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HOW TO ORDER A READING COPY OF DAY ONE Order Day One at YouthPlays.com, the best new plays for schools, youth theatres, camps and more. Music by James Balmer and Mary Nelson, Developed at the Choate
Rosemary Hall Summer Arts Conservatory and written specifically
for teen actors. Stella, not knowing anyone, falls in with the "aspiring" crowd. Stanley, who’s been looking for a Stella for the longest time, drafts her into his and Jake's circle. The year is shaping up to be a great one, and the three of them make a pact to make the year last forever as they sing "This Place This Time." But while they want the year to last forever, for Skeeter, it can’t be over soon enough, and he sings how he wants out in "Muhammad Ali." Erika, wanting a toadie, suggests that he stick with her, and that she'll get him through during "The Solution is Clear." She hates this year too. If only there were a way to get it over with. And they’re not the only ones: Blaise, rumored to be dangerous and certainly as anti-social as they come, wants high school to be over just as badly. The mysterious THYME arrives, and as she sings "Fifteen Minutes," time seems to move backward. Jake, Stanley and Stella take note, though they're not sure what has happened. And that’s not the only new arrival: HELEN, Jake's old flame, is back from her mysterious disappearance, and it’s whispered that she's been practicing voodoo. As she sings "Melt Into Me," Jake seems ready to pick up where he left off—worshipping her. Blaise too has an interest in Jake, but she decides that it could never happen in "Out Past Infinity." As the act ends, Helen leads Jake, Stanley and Stella in magic rites to try to slow time, capturing Skeeter to be their "sacrifice" as they sing "Don't Let it Splatter." Meanwhile, Erika leads the wannabe group in a rally for underclass rights. Blaise is caught between the two groups, wanting time to move forward, but unable to stop being interested in Jake. As Act Two opens, Skeeter has survived to sing “Locker Room Blues,” and time hasn’t slowed one bit. The scene melts into the "Year Long Limbo," and before we know it, it's the last day of school. Erika and the wannabes are nearly there and liking their chances as they sing "New School Order." The final dance of the year is that night, and it's tradition that the seniors hand over the senior gavel just before the final dance of the evening. Jake and company grow desperate; their high school years are almost over. Helen suggests that they kidnap Thyme to stop the clock: "If Thyme can't move, then time can't move." As they sing "Lost Sheep," Jake and Stanley let themselves be persuaded to help, but Stella won't, and she and Stanley have a fight. Stella runs off. Jake and Stanley spirit Thyme away to an abandoned janitor's closet, while Helen finds Stella and tells her that she can do better than Stanley, encouraging Stella to sing "I Hate Stanley" after Helen exits. Meanwhile, a captive Thyme, alone with Jake, goes to work on him, playing on his doubts in "Sand." Jake flees, running into the Wannabes, who are eager to reel him in, singing "Come on, Jake." But just as Jake seems lost, Blaise appears, scaring off the Wannabes and declaring her love for him in "Sturdy and Strong." Helen, thwarted, sets her sights on Stanley, embelling Stella's anger in "I Hate Stanley" (reprise). Stanley wavers, but in the end, fights Helen's magic—he loves Stella too much. Stanley seeks out Stella, and "In a Heartbeat" begs for forgiveness. But it’s not until Stanley stops trying to be Brando's Stanley Kowalski—his real name is Hugo—that he wins her back. The seniors realize that they can’t stop time and let Thyme go, even if it means that the year will end. All proceed to the dance, ends up with the now-spunky Skeeter. As the cast dances and sings the "Finale," Jake hands over the senior gavel to Erika, and all prepare to move on to the new challenges and day ones that await them.
Read the opening of DAY ONE as a PDF file using the free Adobe Acrobat reader.
LISTEN TO DAY ONE! Just click on the titles below to hear MP3 demo recordings. (Be aware that these are big files.)
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"In a Heartbeat"