Contagious (WITH VARIATIONS)
Characters:
1. Man
2. Receptionist
3. Left arm person (LA)
4. Right leg person (RL)
5. Left leg person (LL)
6. Head person (H)
7. Pregnant lady (PL)
Setting
1 chair for receptionist
2 chairs facing audience for the waiting room
Man waving arm up and down (big twitch) walks in to receptionist sitting at a desk.
Man: I need to see a doctor.
Receptionist: Uh… have a seat. He will be right with you. (He sits in first chair)
Left Arm Person: (Walks in with a left arm twitch) I need to see a doctor.
R: Uh… have a seat right over there. The doctor will be right with you.
(LA sits next to man. Twitch starts in Man, who is now doing both arms. It slowly
fades away in LA person.)
LA: I’m healed! (Walks out)
RL person: (walks in with leg twitch) I need to see a doctor!
R: Right. Have a seat right over there and he will be right with you. (RL sits down)
(Man “catches” twitch. Now both arms and right leg. Slowly fades in RL person)
RL: I’m healed! (walks out)
Same for LL and Head person.
Then…
Pregnant Lady walks in: I need to see a doctor
R: Have a seat…
Man: (After seeing her) NO WAY!! (Runs out)
DOCTOR'S OFFICE
The scene opens with a receptionist at a doctor's office. A person comes in and asks to see
the doctor. The receptionist says, "The doctor is busy; please take a seat."
A second person comes in to see the doctor. This person has an obvious problem- hives. He
is continually scratching. The second person asks to see the doctor and is told to wait and sit
down. The second person sits down next to the first person. Eventually, the first person
starts scratching, and the second person stops. Cured, the second person leaves the office.
A third person, continually barking like a dog, enters the office. He asks to see the doctor and
is told to wait. He sits down next to the first person. The third person eventually stops barking
while the first person continues to scratch and then begins to bark like a dog. The third
person leaves cured while the first person continues to bark and scratch.
A fourth person enters the office. This fourth person has a repeatable head tick, violently
jerking his head back every few seconds. The fourth person asks to see the doctor and then
sits down. First person continues to scratch and bark and then starts a head tick. The fourth
person stops, is cured, and leaves.
The first person is sitting there with a head tick, barking, and scratching.
Finally, a girl comes into the office obviously very pregnant. The first person who is now
barking, scratching, and tormented by a head tick takes one look at the girl and runs out of
the office screaming, "NO!"
Contagious Disease Ward
The scene takes place in the waiting room of a doctor of contagious and
communicable diseases, Dr. Ringworm, M.D.
Have four chairs and a stand for magazines or books.
In walks a person (A) with an itch which they scratch periodically in different
places. They grab a magazine and attempt to read but they are disturbed
periodically by their itch.
After a while, a second person (B) comes in with a serious hand twitch. B sits
next to A. B gradually starts to scratch with the itch, while A's hand starts to
twitch.
When it has been well established that they have contracted each others'
disease, a third person enters with a serious leg twitch. Pretty soon all three have
the hand twitch, leg twitch, and itch all over.
A fourth person comes in bouncing all over the place and shaking every muscle
in their body. The actions of the four people become more frantic and are
bouncing around in their chairs.
Then a person dressed like a pregnant lady strolls in casually and the other four
scramble for their lives.
If possible or desired have some jazz music playing in the background for the
campers with the diseases to keep the beat to.