The Field Trip

Alexis and Claudia have snuck away from the school field trip, just to see if they could get away with it. But they didn’t think their plan all the way through, and they find themselves stranded with no way to get back home!

This clever short scene offers young actors an opportunity to develop characters and use naturalistic dialogue.

About the Author

David-Matthew Barnes is a best-selling author, playwright, poet, and screenwriter. Two of his young adult novels have been recognized by the American Library Association for inclusivity in young adult literature. To date, he has written over fifty stage plays that have been performed in three languages in ten countries. His literary work has appeared in over one hundred publications, including The Best Stage Scenes, The Best Women’s Stage Monologues, The Best Men’s Stage Monologues, Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Best Advice I Ever Heard, and 105 Five-Minute Plays for Study and Performance. He has also served as the guest editor of dramatic literature for The Louisville Review and as a judge for the Oregon Literary Fellowships in the category of Young Readers. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. He earned an MFA in Creative Writing at Queens University of Charlotte in North Carolina. He has been an arts educator for over a decade.

Excerpt from the scene

CHARACTERS:

ALEXIS – 12, a seventh-grader
CLAUDIA – 12, a seventh-grader

TIME: A Friday afternoon. Present year.

SETTING: A city street. A blank stage.

CLAUDIA:
That museum was so boring.

ALEXIS:
Tell me about it.

CLAUDIA:
All those dumb paintings. And the sculptures.

ALEXIS:
The sculptures were the worst part.

CLAUDIA:
No, the worst part was the bus ride.

ALEXIS:
I hate riding a school bus.

CLAUDIA:
At least you didn’t have Robby burping all over you like I did.

ALEXIS:
I think he likes you.

CLAUDIA:
I’d rather go out with a sculpture.

ALEXIS:
Do you think they’ll realize we’re missing?

CLAUDIA:
Probably not. Miss Manchester is really forgetful.

ALEXIS:
(Imitating her teacher:) Where’s my glasses? Where’s my glasses? Class, have any of you seen my glasses?

CLAUDIA:
(Raises her hand, as if they’re in class.) Miss Manchester, your glasses are on top of your head.

ALEXIS:
I hate field trips as much as I hate museums.

CLAUDIA:
I’m so glad you convinced me to sneak off with you.

ALEXIS:
We’ll definitely have more fun.

CLAUDIA:
So, what’s the plan?

ALEXIS:
What do you mean?

CLAUDIA:
Well, it’s not every day that we get to come in to the city. Where are we going? What are we doing?

ALEXIS:
I don’t know.

CLAUDIA:
You don’t know?