Holbrook High School - Echo Yearbook (Holbrook, MA)

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12 THE ECHO all together too cock-sure of yourself today. Go on down stairs and don’t let me set eyes on you again today. Miss Martin, you go and show the gentleman in. Miss Martin (sympathetically) : Yes, I’ll see to him, but don’t be too hard on Snowball, boss. He really does mean all right. (Exits left.) Mr. Wall (kindly) : You may go now, my boy, but wait outside, I may want you again. (Ben. Hackett exits left; Mr. Wall sits and drums his fingers nervously on his desk.) Miss Martin (enters left and with her. Carlo Navarra, the dark, foreign looking gentleman who walks very straight, with a gallant strut across to Mr. Wall’s desk) : Here’s the gentleman you asked to see, Mr. Wall. His name is Carlo Navarra from Hoosick Falls, New York. C. Navarra (sitting himself on the edge of the desk) : Yes, that’s me. When do I start to rehearse, and, by the way, is that cute little secretary (with a wink toward Miss Martin) to be my leading lady? Mr. Wall (very irritated) : Why, young man, what makes you think you are going to get this job? You’re pretty sure of yourself. C. Navarra: Why, of course. I knew that before anyone else did. Miss Martin (disgustedly) : Yes, I guess you did. (Rises and exits left, looking back at Navarra disdainfully.) Mr. Wall (thoughtfully) : Now, I would like to know a little about you. What made you start in this business, anyway? C. Navarra (twirling his hat in his hands) : Well, I used to take part in all the plays at school. I was so good that the people nick- named me Romeo. Mr. Wall (beginning to lose interest) : What kind of scenes did you play in? C. Navarra: Oh, I’ve played in all kinds — love scenes, comical and others, but most all my plays were romances. Mr. Wall: Just how many plays have you been in, Mr. Navarra? C. Navarra (putting his hand to his head as if to think) : Now, let me see, one, two — yes it was three, but I used to say poems when I was a kid. Mr. Wall (in a surprised voice) : Three! Why, my dear young man, don’t you know you’re supposed to be experienced, or have won a prize, or gained some sort of mark in the dramatic world to even dare to show your face in one of these offices? C. Navarra (still in his know-it-all manner) : Well, you see, sir, I have so much confidence in myself that I was sure if I had a chance I could show you some pretty good acting. (At this point Snowball enters right bringing the afternoon mail, which he places on Miss Martin’s desk. He walks very slowly on tip- toes trying to keep Mr. Wall from seeing him.) Mr. Wall (looking up quickly) : Snowball, you may show Mr. Hackett in now. (Then turning to Miss Martin.) Have you prepared all your notes. Miss Martin? If you have, I guess we are ready to make a decision.

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THE ECHO 11 Mr. Wall (glancing at his watch again) : Tm expecting those two boys I told you about in fifteen minutes. (Then turning to Snowball who had a pretty big pile of dirt collected.) Take a look in the wait- ing room and see if they have arrived yet. (Snowball leans his broom against the wall and exits left.) Miss Martin: Well, Mr. Wall, I sure wish you luck. I’ll sit at my desk and do the heavy looking on for awhile. (Crosses and sits down at the desk at left, and begins to look over her papers.) (Snowball enters left, and with him is Benjamin Hackett, a tall, good looking farmer lad of about twenty-one years of age.) Ben. Hackett (walking towards Mr. Wall’s desk) : You — , er — , er sent for me, sir ? Mr. Wall (reassuring) : Why, yes, but you don’t have to be nervous in my office, my boy. Now, to get down to business. Have you any credentials? Ben. Hackett (innocently) : You mean have I any credit? No I don’t owe bills ; my father always taught us not to buy on credit. Mr. Wall (smiling out of the corner of his mouth) : I mean, have you any good points you would like to tell me about yourself? Ben. Hackett: Gosh, there isn’t much to tell about myself. I’m just a poor farmer. I won the prize that the dramatic club offered for the best actor of the year. That’s why I am here. (During this conversation Snowball was moving around within earshot, and Miss Martin was listening and taking down any thing she thought important.) Mr. Wall: All right. Snowball, you may go now and take that pile of dirt with you. Snowball (looking first at the dirt and then at Ben. Hackett) : I thought ah could leave the dirt thar, and yo new actor could plant some ob his farm products there. Ha, Ha ! (Exits left carrying dust- pan full of dirt.) Mr. Wall (watching Snowball with a sour look on his face) : Never mind him, my boy. He’s always like that. Miss Martin (knowingly) : Yes, you’ll have to get used to that and even worse than that, but Snowball has a kind heart. He’ll do anything for you. Ben. Hackett (joyfully) : Why — , er — , er the way you two are talking you make me think I’m going to be working here with you. Miss Martin: Well, by the looks of my notes here, you’ve got more chance than any we have had so far. Mr. Wall (understandingly) : Don’t build the boy’s hopes too high. Miss Martin. I have another caller this afternoon. (At this moment the door at left opens with a bang, and Snow- ball comes in all excited and runs over to Mr. Wall’s desk.) Snowball (all out of breath) : 0 boy ! Man, oh man, yo outa see da ’andsome sheik dat don just come in de waiting room! I don think yo had better thro’ this flat footed farmer out and give dis one some ob yo fancy talking to. Mr. Wall (very angry and embarrassed) : Get out! You’ve been

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THE ECHO 13 (Snowball exits left.) Miss Martin (looking up at Ben. Hackett who is just entering with Snowball) : Yes we can make the decision without a great deal more thought on the subject. (After this speech Mr. Navarra alights from his position on the desk and moves backstage a trifle. At this point he begins to get a little nervous.) Snowball (going towards right and then exiting) : Well, ah guess ah’ll be leaving. Ah neber could stand seein’ anyone turned down. Ah only hopes dat de best man do win — ah sho ' does. (Exit.) (Miss Martin rises and crosses to the desk where the three men are. In her hand she carries the notes which she has just been taking.) Mr. Wall (clears his throat, and looks expectingly at Miss Martin) : Well, what do your notes show. Miss Martin? Miss Martin (with a pleased smile) : I’ve compared all my notes on both boys with the type you need for your production, and I And that Mr. Benjamin Hackett is just the type you need. It calls for a typical, all-round, country boy, and that’s just what he is. C. Navarra (very indignantly) : You mean to stand there and tell me you’re hiring that — that clumsy, corn-fed, hayseed in preference to a real actor? (At this moment Snowball comes hurrying in carrying Mr. Navarra’s cane, and he stands near him as yet unnoticed.) Mr. Wall (with a superior air) : I’ve hired my actors for nearly twenty-five years, and I guess I am still capable. (Looks toward Snowball who is standing next to Mr. Navarra, waving his cane.) C. Navarra (looking at Snowball) : What in the Sam Hill are you doing standing there waving my cane like an idiot? Snowball (grinning all over) : Ah was just a thinkin’ you will be leavin’ us. Is ah right? Mi ss Martin (smiling) : I think you were right for once. Snowball. (C. Navarra stands glaring at them all for a while and turns to leave.) Snowball (walking after him as if to lead him to the door) : Ah’s po’ful sorry you don come way up here fo nothin’ but as de sayin’ goes “May the Best Man Win.” Well, ah don think the best one did win. Goo’ by, Romeo. You better go on back to yo little Juliet. Maybe she still likes you little loves scenes. (Mr. Wall, Miss Martin, and Ben. Hackett all stand watching Snowball with an amused look, and Snowball makes a very stiff bow as C. Navarra exits left.) Mr. Wall (cheerily) : Snowball, you get smarter every day. Snowball (jumping out and shouting): Hurray! Doggone it, boss, ah don know, yo would discover mah talent some day. CURTAIN