2nd Half of Clipped
Act 2 Scene 3
(There is both red and white light. Set in a court the witness stand and judges place are at UL and C. The jury is in R facing stage left. The defense and attorney are spread from R to L and viewers and witnesses behind on chairs. Everyone but the jury is in their respected places.)
SPEAKER. (Offstage.) Trial #4609 may commence at 2:14 pm in the court of the Honorable M. Higgins.
JUDGE. May I call up the first witness Miss Gwen Collins.
GWEN. (Walks up to the witness stand.)
JUDGE. Counsel, you may approach the bench.
ATTORNEY. Miss Collins, is it true that you deny all charges?
GWEN. Completely.
ATTORNEY. If you were not assaulting the victims R. Harper, F. Sisal, and P. Ravel, who are may I add, your clients, what were you doing?
KINSELLA. Objection! My client is unable to answer that question, your Honor.
JUDGE. Objection accepted, but this will compromise the jury’s decision, Ms. Kinsella.
ATTORNEY. Miss Collins, as a hairdresser, I assume that you have access to the needed supplies for shaving one’s head.
GWEN. Yes, however-
ATTORNEY. You have answered the question Miss Collins. A simple yes or no.
JUDGE. Order! (Slams gavel.) Let Miss Collins answer the question, Counsel.
GWEN. However, I have not been instructed on men’s haircuts.
ATTOURNEY. That is all, your Honor. (Walks back to desk.)
JUDGE. Please come forth, Ms. Kinsella.
KINSELLA. Thank you your Honor. (Walks to stand and directs to Gwen.) It is true that you have recently opened your own salon, correct?
GWEN. (nods.) Correct. It is called Classy Cuts and more.
KINSELLA. So, now, as a small business manager, you would know that shaving your customers’ hair would reduce your success?
GWEN. Completely, because there would be no hair to cut!
KINSELLA. No further questions. (Returns to desk.)
JUDGE. I call upon Mr. Steven Williams.
INSTRUCTOR. (Walks to the stand.)
ATTORNEY. (Approaches the bench.) So, you are the beauty school instructor.
INSTRUCTOR. (Nods.) I am.
ATTORNEY. Do you believe that Miss Collins is one of your more advanced students, even after the first day of instruction?
INSTRUCTOR. Yes.
ATTORNEY. Do you think Miss Collins is advanced enough to attempt a men’s hairstyle?
INSTRUCTOR. She is, but not willing. She was reluctant to open her own salon even.
ATTORNEY. No more questions, your Honor.
JUDGE. Ms. Kinsella, approach the bench.
KINSELLA. Yes, your Honor. (Walks to bench.) Mr. Williams, did Miss Collins ever express any hate to you towards her clients?
INSTRUCTOR. Never.
KINSELLA. Does she in fact, enjoy the company of her clients?
INSTRUCTOR. Absolutely. She has recently held a customer appreciation day: free trims.
KINSELLA. I see. Thank you. No more questions. (Leaves for respected place.)
JUDGE. Thank you Mr. Williams. May I call up the final witness, Miss Alektra Sergeovich.
ALEKTRA. (Walks up to the bench.) Thanks, your Honor.
JUDGE. Counsel, approach the bench.
ATTORNEY. (Walks to the bench.) Miss Sergeovich, I understand that you are in the same beauty school class as Miss Collins. This would mean that you would be in close contact with her and would hear many of her comments?
ALEKTRA. (nods.) Yes, one of her comments was, what I believe to be her motive “I hate my hair, I wish I had beautiful blonde hair like my clients”.
ATTORNEY. I see. And may I make a point that Miss Collin’s clients are in fact, all blonde! No further questions. (Leaves bench.)
JUDGE. Ms. Kinsella.
KINSELLA. (Walks to bench.) Miss Sergeovich, have you ever seen Miss Collins enter the beauty school store room and return with a men’s barber razor?
ALEKTRA. No.
KINSELLA. No other questions, your Honor. (Walks to desk.)
JUDGE. The second trial will commence on May 21st, 2004. A jury will reach it’s verdict at that point. Thank you.
blackout
Act 2 Scene 4
(Is the classroom scene. Bright white lights again. There is a telephone on a small table in DL. The instructor is on his hands and knees, searching through a waste basket next to the chair in R. The black razor and white cloth used in Act 1 Scene 3 are inside the basket. Gwen has a cell phone with her offstage. There is a diary in Alektra’s kit.)
INSTRUCTOR. (Is cleaning classroom. Pulls barber razor and cloth out and gasps. Places them back in basket.) My god... (Runs to telephone and dials a number.)
GWEN. (Offstage.Opens cell phone.) Hello. Who is speaking?
INSTRUCTOR. I believe that we have almost enough evidence to prove you innocence, and convict another! You better come quick to the class. (Puts down receiver.Paces)
(Pause.)
GWEN. (Closes up cell phone and runs onstage to instructor.) Who?
INSTRUCTOR. (Runs to the bin, picks it up, and shows Gwen the contents.)
GWEN. (Gasps.) This is Alektra’s, isn’t it! Of course!
INSTRUCTOR. We should have known. She is the only student who studies male styling and cuts!
GWEN. And Alektra has a perfect motive. She absolutely hates me and wants my clients. Read it in her diary, which is...in her kit. (Runs to Alektras kit.) She writes when she’s bored. (Opens and pulls out diary. Flips to a page and reads.) Page 48, May 13th, 2004. I know that Gweny girl is just trying to impress, (Gasp.), but she makes me want to kill! Every time we have an assignment, she always has top grades! I s’pose I should try harder, but she’s not the one studying both men’s and women’s. Yesterday, she was titled the beauty queen of beauty school! For like nothing! (Looks at instructor.) I’m going to be the new queen in a few days time, with her clients!
INSTRUCTOR. The odds are with us. The jury will never find you guilty! We have by far enough evidence to convict Alektra too.
GWEN. Yep. As a witness, you can bring the evidence because you have the right to search your students’ work. I think...
INSTRUCTOR. That’s true. It’s not illegal.
GWEN. Ok, see ya. (Turns to leave and waves.)
INSTRUCTOR. See you on the 20th with the jury!
blackout
Act 2 Scene 5
(Medium light. The court scene. Everyone is present. The evidence found in Act 2 Scene 4 is now with the instructor in his spot behind the defense.)
SPEAKER. (Offstage.) Trial #4612 may commence at 1: 57 pm in the court of the Honorable M. Higgins. Final Testimony for Miss Gwen Collins pleading not guilty on six charges: break & entry, break & entry, break & entry, assault, assault, and assault.
JUDGE. May I call forth the first witness Mrs. Deborah Woods. Please approach the stand. Counsel.
ATTORNEY. (Goes to bench.) I understand that you are another class member in Miss Collins beauty school.
CLASSM. (Nods.) Yes.
ATTORNEY. Do you know anything of Miss Collins’ whereabouts on that night of May 14th?
CLASSM. Only that she was not at home at the time when I called her for homework. Neither was Alektra home.
ATTORNEY. The next day, at beauty school, did Miss Collins’ seem visibly emotionally different. Happier?
CLASSM. Not particularly.
ATTORNEY. No further questions, your Honor. (Returns to respectable place.)
JUDGE. Ms. Kinsella.
KINSELLA. Thank you your Honor. (Approaches stand.) You mentioned another girl in your class, Alektra...
CLASSM. (Nods.)
KINSELLA. Did you ever notice this girl to be aggravated by Miss Collins success?
CLASSM. Frequently, actually.
KINSELLA. Did she ever comment to you on this success.
CLASSM. Once or twice.
KINSELLA. What exactly did she say, if you can remember?
CLASSM. I remember her saying “If I ever get the chance I will pull that girl down”.
KINSELLA. No further questions. (Returns to seat.)
JUDGE. May I call on the second witness, Mr. Steven Williams.
INSTRUCTOR. (Walks to the stand.)
JUDGE. Council you may approach the bench.
ATTORNEY. Thank you your Honor. (Walks up.) Isn’t it true that Miss Collins is a beauty school drop out?
INSTRUCTOR. I believe so.
ATTORNEY. So we should conclude that Miss Collins is very wild, adventurous and even undisciplined!
KINSELLA. Objection! My client is not wild and undisciplined!
JUDGE. Objection overruled. Mr. Williams please answer the question.
INSTUCTOR. No, I believe that Miss Collins is adventurous but this quality has served her well as she is now head of her class.
ATTORNEY. (With a grudge.) Nothing further. (Returns to respected spot.)
JUDGE. Ms. Kinsella, please approach the bench.
KINSELLA. As I have been informed, you have collected evidence to present in this court.
INSTRUCTOR. Yes, in fact these articles were discovered in the premises of Alektra Sergeovich.
KINSELLA. At the beauty school?
INSTRUCTOR. Correct!
KINSELLA. (Dirtecting to the Judge.)May I let the court and jury examine these, your Honor?
JUDGE. Yes you may.
INSTRUCTOR. (Takes the articles from under stand and hands them to Kinsella.)
KINSELLA. (Faces audience and jury.) Firstly, here is this razor, which has blonde hair collected on it. Now, all the victims were blonde, so this may very well be the assault weapon. The second piece is a white cloth that is covered in a powerful general anesthetic which can make a person instantly dip into unconsciousness. Later these victims experienced nausea, dissiness, and visual imparement, all which were reviewed by a doctor. This is the medicine used to put the known victims a deep asleep. No further questions. (Returns to desk with diary and other items.)
JUDGE. Thank you. Now may the final witness come to the stand. Miss Alektra Sergeovich.
ALEKTRA. (Walks to stand.)
JUDGE. Counsel.
ATTORNEY. (Walks to stand.) Your Honor. (Faces Alektra.) May the court hear your alibi?
ALEKTRA. Certainly. I was enjoying a mini self-spa at home. As a hairdresser, I know that pores need weekly refining to stay young.
ATTORNEY. You do this weekly?
ALEKTRA. Yes.
ATTORNEY. So there would be no possibility of another activity coming in the way of your treatment.
ALEKTRA. Yes, in fact it’s from 7-9 pm.
ATTORNEY. No further questions, your Honor. (Returns to desk.)
JUDGE. Please come forth, Ms. Kinsella.
KINSELLA. Thank you, your Honor. (Winks at Gwen. Walks to stand.) Miss Sergeovich, I believe there is a flaw in your alibi. You see, your classmate, Mrs. Deborah Woods, claims that when she called you at night, for homework, you were...not at home. So you can’t have been enjoying your weekly spa. Let’s make a list of evidence against you: the bad alibi, the razor and cloth in your school wastebin, and here’s a third. Your motive is stated clearly in another piece of evidence. (Recieves diary from desk and brings to stand.) This, your diary, entitled “My Thoughts”. Let us read a passage, shall we-
ATTORNEY. (Stands up.) This is out of hand. Objection! There is law against reading one’s diary-
JUDGE. Objection accepted-
KINSELLA. Your Honor, this diary was discovered on the premises of the beauty school, therefore, in possession of Mr. Williams, the instructor and manager.
JUDGE. Let me see. (Opens large book and scans page.) Hmmm... Law of court #246 any item within the limits of a personal instructor or educator may be found in his or her temporary possession. I see. You may continue Ms. Kinsella.
KINSELLA. (Facing Alektra.) Could you please read the entry for May 13th 2004, on page 48, Miss Sergeovich? (Hands Alektra open diary.)
ALEKTRA. Ye-Yes. I know that Gweny girl is just trying to impress, but she makes me want to kill! Every time we have an assignment, she always has top grades! I s’pose I should try harder, but she’s not the one studying both men’s and women’s. Yesterday, she was titled the beauty queen of beauty school! For like nothing! I’m going to be the new queen in a few days time, with her clients! (Gasp.)
KINSELLA. Thank you. And this is our final piece of evidence. This clear and consis motive, written. (Smiles.) So, Miss Alektra here was not enjoying her spa time at all, but making break and entry with assault! (Hits stand.) And-
ATTORNEY. Objection! Stop battering this poor girl!
KINSELLA. (Turns around. Points finger up.) Counsel-
JUDGE. Order! I will not-
KINSELLA. The world must know the truth!
ATTORNEY. The falseness!
KINSELLA. No!
JUDGE! (Slams gavel three times.) Order in the court! I will not have this nonsense in this court! Objection overruled!
KINSELLA. She had the weapon, no alibi, and a motive! So I conclude that Miss Collins was not in fact the assaulter, it was Miss Sergeovich! No further questions!
AUDIENCE&WITNESSES. (Chatter.)
JUDGE. (Slams gavel.) Order. Jury, I understand you have come to a verdict?
JURY. (Stands with sheet of paper.) The offendant is found not guilty on all charges.
JUDGE. Case closed!
ALL(NOT JUDGE OR JURY OR ALEKTRA). (Stand and cheer.)
(Finale music begins.)
ALL. (Perform finale.)
(Finale music ends.)
blackout