Sunshine’s Last Wish
A Short Children’s Play
by Conrad A. Panganiban
CAST OF CHARACTERS
BAS: The Poor Writer. Any age and gender of Filipina/o descent. Pronounced like Boss. Short for Basilia/o.
MAX: The Rich Producer. Any age and gender of Filipina/o descent. Short for either Maxima/o.
Lights up on BAS and MAX.
BAS
For the last time, this play will work, Maxima/o.
MAX
I have to disagree, Basilia/o.
BAS
It’s a time-cherished tale.
MAX
Meaning that it’s been done before.
BAS
But not the way I will be writing it!
MAX
It’s Aladdin. Everybody knows Aladdin. And I don’t want to be sued by Disney, again. Besides, we already know the story: someone gets three wishes and they live happily ever after! Story done.
BAS
But the Genie in our play…
MAX
Not my play. Your play, Bas.
BAS
In OUR play, Max, the Genie will be Filipino and his name will be, Apolinario. And he won’t be coming out of a lamp, he’ll be coming out of a barrel.
MAX
Making him a barrel man?
BAS
Better. A Barrel Genie!
MAX
Okay… so who finds this Barrel Genie named Apolinario?
BAS
A lost girl named, Maribel.
MAX
Hmmm… not Maribel.
BAS
Marisol?
MAX
Too many stories with a Marisol.
BAS
Then… Sunshine.
MAX
Sunshine?
BAS
Your daughter would love that name.
MAX
I hope so since that’s her name too.
BAS
It is? Wow. What a coincidence. I never knew….
MAX
So Sunshine finds a barrel and she rubs it like a lamp?
BAS
No. She lifts it up.
MAX
It’s supposed to be a family show!
BAS
It will be!
MAX
Then he better wearing something underneath the barrel.
BAS
Well, he is a barrel man.
MAX
But if this is going to be a play for the public… with kids in the audience… and if I’m going to be producing the play with my money then Apolinario will need to be wearing something.
BAS
He’ll be wearing a bahag!
MAX
Ooo… a Barong Tagalog!
BAS
A barrel man doesn’t wear a Barong?!
MAX
What about a bahag… and a barong?
BAS
Ahhh… doubling down on marketing the Filipino Culture?
MAX
That’s why I’m the producer.
BAS
Quite right.
MAX
So, Sunshine lifts the barrel…
BAS
In OUR play, she lifts it three times. And on the third lift, the Wooden Man becomes a Genie!
MAX
Ohhh… and then Apollo / gives her-
BAS
Apolinario
MAX
Apolinario grants her-
BAS
Sunshine
MAX
Grants Sunshine three wishes?
BAS
Yes.
MAX
Ahhh… and since she’s a lost one, she must be starving, right? So, her first wish should be for food!
BAS
Lechon Kawali
MAX
Lumpia
BAS
Adobo
MAX
Lumpia
BAS
Pancit
MAX
Lumpia
BAS
Menudo
MAX
LUMPIA!
BAS
Filled with ground pork, carrots, green beans, raisins…
MAX
Raisins make me utot.
BAS
No raisins! Definitely no raisins! But it will be filled and fried to a perfect crispy golden brown that crunches even though it’s been dipped into a bowl of Sweet & Sour-
MAX
Mmmmm…
BAS
Ketchup?
MAX
What the?!
BAS
Don’t judge.
MAX
Fine. But ketchup?
BAS
Fine.. A bowl of Vinegar
MAX
Yes! With garlic and salt and pepper.
BAS
Masarap!
(Beat.)
BOTH
Ahhhhh….
MAX
So… what does she wish for after she’s finished eating?
BAS
Naturally, she’ll wish for a credit card with unlimited money!
MAX
Then she could buy all the food in the world!
BAS
Like, Leche Plan! [pronounced pl-ah-n]
MAX
Oh, Leche Flan. [pronounced fl-ah-n]
BAS
Plan.
MAX
Flan.
BAS
Plan!
MAX
We are talking about the same dessert, di ba?
BAS
I could taste it now.
MAX
Oooo… me too! What else does Sunshine need?
BAS
She’ll need somewhere for all that food and a place to sleep.
MAX
Like a mansion?
BAS
Or a castle!
MAX
Yes! She could buy a big castle with 200 hundred rooms!
BAS
With a game room!
MAX
And a bowling alley!
BAS
And a swimming pool!
MAX
And a family room the size of-
BAS
A movie theater-
MAX
That will stream every movie ever made.
BAS
Netflix, Disney Plus, and Amazon Prime.
MAX
Don’t forget HBO Max, Hulu, and YouTube.
BAS
…but late at night, Sunshine would still wish for something more.
MAX
How could she wish for more!? With those two wishes, she’d already have everything! A kitchen full of her favorite food, like Leche Flan.
BAS
And don’t forget the Lumpia…
MAX
Who could forget the Lumpia? And late at night, she could fall asleep watching her favorite movie in a family room filled with everything I would die to have!
BAS
Everything except for a family.
MAX
She doesn’t have a family?
BAS
Remember? Sunshine became a lost one ever since she got separated from her family while vacationing at Disneyland.
MAX
Disneyland?
BAS
When she saw Snow White’s castle she couldn’t help but walk towards it. And right when she reached its gates, she turned around and never saw her family again.
MAX
No! So, if she used her first wish on food and her second wish on a credit card to buy the castle… then her last wish needs to be able to see her family again!
BAS
I wish it were that easy.
MAX
What do you mean?
BAS
Apolinario had a gambling problem and when he lost a bet, he lost Sunshine’s last wish to a blue Genie from a place called Agrabah.
MAX
I told you, I don’t want to be sued by Disney, again. So, no Agrabah in your script!7.
BAS
And when Apolinario told her that he couldn’t grant her the third wish to see her family, Sunshine cried so much that the moat around the castle caused a flood.
MAX
Well, that’s not a happy ending at all. Who’s going to want to watch a sad fairy tale?
BAS
But Apolinario found a loophole because he felt so bad for what he did.
MAX
There’s a loophole to the Genie Contract?
BAS
Oh yes. It’s like the Santa Clause. But that loophole came with a cost.
MAX
Couldn’t she put that cost on her credit card?
BAS
Again, not that simple. Even though Apolinario gambled away her third wish, he found a solution: if Sunshine wanted to make one last wish, she would have to give up her first two wishes.
MAX
What?! You mean, no more Lumpia?
BAS
Nope.
MAX
What about the Leche Flan?
BAS
Gone.
MAX
No more credit card!?
BAS
If she wanted her last wish, she would have to say goodbye to her warm bed, all the lumpia she could eat, and the streaming movie theater.
MAX
Oh, no! I didn’t think I could get even sadder.
So, what does she do?
BAS
What’s enough food to eat if there is nobody to share it with? What fun is it to watch your favorite movie when there’s no one to laugh or cry with? What good is a warm bed if there is no one to tuck you in, kiss you on your forehead and say, “I love you” as they turn off the lights.
So when she made her last wish to see her family again, all the food, the movie theater, and the bed went away in a puff of smoke.
And when the smoke cleared, she was standing in front of Snow White’s castle and heard a familiar voice yelling,
“SUNSHINE! Hoy! What are you doing there!? You come back here right now or you’re going to get the belt or the slipper?! Belt or the Slipper?! How many times did I tell you not to go off galivanting around like that?! If you keep doing that, you’re going to be lost forever! Do you want that, huuuhhhh?! Susmariyosep! Come here! Halika dito!”
And as she reached out to grab her mom’s hand, Sunshine let out a big smile and walked away from that castle because she was truly home again.
The End.
END OF PLAY