The December People’s Choice Award goes to…

The people have spoken… The December People’s Choice Award goes to Toby Inoue for her short play, Knotty Acknowledgements, presented as a staged reading Simulcast & On-Demand via Vimeo Live on Dec 4th. Congratulations, Toby!

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

KNOTTY ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
by Toby Inoue

CHARACTERS:
Martian characters:
MARCIA: Director of Martian theater, diplomatic and practical
MARY: Board President of theater, history major, proud Martian, frank
MARGO: Mary’s young Martian daughter, sweet and impressionable child
Human character:
KAREN: Human, entitled and sometimes misguided, but not always wrong

SETTING:
It’s the future, and Martians are in charge, pushing Earth people to the other side of land
acknowledgements.

MARCIA stands in a generic meeting room, wringing her hands. There is a table and four chairs. MARY ENTERS. BOTH are Martians.

MARCIA
Mary, thank goodness you’re here.

MARY
I came back just as fast as I could. Marcia, I just saw you at our opening. Are you okay?
What happened? (Calling out the door) Margo, baby, please come in here.

MARCIA
Oh! You brought Margo?

MARGO, a young Martian, ENTERS.

Margo Marshmallow!

MARY
Of course I brought Margo. Marty’s tired, and I’d already sent the babysitter home.

MARCIA closes the door behind MARGO while MARY settles MARGO on the floor with a toy.

MARY
Margo, Sweet Pea, be a good girl and play over here for a little while.

MARY stands.

MARY
You’re not worried about our opening night, are you? We may not have sold out, but I think it went really well. The Martian Chronicles is a favorite.

MARCIA
Marvin thinks I need to rewrite the land acknowledgement.

MARY
Just because Marvin is our biggest donor doesn’t mean we have to listen to his every little complaint.

MARCIA
It’s not a big deal. You were a history major. This’ll be a snap. We pretty it up, quickly, tonight, before tomorrow’s show. We make our biggest donor happy, and then live our lives.

MARY
I know it’s all the rage now to do these land acknowledgements, but I really don’t see the point. Why does Marvin care about it?

MARCIA
You know rich Martians. They like causes, and he’s taken on Human People, I guess. I haven’t met her, but he brought a People–a Person, tonight. Apparently, she complained about our land acknowledgement. Did you think it was so terrible?

MARY
Did you send it to me?

MARCIA
They read it before the show tonight.

MARY
I guess I missed it. But I never pay attention to those things anyway.

MARCIA
Marvin dumped it on me at the very last minute so it’s not my best writing, but here, I’ll read it to you . . .

MARCIA gets her notes and assumes the stiff, solemn demeanor typically used with these readings:

MARCIA
(Reading)  “Out of This World Theatre acknowledges that we are on land that used to be
fully occupied by People.”

MARY
No wonder I missed it.

MARCIA
Is it that bad?

MARY
(Laughing) It’s the worst, but who cares? What’s the point?

MARCIA
(Low, confidential) Should I add something about . . oh, I don’t know . . injustice or, uh, historical context?

MARY
(Low, mirroring) You could, I guess. Did Marvin have any suggestions? Also, why are we whispering?

KNOCK on the door startles MARCIA and MARY.

Join us for the inaugural Best of PlayGround-Chicago Gala, live and in-person, on Monday, May 1 at 7pm CT at Theater Wit and simulcast! Click here for more info and tickets.