The Switch
Characters:
Bella………….Brown hair. Light skin. Teenager.




Christine……...Brown hair. Light skin. Teenager. Bella’s twin sister.
Director………Older man. Light grey hair.


Stacy…………Mid- twenties. Blonde hair.
Mom………… Late thirties. Light brown hair.

---Scene one: Bella and Christine’s bedroom ---
[Bella and Christine sleep on beds parallel from each other.]
[Bella wakes and sits up in bed.]
Bella: “Christine? Are you up?”
[Christine’s stirs a bit]
Bella: “Christine!”
Christine: “Wha...what?”
[Christine yawns]
Bella: “It’s my big day! I’m going to do the commercial for the safari clothing line!”
Christine: “…Oh, okay.”
[Christine replies sleepily]
[Bella’s face gets angry]
Bella: “Aren’t you excited for me?”
Christine: “Of course. I’m just… really tired. It’s Saturday.”

[Christine yawns again]
Bella: “Well, I can see that. Come on, get out of bed! I want to show you what they’re going to put me in to wear!”
[Christine sits up and stretches. She opens her eyes, with a shocked look in them]
Bella: “What?”
Christine: “Umm…Bella?”
Bella: “What? What’s wrong?”
Christine: “Your face!”
Bella: “…My face?”
Christine: “That’s what I said. Get a mirror!”
[Bella quickly grabs a small mirror from her nightstand]
Bella: “AHHHHH! What’s wrong with my face?! What did you do, Chrissy?”
Christine: “Me? It wasn’t me, honest!”
[Bella starts to hyperventilate.]
Bella: “What do I do?! I can’t go to set looking like a red crab! Christine, help!”
Christine: “What do you want me to do? All I can tell you is that you must have had an allergic reaction to something… maybe from that Asian restaurant last night.”
Bella: “Aww, you’re probably right. But, this is awful. I have been looking forward to this day. What can I do? [Thinking deeply] I might have a plan! Okay, so we’re twins, right? We could switch places! I’ll be you for the day, and you’ll be me! What do you think?”
Christine: “Are you crazy? We’ll get caught! I’m not even photogenic!”
Bella: “What? [looking amused]. Yes you are! And it’s worth the shot! Please, please, please? I don’t want to turn down this opportunity.”
Christine: “Awe, Bella?”
[Christine whines.]
[Bella gives Christine a puppy dog face.]
Christine: “Oh, you had to do the puppy dog face, didn’t you? Fine, I’ll do it. It might actually be fun.”
Bella: “Might?”
Christine: “Okay, I have to admit, I’m pretty pumped. I’ve never been on a “set” before. Pretend to be sick or something, so mom doesn’t think something’s up. Okay?”
Bella: “gotcha!”
End of scene one.

---Scene two: A studio---
[Both a man and woman are present. The room is small with a white backdrop and camera in front of it.]
[Christine enters dressed in Bella’s safari clothes, looking nervous.]
Christine: “Umm… hey…uh, how’s it going?”
[Christine asks awkwardly.]
Director: “Oh, hello Bella! How is our little star doing?”
Christine: “I, I’m fine.”
Director: “That’s wonderful! We’ve got a big day in front of us! Let’s get this show on the road, shall we?”
Christine: “Yeah, okay.”
[The director walks over to the video recorder and starts adjusting it.]
Director: “Okay, just stand over there and give me your best “I’m ready for adventure” pose.”
[The director points to the white backdrop that lies in front of the video camera.]
Christine: “Like this?”
[Christine poses in an awkward looking pose.]
Director: “Try loosening up a bit, just like rehearsal.”
[Christine Try’s again, looking better but not perfect.]
Director: “Maybe we should start with something else. Stacy, bring out the snake.”
Stacy: “You got it boss.”
[Stacy walks over to a crate and begins dissembling it.]
Christine: “A what?! Did you say snake?”
Director: “Of course. Come on, you love Leo!”
[Christine’s eyes look like they might pop out of her head]
[Stacy finishes opening the crate and pulls out an enormous red and black snake.]
Christine: “What are you doing with that?”
Stacy: “You’re going to pose with it! Why are you acting so strange? Are you okay?”
Director: “Stacy’s right, you are acting strange. Maybe this won’t work out.”
Christine: “No! I can do it!”
Stacy: “Okay.”
[Stacy hands Christine the snake.]
Christine: “N-nice snake.”
[Christine’s face begins to relax a bit]
Director: “Good, nice.”
[Christine smiles and the director snaps a few shots]
Director: “Okay, now turn slightly to your right.”
Christine: “Like this?”
Director: “very nice.”
Stacy: “Okay, that’s enough with the snake, let’s get the alligator.”
[Christine’s jaw drops.]
Christine: “Alligator!?”
Director: “You said you’d be fine holding Charlie. It’s the small one I told you about last week.”

Christine: “No, no, no! I just held a gigantic snake - there is no way I am holding an alligator!”
Director: “Wait…are you quitting? You were doing so well.”
[Christine hesitates. Then shakes her head no.]
Director: “Very well, Stacy?”
Stacy: “I’m on it.”
[Stacy takes the snake from Christine, and puts it back in its cage. Suddenly there is a knock at the door.]
Stacy: I’ll see what it is.
[Stacy goes to the door and lets in a woman with light brown hair]
[Christine has a shocked look on her face]
Christine: “Mom! What are you doing here?”
Mom: “I could ask you the same thing! I know you better than you think Christine!”
Director: “What is going on here? Who is Christine?”

Mom: “Hello, you must be the director. This is my daughter, Christine.”
Director: “Christine… But, that’s Bella?”
[Christine’s mom shakes her head no]
Director: “I’m confused beyond belief. Explain, please.”
Mom: “Christine is my daughter. So is Bella. They’re twins. They switched places today because Bella had an allergic reaction to something she ate in a restaurant last night.”
Director: “Twins? How about that!”
[Director has index finger on chin in deep thought]
Christine: “I’m really sorry! Bella just really didn’t want to lose this opportunity! I couldn’t let you fire her!”
Director: “Hmm… I don’t think that will happen. You’re done here today. Let me get back to you in a week, I have an idea.”
End of scene two

---Scene three: In a living room---
[Christine and her mom enter.]
Christine: “Mom, how’d you find out?”
Mom: “I went upstairs to wake you up for breakfast. You said you were sick, and told me to leave you alone. I had to make sure you weren’t running a fever. I pulled down the covers, and there you weren’t. I found Bella.”
Christine: “Oh…”
Mom: “Mmhm. BELLA! Come downstairs!”
[Bella enters with a guilty look on her still red face.]
Bella: “She found out…”
Christine: “Yes, I can see that. Thanks for “accidently” forgetting to tell me that I would be holding monster animals.”
Bella: “Haha, yeah. Sorry about that.”
Mom: “Girls, you two are in big trouble. I understand what you were trying to accomplish but that doesn’t mean you can go around deceiving people.”
Bella and Christine: “Sorry, mom.”
Bella: “I don’t think it will happen again.”
Mom: “You don’t think?”
Bella: “Mom, we’re twins, we can’t guarantee you.”
Mom: “Oh, I don’t think you’ll want to do it again after the punishment your about to receive this time.”
[Bella and Christine both put on a sour looking face.]
Christine: “Oh, no.”
Mom: “Oh, yes.”
Bella: “Not bathroom duty! That’s gross!”
Mom: “Hey! I’ve been doing it your whole life, I think I deserve a break. You’ll be on duty for two months.”
[Bella and Christine try and protest but their mom just holds up a hand]
Mom: “I am not going to hear it.”
[Just then the phone rings.]
Mom: “I’ll get it.”
[Mom picks up the phone off of a side table.]
Mom: “Hello?”
[Long pause.]
Mom: “Really? That would be wonderful! Let me ask them. Hold on.”
[Mom holds the phone up to her shirt and turns toward Bella and Christine.]
Mom: “Guess what? That was the director. He just talked to the producer and they want to know if you girls both want to be in the commercial!”
[Christine and Bella’s faces light up.]
Bella: “Yes, yes, yes!”
Christine: “Are you serious? For sure!”
Mom: “I’ll tell him.”
[Mom gets back on the phone.]
Mom: ‘They said they’re in!
[Another pause.]
Mom: “Okay. Thank you so much! Bye.”
Christine: “Mom, I’m so excited!”
Mom: “I know! It’s in a month, with a whole new theme! It’s going to be summer clothes based off of desserts.”
Bella: “I can’t wait! So, I guess this wouldn’t have happened unless we did this little stunt today, huh mom?”
Mom: “I know what you’re thinking. The answer is no - this does not mean you aren’t on bathroom cleaning duty anymore.”
Christine and Bella: “Awww!”
[Curtain closes.]
End of Scene three