Dialogue Examples

Fourth Grade Dialogues about Immigration

Waiting. . .to go the United States
By Clair
Characters:
Immigration Officer
Klara Bronte, 14
Rachael Bronte, her sister, 10
Isaac Coma, 8

Setting: The immigration office in Amsterdam, just outside the loading dock for ships to the United States. It is 1910.

Dialogue: (This is close to the end of the play.)

Immigration Officer: Let me see your passport. (Isaac hands
it to her.)

Isaac: (mumbles) My brother sent it.

Officer: (Looks at it very carefully.) It doesn’t look in order. Go wait in the waiting room. (Doesn’t give the passport back to Isaac.)

(Isaac leaves with head down.)

Officer: Next!

(Bronte sisters come to the desk and hold out their passports.)

Officer: These aren’t in order, either! Go wait in the waiting
room. (Keeps the passports.)

(The girls leave. The next shot is in the waiting room with the children sitting very quietly. Finally Isaac asks.)

Isaac: Where do you come from?

Klara: Rumania.

(Long pause.)

Isaac: Are you Jewish?

Klara: Yes. Where are your parents? You’re awfully young
to be traveling by yourself.

Isaac: My parents are dead. My brother is in America. He
sent for me. (pause) Where are your parents?

Klara: In America. This is the second time they said our
passports weren’t in order.

(Long pause. Rachael is close to tears.)

Rachael: (in a little voice) I’m scared.

Officer: (Calls) Come!

(Next scene is back in the office.)

Officer: We’ve contacted the American Consulate. They’ve
ok’d your papers. Go to the steam ship. Hurry, now.

(The children leave quickly.)

Quarantine or Mom! Come and Get Us!
A comedy by Patti and Pau

Characters:
Peaches, 7
Peter, 5
Immigration Officer
Mom

Setting:
Hawaii airport at the immigration desk and in quarantine for animals. Since Hawaii doesn’t have rabies, all animals must be held in quarantine before being admitted to the country.
At the desk

Peter: We’re looking to go to Hawaii.

Peaches: To see our Mommy.

Officer: Let’s see your passports. They look all right.

(Peaches is holding her toy hampster.)

Officer: What do you have there? I can’t believe it! It’s a
hampster!!

Peaches: It’s a toy. It’s a toy! (She pushes its tummy
and it sings, wiggles and shakes the stick in its hand.)

Officer: Stop that thing! I don’t like it. It's a rodent! I won’t have it!!! Your guys must go to quarantine. (He hauls the kids
off.)

(A few moments later, still at the immigration desk.)

Mom: I’m looking for my two children? They should be
here!

Officer: How old are they?

Mom: Five and seven.

Officer: Did they have a hampster?

Mom: You have them! Give me my children.

Officer: I can’t. They are in quarantine because they have
that terrible rodent.

Mom: (Starts beating the Officer over the head with her
paper umbrella.) Give me my children! Give me my children!

Officer: (Holding his arms up to defend himself.) All right,
all right!

(Next scene, in quarantine. It is a cage under the table. The two children and their toy hampster are in the cage.)

Officer: (Opening the cage.) Here they are. They’re just
fine.

Peter: Moma!

Peaches: We’re ready to go home. This stupid man said we
had to go to quarantine because our toy was a ro — ro

Officer: A rodent. Rats are not allowed!

Peaches: (Picks up the umbrella her moma has put down
and they all chase the Officer out.) Stupid man! Stupid man!!