iguanamountain blog

THE LOTTERY DRAMA

Let's have some fun and write a skit... "Tonight, on the news was a story about a man clearly identified on the video footage of buying the winning lottery ticket. The problem is, he lost the ticket and cannot claim the money."
Prompt: Write keep this skit lively and funny with dialogue that has the cadence of real-life speech. I can't wait to see what tale you weave!

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FADE IN:
INT: MCBROOM APARTMENT - NIGHT

The rented apartment of Alcia Mcbroom. Living-Kitchen combination. Cluttered with books, newspapers, supper dishes on counter. The room as seen better days. Teenager, Kimberly Mcbroom, is doing homework at the end of the counter. Ten-year-old, Nathanel Mcbrooom, is on the floor in front of the television. Nigel Mcbroom is asleep on the couch. Traffic can be heard through an open window. The TV is loud with a children’s cartoon.

ALCIA crosses from the kitchen sink to counter. Late forties, she is tired at the end of a long day. She starts collecting dirty dishes from counter.

ALICIA:
Nathanel,  turn that noise down! Kimberly is trying to study.

KIMBERLY, fifteen years-old, in over-large sweat shirt and baggy jeans. Slams math book shut.

KIMBERLY:
No one can study in this mad house! Nathanel! shut off that stupid program!

NATHANEL, sits up to yell at his sister.

NAT:
Don’t call me that! I hate that name! My name is Nat!

KIMBERLY:
(Whines) Mom?

ALCIA:
(Angry) Na-than-ael Mc-broom! Turn the television over to the news. Right now! I’ve had it with you!

NAT crawls to television and switches to the end of a news broadcast.

NAT:
Awww...Mom.

CLOSE UP: Television screen. Male announcer is wrapping up broadcast.

NEWSCASTER:
Well, that just about wraps up our report on the snow damage and road closings. I’ll have that snowplow report later tonight. Oh, and here’s some good news for some lucky person out there.

CLOSE UP: Television screen switches to the last ball coming out of the rolling machine as a hand places the ball into a rack with the other numbered balls.

NEWSCASTER:
And here it is. This month’s winning lottery number. Let’s see, it looks like the magic numbers are, twenty-one, forty-eight, seventeen, and a ninety-six to make the winning number.

CLOSE UP: NIGEL, Nineteen year-old, wakes up with a start. Immediately is digging in his pockets searching for the lottery ticket.

NIGEL:
Oohhh...Those sound familiar. I have some of those numbers! Where? Oh, here it is.

WIDE SHOT: Includes Nigel holding ticket and television screen with the numbers repeated.

NEWSCASTER:
Once again, those winning numbers are:  twenty-one, forty-eight, seventeen, and ninety-six. If this is your lucky day, present the ticket at the down-town lottery office tomorrow morning. Hopefully a happy day for someone!  Good night all.

NIGEL:
(simultaneous with broadcast) Oh! Oh! Yesss! And ninety-six! I’ve got them all. I won! I won the lottery! Mom! I won!

ALCIA, KIMBERLY, NAT on their feet. Adlib excitement, jumping up and down.

ALCIA:
Let me see. (She grabs ticket)

NAT:
Really? I want to see! (He grabs ticket out of Alcia’s hand)

NIGEL:
Hey! That’s my ticket! Be careful.

KIMBERLY:
How much did you win! How much? (She gets ticket from Nat)

ALCIA has picked up newspaper to look for lottery information.

ALCIA:
Here! State Lottery for month of March. Oh my God! Oh....Goooooddd!

KIMBERLY:
(Squeals) What does it say? Mom?

ALCIA, excited,  throws the paper into the air, grabs Nigel by the shoulders.

ALICIA:
Olllhhh! Nigel! Son...We have just won two and a half million dollars!

NIGEL:
Two...and a half?

ALICIA AND KIMBERLY
Million dollars!

NAT is dancing wildly around Nigel, Alicia and Kimberly.

NAT:
We won! We won! We won!

FADE OUT:

Traffic sound is louder. Birds are singing.

FADE IN:

EXT: MCBROOM APARTMENT FRONT STEPS - DAY

ALICIA is sweeping the steps as NIGEL walks in, dejected.

NIGEL slumps down on steps, head between his hands.

ALICIA:
Nigel? What’s wrong? Did something happenn? What did they say at the Lottery office?

NIGEL:
(Groans, shaking his head) Ahhh...Mommm...

ALICIA sits beside Nigel, hugging him.

ALCIA:
Son, what’s wrong? Tell your mama. Nigel?

NIGEL:
I lost it. I lost the ticket. (Groans)

ALCIA:
Didn’t you have it this morning?

NIGEL:
I don’t know. I was late. I put it in my pants last night before I went to bed. I just threw my clothes on and ran out.

ALICIA stands up, shock registering on her face.

ALCIA:
Oh, Noooo....

NIGEL:
What Mom? You know what happened to my ticket?

NIGEL stands as ALICIA turns and hurries inside. We hear her say:

ALCIA:
Those weren’t the same pants!

NIGEL:
What? Mom, what have you done?

NIGEL hurries into the apartment after his mother.

CUT TO: APARTMENT LAUNDRY ROOM - DAY

ALICIA is pulling clothes out of the dryer. It is a mix of Kimberly’s and Nat’s clothes, plus several pairs of Nigel’s jeans. NIGEL enters and starts going into all the pockets of all the jeans.

ALCIA:
I didn’t know. I picked up all the dirty clothes before I went to sleep. Your pants were on the floor.

NIGEL:
Mom! You messed with my pants!  Oh, no!

NIGEL very slowly pulls out a tiny white wad of washed and dried paper. He holds it up for his mother.

NIGEL:
(Almost in tears) You washed my lottery ticket?

ALICIA:
(Devastated) I didn’t know. I’m...so sorry.

NIGEL:
(Accusing) You washed my lottery ticket!

CLOSE UP: ALICIA’S teary face.

FADE OUT:

There is a happy ending. It seems the stores all have a video recording of lottery purchases with embedded date and time. Nigel was able to prove he bought the ticket and the family has moved to a very nice high-rise apartment in Manhattan across from Central Park. Kimberly got a new prom dress and Nat has a hundred video games. Nigel does his own laundry now.

Check your pockets...>>>iggy

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