The Will

By Emily Chang
Characters:
- Mom (Carol - was married to walter for 10 years before divorcing.)
- Dad (Walter - was married to carol for 10 years before divorcing. His mother
passes away, forcing the two separate families to meet again)
- Hailey (older sister - she lives with her mom - athletic)
- Hannah (younger sister - lives with her dad - bookish, smart)
- Daniel Solomon (judge in divorce court)
- Lawyer (could be played by the same person as Daniel)
Scene 1: Courtroom (10 years ago)
(Before Judge enters, the Carol (Mom) and Walter (Dad) are clearly fuming at each other, while
Hailey (8 years old) and Hannah (7 years old) are playing contentedly together.)
(Judge enters and sits)
Judge Solomon: Court is in session, please be seated. Im Judge Solomon. Next case, in the
matter of the divorce of Evans v. Evans. (directed at Carol and Walter) You two havent come to
an agreement on child custody?
Carol (with barely controlled fury): We have not.
Judge Solomon: Alright, then theres only one way to resolve this. (Looks at court file.) Hailey?
Hannah? Please come up here. Im going to hand both of you a piece of paper, and you write
down which parent you want to live with.
Carol (jumps up): What?!? Thats a horrible idea! (Judge glares at her). I mean, Your Honor, with
all due respect . . . thats a horrible idea!
Walter: How are they supposed to decide that?
Carol: Theyre 7 and 8, Your Honor, they dont know whats going on!
Hailey (asking the Judge, innocently): What are we supposed to do?
Judge Solomon: Just write Mom if you want to live with your Mom, and Dad if you want to
live with your Dad. (Turning to Hannah.) You too, miss. But you have to make up your own
minds, dont tell each other what to write. (Loud-whispering to Hailey.) Dont worry, this is just for

show -- I do this in all the cases when the parents say that they cant agree. They always end up
agreeing instead of letting the kids decide. (Regular voice to all.) Okay, please write your
choices.
Hannah (fretting): Hailey, I dont get it.
Hailey (still worried but trying to comfort Hannah): Its okay, Hannah, its gonna be okay. Go
ahead and write what you want.
Hannah: But I just want to stay with you!
Hailey: I want to stay with you, too! Come on, we can do it. We just have to write down the same
parent!
(Both write.)
Judge Solomon: Lets see here... (tentative to go through with it, waiting for parents to agree on
their own) Nothing to say? Okay: Hannah, you wrote Dad...
Hailey: (realizing she wrote the opposite parent) No! No, wait!
Judge Solomon: ...and Hailey, you wrote Mom.
Hailey: No, I meant to write Dad, I swearJudge Solomon: Carol, Walter, if you two dont agree on the custody...
Hannah: Whats going on? Hailey?
Walter: I think they should come with me.
Carol: No, they cant! Walter, let me take them. I dont want to separate them!
Walter: You know what? Hannah wrote my name, so shes going home with me. Come on, Han,
lets go.
Judge Solomon: Wait, youre actually going through with this?
Hannah: Hailey!!
Hailey: NO! Dad, Mom, stop it! (its too late, Walter and Hannah exit)

Carol: Hailey, baby, Im so sorry, I didnt want to let him take both of you, I couldnt let him! I
need you. (Hailey starts to cry. Carol hugs her) Hey, its going to be okay, we can make this
work. From now on, its just you and me, alright? (Carol and Hailey exit.)
Judge Solomon: I cannot believe that just happened.

Scene 2: Carol and Haileys flight (Present) (in parallel with Walter and Hannahs flight)
(Carol and Hailey are seated next to each other on a plane. Walter and Hannah are similarly
seated next to each other on the opposite side of the stage.)
Carol: Hailey, put your phone away, were landing soon.
Hailey: Theres only five minutes left in the game, just let me finish watching!
Carol: You havent taken your eyes off that screen for the last two hours. All you do is play and
watch softball...oh, and soccer, and basketball!
Hailey: Its an important game! Plus I need to watch to pick up on new strategies for my team.
Carol: Even varsity softball captains need a break.
Offstage Voice (Airplane Pilot): Good afternoon folks, its your captain speaking. Well be
preparing to land at our destination in just a few minutes here. Temperature outside is a
comfortable 60 degrees. Folks, make sure to enjoy the nice weather over here; back in Chicago,
todays high was negative 15 degrees. Please keep your seatbelts buckled and remain seated
until we have landed on the ground. Thanks for flying with us.
Carol: Oh shoot, I dont remember where Walter said we should meet up when we land. Can
you text your sister and ask her?
Hailey: Can I text Hannah? No way. I dont even know if I have her number anymore.
Carol: It really disappoints me that you two dont keep in touch. I mean, youre sisters!
Hailey: Its not that hard, considering we live on opposite sides of the country. Plus I havent
seen her in ten years. I cant believe we have to see them again.

Carol: I know this is hard for you, but you need to stop believing you have to hate her. Come on,
I think Walter said meet up at baggage claim.

Scene 2: Walter and Hannahs flight (in parallel with Carol and Haileys flight)
Walter: Were landing soon, so will you start packing up your stuff? I dont even know how you
can read a textbook on a plane.
Hannah: I have one more unit to go over, Dad, and then Ill pack up. My AP Art History exam is
next Thursday!
Walter: I know, I know, AP Calculus, AP Chemistry, and now you keep muttering useless art
terms.
Hannah: Theyre not useless, and plus, I dont understand why I had to miss two days of school
to go to a funeral for a grandmother I met maybe twice!
Walter: She was my mother, Hannah, and I regret not getting you guys together more often.
Anyway, were meeting Carol and Hailey at baggage claim when we land.
Hannah: (groans) Oh, I forgot about that. I cant believe I have to see her again.
Walter: Living in different places doesnt change the fact that youre sisters, and it certainly
doesnt mean you can hate her, like you do.
Hannah: Well she hates me, and plus, its not like we stayed close over the years. I know
nothing about her now.
Walter: And Im sorry. But this isnt about you and Hailey, this is about my mother and her
funeral.
Hannah: Yeah...I know. I just wish we didnt have to see them.

Scene 3: The Airport

Walter and Carol see each other from across the stage and make their way to each other.
Hailey and Hannah tag alongside their respective parents.

Walter: Carol, its good to see you.

Carol: Good to see you too, Walter. Im sorry for your loss. Hows your dad doing?
Walter: Hes okay. My brother has been looking after him in New York, keeping him company.
Carol: Well thats good. (she sees Hannah) Hannah! Oh my goodness, you look so grown up.
And how was the flight?
There is an awkward silence as Hannah doesnt answer.
Walter: Hailey how are you? How was your flight?
There is an awkward silence as Hailey doesnt answer.
Carol (clears throat): Walter, how was the flight?
Walter: (short) It was fine. Yours?
Carol: (short) Fine.
There is another awkward pause. Hailey and Hannah refuse to look at each other.
Walter: (breaking the tension) Were off to the hotel. Well see you at the funeral home.

Scene 4: Reading of the Will

Setting: Lawyers Office. Hailey and Hannah are seated. Lawyer enters.)
Lawyer (shakes hands): Thank you girls for meeting me here. Im your grandmothers lawyer,
and we need to talk about what she left the two of you in her will.
Hailey: She left us something? We barely ever saw her!
Lawyer: She told me to give you this envelope, and to follow the instructions inside.
Hannah: Thats it? Seems pretty sketchy
Hailey: Let me see it. (she grabs the envelope and opens it up, pulling out a piece of paper.) It
says, Go to the Art Museum and when you reach the main lobby, go to the pitchers mound.
From there, youll find the next clue. (she looks up in disgust) Is this some sort of joke?
Lawyer: Certainly not. Look, it sounds strange, but your grandmother set you up a sort of
scavenger hunt. (aside) I did things to execute this will that I did not learn how to do in law

school. Anyway, I have a feeling you two will have a little adventure together. Best of luck!
(excusing himself) Ive got to talk to your parents again. (he exits)
Hannah: What are we going to do?
Hailey: This is stupid. Why would she leave us a scavenger hunt as her last dying wish to us?
Its not like we were close. I couldnt tell you one thing about her besides her name.
Hannah (thoughtful): Hmmm.. maybe following this clue will help us learn more about her. Lets
go to the Art Museum and find out! Im sure itll be easy since Im taking AP Art History.
Hailey: (gesturing to the envelope) You really want to do this?
Hannah: Its one of her dying wishes...I think we need to fulfill it.
Hailey: Fine, but if this takes more than an hour Im gonna go practice softball instead. I dont
want to be cooped up all day with you.

Scene 5: First Clue at the Art Museum

Hannah: Wow, this place is amazing! (spinning in different directions) It has all kinds of galleries,
Impressionism, Cubism, Modern, . . .(starts to get dizzy)
Hailey: Can you keep your nerd thoughts to yourself, thank you? Lets get this over with.
Hannah: The clue said come here and look for the pitchers mound. Maybe that means theres a
pitchers mound painted in a picture here, and we have to find it!
Hailey: Oh wow, that sounds like fun. And while I hate to burst your bubble, I dont see any
painting with anything remotely like that on it.
Hannah: I dont understand. What else could Look for the pitchers mound mean? Maybe Van
Gogh hid something in one of his late 1800s paintings Maybe those haystacks look like
pitchers mounds?
Hailey: (begins to figure it out) Wait a second. I think its a play on words. In baseball, a pitchers
mound is 60 feet 6 inches away from home plate. Here, I got it! (She walks forward 60 feet 6

inches and stands in front of a painting. )

Hannah: A portrait of George Washington? I dont think you walked the right distance.
Hailey: Will you stop doubting me? I just found the next clue. (she reaches for and removes an
envelope that was peeking out from the frame)
Hannah: Let me see that. (Hailey keeps it away from Hannah)
Hailey: (reading) George Washington High School holds many special memories for me. Go to
the main gym . (theres more to read, but she trails off) Yes, a gym! Looks like Ill be solving
this one, too!
Hannah: (annoyed, hurrying) Well see. Lets get going.
Hailey: You thought you were so clever, Miss AP Art History, and look who actually solved it.
Hannah: Stop gloating. Its just the first clue. Lets get over to the high school.
Hailey: (annoyed) Whatever you say.

Scene 6: Second Clue at the High School Gym

Hailey and Hannah enter the gym.
Hailey: (fist pumps) Im so glad to be out of that boring museum and back in my world!
Hannah: Its just a gym, Hailey.
Hailey: Anythings better than that building full of art. Dead people painted by oh yeah, more
dead people.
Hannah: Hey, come on! If youre going to be such a pain then solve the clue and prove to me
that this really is your world.
Hailey: Fine, I will. (She looks at the clue; thinks; starts walking in squares, two steps, then turns
a corner, two steps, trying to figure out what it means)
Hannah: What are you doing?!
Hailey: The second part of the clue says, Find the square of the square of 2. Ok, so Im
walking in squares, and maybe if I walk in groups of two...

Hannah: While you make yourself dazed and confused, Im going to actually try and figure this
out. Maybe it doesnt mean a physical square, but more like (she sits down on one of the
gyms stadium seats with numbers on it. Meanwhile, Hailey starts getting dizzy, almost falls)
Hannah: (counting quietly; goes to a specific stadium seat and looks around, finally holding up
an envelope) I GOT IT!
Hailey: Are you kidding me?
Hannah: The clue was talking about math. The square of the square of 2 is 16, so I went to seat
16, and I found this.
Hailey: (clearly lost with the math) How is the square of the square of the square of...oh
nevermind.
Hannah: See? I can solve clues too, even in your world!
Hailey: Yeah, yeah, stop bragging and just read the next clue.
Hannah: Go to the park on 16th street and find the willow tree by the pond.

Scene 7: The Final Clue at the Park

Hannah: I wish I could paint this park, it looks so pretty.
Hailey: Ugh, your artsiness is driving me insane. (she looks up) Oh look, theres the tree!
Hannah: Theres a plaque...it says, In Loving Memory of Jane Thompson, my dear sister Did
you know a Jane Thompson?
Hailey: No...but Grandmas maiden name was Thompson. (pause) Maybe it was her sister.
Hannah: Youre right, Dad mentioned something about a great-aunt who died two years ago.
Hailey: So why did Grandma bring us here?
Hannah: Look, theres one more envelope. (she grabs it) To my granddaughters Hailey and
Hannah, I sent you on this journey today to bring you to this memorial. My sister and I grew

apart over the years, and we never reconnected before she passed. We let our differences get
between us. I hope you two will learn from today. (Hannah and Hailey look at each other.)

Scene 8: Carol and Haileys flight (in parallel with Walter and Hannahs flight)
Carol: If I have to ask you one more time to stop being on your phone-Hailey: 5 more minutes, okay?
Carol: You can take a break from sports for two hours, and youll still live. I promise.
Hailey: Im not watching a game, Mom, Im texting Hannah.
Carol: (shocked) What?
Hailey: She sent me a picture of a new art piece shes working on, a landscape drawing of a
park we went to.
Carol: When did you two go to a park?
Hailey: (smiles and still texting) When grandma sent us on a little scavenger hunt. We ended up
at this park, and Hannahs painting has this really great perspective. (Hailey laughs at
something on her phone: a text from Hannah. Carol watches with surprise, especially at the use
of the word perspective, then she smiles)
Hailey: Oh, Mom? For the State softball tournament, Hannah wants to bring Dad and come see
it! Can Hannah stay with us?
Carol: (grinning) Im sure we could make that happen.

Scene 8: Walter and Hannahs flight (in parallel with Carol and Haileys flight)
Walter: How can you draw while flying on a plane? I cant even draw a straight line on the
ground.
Hannah: Im doing my landscape project, and I know exactly what to draw. Can you hold it up so
I can take a picture of it?
Walter: Who for?

Hannah: Hailey. She wanted me to keep her updated on the status of the piece.
Walter: (surprised) Youre keeping in touch with Hailey now?
Hannah: (looking down at her phone now, smiling) Yeah. And by the way, I want to go see her
softball team play. Shes been working on her two-seam fastball.
Walter (even more surprised): Two .. seam fastball. Why do you want to visit Hailey? What
changed?
Hannah: I guess we...well, we see each other differently now. All thanks to grandma, actually.
Walter: Really?
Hannah: (grinning) Yeah, really.