Planted By MCHS Devised Theatre Group
ZOEY
When I was six, I didn’t know where money came from. I had this genius scheme… I thought I was the first person to think of it. You see, I thought pennies were dollar bill seeds. So I planted pennies in the ground. I didn’t get much from that.
ABBY Planted.
BRITTANY Why do we need to be planted?
ALLY
In sixth grade there was this weird door leading to the library that swung out into the hallway.
One day I was walking, poor little sixth grade me. I blinked and the door opened right into me!
MICHAEL Planted.
ZOEY To be immovable.
LUC Grounded.
ABBY
My first season of lacrosse, I was very small. I was the easiest kid to be knocked over.
BRITTANY Plant your feet.
ALLY
It's hard to be swayed by peer pressure when you stand firm.
MICHAEL
When I was in eighth grade I went to audition for Aladdin and I convinced one of my friends to
audition with me. We played lacrosse together. After Aladdin I wanted to prioritize theatre over
lacrosse. Suddenly year long friendships went away.
ZOEY
If you’re not supported then it can make you feel alone and depressed.
LUC Might as well not try.
ABBY Not everyone will support what I do.
BRITTANY
But I have really close friends that cheer for me in everything I do.
ALLY
Even if my family doesn’t support me, my friends will. Or if my friends think I’m crazy, my family will support me.
MICHAEL Family.
ZOEY Friends.
LUC Teachers.
ABBY People who make you feel loved and important.
BRITTANY
I have felt supported many times throughout my life by my family and friends. I really love acting and so when I was young, my family really helped me want to continue and pursue it. So many people have come to support my acting by watching my performances and saying they enjoyed it. I'm so grateful that I have such good support for something that I love, because then I feel good doing it.
ALLY
Where do our roots lie?
MICHAEL On stage.
ZOEY Personal beliefs.
LUC Values.
ABBY In the mountains.
BRITTANY Ideas.
ALLY The nitty gritty details.
MICHAEL Like my hair.
ZOEY Acne.
LUC
When I say something stupid and then worry about it for the rest of my life.
ABBY How other people see you.
BRITTANY Having low self body image.
ALLY
It screws up our self esteem and then we plant ourselves in this belief that we aren’t beautiful.
MICHAEL I worry about everything too much.
ZOEY
LUC
I worry I might fall and hit the dark, cold, unforgiving ground.
ABBY I pretend to know how to fly without falling.
BRITTANY I pretend to be outgoing.
ALLY
I pretend that I am a carefree non-busy person, but in reality I am always doing something and at times I burn out and need to take a break.
MICHAEL Is it bad to be rooted in something?
ZOEY
If you're rooted in something that is toxic, it can hinder your growth as a person.
LUC
Sometimes being rooted in one thing makes wanting to try new things less appealing.
ABBY
Being rooted hinders your growth, depending on what it is.
BRITTANY Bad ideas.
ALLY Toxic relationships.
MICHAEL I noticed conspiracy theorists are very rooted.
ZOEY Do we really want to be like that?
LUC Why is change so hard to undergo?
ABBY
Uncertainty.
BRITTANY
Like high school. It’s a huge change from middle school, especially after a pandemic.
ALLY Fear of the unknown.
MICHAEL
If you refuse to move from one place you could be close minded to different views.
ZOEY Never able to see things for what they are.
LUC People have different life experiences.
ABBY Everyone goes through hardships.
MICHAEL
I understand grief and the hardships it brings. Grief is hard because you come to love someone and it's very hard to let go. I lost a loved one dear to me and I still struggle with the concept that they are not here anymore. I do cherish my memories though and I’m grateful for them. I’m grateful for my knowledge on this hardship.
ZOEY
We need to be planted so we can have knowledge for ourselves.
ALLY Growing.
BRITTANY How do forests start?
LUC Planting a seed.
ABBY Finding yourself.
BRITTANY
Fulfilling your potential.
ALLY
I have grown a lot in the past year. I learned to come to terms with myself.
MICHAEL Planted.
ZOEY You know who you are.
LUC
In 7th grade I had these two best friends. We hung out all the time at school, but hardly ever after school. My friends started acting weird around me, like they didn’t want to hang out with me. I asked them what I did, and how I could fix it. I apologized and thought all was well. They still were mad at me. So one day they told me they didn’t want to hang out with me anymore. I was really hurt, because I tried to fix it and they still rejected me. I went to a different friend group and they welcomed me in. I felt better.
ABBY
We need to be planted so we have something to grow from.
ALLY
There was one time I was constantly fighting with my siblings and parents, probably even my dog. One day we were leaving the house to go to Las Vegas to visit my mom. Me and my siblings dashed to the car. We were about 20 minutes on the road when we blew a tire. All hope seemed lost. About an hour after trying to figure out how to get there, our mom called us. She was coming to pick us up! When she arrived, my siblings and I toppled over each other to get into her car. Even when all hope seems lost, we can make it through.
BRITTANY
When we look for the positive in life that is exactly what we get, happiness.
MICHAEL
To be planted means to have a strong foundation to build upon and grow.
ZOEY
I have grown through trials in my life. When I have hard experiences especially they help me see the positive in that situation and learn a lesson.
ABBY
In middle school, my friends and I were practicing for our annual school talent show. Every year
we would choreograph our own dance and we would grow together. However, this year most of
the other girls were more capable of more difficult moves than myself. I did the very best I could
to match them, but it just wasn’t my forte. There were no words of encouragement or loving, extra help offered. Only frustrated, disdainful looks and whispers. I felt unwanted by my best friends. One day, I started hearing the girls talking behind my back, how they thought I was only holding them back, and that they considered removing me from the group. That really, really hurt. 5 years later, it still hurts. Betrayal and broken trust is a thorn that leaves a deep, deep mark.
ALLY
We need trials, or thorns, because without them we can’t understand anything.
ZOEY
Like when my mom moved away. I didn’t understand why any parent would do that. But after years of her moving back and forth I started to get why. We need thorns to understand life.
LUC
We may be pricked by a thorn, but the pain is only temporary.
ABBY
I’m still alive. Even after a lot of bad things happened, I have learned from them and feel I have found my place.
BRITTANY I hope that one day we will all find our place.
ALLY
I hope that I can graduate high school with a good ACT score, get into a better college and get a fun job.
MICHAEL
I dream about growing up, getting married and having cute little kids.
ZOEY I wonder what I can accomplish.
LUC
I’ve settled with the fact that my life is hard compared to others. Just because my dad is in jail and my life is difficult doesn’t mean I can’t try.
ABBY I understand I have to work hard.
BRITTANY
I am able to get through hard things.
ALLY If you aren’t planted it’s easier to be knocked over by life.
MICHAEL What kind of soil are you planted in?
ZOEY Will you accept others as they are?
LUC Where will you plant your seed?
