The March People’s Choice Award goes to…
The people have spoken… The 2026 March People’s Choice Award goes to Toby Inoue for her short play, Mukashi Mukashi, presented as a staged reading live at Theater Wit and Simulcast on March 16. Congratulations, Toby!
Courtesy of Toby, we’re pleased to share the first few pages from the award-winning script. Enjoy!
Mukashi Mukashi
by Toby Inoue
Characters (3):
* GRANDMA (Obaachan) HARUE – older Asian woman, SUE’s mother, QUINN’s grandmother
* MOM SUE – younger Asian woman, HARUKI’s daughter, QUINN’s mother
* GRANDDAUGHTER QUINN – child (may be played by an adult)
Synopsis: In this play, story-telling bridges both a cultural and generational gap. Japanese-born Grandma Harue tells her American eight-year-old granddaughter Quinn a Zen story about a farmer, which serves both to settle differences between Harue and her daughter Sue while teaching Quinn an Eastern perspective on life.
Notes:
* If possible, I’d prefer all actors to be played by Asian or BIPOC women
* // indicates interruption and overlapping dialogue
HARUE (grandmother) stands by while SUE (mother) kisses and hugs QUINN (granddaughter/daughter), who is wearing pajamas:
SUE
Honey, I love you so much. Be good for grandma, okay? We won’t be long. I’m just meeting Dad downtown for a quick dinner, but we’ll be back soon. If you wake up, and I’m not here, don’t be scared because // I will
QUINN
Obaachan will be here. I won’t be scared.
SUE
I’ll be back before you wake up, probably. You’ll be okay. You’ll be fine.
HARUE
I can tell Quinn her bedtime story.
SUE
(Doesn’t want this) I don’t think–.
QUINN
Yay!!!
SUE
Quinn’s getting a little old for bedtime stories.
QUINN
Mom, you just told me one last night!
SUE
Also, it’s getting late.
HARUE
You can go, Sue. Don’t worry. I’ll make it quick.
SUE
(Blurts) You’ll give her nightmares.
HARUE
Warui yume? How will I give her nightmares?
QUINN
Obaachan tells me stories all the time. I love her stories.
SUE
Yes, but those are stories she tells you during the day, about her life, about her moving here to the States when you were born and how things don’t make sense in this country but how everything in Japan is perfectly logical and rational, not to mention super convenient–anyway. Let’s just say Grandma’s bedtime stories, the made-up stories, are not what you’re used to.
QUINN
That’s okay. I like to hear different stories.
SUE
Because you’re so curious and questioning, which is wonderful, but then you’ll get caught up in the story, which is not a good idea right before you go to sleep because her stories are . . well, they’re dark. They’re not normal. They’re . . um . . .
QUINN
Hentai?
SUE
What?! (Turning to HARUE) What are you teaching her?
HARUE
(Puzzled) What are you talking about? Hentai means–
SUE
I know what hentai means!
QUINN
It means “changed” or “abnormal.”
SUE stares at HARUE.
HARUE
Smart girl. That’s right. That’s the traditional meaning. Of course now it means //[porn]
SUE
Yes–!
QUINN
Obaachan isn’t abnormal.
HARUE
There is nothing wrong with abnormal, Quinn-chan.
TO BE CONTINUED….
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