The One-Two Voo-Doo

The One-Two Voo-Doo

SCENE ONE:

On the stage to the right Peter is in bed. On stage left there is a big grandfather type clock which is a person with two hands drawn on her face and a cardboard clock face showing the number around her face. Peter looks out of his covers and notices the audience. He gets up and comes forward.

Peter: Welcome to my story.

Let me introduce myself.

I'm a lot like Peter Pan. My first name is the same as his. Peter. My last name isn't Pan, though. It's Guppy. Well, I can't help that. Peter Guppy. But I'm a lot like Peter Pan. I'm strong. Handsome. I have adventures every night fighting with pirates and the like. I can fly. And I have a friend very much like Tinker Bell. Well, the pirate thing is just pretend of course. So is the bit about flying. But the rest is true.

My friends name is Star. (Confidentially). Between you and me, having a friend like star isn't always that great. Sometimes, in fact, it's a pain. Take the other night. I was telling her about a real adventure I had while out on a camping trip. But here, let me show you...

Goes to the bed and sits on it. Star, a small fairy with a magic wand enters and takes her place sitting on the opposite end of the bed.

Peter: I was in the tent with Mom and Dad. We were almost asleep when we heard this humongous crashing noise out in the campsite. Though the mosquito netting we could see a bear rummaging through the kitchen stuff. For about ten minutes we just lay there and watched. I was so scared that I couldn't move.

Star: I wouldn't have been scared.

Peter: Really?

Star: I would have just gone out there and said `Shoo. Leave our food alone.'

Peter: And what would have stopped him from eating you along with our cereal and stuff?

Star: I would have punched him in the nose if tried anything.

Peter: (Laughs.) Ha! As little as you are that wouldn't have done anything.

Star: (Indignantly) You think not?

Peter: (Trying to appease her.) I don't mean there is anything wrong with your size. You have a very good size for a little fairy girl. But of course a bear is much bigger because, well... because it's a bear.

Star: A good size for a little fairy girl. Well! I can see you think I'm awfully small."

Peter: I think your size is just right.

Star: I'm big enough to put the one-two voo-doo on you. (waiving her magic wand.) Ala-ka-zam on you and your house. So there. (She flutters off in a huff.)

Peter: The one-two voo-doo. I wonder what that is?

SCENE TWO:

Its dark. Peter is asleep. The clock is going tick-tock, tick-tock, very slowly. For a while everything is peaceful. Then the clock starts going "tick...tick...tick..." Peter begins to toss and turn in bed. Mother, in her bathrobe, wanders into the area below the bedroom (the living room) and looks around nervously. Maurine joins her.

Mother: Maurine. What wrong?

Maurine: I don't know, Mom. I just couldn't sleep.

Mother: Me either.

Father joins them.

Father: What's happening?

Mother: We just couldn't sleep.

Peter gets out of bed and joins them.

Peter: What's going on?

Father: Nobody could sleep.

Maurine: There something creepy going on.

They listen in silence. Only the clock can be heard. Tick...tick...tick...

Peter: It's the clock.

Mother: He's right. It only goes tick.

Maurine: That is creepy

Peter: It must be the one-two voo-doo.

Mother: The what?

Peter: Star put the one-two voo-doo on me.

Maurine: You are still talking about Star. You know she's not real.

They all listen quietly as the clock continues go tick...tick...tick...

Peter: It's lost its tock.

Father: It must be something mechanical.

SCENE THREE

Peter: Dad tried to fix the clock. He called in expert clock repair people. They tried everything. But still the clock would only go tick...tick...tick... Never tick-tock. Finally we just let it run down. Everybody was tense, so we went out to visit Uncle Mike on his farm. Just to get away from it all. It seemed like we were going to get some relief until we ran into the donkey problem. The donkey problem was...well listen...

From off stage. Hee-haw. Hee-haw. Hee...hee...hee.

Peter: Uncle Mike was very upset. Said it was abnormal for a donkey to carry on that way. So we all returned home.

It seemed like the one-two voo-doo would ruin everything. But finally one evening Star came back by, and for a minute I thought we were gong to have some relief.

Peter returns and sits on his bed. Star come in.

Peter: Star! Hello.

Star: I've decided not to be mad at you any more.

Peter: That's good.

Srar: Yes. I'm going to take off the one-two voo-doo.

Peter: What a relief that will be! It was driving everybody crazy.

Star: So let's play house.

Peter: I'd rather play kill the pirates.

Star: House, first.

Peter: Of course. (Gets out some play dishes and sets the table.)

Star: I see you put the small dishes and silverware at my place.

Peter: (Flustered.) I didn't mean that you were little.

Star: What else could you mean?

Peter: I was just pretending that I was the father and you were my daughter.

Star: Your little daughter.

Peter: I was just pretending. (Star flies off)

Peter: (Calling after her) I was just pretending.

He returns to his bed. Its becomes dark and quiet. Outside a dog can be heard barking. Bow-wow. Bow-wow. Bow-wow. Bow...bow...bow... Peter sits up and buries his face in his hands. One by one family members gather in listen.

Mother: What is it this time?

They listen.

Maurice: It's the dog. He's lost his wow.

Father: Maybe it's something mechanical.

SCENE FOUR

Peter: In life we have both good and bad. But the one-two voo-doo changed that too. There was only bad. Once when I was playing ping pong with my friends the pong got lost. Spoiled the whole game. Another time I was just walking across a playground and the kids couldn't teeter totter any more. You guessed it. They lost the totter. (Imitating the teeter-toter) Teeter...teeter...teeter. It was creepy. Everybody said so. My friends didn't want me hanging around them any more.

But, I have to say. For all her faults, Star was a forgiving creature. Eventually she came back, and I had another chance. For a while things went okay. But then we hit another bump in the road. Star was in a little play house we had made, pretending to eat dinner. Watch. (Returns to the bed-room where Star is sitting in a cardboard playhouse just big enough for her.)

Star: Come in at sit at the table with me, Peter.

Peter: But Star, you know that I'm much too big...(catches himself.) I mean... ah. . .

Star: What were you going to say?"

Peter: Nothing. Just, well, let's pretend I'm going to the grocery store.

Star: I know what you were thinking.

Peter: (Innocently) You do?

Star: You were thinking that I can fit in the play house because I'm so small. But you can't because you are so big.

Peter: Oh, Star. You can't blame me for something I just thought. Its not fair.

Star: See. You did think it.

Peter: Why are you so touchy about being small, anyhow.

Star: Because big people and big things are always more important than little people and little things.

Peter: That's not true. I can think of lots of times when little is just as important as big.

Star: Name one.

Peter: Well, there's...um...will..."

Star: See, you can't.

Peter: There's David.

Star: David:

Peter: David and Goliath. Goliath was a giant and God used David, who was little , to kill him.

Star: So?

Peter: That's a time when little was more important than big.

Star: That's only one. You couldn't think of three of them.

Peter: Give me a minute. (Thinks.) I know.

Star: What?

Peter: The baby Jesus. He was little.

Star: That's only two.

Peter: So far. (Thinks again). I've got it! A mustard seed.

Star: (Turns and makes a noise of disgust.)

Peter: A mustard seed is the smallest seed of all. And it grows into the most wonderful tree. It's like the kingdom of heaven.

Star: I know that.

Peter: Don't be mad, Star.

Star: Anybody can think of three things. You can't name four small things that are important.

Peter: That's not fair.

Star: What isn't?

Peter: You keep changing the rules.

Star: I made up the game so I can make up the rules.

Peter: All right. If I can think of another one will you

promise never to put the one-two voo-doo on me again?

Star: Okay. It's a deal.

Peter: (Has to think a long time. Makes all sorts of contorted facial expressions and body motions -- the thinker pose etc.-- to show how hard he is thinking). I know.

Star: You do.

Peter: It's you.

Star: Me?

Peter: Yes. Along with my family you are the most important thing in my life.

Star: Really?

Peter: Yes. (cautiously) And you are little.

Star: Do you like the way I'm doing my hair?

Peter: It's lovely.

Star: I think so.

Peter: I made up a song for you.

Star: For me?

Peter: Yes. Listen.

Peter sings:

One must have both tick and tock

If one would have a decent clock

And see and saw must both be there

If you would see-saw in the air

The world needs creatures that are tall,

But also those that are quite small.

A dog must know exactly how

To wow as well as how to bow.

A ping must always have a pong

Or else the game will come out wrong

The world needs creatures that are tall,

But also those that are quite small.

All join in last verse:

Both black and white and young and old

Are all embraced within the fold

The seasons turn eternally,

And all are needed equally.

The world needs creatures that are tall

But also those that are quite small.