
BEVERLY: It was a mistake. I shouldn't have done it. I'm
sorry.
COURTNEY: Whatever you read in here, I could have told
you.
BEVERLY: You read it?
COURTNEY: No. I'm not a sneak.
BEVERLY: But you just said—
COURTNEY: I'm not blind either.
around here.
I know what goes on
BEVERLY: How?
COURTNEY: While you're busy shampooing the bath mats,
I've got my eyes and ears open.
BEVERLY: You make it sound like all I do is clean.
COURTNEY: You're kind of obsessed.
BEVERLY: That's not true.
COURTNEY: Last week you vacuumed the vacuum.
BEVERLY: It was dirty.
COURTNEY: Mom...
BEVERLY: What?
COURTNEY: You're weird.
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22
Bradley Hayward
BEVERLY: Okay, if you know everything, then why would
Calvin wish I was dead?
COURTNEY: He's a drama queen. Don't listen to him.
BEVERLY: I'm very supportive.
COURTNEY: Is this about the fight you guys had?
BEVERLY: You know about that?
COURTNEY: Um, yyyyyyeah.
BEVERLY: What did he say?
COURTNEY: He said you're a drag and that you don't
understand him and that you just don't "get it." Then he said
something about your dress.
BEVERLY: Oh.
COURTNEY: But he was just nervous about the audition. I'm
sure it had nothing to do with you.
BEVERLY: You think?
COURTNEY: Of course. His friends and family come to all
his recitals. But this is the recital we're talking about. The one
that could change his life.
BEVERLY: I shouldn't have barked at him.
COURTNEY: Coulda, shoulda, woulda.
Although your
argument is probably why he got drunk that night.
BEVERLY: (Shocked:) What?!
COURTNEY: Whoops. Nevermind. I didn't say anything.
BEVERLY: He didn't get drunk. He had his friends over.
COURTNEY: So?
BEVERLY: Drunk? Under my roof? In this room?
© Bradley Hayward
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Twinkle Toes
23
COURTNEY: Yep.
BEVERLY: Not possible.
COURTNEY: Very possible.
As I recall, you had the
condiments on the kitchen floor and were cleaning out the
fridge with a Swiffer.
BEVERLY: (Thinking:) Oh, that's right. It was Monday.
COURTNEY: Don't worry. It was just a little wine.
(The LIGHTS shift. Calvin, Ryan and Mackenzie take their
places around the room. They have just finished a bottle of wine
and are having a good time. Calvin twirls the empty bottle on
the floor.)
CALVIN: Spin the bottle, anyone?
RYAN: I'm your best friend, but I have limits.
MACKENZIE: Come on, Ryan. Pucker up.
(She purses her lips and makes kissing sounds. Ryan licks his
fingers and plants them on her mouth.)
You're disgusting!
CALVIN: Did you hear that Patrick and Laura are dating?
RYAN: Are you for real?
MACKENZIE: Where have you been? They've been sneaking
around for over a month.
RYAN: You're kidding. Go Patrick!
MACKENZIE: It's nothing like that. They exchanged purity
rings.
(Calvin laughs.)
What's so funny?
CALVIN: Purity rings? Barf.
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24
Bradley Hayward
MACKENZIE: I think it's sweet.
CALVIN: Double barf. Besides, they took them off already.
MACKENZIE: (Shocked:) What?
CALVIN: Yeah, I got 'em right here.
(He pulls two rings out of his pocket.)
He pulled me over at school today and was all, like, "Dude, I
touched her boob. Put these in a safe place."
RYAN: I can't believe they did it.
CALVIN: Not yet. But he was afraid what might happen with
these on if he touched the other one.
MACKENZIE: My mom says sex only leads to disaster. Like
my little brother.
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© Bradley Hayward
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