Audition Central: Fame The Musical JR.

Script: Miss Esther Sherman

SIDE 1

MS. BELL

Good. Very good. You ve got the choreography, now let s talk about the quality of movement. It should be lyrical but strong, like fire and ice.

(MISS SHERMAN enters.)

Hello, Esther, what brings you to the fourth floor?
 

MISS SHERMAN

I understand you ve chosen to feature Iris and Tyrone in next year s Junior Festival.
 

MS. BELL

They earned it.
 

MISS SHERMAN

Unfortunately, Tyrone won t be able to participate.
 

TYRONE

Say what?
 

MISS SHERMAN

I m sorry Tyrone, you failed Sophomore English.
 

TYRONE

You flunked me?! But I did all the work. I even handed in my term paper on time.
 

MISS SHERMAN

Unfortunately, it bore a remarkable similarity to Iris s.
 

TYRONE

Wait a minute. Are you accusin me of cheatin ?
 

IRIS

Tyrone and I study together. So what if the papers are similar?
 

MISS SHERMAN

They weren t similar, they were identical.
 

MS. BELL

Then why not accuse Iris?
 

MISS SHERMAN

Because she s a straight A student.

(to TYRONE)
Let s be honest. Iris has been carrying you in your academic subjects for the entire year.
 

TYRONE

Nobody carries me. I do my own work, in my own way.
 

MISS SHERMAN

You may think you do, but your reading is substandard. You couldn t possibly have written that paper.
 

TYRONE

Hey, forget this noise. I didn t wanna be in no festival anyway.

(TYRONE exits. IRIS follows him out.)
 

MS. BELL

Tyrone, wait. Wait!

(MS. BELL turns back to MISS SHERMAN.)

You re not being fair, Esther. Tyrone works hard in my class. He s motivated in my class. This young man has the potential to be a true artist.
 

MISS SHERMAN

A true artist that can hardly read? Let Tyrone pass his academic subjects  then we ll talk about his future in the arts.
 

MS. BELL

No! We ll talk about it now!
 

SIDE 2

MISS SHERMAN

All right, class, let s come to order.

(The STUDENTS take their seats except LAMBCHOPS, who continues yakking.)

Well, Grace, since you re already up, let s hear your summary of Death of a Salesman.
 

LAMBCHOPS

(taking chewing gum out of her mouth and sticking it behind her ear)
So, Willy Loman  he s a traveling salesman and he s havin a nervous breakdown. I guess what he s sellin ain t sellin ! See, he had these big dreams for his two sons, Biff and Happy. But, trust me, nobody s happy in this play. Oh, yeah, he croaks at the end. It was real sad. No really. It drained my eyeballs.

MISS SHERMAN

Not bad, Grace. A little rough around the edges.

SIDE 3

MISS SHERMAN

Tyrone! What was Mr. Miller s point?
 

TYRONE

(still paging through the comic book)

You know Miss Sherman, I didn t really relate to that play. See, it s all about failure, and I m all about success.

MISS SHERMAN

(taking the comic book away)

Superman belongs on Krypton, not in school!

TYRONE

Hey, don t be dissin the  The Man of Steel. He s a role model I can relate to.

MISS SHERMAN

Oh, really? In that case, why don t you read it to us? Out loud.

TYRONE

I can t. I left my reading glasses at home.

MISS SHERMAN

Give it up, Tyrone. Your vision is 20-20 and you know it.

(After a long pause, she holds out the comic book.)

We re waiting!!

TYRONE

You tryin to make me look stupid in front of the whole class?

MISS SHERMAN

No, you aren t stupid. But you do need help.

(Pause. MISS SHERMAN realizes she might have gone too far.)

Everyone, that s all for today. Class dismissed.

(All the STUDENTS start to exit, including TYRONE.)

Tyrone, wait.

(TYRONE stops. They are alone in the classroom.)

I am so sorry.

(beat)
Can you read at all?

TYRONE

A couple of words here and there. But mostly the letters look jumbled. They just don t make sense.

MISS SHERMAN

Tyrone, I think you may have a reading disorder. It s called dyslexia.

TYRONE

You mean there s something wrong in my head?

MISS SHERMAN

A small glitch in the system. But with effort, you can overcome it.

TYRONE

Uh, uh. I ain t goin to no readin class for dummies.

MISS SHERMAN

Then I ll work with you myself. Every day, after school.

TYRONE

Not me. No way.

(TYRONE exits.)

MISS SHERMAN

Please, Tyrone, don t give up on yourself.