Scene 1

 

 

(The year is 1960 in the small town of Appleville. A Woman is running down the street screaming.)

 

WOMAN

Wake up, Wake up, something terrible has happen to Mr. Appleton.

 

(People peaking out of their doors and windows to see who is screaming.)

 

WOMAN

He is dead. Someone killed him.

 

(Man shouts out of his window)

MAN

Stop Screaming!

 

WOMAN

He is dead. Did everyone hear me? Who will sell our apples now?

 (Woman fades into the horizon.)

                

 

(The wife of a local merchant)   

MRS. BANANA

Do you hear that honey? Mr. Appleton is dead.

 

MR. BANANA

 Oh, Sweet Banana pudding, that is not nice to make things up about people. Even though I hate the man.

MRS. BANANA

No it’s true. Look it made front page today.

 

(Reading the front page of the newspaper)

 

MR. BANANA

Well, Well, Mr. Appleton finally ate a bad apple. After serving this community for over ten years, the money hungry apple head is dead.

 

MRS. BANANA

The kiwi patrol is holding an emergency meeting at the city hall today to talk about the murder. Are you coming?

 

MR. BANANA

 I did not have one nice word to say about that man while he was living….What makes you think I have any positive remarks about him now. Maybe now we can finally enter the apple market and turn this town into a perfect competition.

 

MRS. BANANA

Well, thank you for that lovely fair well speech, but who do you think they will blame first.

 

MR.BANANA

You can bet on your sweet apple that it will not be me. Mr. Appleton and I have not agreed on prices for years but that man surly made his share of enemies in this town.

 

MRS. BANANA

You can say what you want, but I still believe that they will blame you first. And I think that you should be there to defend yourself.

 

MR. BANANA

I have nothing to hide.

 

(A woman in her late-sixties stands in front of the angry mob. She has a buxom figure that hides under an ankle length dress.)

WOMAN #2

Please quiet down …quiet down

 

Strange Man

Who killed Mr. Appleton?

 

WOMAN#2

We don’t know yet….that’s why we are here to find out.

 

(Strange Man starts to panic)

 

WOMAN#2

Quiet down…I would like to proceed with the meeting please.

 

WOMAN#2

Mrs. Appleton can you please tell us when and where was the last time you saw your husband alive.

 

MRS. APPLETON

This morning I kissed him goodbye… he left for a meeting and that was the last time I saw him alive.

 

WOMAN#2

Do you know who he was going to meet this morning?

 

MRS.APPLETON

Sorry I don’t know

 

WOMAN#2

Can you remember someone he might have talked to the day before or even that week?

MRS.APPLETON

Come to think about it…I remember he was upset two days ago. I think he had a meeting with Mr. Banana.

 

WOMAN#2

Did your husband mention what the meeting was about?

 

MRS.APPLETON

I think they had a meeting about changing the prices of our apples.

 

WOMAN#2

Do you think that Mr. Banana killed your husband?

 

MRS.APPLETON

Yes. I do…I think he was jealous of our apple empire. Mr. Banana wants to be the only producer of apples in this town!

 

WOMAN#2

(Points her finger at Mr. Banana)

Did you kill Mr. Appleton?

 

(Shocked)

NO! I did not kill that man.

 

WOMAN#2

You were the last person he spoke with before his death…You killed him…confess.

 

MR.BANANA

I will not do such a thing. I did not kill him.

 

MR.BANANA

Yes, we did have an argument about lowering his prices below marginal cost because I am sick of him charging the monopoly price for apples. I think that it is time for other merchants to sell apples to the world.

 

MR.BANANA

I believe that I speak for everyone in Appleville…We want the price of apple to fall from the monopoly price to below marginal cost.

 

STRANGE MAN

Mr. Banana is right…Lower prices and freedom to enter the market.

 

 

WOMAN#2

 Order in the count…order please.

 

WOMAN#2

I agree with all of you but that does not give Mr. Banana the right to murder Mr. Appleton.

 

MR.BANANA

I did not kill him!

 

WOMAN#2

Officer can you please arrest Mr. Banana

 

MR.BANANA

You have the wrong man!

 

WOMAN#2

Officers take him away.

 

(A man runs into the room screaming)

 

MAN#2

Let him go! They caught the killer...she is coming down the street right now

 

WOMAN#2

What are you talking about? We have the killer right here.

 

(Two officers walk in with a woman who is wearing red.)

 

WOMAN#2

Who is this woman?

 

OFFICER

This here is Lady Strawberry. She murdered Mr. Appleton.

 

WOMAN#2

Is this true...Lady Strawberry

 

LADY STRAWBERRY

Yes, I killed him and I would do it again. Someone had to kill him. He was charging above the marginal cost and as a consumer I did not value his apples at the price he was selling them for. So I killed him. The government did not want to regulate his behavior. so I killed him.

 

WOMAN#2

Officers take her away!

 

 

 

WOMAN#2

Sorry Mr. Banana for falsely acquiring you of murder. From this day forth, Appleville will operate as an oligopoly.