“Beneath”

by Patrick R. Burger, 1st Place, Short Play

Lights come up: a chair placed centre-stage.  In it sits a super-hero in a very creative costume.  There is another chair in darkness near the first chair; upon it we can just make out a woman, the Reporter.  Throughout, the lights remain out on her and she is only lit for the length of her lines.

Cosmic Man: Let’s face it – there’s an advantage to arrogance.  Not only does it 

help to get me out of mundane entanglements – so I can keep focussed on the cosmic dangers that threaten our planet – but it’s also a handy weapon when fighting supervillains. 

Reporter:  But don’t you worry that it’s harming the public’s perception of you?

Cosmic Man: I’m Cosmic Man – I have a sworn duty to defend this planet.  That’s my number one concern, not public relations.  

Lights down, then up on raised platform upstage left.  High school bathroom.  Cosmic Man as a High School Student (CMHSS) combs his hair, nervously looking around.  Alan and Sly enter.

Alan: You think you look cool, wimp?

CMHSS: (afraid but trying) No.

Sly: So what are you looking in the mirror for?  Going to see your boyfriend?

CMHSS tries to exit, but Alan blocks his way.

Alan: You didn’t answer my question.

CMHSS: What?  But I d– I have to get to class!

Alan slams him against the wall.

Alan: I said, wimp, do you think you look cool?

CMHSS: (Sly is holding him too) I don’t care if I look cool!  (CMHSS 

breaks through and Exits)

Alan: Good thing you don’t, because you look like a loser!

Sly: Yeah, you better run wimp!

Lights go down; a small energy surge from Cosmic Man’s body (done through lights and effects like goggles that light up and lightning bolts on the costume  glowing)

Cosmic Man:  I have never cared what people think of me.

Reporter: What was that just now – you were glowing?

Cosmic Man:  A power surge – it’s normal.  

Reporter: Well, that must make you popular at parties!

Cosmic Man: I don’t go to parties.  Beat.  No time – too busy saving the world, 

you know?

Lights go down, then up on raised platform upstage right.  A party.  CMHSS enters, awkwardly holding a beer.  

Alan:  There’s that fucking wimp!  Who let him come to this party?

Bobby: Look at him standing all alone like that.  You think he’s lonely?

Alan: Yeah, doesn’t the poor loser look lonely.  Let’s go keep him company.

They stand either side of CMHSS.

Alan: Is that your first beer, wimp?

CMHSS:  Aw, leave me alone, man!

Bobby: We thought you were lonely – we’re here to keep you company!

CMHSS moves, but Alan grabs him.

Alan: Did you pay the cover charge?

CMHSS: What cover charge?  There’s no – 

Bobby:  (Grabbing)  One beer – that’s the cover charge.

CMHSS:  Hey – that’s my beer!

Alan: You’re not old enough to drink beer, wimp.  Now beat it.

Bobby:  Yeah, or we’ll beat you!

CMHSS exits.  Alan and Bobby laugh.  Sly enters.

Sly: Hey, where’d you get the beer?  (They laugh again)

Lights go down.  Cosmic Man glows strongly. 

Reporter:  It’s happening again!  Are you okay?  What’s triggering that?  Is this 

dangerous?

Cosmic Man: Don’t worry – you’re in no danger.  My powers are completely under my control.

Reporter:  But then … what about Tokyo?

Cosmic Man: (Beat) That was the hardest battle of my life – you know that, 

everyone knows that.  I saved the city from those nuclear-powered mutant monsters!

Reporter: Some say you destroyed the city.

Cosmic Man: (glowing)  Who still says that?  That’s all been resolved!

Reporter: But you refused to surrender to Japanese authorities so they could 

conduct an investigation.

Cosmic Man: Cosmic Man does not surrender.  The people of Tokyo know who 

saved their city – and that’s good enough for me.

Lights down on Cosmic Man.  Dim lights up on raised platform upstage left where a savage beating is taking place.  There are flashes of light energy during the beating.  When the victim is silent we see a dark form standing.  

Energy crackles from Cosmic Man on his chair.  

Reporter:  Are you sure this is safe? (Beat)  Anyway, there are other unanswered questions about your career.

Cosmic Man: There are mysteries that the common run of humanity simply is not privy to, while I am, that’s true.

Reporter: You speak like you have a good education.  Would you care to say 

anything about your education?

Cosmic Man: No.

Reporter: Nothing that would reveal your secret i—

Cosmic Man: (bristling with power)  I said no.

Reporter: Well, there are unanswered questions stemming from your education.

 

Lights down, dim lights up on raised platform upstage right.  Another savage beating: two dark forms are being beaten by one, there are more cracklings of energy until the two lie silent.

Reporter: Or, to put it more precisely, serious allegations.  Do the names Alan 

Tiswell, Sylvester Ordmann, and Robert Brighton mean anything to you?

Cosmic Man: (glowing)  I take little notice of random common people.  (Beat) These are not the subjects I agreed to talk about!

Reporter: Over the past five years all three of these men – who all attended the 

same high school – were savagely beaten, within inches of their lives, and all have serious life-long injuries as a result.  

Cosmic Man: How unfortunate for them.

Reporter: Maybe some would say they got what was coming to them.  (Beat)  I 

have discovered that these three were the most feared bullies at Kingman High.  Cosmic Man, my viewers want to know, did you attend that high school?  Were you bullied by those three?  And did you get revenge once you got your super-powers? 

Cosmic Man: (ripping his mic off in a surge of power)  Don’t waste my time with 

the problems of worms who are beneath my notice!  We’re done here!

He storms stage right and leaps to take flight – the burst of power that propels him blows the Reporter off her chair – the lights remain on her as blood begins to seep from beneath her.  Curtain.

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