Stella the Umbrella

Follow Stella as she goes on a journey of self-discovery in the whimsical land of Umbrellaville. With the help of her friends, she learns to weather any storm. Whether it’s Priscilla the Parasol or Papa and Razzi the Photography Umbrellas, the clever and endearing characters will leave you wanting more. A splendid play with themes of diversity, friendship, and acceptance. Great for elementary students or older kids performing for younger audiences.

Playwright Bio:

Dune Dills is a linguist by trade, having received her B.A. in Linguistics from McGill University. Her creative writing experience includes collaborating on a screenplay with a team of people in Los Angeles, and comedy sketch writing classes with the Upright Citizens Brigade in Los Angeles. She has also published short advertisement scripts on the creative platform WriteLabel, as well as multiple non-fiction research articles. She is self-employed and currently lives in Colorado.

Excerpt from the play:

CHARACTERS:
STELLA THE UMBRELLA (PURPLE CLASSIC UMBRELLA) The Protagonist, learns to accept the changes that happen to her.
UTA UMBRELLA (RED CLASSIC UMBRELLA) Stella’s best friend, consistent and loyal.
VELMA UMBRELLA (BLUE PAGODA UMBRELLA) Antagonist, makes fun of Stella.
PRISCILLA THE PARASOL (YELLOW PARASOL) Fair weather friend of Stella.
PATTY THE PATIO UMBRELLA (GREEN PATIO UMBRELLA) In Velma’s clique, but in the end stands by Stella.
SANDY THE BEACH UMBRELLA (ORANGE BEACH UMBRELLA) In Velma’s clique, but in the end stands by Stella.
PAPA AND RAZZI (PHOTOGRAPHY UMBRELLAS) Report the weather in Umbrellaville.
DOCTOR CANOPY (LOOKS LIKE A MEDICAL CANOPY) The town doctor at the umbrella repair shop. Helps Stella figure out who she is.
TORNADO – PASSES THROUGH UMBRELLAVILLE

SETTING: The town of Umbrellaville, A fictional world where everyone is an umbrella.

SCENE 1

(The town square of Umbrellaville. Open with Stella, Uta, and Priscilla coming onto the stage. They are throwing a ball around, playing monkey in the middle.)

STELLA: Hey Uta, catch!

UTA: Stella, you always throw so hard!

PRISCILLA: Uta Umbrella, throw it here! Priscilla the Parasol is open over here!

(They laugh and sit on the floor.)

PRISCILLA: What a fun day this was! I think I’m gonna go home now, I’ll see you guys later.

STELLA: Bye, Priscilla.

(Priscilla leaves.)

UTA: I’m also going home. You coming, Stella?

STELLA: In a minute, Uta. I want to sit here and look at the scenery for a bit.

UTA: Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow then. Bye!

(Uta leaves.)

STELLA: Hmm, what a lovely sunset. Boy, am I tired…

(Stella falls asleep with the sun shining on her. The lights dim. Stella wakes up and is pink but doesn’t know it yet.)

STELLA (to herself): Boy! I didn’t realize I fell asleep for so long! I’d better get going!
(Stella gets up and sees her reflection in the side of a building. She gasps, seeing her pink hue.)

STELLA: Oh my! What happened? I was purple and now I’m pink! This has never happened before…I wonder why I have this sudden change. I need to tell someone, I’d better tell Uta, she’ll know what to do.

(Uta and Priscilla come on stage with a ball.)

STELLA: Uta, look what happened. I fell asleep in the sun and I was purple, and now I’ve turned pink!

UTA: Oh wow. Maybe your purple color changed in the sun? Sorta like a suntan?

STELLA: Hmm, you might be right.

(Enter Velma and her clique, which includes Sandy the Beach Umbrella and Patty the Patio Umbrella.)

VELMA: Stella the Umbrella, what happened to you?

STELLA: I’m not sure, Velma Umbrella. It seems my purple color has faded.

VELMA: Haha, what? You can’t just go changing colors like that! Why can’t you make up your mind what color you wanna be, Stella? Hey, Patty the Patio Umbrella, Sandy the Beach Umbrella, look at little Stella, changing colors!

(They laugh and point at Stella.)

UTA: Don’t listen to them, Stella, they don’t know what they’re talking about.

(The two photo umbrellas, Papa and Razzi, come onto the stage, flashing their light bulbs.)

PAPA: Hey there everyone! I’m Papa, and this is Razzi. We’re the weather umbrellas reporting on the weather in Umbrellaville and taking pictures to capture every moment. It looks like there’s a rainstorm brewing in Umbrellaville! Right, Razzi?

RAZZI: Yes Papa, the rainstorm is coming soon! This is going to be the biggest rainstorm of the century!

STELLA: Rainstorm! I love rainstorms!

UTA: We were built for rainstorms!

VELMA: Rainstorm?! Oh no! Run, guys! I can’t get all wet! AAAAHHHHH!!!!!

(It begins raining – maybe a projector can project rain and there are rain sounds. Velma runs off stage, screaming, and her clique follows. Stella, Uta, and Priscilla bear the rain together. It stops.)

PRISCILLA: Well that wasn’t so bad.

UTA: I can’t believe Velma just ran off like that. We’re umbrellas, we’re built for rain.

STELLA: Yeah, she’s acting all tough but then she runs at the first sight of rain.

PAPA: Wow! What a storm! What did you think about it, Razzi?

RAZZI: Well, Papa, I’d say it was the worst storm of the century! Even the umbrellas ran for the hills! What do you think, Stella?

STELLA: I really didn’t think it was that bad.

PAPA: Wow! Fascinating! Well, we’ll keep you updated on the coming weather, and hopefully, this next storm won’t be so bad!

SCENE 2

(Uta and Priscilla are playing in the park. Stella enters the stage. She is yellow.)

STELLA: Uta! Look! I’ve turned yellow! Now I’m even more confused than I was before!

UTA: Oh my…Do you know why you’re changing, Stella?

STELLA: I don’t know why! What’s happening to me, Uta? I feel like I’m changing, and I don’t understand it.

UTA: Just hang in there, I’m sure everything is just fine, you’ll see. You know I’ll be your friend no matter what color you are.

STELLA: Thanks, Uta.

PRISCILLA: Stella, are you copying me? I’m the only yellow umbrella in Umbrellaville and now you have to be yellow too! Come on, Stella! Why would you do that?

STELLA: I’m not doing anything on purpose, Priscilla. My body is changing all by itself.

PRISCILLA: Whatever, Stella.  (Priscilla leaves.)

SCENE 3

(Uta is on stage, sitting in the park. Stella enters the stage and is completely transparent.)

STELLA: Uta! Uta!

UTA: Stella? Is that you?

STELLA: Look at me! Yesterday I was yellow and today my color appears to be completely gone! I’m transparent!

UTA: Oh my…I’ve never seen this before. Are you alright?

STELLA: Yes, but I’m so confused. I feel like I don’t know who or what I am anymore. I’m scared, I’m unsure of myself and what my true color really is.

UTA: Don’t worry, Stella, you’ll be fine, you’ll figure it out. Let’s play some ball to cheer you up. Hey, there’s Priscilla!

STELLA: Yeah!

(Priscilla enters.)

UTA: Hey Priscilla! Come join us! We can play monkey in the middle!

PRISCILLA: Um, hey sorry guys, not today.

STELLA: But we always play monkey in the middle!

PRISCILLA: I’m sorry, Stella, but I just can’t be friends with you anymore. My parents said I should stay away from color-changing umbrellas like you. Also, I found some cooler friends to hang out with.

(Enter Velma, Sandy, and Patty.)

VELMA: Hey Priscilla! Over here!

(Priscilla joins them, looking back at Stella.)

PRISCILLA (to Stella): Don’t talk to me anymore.

VELMA: Yeah, don’t talk to ANYONE! We don’t associate with transparent umbrellas! Why don’t you make up your mind about what you want to be?!

(The others laugh as Priscilla stands idly by, not laughing but not stopping them either. The clique heads to another part of the stage, chatting and pointing at Stella in the background. There is a clap of thunder.)

UTA: I’m so sorry, Stella, they don’t mean it. Velma’s an obnoxious bully and her clique is just following her.

STELLA: Why does she hate me?

UTA: It’s not you she hates, she’s just a hater. You’re an easy target because you’re not like her. You’re different, and she doesn’t know what else to say. She’s probably just insecure about herself. She even runs away during a rainstorm! If it weren’t you it would be someone else that she’s picking on.

STELLA: What about Priscilla the Parasol? I thought she was my friend.

UTA: She’s a fair-weather friend.

STELLA: She’s a what?

UTA: A fair-weather friend. Do you see the weather? A minute ago it was sunny, and now it’s thundering. A fair-weather friend is the same kind of thing. A minute ago she was your friend, now she’s not. Fair-weather friends are not real friends, they just move around to whoever they think is “cool” or “popular”. Priscilla is like that, and now you’ve finally seen her true colors. Whether she’s yellow, blue, green, or purple, she’s not your true friend. She changes like the weather.

STELLA: Well, luckily we’re umbrellas, so the weather doesn’t bother us!

UTA: Exactly!

STELLA: Uta, I’m not sure what MY true color really is. Maybe Velma’s right, maybe there is something wrong with me.

UTA: Oh, there’s nothing wrong with you, Stella, I promise. But if it’ll make you feel better, why don’t we go see Dr. Canopy at the umbrella repair shop? She probably doesn’t know anything about colors, but she sure knows everything there is to know about umbrellas.

STELLA: That’s a great idea! Let’s go.