Ryan D. Hartley
WATSON: A CASTAWAY HOMMAGE
© The Hartley Space
A 24-hour play script. All rights reserved to Ryan D. Hartley. Permission
must be granted from Ryan D. Hartley to use any content in this piece.
Credits:
Ryan D. Hartley
AA Theatre Arts/ AA Liberal Arts ‘23
BA Theatre : Acting / Minor Dance ‘26
3515 Willow Hills Cricle,
Reno, NV 89512
rhartley676@gmail.com
theryanhartley.myportfolio.com
(715) 864-4122
SYNOPSIS
This play follows the existence of Tara, who we find on a
deserted island. She has been surviving on this island for
the past 17 months with her best friend, Watson: a
beachball who helps Tara keep her sanity and will to live.
Her habitual lifestyle is soon rocked when she meets
Desmund: a wanderer on the island, unsure of where he is
or how he got to the island. Soon after, they encounter a
selfish woman named Gina who finds a way off the island
for the trio using the magic of a chest that has washed up
on shore… but at what cost?
CHARACTERS
Tara
Desmund
Gina
Director
SETTING
A Deserted Island.
REQUIREMENTS
Prop: A Beach Ball
Line: “I swear to god if he/she/they show up
shirtless.”
DIRECTOR’S INTRODUCTION
ACT I SCENE I - WATSON AND TARA
ACT I SCENE II - DESMUND
ACT I SCENE III - GINA & THE BOX
ACT I SCENE V - WATSON
DIRECTOR’S INTRODUCTION
ENTER DIRECTOR
Lights Up On A Bare Setting
DIRECTOR
Welcome everyone, thank you for joining us all here,
tonight. I am (Director’s Name). We are here to mourn and
celebrate the memory of a great and iconic woman, Tara.
Although, we do not have the body with us here, we hope
that her essence still lingers. If you brought water, please
help yourself to it during the show. If you brought snacks,
don’t eat it in here. Thank you.
ACT I SCENE I - WATSON AND TARA
A DESERTED ISLAND, WAVES REVEAL TARA WASHING
UP ON THE SHORE. A FISH IS FOUND NEXT TO HER AND
THE SHORE IS LITTERED WITH A FEW RANDOM ITEMS
ALONG WITH A POT, A CHEST, A BABY DOLL AND A
BEACH BALL: PAINTED WITH A FACE ON IT.
TARA STARTS TO WAKE UP
TARA
Watson, Watson, Watson! I caught it! I caught a fish! Well, I
found a fish, but same-difference right? Tonight we feast like
lions, like kings, like lion kings! We can even have Luis and
Bennet join us! I swear to god, if they show up shirtless. Exactly! Like cover your nipples! Hahahahahahhahah
ahhaha. Oh what would I do without you Watson. You are
such a gossip, Bennet would never do that to Coy with his
guitar! You are so funny Watson, isn’t he such a hoot Luis?
Oh my lord! Luis and Bennet are here already! Glad to see
you two are clothed! Oh, you all just sit right there with
Watson, I’ll go put the fish in the pot to marinade and gather
some sticks!
EXIT TARA
ACT I SCENE II - DESMUND
ENTER DESMUND
DESMUND
Hello! Can anyone hear me! Hello! Where the hell am I?
ENTER TARA
TARA
Ah! Who the hell are you? Watson, Luis, Bennet, don’t be
scared I’ll protect you!
DESMUND
Who am I? Who are you?
TARA
I know who you are! You’re an island burglar!Take this island burglar!
DESMUND
Stop! Peace! Stop! I surrender!
TARA
Oh my god! You speak English!
DESMUND
Yes! I have been speaking English!
TARA
I’m so sorry, I have just never encountered anyone on this
island before.
DESMUND
How long have you been here?
TARA
17 months.
DESMUND
You can’t be serious? Where even are we? How did you get
here?
TARA
I just woke up here one day. And I don’t know, some island
in the middle of nowhere. Population: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. We
decided to name in Neno, Revada.
DESMUND
What the hell even is that?
TARA
How long have you been here?
DESMUND
A day or two? I don’t know, I just woke up in the middle of
the forest there, running for my life!
TARA
Running for your life? From what?
DESMUND
I don’t know I just started hearing some scary ass music
around sunset each day. If I learned anything from scary
movies, the rules are to one: get the hell out of there. Two:
the camera man never dies and three, if you’re not the
camera man, don’t investigate shit!
LIGHTS START TO DIM INTO A SUNSET. MUSIC STARTS
TO PLAY (INSTRUMENTAL FROM “MEET THE PLASTICS”)
ACT I SCENE III - GINA & THE BOX
TARA
Woah, where is that music coming from?
DESMUND
Don’t look, close your eyes! That’s the scary music, I’ve been
running from.
TARA
I’ve been here 17 months and i’ve never heard this come.
DESMUND
Listen to my instruction, lets find a place to hide.
TARA
Look around you moron, there’s nowhere but the tide!
DESMUND
What about that box? Let’s go!
TARA
What about it? It has always been there. It’s locked, it
doesn’t open.
DESMUND
Then, lets break it open.
TARA
I man, I break things.
ENTER GINA
GINA
My name is Gina Jorts. And I am a massive deal. Hear me,
run free. Watch and worship me. But please, please stay
still. I’ve been searching around, for that big chest downthere. You don’t know, but that chest is magic. Listen, if you
want something, the box will grant you that one thing
My name is Gina Jorts. And I am a massive deal. I don’t care
who you are, but that chest, it, is, mine!
TARA
Holy shit, two people in one day. Watson, were now
population 7.
DESMUND
I don’t even understand what’s going on right now.
MUSIC FADES OUT
GINA
Give me that chest Urchins!
TARA
URCHENS? My name is Tara, knockoff Barbie!
DESMUND
And I’m Desmund, Ladies, let’s not fight.
TARA AND GINA
Yikes.
TARA
Alright Barbie, tell us who you are.
GINA
My name is Gina Jorts, next in line to inherit Juniper’s
Gigantic Jort Joint Venture. That chest is mine.
TARA
No it’s not.
DESMUND
Why do you want it so bad?
GINA
Legend says that chest will grant you any object you want.
DESMUND
Bullshit, if that’s what you think, then I want a toilet plunger.
GINA
Go check the box.
DESMUND OPENS THE CHEST AND FINDS A TOILET
PLUNGER.
DESMUND
A coincidence. Okay, I want a gnome with bats on its hat
that is holding a smiling pumpkin in the left hand and a frog
with a witches hat in the right hand.
GINA
Go. Check. The box. Urchin.
DESMUND
Ho. Ly. Shit.
DESMUND OPENS THE CHEST AND FINDS A GNOME
WITH BATS ON ITS HAT THAT IS HOLDING A SMILING
PUMPKIN IN THE LEFT HAND AND A FROG WITH A
WITCHES HAT IN THE RIGHT HAND.
ACT I SCENE V - WATSON
TARA
It’s getting dark, I forgot my fish is marinading!
EXIT TARA
GINA
Alright, my turn with the chest.
DESMUND
What are you going to wish for?
GINA
A ride out of here, obviously. I want a ride off this island.
GINA OPENS THE CHEST AND FINDS AN UNEXPECTED
MAGICAL RIDE OFF THE ISLAND.
GINA
What is this? It has a note, “To leave this island, one must
sacrifice an object of great importance.”
DESMUND
Where are we going to find one of those?
GINA
Eeny, meeny, miny, moe. I’ve seen that Tara girl treat this
thing like her best friend. Shame.
DESMUND
Wait!
GINA POPS WATSON. A SOUND IS MADE INDICATING
THE RIDE OFF THE ISLAND IS WORKING.
GINA
Alright, time to go.
ENTER TARA
TARA
Wait, where are you going?
DESMUND
Gina found a way off the Island. We can leave this place
Tara, come with us. We can find others. Please, come?
TARA
But… how-?
GINA
I’m leaving.
DESMUND
Wait!
TARA
Ill come!
GINA
Yay. It’s settled, lets go.
TARA
Wait, Watson? Watson? Watson, where are you? Watson?
GINA
I’m leaving.
EXIT GINA
TARA
No, I can’t leave without Watson. Watson? Watson!
DESMUND
We have to go. Tara. We have to go.
DAHLIA
Watson, Watson I’m sorry. I cant… Watson! Watson!
EXIT TARA AND DESMUND
LIGHTS OUT ON A DEFLATED WATSON.
