SMILE, YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL
by Sophia Harrigan
Rio Salado Community College
Characters:
THE GIRL: a teenager. Dressed in comfortable, masculine clothing. Bright eyed and eager. Small-framed.
THE MEN, 1-7: numbered in order of age. 1 is elderly, 7 is a teenager (the same age as THE GIRL). Any ethnicity or appearance.
Setting:
A black box
On rise:
THE MEN move across the stage. They chat with each other, fight, check their phones in a corner, etc.
THE GIRL enters, and attempts to join THE MEN. At this intrusion, THE MEN stop in their tracks and look at the girl curiously. THE GIRL mimics this motion. After a beat, THE GIRL looks around and attempts to stay still. She quickly starts to look around and fidget again, tapping her foot and wringing her hands.
THE GIRL: Hello?
THE MEN clearly notice her speaking, but do not respond. Some turn their heads, but quickly turn away.
THE GIRL tentatively walks around the stage, something beyond fidgeting, but between pacing and dancing. The more she moves, the more her hesitation fades away.
THE MEN grow increasingly uneasy with THE GIRL’s motion. Eventually, MAN 1 and MAN 2 grab her by the arms. THE GIRL kicks at them, but they barely react.
THE GIRL: Let me down!
MAN 7 rushes offstage and returns with a chair. He and the rest of THE MEN force THE GIRL into the chair. She relents for a moment, and THE MEN turn away. THE GIRL then attempts to stand. Immediately, THE MEN tie her to the chair around her torso, leaving her arms and legs free.
THE GIRL: Let me out!
THE MEN ignore her pleas. They form an arc around THE GIRL, with one man at her back and three at either side. From left to right, they stand in order of their numbers, decreasing in age.
THE GIRL runs out of breath, and pauses to collect herself. She decides to be more cunning. As she observes the men, she taps her foot and bounces her leg.
MAN 6 crouches down and grabs THE GIRL’s calf, stopping its movement. THE GIRL kicks him in the face.
MAN 3 goes offstage and returns with a pair of stilettos. He rips off THE GIRL’s boots and replaces them with the high heels. He ties both of her legs to the chair.
THE GIRL is indignant at this theft. She returns to observing THE MEN. Tapping her foot is now more difficult with the high heels and ties, so she stops. She bites her nails as a replacement.
MAN 5 crouches down and yanks THE GIRL’s hand away from her mouth.
MAN 7 goes offstage and returns with two bottles of red nail polish. He tosses one to MAN 1, and, on either side of THE GIRL, they hastily paint her nails. The polish flies as she resists, landing on the stage, THE GIRL, and THE MEN like drops of blood. Finally, they tie her arms behind the chair.
THE GIRL looks more and more defeated. She observes again, this time biting the skin off of her lips.
MAN 4 goes offstage and returns with a tube of red lipstick. When he pulls it out, THE GIRL turns her head away, grimacing. He does his best to apply it in spite of her resistance, pulling her head towards him. The lipstick is smudged across her face and bared teeth. It matches the nail polish: blood red.
THE GIRL is still doing her best to move in her chair, jumping by less than an inch every time. It takes all of her strength, but her small frame does not drive much movement.
MEN 1, 2, 6, and 7 crouch down. Each one grabs one of the chair’s legs. MEN 3-5 hold the chair’s back and THE GIRL’s body steady.
With her meager mobility stripped away, THE GIRL does the only thing that she can do anymore: she lets out a scream for as long as her lungs allow. When her breath gives out, she hyperventilates, then starts again. She does this three times.
As THE GIRL screams, THE MEN scramble to cover their ears. MAN 4 storms offstage and returns with a gag, which he shoves into THE GIRL’s mouth.
THE GIRL still attempts to move and scream, but her motions are small and her cries are almost inaudible. MAN 3 slaps her. She hangs her head in resignation.
THE MEN observe THE GIRL for a beat. MAN 1 steps forward with a sinister grin.
MAN 1: Have you learned your lesson?
THE GIRL, to the best of her ability, frantically nods.
MAN 1: I’m doing you a favor. You’d better behave, now.
THE GIRL nods again.
MAN 1 undoes THE GIRL’s restraints. As soon as she is free, she does not run, or even rise. Her resistance has been beaten out of her. Part of her cannot believe she is free. Part of her cannot shake the fear that, even with her mobility, she is no more free than when she was tied.
THE MEN return to their activities from before THE GIRL’s intrusion.
THE GIRL looks around again, unused to her freedom. She is reticent, but she rises, at first tripping in her high heels. THE MEN ignore her. THE GIRL tries to approach some of THE MEN and join their conversations, but they do not even look at her. THE GIRL walks off to be alone, still tripping on her heels. MAN 2 calls out to her.
MAN 2: The least you could do is be grateful!
THE GIRL turns away to avoid his gaze. She can still feel his eyes on the back of her head, and walks to another isolated area.
MAN 3: Ungrateful bitch.
THE GIRL dashes around the stage, trying to avoid THE MEN’s calls. No matter where she goes, the nearest man yells at her.
MAN 1: All I want is some thanks.
MAN 6: All I want is some sympathy.
MAN 7: All I want is some sex.
MAN 5: All I want is a home cooked meal.
MAN 4: All I want is a smile.
At the last remark, THE GIRL stops. She faces MAN 4.
THE GIRL: I can’t anymore.
MAN 4: (chuckles) Fucking bitch.
THE MEN reconvene.
THE GIRL moves as far from THE MEN as she can. She begins to cry.
MAN 5: Hey, baby, you know it’s just a joke! Don’t have to take everything so seriously!
MAN 1: Smile, you’re beautiful!
THE GIRL stops crying for a moment and considers her options. She silently and slowly removes her high heels, wipes off her lipstick with the back of her hand, and walks offstage.
THE MEN are stunned by her exit. They look at her empty chair for a bit, then laugh.
MAN 1: Okay, honey.
MAN 2: Okay, baby.
MAN 3: Okay, dollface.
MAN 4: Okay, sweetie.
MAN 5: Okay, slut.
MAN 6: Okay, whore.
MAN 7: Okay, dyke.
MAN 1: Okay, bitch.
THE MEN, IN UNISON: Good luck with that.
BLACKOUT
Sophia Harrigan is a high school senior, college sophomore, lifelong homeschooler, and occasional restaurant worker who would be a lot prettier if she smiled. She is a concurrent enrollment student at Rio Salado College, and will be a Film and Television major at the University of Arizona beginning in fall 2021.