Betrayal

(from Little Fires Everywhere)

Set Instructions: The stage is black, and a spotlight comes on Mrs. Richardson, and a screen turns on in front of her. Mrs. Richardson, about 40 years of age, is standing outside her burning house. She has just woken up and is in her nightgown and bath robe. The movie screen is showing a burning house. She is standing on the grass next to a tree. Mrs. Richardson is waiting for her children, who are all in high school, to return home. She has four children: Lexie(senior), Trip(junior), Moody(sophomore), and Izzy(freshmen). The firemen have arrived, and they are working to put out the fire.

Monologue:

Mrs. Richardson: (looks in confusion and disbelief at the movie screen) My beautiful house is on fire! (in shock) How did this happen? Who would have done this? Where are my children? (pauses to think) Lexie was at her best friend’s house last night. (Lexie arrives and persuades the firemen and police to let her through) I believe Trip had gone to play basketball earlier this morning. Moody had left earlier this morning as well. (wonders) But where was Izzy? Had she done this? It was the most reasonable option. (Trip and Moody arrive and also persuade the police and fire department to let them through to their family) Izzy had been acting different recently, but nobody knew why. (thinking back) She had been spending most of her time with Mia and Pearl. Had she caused the house fire? Nobody knew.

(firemen walk over towards Mrs. Richardson) Oh no! What will they tell me?

Firemen: Inside the house it looked as though someone lit a fire in the center of the beds. So, this fire was no accident. I am sorry.

Mrs. Richardson: Thank you, sir.

(moves back to front of movie screen) So it must have been Izzy then, (pauses) she must have done this to us. Where is Izzy anyways? Had she run away because of everything she did to our family? (still in disbelief) I can’t believe Izzy would do something like this to us. Little Izzy, the youngest of the family, set our house on fire. When we find Izzy, she is going to get in big trouble for this. She knows this house means a lot to me and yet she went and set the house on fire. (sighs) I don’t know how we will live after this. Everything I own, and treasure is gone. (realizes what she is wearing and starts to panic) Oh no (almost startled) I am wearing only a nightgown and bathrobe! All my other clothes are gone now! Every single one of us has no other clothes now except for what they have on. Lexie is the only one who has spare clothes since she was at Serena’s last night. I guess since Mia and Pearl just left we will stay in the other house for the time being. What will happen in the future to our house? (pauses) Will we have to live in the other house permanently?  Who knows what our future hold for us? (starts walking over to her children, who are behind her sitting on Lexie’s car, leaving the firemen to stop the fire) For right now I guess we will leave this treasured place behind.

Meets her children, everyone exits, and the lights dim.