CAUTION: Professionals and amateurs are hereby warned that By the Time I’m Twenty is fully protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America and all other countries. All rights, including professional, amateur, motion picture, recitation, lecturing, public reading, radio and television broadcasting and translation into foreign languages are strictly reserved. Also, it may not be stored in any retrieval system. No performance for profit may be given without the written permission of the author and the payment of royalty. Anyone disregarding the author’s rights renders himself liable to prosecution. All inquiries should be addressed to Renaissance Entertainment Experience, P.O. Box 36060 Cincinnati, Ohio 45236. Phone: 1-313-638-9985

 

E-mail: willwithaway@yahoo.com.

Website: www.renaissanceentertainmentexp.com

 

This one act play is a work of fiction.

 

All photos contained in this book, copyright © 2009

 by Willie James Jones.

All rights reserved

 

Book cover executed by Wil Jones, Jr.

 

By the Time I’m Twenty

Copyright © 2009 by Willie James Jones

All rights Reserved

 

Library of Congress Control number:

2009908697

 

ISBN Number:  978-0-9822222-1-8

 

Manufactured in the United States of America

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

             

By the Time I’m Twenty was produced as a drama for television and aired in 2009 with the following cast.

(In order of Appearance)

 

 

Swanna……………………..Tamika Thomas

Lawrence………….……Isaiah A. McGivens

Mamma…………………..…….Renee Maria

Postal Worker………….…Robert Bragg, III

Winston………………………..Ghazi Suttles

L.C………………………….…..Tim Black

Dad…………………….Willie James Jones

    

Written, Produced & Directed by Willie James Jones

 

Co-Producer / Assistant Director: Gwen Gordon

 

Production Manager:                                   Costume / Make Up

     April Wilson                                                Supervision:

                                                                        Donny McFinley

                                                                

 

Cinematography:

David Pinkelton      Willie James Jones     Fred Berry      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Willie James Jones

 

NARRATOR: It is a promising time in life when many teenagers like Lawrence wonder what they will accomplish by the time they’re twenty. Will they finish high school?  Will they complete college and get a job? There was a point in Lawrence’s life when he asked these same questions. But in his attempt to make it big in the hood, he gets side tracked into a webb of trouble he thought he could get out of. Now he must ask himself the million dollar question.  (Pause) Will he make it to twenty? 

 

(As the curtain rises we hear rap music playing from the radio. Lawrence is sitting on the couch filling out a job application while his sister, Swanna, is sitting at the kitchen table studying for an exam at her high school. The telephone rings, but no one answers. Soon their mother enters with a bag of food and puts it on the table. She takes off her coat and answers the phone).

 

MAMMA: (Angrily) Don’t you two hear the phone ringing?  What kind of school work are you doing with the radio on, anyway? Lawrence! (Turns off the radio).

 

LAWRENCE: (Startled) Huh?

 

MAMMA: Swanna!

 

SWANNA: (Not looking up) Yes, Mamma? 

 

MAMMA: I said get the phone whenever you hear it ringing! (Picks up the phone receiver).

 

LAWRENCE / SWANNA: (Together) Yes ma’m.

 

MAMMA: Hello? These kids are sitting right by the phone, still won’t answer it. What is it, sweetheart? That car stopped again, Joe? (Pause) Won’t say anything, uh? (Sighs)

Yeah. But I was about to fix dinner. (Pause) Okay. (Hangs up the phone). Listen, kids. Your daddy’s car stopped on the way home from work again. I’ve got to go pick him up. Swanna? 

 

 

 

By The Time I’m Twenty

 

 

SWANNA: M’am?

 

MAMMA: Make you and your brother a sandwich until I get back with your daddy.

 

SWANNA: He’s big enough to make his own sandwich, Mamma.

 

LAWRENCE: You hear Mamma, girl!

 

SWANNA: Who you talking to?

 

MAMMA: Shut up, boy! You too, girl! You know Lawrence better have that application finished tonight so he can see Mr. Bennett in the morning about that cashier’s job.

 

SWANNA: Aw, when is he gonna do something for me, Mamma?

 

LAWRENCE: All right, I’ll clean your dirty room.

 

SWANNA: My room ain’t dirty. Plus, I don’t want you in there. You might steal something.

 

LAWRENCE: Okay, then how about if I do your home work for you?         

 

SWANNA: (Laughs) Boy, you’re only in the 9th grade. You can’t do 12th grade work.

 

 

 

 

 

Willie James Jones

 

LAWRENCE: So what? You ain’t all that, either.

 

SWANNA: I’m on the honor roll. (Snaps her finger)

 

MAMMA: Knock it off you two. The last time Lawrence fixed himself something he had the whole house smoking.

 

SWANNA: (Laughs) Oh, yeah? What did you burn, Lawrence?

 

LAWRENCE: Never mind.

 

SWANNA: Where was I Mamma?

 

MAMMA: You spent the night over to your cousin’s. (Pause) Lawrence, you make sure you clean this kitchen up when you two are done eating.

 

LAWRENCE: Yes, m’am.

 

MAMMA: Your daddy and I are also going to go talk to that real estate man tonight about closing the deal on that house we looked at last week.

 

SWANNA: (Excited) You mean that pretty house in Rosedale Park? (Playful) Ooh, let’s get that one Mamma. Please! Pretty please!

 

MAMMA: Stop acting silly, child. We’ll see.

 

LAWRENCE: Mamma, I’ve never worked in a restaurant before. (Looks at the application) What should I put down here for last place of employment?  

 

 

 

 

By The Time I’m Twenty

 

MAMMA: Didn’t you work with “Earn and Learn” last summer?

Put it down.

 

LAWRENCE: Okay. And I shoveled snow sometimes with Uncle Max during the winter after that.

 

MAMMA: Put it down, son. (Crosses to the door) I’m going to get your daddy now, so behave yourselves and don’t let anyone in here while I’m gone, understand?

 

SWANNA: Yes, m’am.

 

MAMMA: Lawrence? You heard what I said?

 

LAWRENCE: Yes, m’am.

 

MAMMA: By the way, I saw your little hoodlum friend, Winston, hanging around the neighborhood earlier. Call 911 if he comes near this house.

 

(Knock at the door)

 

LAWRENCE: (Sighs) On my friend?

 

MAMMA: (Irritated) Yeah, on your friend! He’s all over the news these days since the police started looking for him.

 

LAWRENCE: Okay, Mamma.

 

(Mamma opens the door. There is a postal worker with a package)

 

POSTAL WORKER: Good afternoon, m’am.

 

 

 

 

Willie James Jones

 

MAMMA: Hi. Mail running kind of late, isn’t it?  It’s 4:30.

 

POSTAL WORKER: Yeah. I have a package that needs to be signed by a Lawrence Robinson. (Shows her a slip of paper)

 

MAMMA: Lawrence? You need to sign for this package. What is it?

 

LAWRENCE: I don’t know, Mamma.

 

MAMMA: What do you mean, you don’t know? That’s your second package this month. (To postal worker) Where is the regular mail carrier?

 

POSTAL WORKER: Out sick, Miss.

 

MAMMA: Oh. Well, I hope he feels better soon.

 

POSTAL WORKER: Thanks. I’ll let him know. Good Afternoon. (Exits)

 

MAMMA: Bye. (To Lawrence) Open it. Let’s see what it is.

 

LAWRENCE: I will later, Mamma, when I finish this application.

 

MAMMA: You sure that’s for you? You don’t seem too curious.

 

LAWRENCE: (Sharply) I’m sure. My name is on it. See? (Holding it up)

 

MAMMA: (Snaps back) Don’t get smart with me, boy. It’s still got my last name on it. All right. I’m gone now. (Exits)

 

 

 

 

By The Time I’m Twenty

 

LAWRENCE/SWANNA: Bye, Mamma.

 

SWANNA: Lawrence, would you pass me that dictionary, please? (Pointing to the coffee table in front of him)

 

LAWRENCE: I’ll think about it. (After a couple of seconds he picks it up and crosses the room to give it to her. He tosses it on the table where she is sitting) Next time get it yourself.

 

(Swanna shows her displeasure with his rudeness).

 

  

BLACK OUT