REUNION

WRITTEN BY: RYAN, ZACH, DENNIS, AND JIMMY

CHARACTERS
GRANDMOTHER BETTY
GRANDPA JOE
RANDY
AUNT MARGARET
NED
DAD
MOM
OLIVIA
TONY
HEATHER
EVAN
RANDALL
ACT I
SCENE I
(Grandmother Betty sets the dining room table for her incoming relatives. She
makes the final touches to critical placing of the plates before hearing a sharp
knock at the door. She hears the thudding footsteps of Grandpa coming down
the stairs. Grandmother moves from center stage to center stage right, gliding
with ease to the front of the compact home and pulls the metallic handle, her
ten other guests waiting with patience on the door's outer side).

GRANDMOTHER
"Hello, come on in."
ALL OTHER GUESTS
(In unison) "Hey, Grandma!"
(Grandmother widens the entryway for all her relatives to come in. The first is
Randy, Aunt Margaret's ex-husband. He gives Grandmother a quick wink and an
official handshake before striding center stage into the kitchen with Grandpa.
Next comes in Aunt Margaret and Ned, Margaret's husband. Aunt Margaret
handles her favorite cooking pan and Ned carries a gallon of apple cider. Finally
comes in Grandmother Betty's son and his wife as well as their niece, Olivia, her
boyfriend, Tony and Betty's other grandchildren, Evan and Heather. Heather
holds a some presents and Rex, the family's dog, trots along behind the group).
GRANDMOTHER
"Why don't you all gather in the living room. We're just about ready for
dinner, so Grandpa Joe, Randy, and I will cut the chicken."

(Grandmother meets Grandpa and Randy center stage in the kitchen to help
while the rest of the guests move center stage left into the spacious living
room).
GRANDPA
"There's nothing like the smell of good old Christmas cooking. Tender
meat fresh of the bone and sweet mashed potatoes. Man, I can't wait to
eat this great feast."
GRANDMOTHER
"No there surely isn't anything like it. Boys, you'll be going back for
seconds today. Let's get this thing open.
(Grandpa and Randy begin to slash into the flesh and bone of the turkey on
either side of Grandmother. She has on a big flowery apron with includes a large
pocket in the front to store her knives and other utensils she uses in the
kitchen. After some time, Grandmother speaks, clearing her throat).
GRANDMOTHER
"I have learned from past experience that it is best to maximize the tools
you have to work with in the kitchen, which is why I will work with two
knives rather than one."
(She then pulls out a second knife from her pocket and continues to work,
making good progress in the dividing of the turkey. Meanwhile, the rest of the
family finds themselves in a heated conversation about politics when they hear
a sharp shriek from the kitchen. Aunt Margaret gets up from her seat first and
rushes to the kitchen, with Ned on her heels and everyone else very close
behind. They move to center stage. The guests emerge in the kitchen to find
Grandmother in a tight heap on the ground, kneeling beside the dead body of
Grandpa. Tears rush down her face as she tries to get out what had happened).
GRANDMOTHER
"Hi-His head was severely cut by Randy... and Randy ran away... Randy
killed him... Randy is the killer."
SCENE II
(The guests stand in shock, but it is evident that this had truly happened.
Grandpa's head had been drained of its blood and his face was a haunted,
ghostly white).
GRANDMOTHER
"I can not bear to see him dead anymore. Please don't mind me."
(Grandmother scurries into the bathroom, exiting the stage. The houseguests
begin to wail loudly and ponder the details of the incident aloud. However, this

happens for no more than a minute before Aunt Margaret brings an important
message to the guests' attention).
AUNT MARGARET
"We have to report this incident to the police before its too late. I'll go
upstairs to get the phone from the bedroom.
NED
"Good idea. I'll lock up the front door, so that Randy does not come inside
for any reason."
(The couple rushes off towards the front of the house. Moving center stage
right. All of the family hears Ned locking the door and Margaret beginning to
take the stairs when a giant thud can be heard by the family. It's as though the
mayhem that occurred with the death of Grandpa Joe is happening all over
again. Dad and Mom hustle to the staircase, followed by Olivia and Tony.
Grandmother runs alongside Evan, her grandson, at the rear of the pack. Ned
leans over a motionless Aunt Margaret, sobbing quietly).
NED
"She's dead, like Joe..."(he sniffles) And it looks to me as if the step that
she tripped on was perhaps broken."
(All guests moan with disbelief yet again before transferring into a silent state.
It is then when Ned breaks into rage).
NED
"Why! Why, does this have to happen to me? On Christmas. A day of joy.
This day of joy is cursed. Just cursed. By Randy.
(He begins to beat noisily against the wall as Olivia struggles hold back tears in
an effort to restrain her father. Tony, her boyfriend, helps too. They move
center stage left. Together they drag Ned into the living room where they finally
rest him on the couch. Olivia crouches down to her father's level while Tony sits
on the left arm of the sofa. They both look concerned).
OLIVIA
"Grandma, could you please get some cider, to calm him down? Will you?
We need to calm him down. Tony, can you go and start a search party
with Evan and Heather to see if Randy's in the house. All of these deaths
had to have happened for a reason. Just... just be careful. Okay? Why
don't you take a knife with you or something."
TONY
"I'm on it Olivia. We'll find him."
(Tony moves off stage to find Evan and Heather. Grandmother calmly proceeds
in handing the drink to Ned. Uncle Ned's facial expression is calm as he begins

to sip it, but immediately he has a lost, insane look in his eyes. Just after Olivia
senses as though something is wrong, her father begins to choke).
OLIVIA
"Father! Father! Can you hear me?... Help! Help! We need to call 9-1-1.
Right now! Okay stay calm.
(Her aunt, begins to dial 9-1-1, and puts the phone to her ear. She moves
backstage left where Olivia and her father are).
MOM
"Hello... yes... we have an emergency on..."
(She looks over at Olivia to see that she is making a sweeping motion to her
neck as that to say he was dead. Olivia was already too broken emotionally to
shed tears. She simply sat there and stroked her father's hair longingly. Mom
hangs up).
SCENE III
(Tony, Heather, and Evan are upstairs in the bedroom looking for Randy when
Heather stops them. He seems extremely eager to let them know what he
thinks about the whole situation. He whispers).
HEATHER
"Guys, there's no use to search up here for the killer when we already
have one on our hands."
TONY
"Well if it's not Randy than who is it? Are you thinking it's one of the
people downstairs?
HEATHER
"Yeah, it's Grandma."
TONY
"That's a bold statement. Why do you say that?
HEATHER
"All of the signs point to her. In the kitchen when she was cutting up the
chicken, she was the only one in there with Grandpa and Randy. And
Randy never ran away. He was killed and hid somewhere. Then when she
went to the bathroom to "hide her emotions", she must have removed a
stair from the staircase because Aunt Margaret isn't the type of person to
miss a step. I think it was her, and I wouldn't be surprised if another one
is dead downstairs."

TONY
"Let's just hope it isn't Ned. If her father dies in addition to her mother...
Boy, would she go crazy.
EVAN
"Let's just hope it isn't anyone."
(Heather beats on the wardrobe doors in anger, one beat for each syllable that
she pronounces).
HEATHER
"Why does this have to happen?
(She stops beating).
TONY
"I mean, is this a dream or something?"
(And as if on cue, Uncle Randy's dead body spills out from the closet. The three
kids stand in awe until Evan finally speaks).
EVAN
"It's her. She's the killer."
HEATHER
"We'll get her after we see another death."
ACT II
GRANDMOTHER
Everyone please make your way to the living room.
(The family gathers in the living room for Grandmothers message).
GRANDMOTHER
Despite the fact that Grandpa Joe, Randy, Aunt Margaret and Uncle Ned
have passed, I figure we should try to cheer the mood of this family by
opening presents. It is our familys twentieth holiday reunion after all.
(The room suddenly is full of joy, something they had not felt since entering this
house. Grandmother then quiets the family down).
GRANDMOTHER
"Evan, you first."
EVAN
"A Super Soaker! Thanks, Grandmother! How did you know?"

GRANDMOTHER
"I saw you looking at it when we passed by the toy store that one time.
Now you Heather. Who is it from?"
HEATHER
"Ned
(A dark silence passes over the room as Heather opens a small box).
HEATHER
"A pen. Thank you... I guess."
(The presents continued to be handed out and opened until Dad is left to open
the final present).
DAD
"Wow! This thing is huge, who bought this for me?"
GRANDMOTHER
"It was your father. He would have been so excited to see you open it. It's
a good one.
(He tears open the packaging revealing the box).
DAD
A stainless steel barbecue? I have always wanted one of these! But how
will I fit this in my car? (Everyone laughs)
GRANDMOTHER
"Don't worry about that, underneath is a button that folds it."
(Dad slowly gets onto his back and scoots himself forward until he is directly
underneath the barbeque. All of a sudden, the wheels break off and the heavy
barbecue falls on top of him).
GRANDMOTHER
"Help me lift it!"
(Everyone gets on either side of the barbeque and tries to lift it off Dad, but
they find it to be as heavy as a truck).
DAD
(Muffled yell of help)
(Dad is flailing with all his might trying to get out, but to no use. He soon goes
very still and dies, in a somewhat peaceful manner. Everyone stands in shock
for the fifth time).

TONY
"Why was it so heavy? It should not have been that heavy; at least in his
final moments when when he was trying to put it together.
(The group of six then opens the new barbecue to discover that it had been
filled with coal and rocks).
GRANDMOTHER
"What? This had to have been on purpose. Randy did this!"
(The group nods in agreement).
GRANDMOTHER
"Well, it appears that we all are all getting killed. I don't know why, but
Randy wants us all dead. It would be better if we all stayed together.
(Mom leaves the room, heading elsewhere).
SCENE IV
(She walks off stage into the bathroom. After locking the door she unhooks the
shower curtain, ties it to the ceiling and wraps its end around her neck. Mom
clambers on to the sink top and jots down something on a piece of paper. She
sticks it on to the wall and jumps to into her eternal sleep. The note reads
GRANDMA).
SCENE V
(After finding out that Mom died, Olivia is in tears on the ground, petting
Randall by the side table. Heather, Tony, and Evan lounge in separate chairs
with looks of pure exhaustion).
OLIVIA
"Can this day end already? Practically all of our family has died. I mean,
really, what's the point of living anymore?"
GRANDMOTHER
"Well of course it can end. Why, it can end right now."
(Grandmother steps towards the crowd, pulling out a small handgun from her
right jean pocket. The bullet clicks into place and before everyone else has a
chance to look back, the gun is fired. The bullet hits Olivia square in the side of
the head. Then Grandmother pockets the rifle and smirks, walking away from
the death scene).
(Just then, Tony gets up from the couch and charges Grandmother, tackling her.
They roll around on the worn, ragged carpet, and through gritted teeth Tony
says).

TONY
"I know youre the killer."
GRANDMOTHER
"Yes I am, what are you going to do about it?"
(He tries to punch her, but she dodges and returns to a standing position,
grabbing a bat. She smacks him straight in the head and he dies peacefully).
GRANDMOTHER
"Time for cake, kids."
SCENE VI
GRANDMOTHER
"I'll go get the cake out of the oven. May you two gather plates, napkins
and utensils so that we can eat in the living room. The dining room table
is full with food still.
EVAN
"But Grandma, we still haven't had the chicken yet."
GRANDMOTHER
"That's okay. At Grandmother's house, we sometimes have to break the
rules."
HEATHER
"Grandma, did you remember to make it gluten-free? I'm very allergic to
gluten, you know."
GRANDMOTHER
"Yes I did. A good girl deserves a good cake. It's chocolate."
HEATHER
Oh good, Grandmother! Could you please pass me a big piece?
GRANDMOTHER
Yes dear.
(Heather takes in the cake as Grandma, Evan, and Randall watch with intensity.
Heather enjoys the cake at first, smiling as she shoves it down. But then she
starts to feel funny, sensing a tingling in the back of her throat. All three of
them can see that something is obviously wrong, but they don't have time to
react).
HEATHER
I cant breath very well..." ( She gasps).
(Heather falls to the ground unconscious and Evan begins to cry).

EVAN
Look at her throat! Its all swollen, and... and that only happens when...
when she eats gluten.
GRANDMOTHER
I know I bought the gluten-free chocolate cake at the grocery store.
Randy must have switched out the cake.
EVAN
No he didn't... he didn't do any of this. It was you. You planned to plot a
murder mystery all along. And I solved it. I knew it from the very
beginning, but no one ever believed me. You are the murderer."
SCENE VII
(Evan sits on the couch in shock grasping for his now lost water gun. Randall
the dog is sitting next to him. Evan hears sirens from outside so he gets up).
EVAN
"The police are coming!"
(Evan gets up excitedly and moves toward the window. He opens it and looked
outside. Outside he sees police cars coming).
EVAN
"I cant believe they are actually coming. I have to tell them about
everything that has happe-"
(Grandmother Betty is stands behind Evan holding his water gun. Grandmother
then proceeds to beat Evan in the face with it. Evan screams and dies due to the
beating. Grandmother drops the water gun on Evan's body and walks off. She
enters the kitchen to feast on chicken and potatoes as Randall, the dog, jumps
through the window and escapes to freedom)
END OF PLAY