Act 1, Scene 2: The Queen of the Snow


INTRO

Anchor: "Welcome to BBC International Business News. German, Austrian and Swiss institutions have announced today that they will no longer provide financing for the reservoir dam at the Jabal Abu Nahla in the poorest province of the emirate Dawlat Al Nimr. The dam project is part of the government’s plan to boost economic prosperity in Ash-Maqwa, the country’s less-developed southeastern region."

Anchor: "The financial institutions announced they were withholding their financing because the government had failed to fulfill more than 100 conditions involving environmental and humanitarian concerns until May 2009."

Anchor: "The amount proposed by the three agencies is crucial for the resettlement of up to 80,000 people to a new city, which is yet to be built. The agencies had been offering 300 million dollars each, out of a total project cost of 1.2 billion dollars. Mohammed Abdel Salam, technical supervisor commented that …"

Mohammed Abdel Salam: "… if the government decides to go ahead with the project alone, some cultural and environmental aspects might be neglected, but on the other hand, there are certainly benefits to this project that nobody can deny."

Anchor: "Defying local fears and environmental protests, Adham ibn Sayyid, the principal of Ash-Maqwa, announced the government’s plans to resume construction."

Adham: "We are waiting for export credit agencies to lift the suspension. We would like to start construction as soon as possible. We have the power and money to build the dam."

Anchor: "Michael Tomasello, BBC Business News."


MAIN DIALOGUE

%AMB% 02 - Outside in the Park

%HND% Curtain open

%LIG% Main light on (blue 100%, white 100%)

%LIG% Hazer on

%SND% 0201 - Jingle Bells

%ACT% Lori is wearing 15 scarfs and a bobble hat

%ACT% Lori enters from [7], humming a happy song, rolling a small snowball in front of her

%HND% Roll Loris snow ball

%SND% 0202 - Snowball Roll 1

Lori (sings to herself): "Dashing through the snow"
Lori (sings to herself): "In a one horse open sleigh"
Lori (sings to herself): "Overfields we go"
Lori (sings to herself): "Laughing all the way"
Lori (sings to herself): "Bells on bob tails ring"
Lori (sings to herself): "Making spirits bright"

%ACT% Lori stops in the middle of the stage [2-3]

Lori: "A-ha! Poke, Mika, Lionel! Come on! I've found the perfect place to build our snowman!"

%ACT% Lionel enters from [7], rolling a bigger snowball in front of him

%SND% 0203 - Snowball Roll 2

%HND% Roll Lionels snow ball

%ACT% Lionel is shaking and shivering visibly and audibly "bb..b.b..b..b.b"

Lionel: "o-o-o-kay, W-w-w-whatever you say Lori …"

Lori: "What is it Lionel? Don't you like the place I picked?"

Lionel: "N-n-o n-n-o, the p-p-p-lace is p-p-p-p-erfect! It's just so freezing cold that I can't feel my paws any more! Lions are desert creatures! I hate snow!"

%ACT% Mika comes bouncing in happily from [7], without a snow ball.

Mika: "Snow! Snow! Snow! Wheeeee! Lionel! This is so beautiful! Snow everywhere! I love the snow!"

%ACT% Mika jumps into a pile of snow [5-6], which goes *poof* spraying everyone with snowflakes

%SND% 0204 - Poof 1

%ACT% Mika continues bouncing around

%ACT% Mika smooches Lionel.

%SND% 0205 - Freeze!

Lionel: "GAAAAH! Cold! Coldcoldcold!"

Mika: "Wheeeee!"

%ACT% Mika jumps into a pile of snow [2-3], which goes *poof* spraying everyone with snowflakes, then continues bouncing around

%SND% 0206 - Poof 2

Mika: "Snow! Snow! Snow!"

%ACT% Mika continues to bounce around and disappears to [1].

%ACT% Poke appears from [7] with an even bigger snowball, groaning because of its weight.

%HND% Roll Pokes snow ball

%SND% 0207 - Snowball Roll 3

Lionel (to himself): "If I had known that I was getting myself into when I decided to go with a snow leopard …"

Poke: "Lionel! Lori! Look here! Mine is bigger than yours!"

%ACT% Lori disgruntledly looks at her little snowball.

Lori: "Oh, Poke that is so typical! You are such a show-off!"

Poke: "No, I'm not. It's natural that ferrets have the biggest balls of them all!"

Lori: "Site does NOT matter!"

Poke: "Oh yes it does!"

Lori: "No it does NOT!"

Poke: "Yes it does!"

Lori: "NO IT DOES NOT!"

%SND% 0208 - Snowball Rrrrumble!

Mika: "Whhheeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

%ACT% A giant snowball with Mika embedded in it comes rolling in from [1]

%HND% Roll the Embedded-Mika-XXL snow ball

%ACT% Everybody flees from the giant Mika-snowball, the other snowballs getting crushed.

All: "AAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

%ACT% Mika-snowball disappears to [1]

%SND% 0208 (STOP)
%SND% 0209 - Ker-Poof!

%ACT% A cloud of snow flies onto the stage

Everybody (off stage) coughs and gasps

%ACT% Mika (off stage) laughs out loud

Mika (laughs): "Oh, take a look at yourselves … you're all looking like little snowmen now! Oh, come on. Why are you looking at me like that? Wait! What are you doing ? Hey! NO! Whaaahahahha!"

%ACT% Mika comes running back in from [7]

%SND% 0210 - Snowball Grenades

%ACT% A giant wave of snowballs comes flying after Mika, which she dodges while running to [3]

%ACT% Mika laughs

Mika: "Hahaha! Missed me! Missed me! Naa-naa-naa-naa-naaaaa-naaaa. I'm the queen of the snow! I'm invincible! Nobody can .."

%ACT% Poke appears from below, hitting Mika directly in the face with a snowball

%SND% 0211 - SPLOT!

Poke: "Headshot! Team Ferret wins!"

%ACT% (Lionel and Lori come back in, approaching Mika and Poke in the background)

%ACT% Mika spits snow.

Mika: "*COUGH*COUGH*COUGH*SPIT* Okay, you win. For now. But beware the wrath of the snow queen knows no mercy, and she WILL take revenge when you least expect it!"

Lionel: "Perhaps the snow queen would like to consider a ceise fire, and join the king of the savannah for a nice cup of hot chocolate …"

Mika: "Oh, can't we stay just a little bit longer? Playing in the snow is so much fun! And we're not even half done yet! "

Lionel: "Don't you ever get cold feet?"

Mika: "No."

Lionel: "I was afraid you were going to say this."

Lori: "Oh, Lionel, please, let us at least finish the snowman! I've been looking forward to this all week!"

%ACT% Mika takes out her cellphone looking at the display

%SND% 0212 - SMS Beep

%HND% Produce Mikas cell phone

Lionel: "*SIGH* All right … but let's work together this time, okay? Come on, Mika. Mika?"

%ACT% Mika looks up

Mika (puzzled): "Uh, what? Oh, just go ahead Lionel. I'm just checking my cellphone. It seems I missed a call, and someone left me a message. I'll be with you in a minute!"

Lori: "All right! Come on, Lionel, let's go!"

%ACT% Lionel sighs.

%ACT% Lionel, Poke and Lori start building the snowman together in the background in [5-6] while …

%ACT% IMPROVISED DIALOGUE between Poke and Lori until Lionel starts talking to Mika

%ACT% Mika checks her voice message, standing in [3]. (The audience can not hear the message)

%SND% 0213 - Suspense Music

%LIG% Keylight slowly on section 3 (Mica)

%ACT% Mika stares at her cellphone in shock, shaking (without anybody noticing for a few seconds.)

%ACT% Lionel walks over to Mika

%ACT% IMPROVISED DIALOGUE FADES/STOPS

Lionel: "Mika? Aren't you going to join us? What was that call about?"

Mika (weak, shaking): "Nothing. I'm just suddenly feeling very cold. I think I should go home."

%ACT% Mika turns away from Lionel, walking off towards [1]

Lionel: "Eh, what? Mika, wait! Just a minute ago you told me how great everything is, and now you want to go home all of a sudden? What's the matter with you? "

Mika (angry): "Lionel, which part of "I'm not feeling well" do I need to explain to you?"

Lori: "Mika! Come on, we need your help finishing the snowman!"

Mika: "Maybe you should stay here and finish the snowman with the others, I don't mind. But I need to go home now and …. and … get some rest."

Lionel (worried): "Okay … if you say so. But I'm really worried now."

Mika: "I'm fine. See you later."

%ACT% Mika storms off to [1], leaving a very stunned Lionel behind.

Poke: "Lionel, what are you waiting for? Spring? Come on, this thing doesn't get built by itself!"

Lionel: "All right, all right! I'm coming … let's get this over with …"

%ACT% Lionel turns around, and helps the others build the snowman.

%SND% 0213 (STOP)
%SND% 0214 - Ending
%AMB% 02 (STOP)

%LIG% Main light off /Keylight off

%HND% Curtain close