Boy to His Dog
Florence Wilmington
1 Jerome is pacing in his bedroom. The bedroom walls are decorated with posters of famous soccer players, and a trophy case sits to the left of the bed. There is a desk with a chair directly across from the bed. A pile of books sits on the desk. A small window is behind the bed. Jerome’s Border Collie, Roscoe, sits on the bed and looks at Jerome. Roscoe’s head is cocked to one side as he listens to Jerome speak.
2JEROME: Roscoe, you’ve got it so easy. You don’t have to worry about driver’s education. Dogs don’t drive. I bet you’d like to, wouldn’t you, boy? Then you could drive over to the dog park whenever you wanted to. It’s no use though—your paws wouldn’t reach the pedals.
3(He makes an aggravated noise) It’s just so ridiculous. I know how to drive! The gas is on the right and the brake is on the left. Red means stop, green means go, and we both know what happens when you run through a yellow at the last minute. You were in the car with Dad and me when the police officer let him go with a warning. He was lucky that he didn’t get a ticket.
4I hope I don’t get assigned Mr. Hanlin for k-turn practice. I hope I get Ms. Frederick instead. She is so nice, isn’t she? (He scratches Roscoe’s ears) I saw you licking her face at Hannah’s soccer practice last week. You don’t think I notice these things, but I do.
5(He sits on the bed with Roscoe) Caroline was a no-show at driver’s education this morning. I wonder if she’s out sick. I hope it’s a temporary bug and she doesn’t miss the awards ceremony tomorrow. I’m a little nervous. I’m the only sophomore getting a letter in soccer. Do you think I should dress up a little, or wear something casual? Hannah always says that I look good in a tie. I don’t want to sound conceited, but this is a big deal. Dad was thrilled when I told him about it!
6(He rolls on his back and Roscoe lies beside him) Ah, I can’t wait until next year. I bet we will win the whole division. Losing Matt and Justin will hurt us a little. It won’t be too bad though. There are only two graduating seniors leaving this year. If Matt shows someone that slide tackle maneuver before he goes to college, we’ll be golden! Unstoppable!
7(He jumps up on the bed and Roscoe starts barking) Okay! Calm down, Roscoe! I’m supposed to be reading.
8(He goes to his desk and picks up a book) I just can’t comprehend Faulkner. (He reads slowly) “My mother is a horse. My mother is a fish.” What’s up with that?
9(Pop music comes through the window. Jerome and Roscoe look out the window) It’s Hannah. (He sighs) She’s listening to that awful boy band again. How can she stand it? It’s like listening to nails on a chalkboard. She played the entire CD on our last date.
10(He gets up) What do you say we go for a walk with Hannah? We’ll have just enough time to make it back for Mom’s chicken and salsa casserole. What do you say? (Roscoe barks and wags tail excitedly) That’s a good dog! Let’s go!
Question
Which BEST describes the experiences of reading this play and/or listening to an audiotape of a live performance of the play?
Responses
A A reader of the script of the play will probably ignore the stage directions.A reader of the script of the play will probably ignore the stage directions.
B One listening to an audiotape of a live performance will not have the benefit of stage directions.One listening to an audiotape of a live performance will not have the benefit of stage directions.
C A reader of the script of the play will not have the benefit of details about the dog or the setting.A reader of the script of the play will not have the benefit of details about the dog or the setting.
D One listening to an audiotape of a live performance will need to pay close attention to the stage directions.One listening to an audiotape of a live performance will need to pay close attention to the stage directions.