Inventions All Over

Celebrating African-Americans and their God-given ability to invent new things.

An example is the WAATSDC! (Pronounced “wattsduck") For anyone who doesn't know the WAATSDC is . . .  a water activated automatic timed screen door closer! . . .  Well just read on and you will like grasp the significance. . . Maybe. . . Possibly. . .  Maybe. And he has a pet gerbil, a girl gerbil called Archibald.

Reference is made to many famous African-American inventors and the role they played in making our lives more enjoyable.

Cast: 1 monolog

Bible Reference: 

Set:   blank set

Lighting:   standard

Sound:  wireless mic if available

Song:   Hallelujah by Rufus Wainwright

SFX:  none
Costumes:   standard

Props:

Special Instructions:(Optionally) The song “Hallelujah” by Rufus Wainwright can be played at the end of the monologue

Time: 11 (with song)

Sample of script:

actor comes on stage, bored, kicks imaginary thing, looks around, yawns, “sees” something, frowns, thinks, holds up hands palm out, thumbs together as he “visualizes” something, smiles, nods, self-satisfied, nods in approval, moves a few steps, visualizes something else as above, speaks, as if confiding in himself

I am good!
Sometimes I am like to. . . amazing myself.
I can see this problem . . . then all of a sudden . . . zowie! . . . Here comes answer to that problem!
Like I say . . . I am for sure good!
Me . . . Tommy Edwards . . . the inventor!

looks out into audience, listening, frowns

Inventor! . . . I invent stuff.

looks out into audience, listening, frowns

What have I invented you ask?
Lots of stuff!

looks out into audience, listening, frowns

You want a for instance, I am gonna give you a “for instance” is what I am gonna do.
One time my Mom was having a fit on account of our screen door at our back door was forever open and letting in flies.

proudly

Me, Tommy Edwards, I invented a WAATSDC! (pronounced “wattsduck”)

looks out into audience, listening, frowns

A . . . WAATSDC!
A water activated automatic timed screen door closer!

Invented it all by myself I tell you!
See, I hooked up the water hose to a two gallon reservoir at the top of the door frame, hooked a shutoff valve to the screen door, whenever somebody opens the screen door the shutoff valve is activated, two gallon reservoir fills up, then the weight of the water closes the screen door.
Then when someone next opens the door the reservoir is emptied and the whole process starts all over again.

smiles proudly, nods approval

Brilliant huh?

looks out into audience, listening, frowns

What do you mean “why not use a spring to close the door?”
Everyone with any sense at all knows that springs snap the door closed, dangerous is what. My WAATSDC . . . my water activated automatic timed screen door closer . . closes the door slowly and safely, gives time for my little sister Serena to walk through, not get smacked with the screen door.

as though sharing a secret with audience

Works great for pets too.
My gerbil Archibald was forever getting smacked by my screen door, poor little fella. Fact is since I invented and installed the WAATSDC little Archibald has not even one bump or bruise on her cute little body!

looks out into audience, listening, frowns

Yes, my gerbil’s name is Archibald and she is a “she”!
Wasn’t til long after I named her that I found out he was a she, by that time she had learned to come when her name was called, couldn’t very well go and change her name then now could I?

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