Define Normal

Scene 1
Scientists 1+2 are mixing chemicals
Scientist #1: I believe we're finished with the first stage of the experiment. If this chemical is
successful, we'll have our perfect, unvarying individual.
Scientist #2: What exactly is the "unvarying individual?"
Scientist #1: Simply put, they're perfectly normal. You see here? Gestures hand and Ms. Smith,
Samantha, Mary, Emma, Joe, and Bob walk onto stage. These people are the most normal
humans ever known. They'll work brilliantly in the experiment.
Scientist #2: Hmm. I think my vision of "normal" would be slightly different, but we'll see how
this works out.

Scene 2
(video on screen begins, Alex is in the audience)
Commander: Lieutenant Alexander Murphy, as you know we have been conducting a top-secret
experiment on the effects of the chemical XC-90, code name absurdity, attempting cranial
conformity.
Aide: We want to make everyone the same. It will make everyone much more tolerant and...
Commander: And it will be great for marketing! Your mission, Lieutenant Alexander, is to
observe the experiments and gage their reaction on an unaffected subject. The fate of the world
depends on your success.
Aide: Dont you say that to everyone?
Commander: Be quiet! Good luck, Lieutenant Alexander. Were counting on you.
(screen fades to black)
Alex: Pompous old cow! What does he know about going into the field? Ill show them that I am
capable of being a secret agent.
(lights fade to black)
Alex: At least, Ill try to.

Scene 3
(in a school, school bell rings)
Mary: GMO, did you see the unreality v.t. show last morning?
Samantha: Of course I did. I also watched the ball-basket game.
Joe: You girls are so weird. I watched the oldest episode of Ugly Big Truth-Tellers.
Ms. Smith: Students, please try to be louder when you enter the classroom. Now please stand up
in your seats. This is Alex, a new student who will be leaving us.
(Alex starts to leave)
Ms. Smith: Alex, where are you going?
Alex: I was just leaving like you said...
(Samantha snickers)
Ms. Smith: Go stand in your seat, I am about to end the lesson.
(Alex stumbles to his seat and hesitantly stands in it)
Ms. Smith: Okay students, you know what to do. Get out your cameras and start taking pictures.
(students take out cameras and start taking selfies, Alex takes out his camera and starts taking
pictures)
Samantha: What are you doing?
Alex: Taking pictures.
Samantha: Not like that, Alex.
(class laughs)
Ms. Smith: Whats going on here? (sees Alex) Oh Alex, the camera goes this way. (Turns
camera around and walks away)
(class continues taking pictures, Samantha throws a piece of paper at Alex, class gasps)
Ms. Smith: Dont pay attention to your work!

Scene 4
Alex: These people are crazy. How could the government do this to people; trapping them in
here, making them go crazy, not even connecting them to Instagram.
Samantha: Look, Alex is talking to himself.
Emma: Hes so weird!
Alex: Im not weird, youre weird! You are all under the influence of XC-90 (code name
absurdity).
Bob: What is he talking about?
Samantha: Dont listen to him, its just crazy boy talking crazy. (Posse laughs, all walk away
with Samantha)
Alex: (calling after) Youre crazy!

Scene 5
Alex: June 4, 3020. Official Report of Agent Alexander Murphy on his mission to observe the
subjects of experiment XC-90, code name Absurdity, where no normal man has gone before. The
hypothesis of Doctor Schneider has been tentatively confirmed. The drug is causing confusion
and backwardness in their speech and thought patterns. One odd side effect has been observed
the people here would appear to be unusually aggressive, reacting negatively towards things
which they perceive to be different. I may even venture to say that
Samantha: Look at jock boy with his computer! So weird.
Alex: Weird. Odd choice of words
Samantha: Whatever crazy boy
Lights dim, Alexs shoulder slump

Scene 6
(Sphere sculpting class, Ms. Smith goes arounding inspecting)
Ms. Smith: (to Mary) I still see a corner on that one. (to Joe) My goodness! Thats almost egg-
shaped! (to Emma) That looks like a disfigured cube. (to Bob) What is that? Its flat! (to
Samantha) Perfect! (to Alex) Is that a snowman? (class laughs, Samantha smirks, Ms. Smith
sighs) Well work on that next time. Okay class, clean up! (class cleans up and leaves, into the
hallway)
Samantha: Good job in sphere sculpting class. Do you even know what a sphere is?
Alex: A sphere is a perfectly round geometrical object.
Samantha: So you do know what a sphere is. Thats funny because you cant even sculpt one.
Alex: Its not my fault, we never had these kinds of classes. What about math, history, english?
Samantha: Why do you need an english class? Cant you already speak english? Youre full of
jiggery-pokery.
Alex: What?
Samantha: And they dont even teach you anything
Alex: I know more than you! You spend all your time learning useless skills like selfie-taking
and sphere sculpting, while I learned how to use big words like transcendentalism.
Samantha: Is that an insult?
Alex: No, but this is, loquacious periwig.
(Samantha almost punches Alex, everyone freezes except for Alex who backs away slowly)
Alex: Whats happening? Is this another side effect of XC-90 (code name absurdity).
(everyone unfreezes, Alex slowly grabs Samanthas fist and pushes it away)
Bob: He stood up to her!
(Mary, Emma, Bob, and Joe clap and cheer, Samantha walks away in disgust)
(lights dim)

Scene 7
Aide: He seems to be getting a lot done.
Commander: Idiot! How can he get things done if people like him? Hes going to reveal to
them that they are inside a government facility.
Aide: So lets extract him.
Commander: No, I have worked too long and too hard on this project to give up now. We just
need to turn everyone against him.
Aide: Okay, we could spread rumors that he..
Commander: No! Lets just kill someone and blame it on him.
Aide: You mean fake someones death, right?
Commander: Of course not! We have to actually kill them to make it believable. How about
that Samantha girl? They would believe Alex wanted to kill her.
Aide: I guess how are you going to kill her?
Commander: Thats the best part. Youll do it!

Scene 8
Samantha is walking, Aide sneaks up from behind with a knife and keeps trying to stab
Samantha, Alex arrives, takes the knife from aide, Samantha turns around
Samantha: Alex, who is that?
Alex: Um (aide flees), well Im not sure how to say this
(Ms. Smith, Mary, Emma, Bob, and Joe enter)
Joe: Samantha, whats going on?
Mary: Why does Alex have a knife?
Samantha: (out of breath) Some crazy guy with a knife tried to kill me!
Bob: I bet it was an alien!
Alex: You guys believe in aliens? Thats not normal.
Emma: Youre one to talk! You are the least normal person ever to come to Nwot.
Alex: I think my normal and your normal are very different.
Mary: How can there be more than one kind of normal?
Alex: Normal is just a standard that holds us back from being who we truly are. Look at you
guys. Each one of you is different from each other.
Joe: But youre different than we are.
Alex: Thats because Im not from here.
Bob: Hes an alien!
Alex: Im not an alien! I was sent in here by the government to come and keep an eye on their
experiment. The man with the knife is from the government too.
Emma: So youre with the man who tried to kill Samantha?
Alex: No! I mean, I was, but what they are doing to you, keeping you trapped in here under the
influence of XC-90 (code name absurdity), is wrong! We have to break out!
Joe: What? How do we do that??
Alex: All we have to do is get inside the school. There is a hidden entrance there that we can use
to escape. We better bring something to protect ourselves with, because I dont know who will
be waiting on the other side. The government wont let us leave without putting up a fight.
Mary: How can we trust you?
Alex: Im trying to help. I did just save her life, you know. Gestures toward Samantha
Samantha: I am with Alex on this one. We can trust him.
Alex: Are you with me?
Mary: Wait, you want us to take your word that we're being imprisoned and that we should
break out of this prison that we didn't know existed until 5 minutes ago with nothing but rulers
and faith?
Pause
Emma: That sounds way too normal for you. I'm in!
Joe: Same here!
Bob: Me too!
Mary: Okay!
Everyone grabs some sticks/rulers, sneaks to the school, goes through a door, DRAMATIC
MUSIC