Act II, Scene II
Washington, DC, Part 2
The National Air and Space Museum

Note to teachers and parents: If you haven't read the Introduction to this play experience, please go to this link before starting this scene with the students. You also might want to take a look at a list of National Air & Space Museum Publications http://www.nasm.edu/NASMDOCS/PUBS/booklist.html.

Setting and Where We Are in Our Adventure at This Time: Great Computer Hint http://www.his.com/~matson/index.html. Please fill in the scene at this time.

Additional characters for this scene: None

Curtain: The rather wet curtain rises on Act II, Scene II, a scene that will take you to a really high flying spot in the District of Columbia. (curtain gets up, wiping off water)

Teacher: (Add your teacher's name here) We'll kayak a bit downsteam, land and have our cheeseburgers. I have veggieburgers for those who prefer them. No matter that they are a bit soggy. Paddle on, class.

Students: (paddle) Soggy burgers. OOooouuuu.

Classmate #5: I am allergic to mushy bread and to paddling.

Classmate #16: This is really fun. I didn't know you could do this in Washington. This is my kind of field trip! What is the name of this river, anyway? It's great! Watch out for that rock. Yeow!

Classmate #28: It's the (fill in) river. I thought it was just one of those flat rivers, but I guess it's not.

Classmate #1: I am getting too messed up. My clothes are wet and my hair is ugghhh. (looks at the audience and says). Just look at my hair. This is not what I look like! (fluffs hair)

Great Computer: (rolls eyes at audience and fluffs own hair mimicking Classmate #1) There are so many things to do in Washington, D.C. that even my brain can't think of them all. Head to shore and off we go. But where? Classmate #17, check out the site for our next venture while we take an eating break.

Classmate #31: I don't want any mayonnaise on my cheeseburger.

Classmate #29: (smiles ever so slightly to the audience) You don't have to worry. No mayonnaise, no mustard, no catsup--only...

All students: (shout) Wet cheeseburgers AND veggieburgers. (not every enthusiastic sounding) Yum. Yum. Yum.

Classmate #1: I hate burgers. Look at my hair. I couldn't possibly eat. Why do we have to eat burgers all the time?

Classmate #17: (drying off and eating) Ok, I think we should head to (fill in details). GC Hint: <http://www.si.edu/newstart.htm>.

Classmate #18 I love to visit here. My favorite building to tour is (fill in).

Classmate #20 I've never been here before but I've always wanted to see (fill in).

All: Everyone says at once what they'd like to see at the Smithsonian.

Teacher: (getting everyone's attention with one of those "you'd better be quiet and listen" teacher stares) Students! Students! We will visit the buildings together logically and together. Classmate #21, you select first, and we'll head to your choice of Smithsonian wonders.

Classmate #21 (raises eyebrows to audience) Now let's see. It's my choice, eh, and everyone has to do what I say. I like that. (does the eyebrow raise again) I suggest we go to (fill in) GC Hint: http://www.nasm.edu/GALLERIES/GAL100/bellX1.html. There we can see (fill in).

Classmate #22: I'll enlarge some of the photos for everyone. I think I'll do (fill in).

Classmate #23: I'd love to go to Beyond the Limits: Flight Enters the Computer Age http://www.nasm.edu/GALLERIES/GAL213/gal213.html. Hold on, and I'll take everyone there. Perhaps you'd like to see the X-29 aircraft with the wings that go, well sort of, backwards. (Classmate #23 takes classmates on a tour through what is often called the computer gallery.)

Classmate #30: Does it fly backwards?

Classmate #11 (gives a worried look to the audience) These planes and spacecraft go really fast, faster than sound. Does that mean if I travel in them that my age will change? I don't really want to be younger.

Teacher: (Clears throat loudly and ignores classmate #11) Time for a quiz. Now who can tell me what the HiMAT is and what the letters stand for? (waits for answer from Classmate #24.) Next question: What is NASM? (waits for answer from Classmate #25.) Did you know that the NASM is the most visited museum in the world?

Great Computer: (Clears throat even louder) Sorry to interrupt, but time to move on. I say we take a look at the NASM floor plan http://www.nasm.edu/NASMDOCS/NASMAP.html and decide upon one other spot to visit here. Classmate #26, select and gallery and tell us about it.

Classmate #26: (Picks a gallery and tells about it.)

Classmate #27: What do you think it would be like to be in this museum at nighttime, after dark with no lights? I've heard they have parties here at night sometimes, but after the parties are over, what would it be like? Would we see the Wright brothers and Amelia Earhart? Would we go for a ride in the X-29 perhaps? I think we might write great ghost stories about NASM after dark. Dim the lights, GC.

(Lights dim)

Classmate #28: (In a most dramatic and threatening voice) After inventing "The Sponge Theory of Space Travel, our class was invited to nighttime party at NASM. As all were leaving, but we remained to get our many trophies and awards, a great blizzard swept in on Washington, knocking out all electricity and leaving our class alone with the history of air and space. We (finish this story at home or English class. You might make a play out of it.)

Teacher: (in a teacher voice) Gather round. I need to count to make sure all of you are here. How many of us were there anyway? It's dark. Please stay close together. I think we'll sleep in the Planetarium tonight.

Great Computer: (to audience) Although we had planned to visit the other Smithsonian buildings, we didn't quite make it in this scene. We were not unlike so many many people who get caught up in air and space adventures. In our next scene, we'll awaken in the Planetarium and then head off to another Smithsonian adventure.

The Curtain: The curtain falls to the floor of the National Air and Space Planetarium sinking to sleep under the lights off the Big Dipper. That's the only constellation I can ever find, by the way! Night all.

Classmate #1 (moaning) This floor is really hard.

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