The February People’s Choice Award goes to…

The people have spoken… The February People’s Choice Award goes to Samuel Kelly Fair Levit for his short play, Wily, presented as a staged reading Simulcast & On-Demand via Vimeo Live on February 6th. Congratulations, Samuel!

Courtesy of Samuel, we’re pleased to share the first few pages from the award-winning script. Enjoy!

Wily
by
Samuel Kelly Fair Levit

CHARACTERS

WILE E. COYOTE – man, late 40s, a coyote. An obsessed, resolute man who has given up his
entire life to catch a road runner. (“Wile” rhymes with “smile.”)

DAKOTA – woman, late teens or early 20s, a coyote. WILE’s estranged daughter whom he gave
up in his pursuit of chasing the Road Runner. Patient, wistful, a little older than her years. She is
coming to WILE’s to meet him for the first time.

SETTING
The American Southwest as rendered by mid-century’s cartoonists. Specifically, in WILE’s
cave/house.

NOTES
The characters are cartoon animals. Their feelings, thoughts, and relationships are as real and
grounded as our own, but they also live in a world where you can survive a dynamite blast and
float in the air if you don’t know you’ve walked off a cliff.
Just because things are ridiculous doesn’t mean they aren’t serious. And vice versa. Meep meep.

WILE’s cave/house. It is the lair of a man consumed—dirty, neglected, utilitarian.
It is littered with half-built traps, giant mallets, crates of dynamite, and dozens of
ACME branded products.

(WILE stands peering furiously out the door or window—he has just heard the Road Runner. DAKOTA waits patiently off to the side.)

WILE
That son of a—

DAKOTA
It’s fine.

WILE
This motherfucker knows, ya know?

(WILE turns around.)

WILE
I suppose I shouldn’t swear around you.

DAKOTA
I’m in college.

WILE
Jesus, you are?

DAKOTA
Uh…

WILE
I knew that, I probably knew that.

DAKOTA
So this is your place?

WILE
Home sweet home. Chez Coyote.

DAKOTA
It’s kinda messy.

WILE
I cleaned it.

DAKOTA
Oh.

WILE
I don’t usually have company.

(A “MEEP MEEP” sounds offstage. WILE stands, furious.)

WILE
That little piece of…

DAKOTA
You good, Wile?

WILE
What? Yeah.

(Another “MEEP MEEP.” WILE controls himself.)

WILE
You’re in college, huh?

DAKOTA
Yep.

WILE
Well alright. What’re you studying again?

DAKOTA
Cartoon aerodynamics.

WILE
Smart. What’s that?

DAKOTA
Like—you know how if you walk off a cliff, you stay in the air as long as you’re not looking down?

WILE
Course.

DAKOTA
Well I study that.

WILE
Guess they got a degree for everything. You passionate about it?

Join us for the next round of Monday Night PlayGround on Monday, March 6 at 7pm CT! Click here for more info and tickets.