The Dancers by Alberto Florentino

Before the Play will start the narrator will read: ( Lights are off, characters are in a freeze while the narrator reads) Narrator: what is a family? Family are people in your life who you may be related to by blood, marriage, or choice, often for a lifetime (yours or theirs), who you hold dear and would generally do anything to help them when needed including making personal sacrifices, and whom you generally agree to accept no matter what they do. They may be someone you see daily or infrequently but the bond remains, and stands the test of time, distance, and overrides almost any challenges. But what if your family suffers from poverty, a family composed of a father that does not work for his family a drunkard and irresponsible, and forces his daughters to dance in the cabaret in order to earn for a living and the mother cannot do anything but to cry out loud to God for what is happening with her family, with a younger brother who is still innocent but had experienced seeing what people do inside a cabaret entered the cabaret and saw a place of sin. It is a story drama written by Alberto Florentino. It is a story of an unfortunate family who suffers from poverty; it is a story of how a family is being ruined because of POVERTY. Ladies and Gentlemen THE DANCERS.

First SCENE:
(Father is seated looking outside the window while smoking, and Elena arrives with her bright colored tight shorts. She wears a heavy makeup. Father went out and seems like he is infatuated with Elena, father looked at Elena intensely) Elena/Jan Alaiza: (screaming the name of Rita while walking towards the house of Rita) : Rita! Rita!?? (fixing her dress) Good evening Mang Tomas is Rita ready to Go? Father or Mang Tomas/Ace: (to Elena, father comes out of the house and get near Elena looking at her lustfully from head to toe.) : oh Elena! Rita is not yet here. Elena how pretty you are tonight with your nice dress on Elena/Jan Alaiza: thank you Mang Tomas

Father or Mang Tomas/Ace: Elena you promised me you’d teach me how to dance Elena/Jan Alaiza: did I??
Father or Mang Tomas/Ace: (Father holds the arm of Elena, pulling her near to him, wrapping his arms to her) Come on teach me now Elena/Jan Alaiza: I can’t, there is no music here, if you go to the cabaret at 8 I will teach you Father or Mang Tomas/Ace: at the cabaret? No I want it here. SHHHHH listen do you hear that music (father keeps on pulling Elena) ( music of careless whisper will be played) Elena/Jan Alaiza: (Elena struggles from Mang Tomas) no I can’t, Mang Tomas let me go! Father/ace: O come on let’s dance ( Mang Tomas Keeps on Pulling Elena) Elena/Jan Alaiza: Mang Tomas please I don’t want to dance here,, Let me GO!!!!!!! (Rita Arrives and saw what was happening between her father and Elena, she shouted with her loud vouce) Rita/Veronica: (to Father) FATHER!!!!!! What are you doing with Her???? Father/Ace: (Father stop pulling Elena and kept distance to her) She…………. She was just teaching me how to dance… Elena/Jan Alaiza: (about to cry) oh look at my shoes I had even cleaned it very well this morning Rita/Veronica: father, see what you’ve done ( Rita cleans the dress of Elena) Father: Sorry Elena

Rita/Veronica: (to father) Keep away from her father, you haven’t taken a bath for five months Father/Ace: no that’s a lie, I had took my bath only last month (smells his self and went away to take a bath) Elena and Rita breaks into laugh while father went away to take a bath

SECOND SCENE: (bagong Elena ang next character pra hnd naman mahirapan yung first elena na magsaulo na line  sa next scene close curtain para change character na for Elena and Rita Elena and Rita are fixing themselves, putting makeup with each other. Rita will enter the house to get her things. Juanito will arrive and sit in the bench Rita2/Maica: wait here Elena I will just get my things (Enters room) Elena2/Jeriza: (Elena will go near Juanito kneeled infront of Juanito) why are you not fixing yourself? Aren’t you going with us tonight? Are you sick? Juanito/Mico: (with an angry voice) no I’m not!!

Elena2/Jeriza: Maybe it’s Because of Norma, You have a crush on her? Do You???? (Elena keeps on teasing Juanito, Juanito seems irritated) Juanito/Mico: No, I don’t have a crush on her!! ( Juanito seems irritated) Elena2/Jeriza: why not? She is pretty, same as your age just the girl for you , you’re in love with her aren’t you? Juanito/Mico: I said no! stop it YOU BITCH!!!!!!!!!!!

Elena2/Jeriza: (trembling with what Juanito said pushed Juanito) I hate you! I hate YOU! Rita2/Maica: ( after she had got her things went to Juanito and Elena) what’s happening here, Why are you crying Elena? Elena burst into tears, whispers to Rita what Juanito had told her and went away Rita2/Maica: (to Juanito) Why did you call her that Juanito?? Juanito/Mico: Because its true! She’s a Bitch, I could hear people talking about her. Rita2/Maica: You’re a liar!!! ( Holding Juanito tightly)

Juanito/Mico: your hurting me ate! Let me go! Or else I will tell them about you and the Chinese! I saw you entering the room with the Chinese! Rita2/Maica: (slaps Juanito and Juanito runs outside the house) Tony came and shouted to Rita

Tony/Alexander: stop it! What are you trying to do? Kill him?? Rita2/Maica: you heard what he said didn’t you? . (Tony has this look as if believing what Juanito said) If you want to believe him,well I don’t care. It’s not true! (Rita is ready to go) Tony/Alexander: (Rita while walking away, Tony Holds her hand) Where are you going? Rita2/Maica: where do you think to a party?? Leave me alone, I hate you kuya I hate you < that boy is a liar ( Rita walks away and father arrives )

Father/ace: Rita!
Tony/Alexander: stop her father
Father/ace: Rita wait! ( Nenita arrives)you cannot go alone. Nenita will accompany you just for tonight, Tony/Alexander: No father!
Nenita/Karissa: whom shall I obey?
Father/Ace: of course me, I’m your father. Go Fix yourself and hurry. (Nenita will enter the house againto fix herself with Rita)
Tony/Alexander: you know what Rita is doing, right? Instead of stopping her you are also pushing Nenita to that kind of thing Father/Ace: if dancing is good for your Ate, it’s good to Nenita too. Im the father in here so I will decide for what is good for my daughter Tony/Alexander: I know, but what is only important to you is MONEY only MOnEY Father/Ace: get out of my sight! Get out (hits Tony on his face then Tony runs) (Mother will see Tony and try to stop him from running but she therefore asked her husband) Mother/Elizabeth: Tony!

Mother/Elizabeth: (to Father)TOmas what happened? Tomas what did you do to him? Did you hit Him again? I Told you not to hit him again. Father/Ace: NO! (look at Nenita and Rita) Oh you’re done. Come on, I’ll walk with you to the jeepney Mother/Elizabeth: why are you dressed up? Where are you going? Father/Ace: to the cabaret (father stops mother to get Nenita) Mother/Elizabeth: No! Nenita is not going! Not my Baby No Nenita your not going with your ate, Juanito will go with you< where is Juanito? Juanito? Juanito?!! ( Nenita: don’t worry mother, only for tonight. I’ll take care of myself (Father, Nenita and Rita left. Mother sits at the bench and starts to cry.She’s shouting Juanito’s name) Mother/Elizabeth: Juanito! Juanito! Where are you?

(Juanito runs to his mother and kneels to her. He’s also crying) Juanito/Mico: mother, Mother
Mother: Juanito why are you crying (hugged Juanito) stop crying my dear. (looked at the sky) Oh God what’s happening to us? What’s happening to all of us OH GOD OH GOD (mother cries out loud sad song is playing)

Characters:
Alvarez, Ace Benson- as Father
Ebite, Elizabeth Anne – as Mother
Alexander, Balbuena- as Tony
Remo, Michael Angelo- as Juanito
Andal, Veronica- as Rita
Perey, Karissa Anne- as Nenita
Sangcap, Jan Alaiza- Elena
Sarizho, Jeriza- as the second Elena
Pili, Maica- as the second Rita

Props/Costumes to bring
Ace/father- jersey shorts kahit anung shirt, then cigarette
Elizabeth/Mother- duster
Alexander/tony- white shirt or any polo basta po magmukhang jeepney driver, white towel Mico/Juanito- shorts and t shirt, tapos cap. Yung mukhang totoy Veronica/Rita- shorts/leggings, blouse then heels. Make up kit Jan Alaiza/Elena- Shorts/ legging, blouse then heels. Make up kit Karissa/Nenita- shorts/ leggings, then blouse

Maica- shorts/leggings, blouse then heels. Make up kit
Jeriza- shorts/leggings, blouse then heels. Make up kit