A series of mini-dramas based on public conversations, as overheard and rewritten by local playwright/director Aurora Stewart de Peña.

Overheard on the corner at King and John

Bradley and Chayce, both eleven years old, are dressed in parkas. They are holding souvenir bags from the CN Tower. Michelle, Chayce’s Mom, stands 3 meters away. They wait for the street car.

Bradley: I spy with my little eye something that is green.

Chayce:  (Pointing at a car) That car!

Bradley: No!

Chayce: (Pointing at a sign) That sign!

Bradley: No!

Chayce: (Pointing at a woman) That girl’s jacket!

Bradley: No!

Chayce: (Pointing at a Now Magazine Box) That newspaper box!

Bradley: Yes!

Chayce: I knew it!

Bradley: No, you didn’t. You had to guess, like, 20 things.

Chayce: Okay.

I spy with my little eye something that is yellow.

Bradley: (Pointing at a man in a baseball hat) That guy’s hat!

Chayce: No.

Bradley: (Pointing at a piece of litter) That chocolate bar wrapper!

Chayce: No.

Bradley: (Pointing at a traffic cone) That pylon.

Chayce: That’s orange!

Bradley: Okay what?

Pause.

Chayce: Something that is yellow…

Bradley: Yeah, what?

Chayce: Your teeth!

Pause.

Bradley stares at Chayce.

Michelle: (Shocked) Chayce!

Bradley and Chayce look at Michelle, then start to laugh.

Bradley: My teeth!

Bradley punches Chayce in the shoulder.

Shut up!

Bradley laughs even harder.

You’re funny!

Michelle takes a deep breath.

Bradley and Chayce clutch their stomachs.

Bradley: You’re the kid with yellow teeth, Chayce!

Chayce laughs.

Chayce: Shut up!

Bradley: You shut up, yellow tooth.

Hey, are your teeth cold? Then why are they wearing sweaters?

Michelle rolls her eyes.

The streetcar comes. 

____

Aurora Stewart de Peña is half of the theatre company Birdtown & Swanville (the other half is Nika Mistruzzi). You can follow her on Twitter at @Aurorahhh.

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