Roro & Juju

by Hortense Gerardo

CHARACTERS:

RORO/ACTOR 1 - a person with a Y chromosome

JUJU/ACTOR 2- a person with all X chromosomes

CUTEY - Roro’s friend

TIBBS/ACTOR 3 – Juju’s cousin

LARRY – a dealer

NANNA – JUJU’s bestie

MANNY – a cable guy

STAGE READER – anyone on the gender spectrum.

SETTING:

A puppet stage depicting Verona or something like that.

TIME:

The present.

PRODUCTION NOTES:

The roles of RORO and CUTEY are to be played by the same actor wearing sock puppets on either hand.

The roles of JUJU and NANA are to be played by the same actor wearing sock puppets on either hand.

The roles of TIBBS, LARRY, and MANNY are to be played by a third actor wearing sock puppets on either hand (when TIBBS fades, that sock puppet is replaced by MANNY.)

No special attempt should be made to hide the fact that ACTORS 1, 2, and 3 are manipulating the sock puppets. The puppet stage could be no more elaborate than a table, behind which the actors manipulate their sock puppets in plain view of the audience.

STAGE READER

Scene 1. RORO and JUJU are at a party. They meet.

RORO

Hi!

JUJU

Hi!

RORO

Whoa, you’re hot.

JUJU

You’re not so bad yourself

RORO

Well, gotta go.

JUJU

See ya!

RORO

[RORO leaves. JUJU swoons.]

STAGE READER

Scene 2. RORO arrives at a courtyard. JUJU appears on a balcony.

RORO

[stage whisper to audience] Whoa, she’s blindingly hot!

JUJU

Roro! Oh, Roro! Wherefore is you, Roro?

RORO

Yo, it’s me, Roro.

JUJU

Well whatcha doin’ down there, c’mon up and stay a spell.

RORO

Most excellent.

[RORO parkours up the side of the “building” and ends up on the “balcony”.]

JUJU

Cool.

RORO

Yeah.

JUJU

‘Sup?

RORO

I totally dig you. You’re most excellent.

JUJU

Awwww. Thanks!

RORO

Well, gotta go.

JUJU

See ya.

[RORO parkours back down and “runs” off.]

STAGE MANAGER

Scene 3.

RORO

Hey, Cutey!

CUTEY

Sup?

RORO

I just met a most excellent maiden.

CUTEY

Sorry, br’ah, you can’t see her.

RORO

Why not?

CUTEY

Bad blood.

RORO

No way.

CUTEY

Way.

[TIBBS appears.]

TIBBS

Yo, Roro, stay away from Juju.

RORO

No way.

TIBBS

Way.

RORO

What’ll you do about it?

TIBBS

I’m gonna block you on my Insta.

RORO

Bring it.

CUTEY

C’mon guys. Chill. Let’s take a group selfie.

TIBBS

Get outta my way, Cutey. You don’t have any filters.

[CUTEY blocks TIBBS, but TIBBS accidentally takes a photo of CUTEY without filters.]

CUTEY

Dude, I can’t believe you did that.

TIBBS

Whoa. Me neither.

CUTEY

I think…I gotta disappear till this blows over.

[CUTEY appears to be injured and fades away.]

RORO

That was heinous Tibbs. Why’d you have to do that?

TIBBS

It kinda just happened. By accident.

RORO

Oh, man. Now I gotta take a shot of you without filters!

[RORO takes a photo of TIBBS without filters.]

TIBBS

Oh, man, that was cold.

RORO

Yeah. I kinda had to, br’ah.

TIBBS

Yeah, I know. Later.

[TIBBS appears to be injured and fades away.]

RORO

Much.

STAGE MANAGER

Scene 4. Juju’s She Shed.

JUJU

So yeah. Let’s hang out tonight. But then you have to split cuz’ you know, no filters with TIBBS.

RORO

Oh yeah. Sucks.

JUJU

Totes. [a long beat]

RORO

That was great.

JUJU

Fer sure. Come back soon, ok?

RORO

Mos def.

[RORO leaves]

STAGE MANAGER

Scene 5. Larry’s house.

JUJU

Man, I gotta ditch the dude my ‘rents want me to hook up with.

LARRY

No worries. Slip this Bart Simpson under your tongue and you’ll be chill.

JUJU

K. K. Thanx.

[JUJU takes the Bart Simpon tab, then falls asleep.]

STAGE MANAGER

Scene 6. Juju’s She Shed.

NANNA

Juju, what’chu done, girl? Juju? Juju!?! Wake up, Juju!!!

STAGE MANAGER

Scene 7. Roro’s Digs.

MANNY

Dude, sorry your internet’s been out. You connected now?

RORO

[at a laptop]

Whoa. Juju dropped some bad Bart Simpsons.

MANNY

Oh, man. Go help her chill.

RORO

Yeah. Fer sure.

STAGE MANAGER

Scene 8. Juju’s She Shed.

RORO

Juju, this totally sucks.

[RORO takes a selfie of both of them and RORO fades out. JUJU wakes up.]

JUJU

Really, Roro? You couldn’t filter?

[JUJU takes a selfie then fades. NANNA, LARRY, and MANNY appear. ]

NANNA

This sucks.

LARRY

Super bummed.

MANNY

Who takes selfies without filters!?!

ACTOR 1

[taking off their sock puppets, in a totally different voice than RORO]

Ok, I don’t know about you guys but I totally lost my motivation.

ACTOR 2

[also taking off their sock puppets, in a totally different voice than JUJU]

I know. I know. But we’re contracted for the kiddie birthday party tomorrow, and rent is rent.

LARRY

This is a tragedy of epic proportions!

ACTOR 1

Ok, ok, rehearsal’s over, you can drop the voice.

MANNY

Don’t you understand? This is Shakespeare’s cautionary tale that explores the devastating consequences of societal conflict, unchecked passions, and the limitations imposed by social structures and power dynamics!

ACTOR 2

[to ACTOR 1]

He’s a Method Actor. He’s going to stay like this till after the children’s party.

ACTOR 1

Oh, boy. That’s so Old School. Name an actor who does that anymore?

ACTOR 2

Daniel Day Lewis.

ACTOR 1

Ok, besides him. And anyway it caused him to quit acting!

ACTOR 3

[talking to LARRY and MANNY, the sock puppets on his arms as he walks away.]

C’mon guys.

[ACTOR 3 stops to address audience]

A glooming peace this morning with it brings. / The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head. / Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things. / Some shall be pardoned, and some punishèd. / For never was a story of more woe / Than this of Juliet and her Romeo

[LIGHTS SLOWLY FADE]

END OF PLAY

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