Title: The workshop
by Laura from Buckinghamshire | in writing, fiction
A large hall echoes with the voices of a group of young people between the ages of 15 and 21. There are two long queues stretching along each wall, a desk sitting at the front of each, both manned by middle aged men with clipboards. Malissa stands at the front of one queue. She is short and skinny with shoulder length dark brown hair. Behind her stands Josh, a tall lanky boy whose jeans are ripped at the knees, he stares at the back of Malissa's head as if trying to read her thoughts. His t-shirt reads, 'I wear a hoodie because I am cold, not because I want to 'knife' you.' Behind him stands a boy of 17 wearing a hoodie. He rifles through a bag and produces a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. He lights a cigarette and begins to smoke. The administrator at the front of his queue shouts in anger.
Administrator: Stop!
Everyone on stage freezes apart from the boy behind Josh who simply carries on smoking. The administrator stands up and storms towards the smoking boy.
Administrator: No smoking. No alcohol. No drugs. And no hoodies!
The administrator seizes the boy and drags him to side of stage and throws him out. The two queues unfreeze and look around uncomfortably; many people hastily pull off their own hoodies. The administrator sits down at his desk again, turning to the other man.
Administrator: I doubt that'll be the last to blow their chance.
He turns towards Malissa who promptly steps forwards, smiling nervously; she speaks in a quiet, polite voice whilst the Administrator is blunt and matter of fact.
Administrator: Name?
Malissa: Malissa Raley.
A: Age?
M: 16, was this'
A: Subject?
M: Oh ' Acting.
(He points across the hall silently.)
M: Thank'
A: Next!
Malissa looks around nervously before picking up her bag and setting off across the hall. Josh steps forward. He is smiling sarcastically and speaks in a voice mocking the clipped business tone of the administrator.
Administrator: Name?
Josh: Josh Cook.
A: Age?
J: 17.
A: Subject?
J: Art.
A: Art'(to himself) Never anything useful.
He points across the hall again. Josh looks around, sees Malissa and runs after her. He falls into place with her and she smiles uncomfortably at him.
J: Well he was rude.
M: What? Oh' was he?' I 'spose it is busy so....
J: So why be polite to the hoodies?
M: (Confused) Who'
J: (Laughing) Sorry, ignore me, (in his administrator voice) so what's your chosen 'subject?'
M: (laughing nervously) Acting, you?
J: Art. (Pause) We've got something in common then.
M: We do?
J: Yeah, we're both screwed.
Pause
M: I guess we are.
Josh pauses by a door with a large 'Art' sign.
J: Good luck in (theatrical voice) 'Acting.' See you at lunch.
He grins and walks through the door leaving Malissa looking bewildered in the corridor. She smiles slightly and walks away.
A group of ambitious young people attend an extra-curriculum workshop which will help them further their ambitions. Included in the large group is shy but polite Malissa, a wannabe actress, and sarcastic but brave art student Josh. When the administrator, the adult supervisor, displays his contempt for the students and even throws one of them out without a warning, these two characters meet and discuss their low chances of success. This piece draws on the stereotypical view of the ¿hoodie¿ culture/ youth of today, whilst turning this, often unfair, problem on its head by showing the attitude with which many ¿grown-ups¿ can have towards young people thanks entirely to this stereotype and the media hype which it creates.
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