How to Write a Radio Serial Drama for Social Development- PDF

192 Chapter Thirteen: The Value of Editing
The Other Side (original) Page 2 of 3
Episode #1 Draft: #2
Writer: Nelson Date: October 1996
9. PERCY: Please tell me...what did you hear, Mama Helda
10. HELDA: There has been a terrible accident. The village of Smallwood has been washed away.
11. PERCY: The village of Smallwood...on the other side of the mountain
12. HELDA: Yes, every house has been washed away and many people have been killed.
13. PERCY: Yes, I know.
14. HELDA: What do you mean, you know How could you know You were not in the store when the news
came on, and you do not have a radio of your own. So, how do you know what happened there
15. PERCY: The mountain told me, Madam Helda.
16. HELDA: Oh, Percy, that’s ridiculous. No wonder everybody says you’re mad.
17. PERCY: I’m not mad, Madam Helda.
18. HELDA: Well, all I can say is that I’m glad we live here, and not on the other side of the mountain.
19. PERCY: Oh, but you’re wrong, Madam Helda. We DO live on the other side.
20. HELDA: What What do you mean
21. PERCY: Well, what I’m really trying to explain is that we all are in the same danger. This problem could
just as easily happen to our village as it did in Smallwood.
22. HELDA: That’s ridiculous, Percy. We are perfectly safe, here. That sort of thing could never
happen in Clayton.
23. PERCY: Oh, yes, it could, Madam Helda. Just look around you. For one thing, there are too many
people here.
24. HELDA: Now you sound like the health worker, Maya. Did she tell you to go around telling people how
many children to have
25. PERCY: No, Madam Helda, it’s not that. Just look around you. You can see how many people are now
living in our village. Too many. We have to start to think about how many people can really
continue to live well on this little piece of land.
26. HELDA: Well, I don’t have to stand here and listen to your madness. I’m going to the church. Preacher
has called a meeting there, to pray for the people of Smallwood. And he’s invited everyone in
Clayton to do what they can to help. Some people can give some money; others can give
whatever they can—food, clothes, maybe. I am going to the church now to find out how we can
all help.
27. PERCY: I am very pleased that the preacher has called this meeting, Madam Helda. It will be good for all
of us to do as much as we can to help...BUT, giving what we can to the people of Smallwood is
not going to solve the problem.
28. HELDA: And I suppose you know how to solve the problem, do you, Percy
29. PERCY: I do not know all the answers, but I do know that we have to start giving respect to the
environment. We have to start taking better care of the precious resources we have, and we have
to stop having so many children.
30. HELDA: Well, you can stay here and talk madness if you like. (GOING OUT) I’m going to church.
31. MUSIC. SOFT GUITAR SOLO VERSION OF THEME TUNE, “THE OTHER SIDE”.