The Hermitcraft Plays

3: Freeze and frogs

I think it's time for me to bring out all my drama games :D

A circle of 25 seats had been set up when the hermits arrived for rehearsals the next day. Unlike before, everyone was called to gather, which could only mean one thing.

'I thought we'd all play some games together to improve our acting skills.', Explained Joe. 'Now, the first game is called 'Freeze' and we need two volunteers... Ren and... Etho. Great. Stand in the circle. The game is to improvise - make up a scene on the spot - and whenever anyone thinks the scene is getting boring and has a better idea themselves, they shout 'freeze'. The people on stage have to freeze in their positions and the person takes one of their positions exactly and starts their own scene. Makes sense? Begin.' Joe stepped out of the circle as Ren started the scene.

'Help! I lost my frog!'

'Oh no!' Etho replied. 'Where did you last have him?'

'Just now! I don't know where he's gone!'

'Maybe he hopped away or...'

'FREEZE!' Grian shouted. The pair stopped.

'Grian?'

'Sorry, I just wanted to see what would happen if I said freeze.'

'Continue the scene.'

'I'll start looking for him...' Ren got down on his hands and knees, as Cub yelled freeze, getting up and taking his space.

'Ribbet.' He began. Scar started laughing

'It's Ren's frog!' Etho gasped. 'Wait! I need to give you back to Ren! He was looking for you!'

'I am Cubfrog135!' Cub decided. 'I am the king of frogs!'

'Almighty frog king I have been blessed by your presence!'

'Snowball! What was the word?' Scar interrupted.

'Freeze?'

'Yes! Freeze!'

Etho, who had already frozen mid bow, accepted Scar's silent request for him to leave the stage, and Scar took over in a completely different pose.

'Oh almighty Frog King! What is your demand?'

'I demand that... All people are now frogs!'

'Freeze!' Called Joe 'The idea of this is to start different scenes with different characters, as much as I like this storyline. So... Do that.'

'Ribbet.' Replied Scar quietly

'Oh wow! It's a... toad!' Cub decided, trying to change the scene and not start laughing.

'I am a very respectable frog, I'll have you know!'

'Freeze!' Grian ran in, taking Cub's position. 'Scar! We have fifteen minutes to save the universe or the world will end!'

'No! That's not good!'

'We need to work together and stop this! With the power of...'

'Frogs!' Offered Scar excitedly

'The power of frogs!' Laughed back Grian

'The frogs will save the universe!' Scar yelled. 'Wooo!'

'Only question, where are the frogs?'

Scar replied by becoming a frog again.

'Ribbet.' Cub finally started laughing at Scar's frog impression, looking up at Grian from his position crouching on the ground.

'Someone take over... Cleo?'

'What?'

'Uhh... Replace either Grian or Scar onstage.' Joe repeated. Cleo sighed, as Scar began to lose balance, and took Grian's position. Before she could come up with anything, Scar blurted out:

'Will you marry me?' it was hard to tell who of Cub and Grian were laughing more. Cleo blinked at Scar, clearly confused.

'No?'

Unable to think of anything else, Scar just continued staring at Cleo until he lost balance again, collapsing onto the floor.

'Is this... Part of the scene?'

'I am...'

'Please don't say frog...' muttered Grian

'Dying of the... Frog plague!'

'What's the frog plague?'

'I will die if you don't save me!' At this point, Scar was lying on his back reaching melodramatically for Cleo, until 'dying'. This was the moment Ren called 'Freeze' and took his place.

The scenes continued through, with Joe forcing some of the less willing hermits to participate. The clear range of talent was made obvious by Wels and Ren on the hunt for the elusive Lord Of The Bees and, only two rounds later, Doc and Jevin standing uncertainly in the middle of the stage doing nothing except appearing physically, mentally, and metaphorically lost. The role of Lord Of The Bees was forced upon Xisuma a couple rounds after that by Cub.

A lot of the day had passed before they really got into the hang of things, and eventually everyone had had at least one turn - though Ren kept coming back and was onstage with a confused Hypno when Cub, the other reoccurring participant, called Freeze, ran onstage, crouched down and said only one thing:

'Ribbet.'

'My frog!' replied Ren, and everyone started laughing before Joe pulled a complete curveball on everyone.

'Ok, I'm glad that ended up alright. Now, I've got another script for everyone for the song at the end of the play.'

'The WHAT?!' Grian screeched. 'I'm not singing!'

'Yes, you are.' Joe started to hand around a pile of paper, and everyone took a copy of the lyrics. 'And we're going to practice it until it's... not painful to hear.'

With clear disgust, Grian looked down at the paper.

'The Christmas play of Hermitcraft? This is just the 12 days of Christmas but...different.'

'Exactly. Now, I've split you into pairs and each pair has a different thing to sing, so you really don't have much to learn... The order is listed at the top. We start with Ren and Pearl... 3, 2, 1...

'In the Christmas Play of Hermitcraft Joehills did decree, Etho dressed as a Christmas Tree.'

'In the Christmas Play of Hermitcraft Joehills did decree... Scar, you're supposed to sing too.' Cub stopped singing to say.

'Oh, sorry.'

'In the Christmas play of Hermitcraft, Joehills did decree, 2 Christmas vexes.'

'And Etho dressed as a Christmas Tree.'

'In the Christmas Play of Hermitcraft Joehills did decree, 3 dumb men.' Tango and Impulse failed to sing.

'2 Christmas vexes'

'and Etho dressed as a Christmas tree.'

'In the Christmas Play of Hermitcraft Joehills did decree, Joe you know this is stupidity.' Grian interrupted Stress and Cleo by singing, quickly cutting off the hermit's inability to sing and ending the song short.

'We just need more practice! It was sounding great!'

'Ren and Pearl's part did. Everyone else on the other hand...'

'We're going to get through one run-through of it today, and continue working on it after going through each day's scenes... With some improvisation game to start. From now on everyone needs to be here every morning and afternoon for rehearsals. Now, Ren and Pearl, start the song again from the top.'