Obra

Cast of Characters
PEGGY: A teen who has found herself on a mission after her death.
GABRIELLA: The guide upon the stairway to heaven.
ALICE: Manager of a 50’s diner.
KATE: Shy teen who is in love with RICK.
DAVID: A mysterious man who offers to help PEGGY in her mission.
RICK: A teen who has lost his girlfriend in a car accident.
HEATHER: An obnoxious teen who continually picks on KATE.Heather’s friends – one or more girls play Heather’s friend but don’t have any lines.
Time and Place
Early 1950’s at a diner.
[Note: Music is used throughout the show. The play can be done with recorded music or more ambitious productions can be done with live music and actors singing the songs. Depending on your type of production, please observe copyright restrictions when using songs](MUSIC: “Last Kiss” by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers. Music slowly fades as cars racing are heard. Honking is heard and then a crash. Screams. Music builds and then fades)
(Lights come up on PEGGY, a young teenage girl who is in white, sparkling robes. She is standing before a white, sparkling staircase leading to a passage through a cloudy background. GABRIELLA, a woman in white steps forwardfrom the passage and is at the top of the stairs. Her clothing looks similar to PEGGY but GABRIELLA has wings)

GABRIELLA: I see you’ve arrived. I almost thought you weren't going to make it. Modern medicine certainly creates a lot of uncertainty in my work these days.
PEGGY: Where am I?
GABRIELLA: You’re climbing the stairway to heaven.
PEGGY:You mean that…
GABRIELLA: You’ve crossed over…PEGGY: I’m dead?
GABRIELLA: You could say that.
PEGGY: But what happened? I don’t remember… anything.
GABRIELLA: Souls are made to forget the pain and sorrows of life, especially the end. It’s better that way.
PEGGY: But I remember so little about my life. I remember that my name is Peggy and that I like vanilla ice cream…
(Pauses and struggles to remember. GABRIELLA comes down thestairs)
GABRIELLA: Your memories are selected carefully. Too many earthly memories really mess with eternal bliss.
PEGGY: But it seems like I’m forgetting something. I hate that feeling. You know, like you know you have to do something but you can’t remember what and you know you’ll get in big trouble if you don’t do it…
GABRIELLA: Peace, Peggy dear. There’s nothing to worry about now.
PEGGY:I suppose not...
(Something still seems to bother her)
GABRIELLA (Studying PEGGY) I see what they mean…
PEGGY: What who mean?
GABRIELLA: I was sent to help guide you.
PEGGY: Guide me? Into heaven? (Points to stairs) The way looks pretty clear.
GABRIELLA: It appears so, but nothing is ever as simple as it seems.
(Motions to stairs)
Perhaps I should illustrate.Try going up the stairs.
PEGGY: (Looks at GABRIELLA funny, shrugs, and heads to stairs. PEGGY stops at the bottom step and can’t seem to go any further)
I want to… but can’t.
GABRIELLA: You’re not ready yet.
PEGGY: That doesn’t mean that I’m going to… you know where…
GABRIELLA (Smiles)
Fortunately, no. You lived a good life and have few blotches on your record. You shouldn’t fear goinganywhere but heaven. But…
(Pauses)
…there’s always a “but” isn’t there?
(PEGGY looks worried)
You will need to earn your wings.
PEGGY : Earn my wings?
GABRIELLA: You can’t enter heaven without wings. So each soul must earn them. Now some people earn them in life with good works and good deeds… Mother Teresa for example. Her soul had the most amazing wings when she arrived…
PEGGY:So I didn’t do anything good in my life?
GABRIELLA: You were a good person or you wouldn’t be here. But wingless souls are often wingless for a reason. Even good people make mistakes in life. So good people are given a chance to earn their wings despite problems in life.
PEGGY: Sounds fair. I only wish I knew I knew what I’d done.
GABRIELLA:It’s better not to know anything about your past...