Volume 8

DIVIDED WE STAND

A verbatim docudrama by Carmen Meyers

Characters: (in order of appearance) Each character name was chosen by each participant and represents how they want to be identified in the script.

INTERVIEWER

BRUNSWICK TO AZ 68

LYNN 91

MS. T

WHITE FEMALE 53 SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS

MIA MY VOTE DOESN’T COUNT

TRANSGENDER AZ WOMAN

LINDSAY 24

MIMI 48 AMERICAN CITIZEN NIGERIAN DESCENT

HAZEL 72 RETIRED NEWSPAPER REPORTER 1960s RADICAL PROTESTOR

40s NY MOM

AZ NAVY GAL

Six actors are needed. Cast doubling/tripling:

INTERVIEWER

MIA MY VOTE DOESN’T COUNT, MIMI 48 AMERICAN CITIZEN NIGERIAN DESCENT &

AZ NAVY GAL

WHITE FEMALE 53 SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS & TRANSGENDER AZ WOMAN

HAZEL 72 RETIRED NEWSPAPER REPORTER 1960s RADICAL PROTESTOR & LYNN 91

MS. T & LINDSAY 24

40s NY MOM & BRUNSWICK TO AZ 68

The initial development of the play was supported by the Verbatim Performance Lab with a staged reading on January 14, 2020 at New York University. Subsequently, The Bridge Initiative: Women+ in Theatre furthered the play’s development with a staged reading at Arizona State University on January 30, 2020. Both were directed by Carmen Meyers and stage managed by Chantel Martinez.

The New York cast was as follows:

Interviewer Mackie Saylor

Brunswick to AZ 68 Analisa Gutierrez

Lynn 91 Colleen O’Neill

Ms. T Nicolette Dixon

White Female 53 School of Hard Tammie Swopes

Knocks

Mia My Vote Doesn’t Count Andrea Ambam

Transgender AZ Woman Mackie Saylor

Libby Writer Mother in Brooklyn Tammie Swopes

Lindsay 24 Nicolette Dixon

Female Artist 30’s Sherill-Marie Henriquez

Mimi 48 American Citizen Nigerian Andrea Ambam

Descent

Hazel 72 Retired Newspaper Reporter Colleen O’Neill

1960’s Radical Protestor

40’s NY Mom Analisa Gutierrez

AZ Navy Gal Sherill-Marie Henriquez

Stage Directions Nicole Fazia

The Phoenix cast was as follows:

Interviewer Avery Volk

Brunswick to AZ 68 Lindsey Marlin*

Lynn 91 Pamela Sterling

Ms. T Alyssa Arns

White Female 53 School of Hard Laurelann Porter

Knocks

Mia My Vote Doesn’t Count Shonda Royall

Transgender AZ Woman Laurelann Porter

Lindsay 24 Alyssa Arns

Mimi 48 American Citizen Nigerian A.P. Nuri

Descent

Hazel 72 Retired Newspaper Reporter Pamela Sterling

1960’s Radical Protestor

40’s NY Mom Lindsey Marlin*

AZ Navy Gal A.P. Nuri

Stage Directions Shonda Royall

Note on the verbatim scripting technique:

Each interview was transcribed word for word, which means all stops, stutters, and disfluencies are included and a hard line return where any time the participant pauses in speaking, a new line of text is created. If the reader follows the hard line of the transcript, pausing at the end of each line, and not the punctuation, they will get a clearer sense of the participants vocal style and context. Also, when a word is in full capitalization, it is read with intensity or emotion. It’s important to note that this technique works best when read aloud.

PERFORMANCE RIGHTS

All rights, including professional, amateur, motion picture, recitation, radio, television, and public reading are strictly reserved. All inquiries concerning performance rights should be addressed to the lead creator:

Carmen Meyers

321 W. 110^th St, 17B

New York, New York 10026

(917) 774-1167

----------

Pre-show- Clock of the World by Krista Detor is playing and rolling images of the 2016 election are on a screen above the stage. There are four chairs stage left, five chairs stage right, all facing out, and two chairs center stage interview style. Each chair has a character signifier, a costume piece or prop that is meaningful to each character. For example, it could be a hat, visor, scarf, necklace, sweater, glasses, button, jacket, or hair tie. As each actor enters a scene, they put on their character signifier in full view of the audience.

Slide projection: From July to October 2019, I sat down face to face with 30 women in Phoenix, AZ and New York, NY and asked them about their experiences surrounding the 2016 presidential election and beyond to explore how women are negotiating and maintaining their identities and relationships in today’s climate of political polarization. These are twelve of their stories, verbatim.

As lights go down, the actors enter during the audio of CNN’s Wolf Blitzer’s announcement of Donald Trump’s 2016 election win and sit in the chair of their first character.

SCENE ONE: THE INTERVIEW

Lights up on the Interviewer and Brunswick to Arizona 68.

INTERVIEWER

So, we’re ready to begin.

I’m just going to ask you a series of open-ended questions and just respond

however you feel most comfortable.

BRUNSWICK TO AZ 68

Okay.

INTERVIEWER

(overlap the next three lines)

So, uhm-

yeah

BRUNSWICK TO AZ 68

Can- can- can I ask you a question?

INTERVIEWER

Of course you can.

BRUNSWICK TO AZ 68

Uhm,

and I guess

I just

are- are you a

person for Trump?

[pause]

Is- is that what this

is- is- is this a women for Trump

thing?

INTERVIEWER

No

BRUNSWICK TO AZ 68

Well no okay.

I guess I-

INTERVIEWER

To give you a little backstory.

BRUNSWICK TO AZ 68

Okay.

INTERVIEWER

After the 2016 election,

I was not

thrilled with the outcome,

but I was more upset about

how

friends were treating each other

on social media and in person

going home for the holidays.

It was dividing families. It was breaking up friendships of 30 years,

and I thought

we’re all women,

women I love and respected the day before,

and all of a sudden things just seemed to be

[pause]

I was really disturbed by that.

So, I thought I wanted to do a piece about where women stand today.

How are they managing all of this?

BRUNSWICK TO AZ 68

Okay.

INTERVIEWER

And how can we do it better is really what I wanted to get to the heart of.

BRUNSWICK TO AZ 68

Okay.

INTERVIEWER

Even if we disagree completely

so

yeah

that's what it's for,

and I've talked to women from Arizona and New York

all up and down the spectrum,

all different age groups different races different occupations,

just to try to get a sense of where we are today as women and how we want to move

forward.

BRUNSWICK TO AZ 68

Okay.

INTERVIEWER

That's what it's about.

BRUNSWICK TO AZ 68

Okay

I- I'm-

I'm good with that.

I- I appreciate-

I appreciate

no

because I-

I am very much for

our president.

I was thrilled with the election

uhm

results

uhm

so and- and I found those same things, and

I was

disturbed.

INTERVIEWER

Yeah.

BRUNSWICK TO AZ 68

In- in a different way maybe then- then you.

You know?

Since you weren't thrilled with the election

[both overlap with laughter]

results.

INTERVIEWER

[both overlap with laughter] I was really- really unhappy.

BRUNSWICK TO AZ 68

So yeah-

so

and- and I tried to-

I tried to talk with some people because well-

we’ll-

I’ll get into that, yeah.

INTERVIEWER

Yeah

but yes that’s where the heart of the piece comes from.

BRUNSWICK TO AZ 68

That's- that's good.

That's good I like that.

INTERVIEWER

I hope so

BRUNSWICK TO AZ 68

Yes- yes.

INTERVIEWER

So, how did you hear about the project and more importantly

why did you decide to do it?

BRUNSWICK TO AZ 68

Uhm Tammy,

uh

sent, I guess through that messenger thing-

INTERVIEWER

Yeah

BRUNSWICK TO AZ 68

on Facebook-

and said that she had just, I guess she had just interviewed with you

and

we have the

same

uhhhh feelings

about the election and she said

she said, “Would you like to do somethin like that” and I said,

“Well sure.”

you know

uh it’s-

I'll do that

and- and she said, “Well

just be honest,”

and I said, “Oh I will be.” [both laugh] (Brunswick-take chair UL, sit)

SCENE TWO: FEELING UNSAFE

INTERVIEWER (stay seated in chair)

I never remember thinking about politics growing up

talking about politics.

I remember very little about my schooling about politics.

So, I didn’t learn anything-

but I do remember

when I was older

one of the first things I remember about politics

is when Evan Mecham was elected-

I think-

[pause]

governor of Arizona,

and the first thing he did on day one

was he got rid of

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

and

we made national news.

LYNN 91 (X- DL)

I- I- I pray

that he

is re-elected.

INTERVIEWER (stand)

Lynn 91. (take chair UC, sit)

LYNN 91

Because

if the Democrats get control of Congress

and our Senate

and the White House, the oval office

uhm that they will undo

almost everything.

They've already talked about our taxes will go up

is ANYBODY LISTENING

out there

you know?

MS. T (X- DR)

So, I look at you know young women today and it's like

what if Planned Parenthood goes away?

Like

I know so many women who would be

up shit crick

excuse my language.

LYNN 91

Ms. T.

MS. T

But they would be r—you know hard-pressed to find

affordable health care.

When I first moved to New York- I didn't have any healthcare and y—you know using

-nd it was pre-Obamacare.

Umm-

[lip smack] you know and I- I just- having to use like health clinics and stuff and

which were awful and waiting for hours and hours for a

you know

a pap smear or whatever and I mean it just was-

it was awful so

but it existed

thankfully uhm.

In some cities- I think you have better access to healthcare than other cities.

Seattle was pretty good

and I had a harder time with health care in New York uhm than I did in Seattle.

Uhm

I’m a cancer survivor so

you know I- thankfully I had insurance when I ha- had cancer uhm

but I definitely worry about

that- and what young women are encountering and- and- and especially women in the arts.

WHITE FEMALE 53 SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS (X- DC)

God, I hate to say this to you.

I

[pause]

think

[pause]

Obama ruined our country.

[pause]

MS. T

White Female 53 School of Hard Knocks.

WHITE FEMALE 53 SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS

And I think he wanted

our country to fail.

Uhm

and

the health insurance

almost buried

my family personally where I had to go back to work.

Uhm

which is very hard when you have a disabled husband,

and two little children and you have to leave them in a disabled husband's

hands and I’m not asking for pity.

I don’t uhm-

everybody should have to do what you have to for your family period

but

when I am told

I have to have health insurance

and it is controlled

and it costs me 26 thousand dollars a year with a 16 thousand dollar deductible

yet

they want to give people

who aren't even coming into-who don't even contribute to this country

free health insurance.

I- I started-

that's when I really started gett’in it.

LYNN 91

So uhm

the open borders this is-

WHAAAAT-

what are we gonna do with these people?

I love them.

I think they are

searching for a better life for themselves. America offers that

but

our welfare programs, you know- we're BROKE.

We have a 22 trillion dollar national debt

and in 1993 when the national debt was in the billions and we were paying 9 billion a year in interest

that was 1993!

MS. T

I worry about student loans.

Not only my own but-

for-

for everybody.

Cause

you're going to NYU.

I mean- [laughs]

yeah-

you know!

You're getting an incredible education

and

I know I got an incredible education- you know

fourteen years later I'm still thankful

but

I'm going to be paying for it forever-

forever.

Cause- you know-

it’s like- think about the money that I spend each month paying my student loans

and

I mean

I’m—I’m paying

as much in student loan payments as I pay in rent each month.

LYNN 91

I was so depressed because I have

children

grandchildren

now I have

great grandchildren and great great

I have two great great.

Uhm

I was so depressed and a man I didn't even like put it into perspective

for me,

“Lynn

your descendants

will have to deal

with the world

they are living in”.

As we did with Kennedy's assassination

and Bobby's

as well and Martin Luther King

and uh we dealt with it

we had to

what else can you do?

WHITE FEMALE 53 SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS

I’m not the only person it affected.

It was burying people when the economy hit recession.

People put- were losing houses- why do you think they couldn't afford health insurance?

People-

you know were so sick couldn't take their medicine.

SHAME on you!

People who have

paid their taxes

pay YOUR salary

pay for the- this wonderful country-

you're taking from us to give to people

who

they deserve it, if they'd come over

and they wanna work- like my grandfather had to become an American.

He had to learn it.

He had to work it.

He had the first masonry company in Connecticut

and you're just going to give it and you're going to take it away from us?

No. It affected me

and that's when I

started to dig in my heels

and I was a Democrat!

MS. T

[Dental click]

I don't have children

cause that’s equal-

in cost and that’s kind of how I’ve justified

uhm,

not.

I never wanted to have kids

but

that’s my kind of- part of my rationalizing of it.

It’s like

well

kids are equal to my master’s degree.

You’re saddled with the debt and it’s like

I can’t afford to have kids.

LYNN 91

I put America-

in my God box

and I also have people who are sick friends who are

sick and dying in my God box.

And turn- I've turned them over

uh to- to God

and- and the country- I've put America

wrote it out.

I have all these little slips of paper and if someone dies

ah they stay

in my God box.

And one day

I got mad at God for some reason

and I took my God box and I dumped it.

And my husband said

I told him and he said uhm, “Oh

that's great!

You've now takin’ back

all of the people

and the country that were in there”- and man I couldn't sit down fast enough and write down America and all of my friends and put them back in.

Because only God can carry

that and be responsible for that

the weight of the world.

(all start X to chairs, Mia’s words stop you, you listen)

MIA MY VOTE DOESN’T COUNT

hold two beats

I think it's a joke nowadays.

Cause a lot of women don't stick together.

We don't.

Everybody teaches us that divide and conquer is better.

Divide and conquer.

LYNN 91

Mia My Vote Doesn’t Count.

(all finish X to chairs and sit)

MIA MY VOTE DOESN’T COUNT ( X-DC)

An you see what happens when you divide an conquer.

They make you think you have control.

Then what happens-

what happened to Hillary-

they take it back from you.

You’re a puppet.

You don't have control if you don't have control of- of autonomy

of your voice

of your- of your

how much money you make-

of when you can get married and have kids-

of how uhm-

what kind of house you want-

of your rights.

It's like common-

we can't even decide this-

what makes you think we can

be together as one

if you can't even see what they're doing?

Because the best way to keep control is to keep us separated

and they start racially first-

then you go by class

and then the final strike is-

let me poison her thoughts

and then you're done.

They have everything when you do that

and a person’s like,

“it's not that easy.”

It is that easy.

And

that's what we're going through right now

because everybody's like let's just vote for a woman.

I'm not voting for Kamala Harris.

I’ll put that on record.

I’m not- I don’t care if she’s woman or not.

I don’t care if she’s black.

None of their plans make sense.

I’m flipping a coin just to vote for the 2020 election

and somebody said why

because their plans I-

make no absolute sense.

How can you have ah- free- uhm-

free schooling

when we have one of worst schoolings in this country.

New York is horrible!

They don’t even and-

when you hear some stories from the kids about the discrimination and bullying they go through

and the superintendent's response is,

“we talked to the child.”

You did?

Okay.

So, why does a little boy end up dead the next day.

You did nothing but stay in your office and get your paycheck.

Just say that they-

made you say that and shut up

because you don't want to lose your job.

So, that's the biggest thing.

A lot of people are afraid to speak up and that's why a lot of women don't speak

or try to work together because they’re tired.

Some peoples been doing this since

even before the suffrage movement

and you know that was a joke too

because most people don't talk about that.

Susan B Anthony didn't do everything.

Nobody talks about that.

It's a joke.

Women’s history month-

there’s- there's billions of women whose stories haven’t been heard.

They’re like, “how you know this?”

I know my history.

I had to learn my history.

When you start seeing stuff like that-

you’re like-

how do I have a voice in a society where I feel like

my vote and my voice doesn’t matter? (X back to chair)

SCENE THREE: MEDIA MACHINE

Slide projection:

The fairness doctrine of the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC), introduced in 1949, was a policy that required the holders of broadcast licenses to both present controversial issues of public importance and to do so in a manner that was, in the FCC's view, honest, equitable, and balanced. The FCC eliminated the policy in 1987 and removed the rule that implemented the policy from the Federal Register in August 2011 (Boliek, Politico, 2011).

This will be a movement piece where the cast creates the media machine of sound and movement in rehearsal.

INTERVIEWER (X DR)

From the beginning

I was fascinated by,

“How do we know what we know?”

“Where do we get our information?”

“How do we know

what we believe to be true?”

And

I began asking women,

“how do you know what you know-

where do you get

your information?”

And I was struck by, that-

that many women expressed that

what they believe is

based on fact

and they believe the EXACT opposite

of each other.

So,

is someone wrong?

Machine starts slowly and builds actor by actor. Once machine is established, INTERVIEWER begins to read quotes on note cards and tosses them away when finished. The reading and the machine pick up speed till the last line.

INTERVIEWER

Sexual predator

Just locker room talk

Free healthcare for all

Obamacare is a disaster

Destruction of our planet

Manufactured crisis

Russian Interference

Fake news

Trump ties to Putin

No crime/No collusion

Trump rallies=more hate crimes

We’re respected again

Narcissist personality disorder

Common sense

Crooked Hillary

Deplorables

Gang of thugs

Stronger economy

Country run as a business

Republican extremist

Liberal elites

Path to citizenship

Build a wall

Not fit for office

Over 2 million jobs

Children in cages

Who pays?- we’re broke

(Machine pieces/actors peel off back to their chairs one by one, until we are left with only the first actor’s sound and movement for 3-4 beats, X back to chair.)

SCENE FOUR: TRANSGENDER: REAL OR NOT

INTERVIEWER

One of the most difficult

and

joyous aspects of

interview work is

[exhale] the practice of holding space

for someone to speak their truth.

In that moment

it’s UNSCRIPTED

it’s

visceral and real and

so in the moment.

You can’t GET any more in the moment.

Uhm-

the weight of that

is immense. (sit)

LINDSAY 24

I feel like we've worked so hard to acknowledge that we're different

and I mean

I am equal to my brother but I'm not the same

and I don't want to be the same.

INTERVIEWER

Lindsay 24.

LINDSAY 24

And when it comes to female sports and

uhm I don’t know a wide variety of things

you know now it's

a- a man

wants to identify as a woman

so he gets to run on the female track team

and therefore wins

and

it's like WHAT ARE WE DOING!

How uh-

how are we even- I mean- how is that even

because some person- one adult

feels

a certain way we're going to put

women and children really

at risk for a- a- a wide variety of things-

a lot of public accommodations

uhm bathroom shower locker rooms.

We just have some open-door policy all the sudden for somebody who says, “oh I feel like I'm a female today.

So, I'm gonna to go into the women's locker room

where”…

I mean if I was a mom and I took my girl to the gym or something-

I mean I change in the locker room

coming from work or whatever

I mean sure- I'm not maybe like the most modest but some of my sisters ARE-

and- and nobody deserves to feel violated that way.

I think that there's reasonable accommodations that can be made for individuals that are struggling with gender identity uhm

and their sexuality.

I think that there's a lot of options

uhm

but putting

children and women at risk and

taking ten steps backward in

women's equality is not the way to do it.

TRANSGENDER AZ WOMAN

Many

women

I believe

have no problem understanding

me.

LINDSAY 24

Transgender Arizona Woman.

TRANSGENDER AZ WOMAN

Some of them

probably appreciate the fact that

someone who was born into

white patriarchy and privilege

gave it up

to advocate not only for women

but also for

the women who are the most

vilified and disrespected in American society right now

the transgender women.

Unfortunately

the people on the other side

are receiving these false messages about

what a woman like me

really is

and what our motives are.

And

these peop- these women on the other side

who aren't accepting

and don't understand

largely don't want to ask me

what is it like

to feel the way you do and to be a transgender woman.

Meanwhile they're being told by a lot of

white men who run churches that suppress

any kind of woman what to think

about women in general and specifically about transgender women

but these women aren't willing to stop and say

is there another side to this story?

[They may say], “I'm not willing to talk to that person that transgender woman

they might hurt me somehow”

or

if I talk to them my church

parishioners may

ostracize me

and assume I am part of

the problem because

I condone the existence of a transgender woman

by simply talking to that person

and asking them

about their feelings and their opinions.

We've got a real breakdown

and

it's

probably not going to be overcome

until something happens

that is

very dramatic

and forces these

women on the other side of the aisle so to speak

to

think differently and start asking questions.

I hope that whatever it is does not involve

any tragedy

but I'm

not very optimistic

that

it won't

involve

anything less than

these women having a child or a grandchild

who is transgender and ends up attempting to take their own life.

I really think that's

probably where it's going

to happen and I hope that

the children

who are subjected to that and are suffering

don't succeed in their effort to

commit suicide

and that there's something left of their lives

to

build upon

along with

their mothers’

or grandmothers’

willingness to rethink their position on whether being transgender

is real or not.

SCENE FIVE: TEARS

As each character speaks, they begin to create a group image of their tribe: liberals: Mimi, Ms. T, Hazel-stage right, conservatives: Brunswick, Hard Knocks-stage left. They can react with celebration or support to each other within their tribe.

INTERVIEWER (stand in front of chair)

The 2016 election felt so

[pause]

personal.

It felt like

the country voted against

me

against what I stand for, what I believe in.

It was then

that I

REALLY started to see

that half this country believed

and felt very different from me.

I remember that first day

on the train

the subway

and it was like

like

it was like the city was in mourning, it was in silence.

[pause]

You got on the train and there was no sound.

No one was listening to music.

No one was talking-

there was just

nothing

and

there were people crying on the subway train

just crying

uhm

and this feeling of

a death.

BRUNSWICK TO AZ 68 (X DL-leave space for White Female to your left)

The night the night of the election

the 2016

uh

election

they

uhm it

it was 99%

99%

Hillary was going to win

the polls.

You know,

“Hillary’s gunna win Hillary’s gunna win”

and then

you know as we watched-

in fact I didn't watch for awhile

cuz I said uhhhhhhh

I don't know if I can see this

you know

and I, and I said, “If she wins let's just go away for a few days”. Cuz

I- I need to

you know just

grapple with that.

WHITE FEMALE 53 SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS (X left of Brunswick)

We were living in Florida

Hellsville.

Sorry

uhm

and

it was Clinton

who I think is-

deserves to be in jail

she should be in prison straight down that line.

I just- she is a HORRIBLE person.

I went to bed- she was winning

and I had to go to work the next morning

and I was like alright

here we go

more bullshit down the line.

BRUNSWICK TO AZ 68

Our- our neighbors came over

and they said,

[whispers] “Have you, have you seen, do you have the T.V. on?”

And I said, “No I turned it off for awhile.”

“Turn it on turn it on!”

And then

I forget what the states were but

MSNBC

CNN all these people-

you could tell

if you turned on one of those channels

they were like

ughhhhh

this can't be happening you know.

The-

just- I mean

they looked like they were just-

just about in tears.

You know and we’re sittin’ there goin’ “yeah

YEAH!”

Laughter

WHITE FEMALE 53 SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS

I got up at like 11:30

and I said okay I'll go turn the TV on

let me see

and yay

I was very happy.

Actually danced around the house and woke the kids up and my husband. [laughs]

And I know many women that didn't get out of bed for days.

And I asked one

I said

okay

we're on opposite ends but why?

“Well because I wanted a woman in.”

Okay

but

why?

What- why did you want Hillary Clinton in so bad?

What about all of this…

“Just didn't matter to me. I just wanted a woman in.”

Ok. So-

you- you haven’t researched. You haven't looked. You haven't-

“Nope. I just wanted a woman in.”

Ok.

(Brunswick and White Female X back to chairs)

[Pause]

MIMI 48 AMERICAN CITIZEN NIGERIAN DESCENT

[in chair] I could cry right now.

[pause holding back tears]

It's like (X DR, leave space for Hazel to your right)

what happened?

[pause]

WHITE FEMALE 53 SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS

Mimi 48 American Citizen Nigerian Descent.

MIMI 48 AMERICAN CITIZEN NIGERIAN DESCENT

Like you know, you think about the people who just sat

back and didn't vote.

You know, you just completely discounted yourself

and look where we are today.

[takes a breath, pause]

MS. T (X L of Mimi)

I was walking from

my house to my coffee shop that morning-

which is just around the corner- before I went to get on the train.

And

um-

I—I decided I couldn't go in to get coffee cause I knew if I went in for coffee I would cry

and my girlfriend who works at the coffee shop saw me and she came and ran out and she threw her arms around me and we sobbed on the street.

HAZEL 72 RETIRED NEWSPAPER REPORTER 1960s RADICAL PROTESTOR

(X stand R of Mimi)

I'm not a crier.

I simply don't cry. It just doesn't happen to be my emotional response to anything okay.

So, when I tell you

that the day after and by the way I didn't stay up

on the night of the election.

MS. T

Hazel 72 Retired Newspaper Reporter 1960s Radical Protestor.

HAZEL 72 RETIRED NEWSPAPER REPORTER 1960s RADICAL PROTESTOR

Who had to stay up? You know what the result was going to be, right? Hillary was getting elected. I didn’t discuss it. I didn't pay attention. I didn't. I didn't have the T.V. on nothing.

So, the next day

when I found out

uhm I was alone in the house. I certainly wasn't doing this for

effect or anything like that.

I sobbed. And the reason I sobbed- I didn't think Trump was going to be as bad as he is.

I really didn't.

It was the first time in

my

life and this includes the Vietnam War and

the first time in my life that I was deeply ashamed to be American.

That we had voted this man

into office and I lived in a country that voted this man into office.

MS. T

Part of it was this you know moment of, “get it all out” because you're gonna have to go and face a room of students.

Um and we've been talking about this for weeks.

And

I had one student who was very much a Trump supporter

and the rest of them were not

and it was a very difficult Fall, kind of finding the teacher balance of

um

empowering kids to have a voice and to speak up and speak out and I'm very much a speak truth to power person.

Um

and so how do I give the you know

seat at the table to everybody?

MIMI 48 AMERICAN CITIZEN NIGERIAN DESCENT

Uhm [laughs]

I had a party

thinking that

Hillary was going to win.

And uhm-

my brother describes it as the Saturday- Saturday Night Live skit. [laughs]

Yeah. He said that my neighbor and him were sitting there

and us girls we're talking and all the guys we're talking and slowly but surely it's like

we're like

all excited and they're like, “Oh, this is not good. This is not good.”

And

it just became-

all of a sudden realization and

one by one

and everybody was just like

[pause]

Wow.

This is really not happening-

complete- it was like a nightmare

and everybody leaving- people in tears and it was just

horrible.

HAZEL 72 RETIRED NEWSPAPER REPORTER 1960s RADICAL PROTESTOR

And I don't want to hear about how he didn't win the popular election.

Yeah.

Granted he didn't.

Take a look at how many millions of votes he got.

Yeah I'm not -

for the purposes of why I was crying-

it didn't matter.

MIMI 48 AMERICAN CITIZEN NIGERIAN DESCENT

I think because we're New Yorkers too.

We actually knew

who this guy

is

and was about to be the President of the United States! [laughs]

[laughing through words] It’s like-

it’s like

what?

This is a joke

but it was a nightmare.

Yeah-

yeah

I'm still crying.

MS. T

So

I got myself to school

and

I decided I would do a- a restorative circle like a content circle.

And um

I had everybody- I gave everybody an index card and they all sat you know- there were thirty-two of them- it was my AP English class.

They all sat in a circle- this group of eleventh graders

and you could see it on their faces

and then the young man who of course was thrilled with the outcome of the election comes in with his red hat on

and is like, “Make America great again!”

And-

and-

I'm like,

“Okay- I'm gonna give you the platform and you get to go first and talk about how

thrilled you are

but then

everybody else gets a seat at the table and they get to talk about

how they're feeling.

It's really important for everybody to be able to voice how they're feeling in this moment because

um

I know how I'm feeling and- and if it was me, I would want somebody to ask me how I was feeling.”

So-

so that's what we did

and I proceeded to listen to thirty-two-

you know seventeen-year-olds talk about

how

heartbroken they were

and how disappointed and shocked and surprised and

hurt

and

um confused and

unsafe.

‘Specially my students of color

suddenly feeling unsafe

um and

being worried about riding the subway.

And it was like-

I—I wasn't prepared for what- what came.

Um there's nothing that could have prepared me for that conversation that day.

um

[pause]

But it was probably the best thing I could have done

um because their catharsis was my catharsis.

(All but Brunswick X back to chairs, sit)

SCENE SIX: WOMEN’S MARCH

40s NY MOM (X DC-w/chair)

I went to the Women's March in DC- the first one

and I was-

it was so wonderful- it was wonderful right?

INTERVIEWER: 40s New York Mom.

40s NY MOM

And it was peaceful and it was loving and it was warm and it was like

exciting and I like ran into friends there and it was like

everybody felt so good and so powerful even though it's such a negative thing

for such a negative reason.

And so we had actually-

we

a friend and I had actually bought plane tickets the day we heard about it- we bought plane tickets

and I'm so glad we did.

Because you couldn't get there right?

So we flew from the LaGuardia first thing in the morning-

at the crack.

Got there.

Had this wonderful experience- we had- we had gotten a hotel- we spent the night- we got up

the next day- first thing in the morning.

So we were in

the airport

on the way

back

and there was this

family- these women- it was

so

two women.

It was a woman and her son and then this other woman- had been to the inauguration

like and they were chatting with each other

and they were from

Texas or like very- they were- and they

had

drawls

and they were just like, “Oh my gosh it was so wonderful, didn’t we have a great time.”

And to the son

she says to her son, “Oh my gosh wasn't that the most wonderful- don’t you feel so lucky that you were there at the inauguration. Oh my gosh what

a magic moment” and whatever da da da.

And then the other one said

uhm, “and did you see this dis- this mess yesterday- that march- what a disaster- what a

bunch of fools” and like

just completely going on and like and saying- the way she said it- she made it sound like it was- it was just like chaos and what a nightmare and chaos.

And I was and I turned to her and I said,

“it was wonderful

you should have joined it.”

And they just looked at me

like I was crazy.

And my friend

she was like,

“let's go.”

you know.

And she was like, “don't get started with these people.”

You know, I said it was wonderful and you should of joined in

and that was, you know like it, but they're- they had this impression that it was

chaos

and horrible

and violent and you could tell the way that they were speaking about it.

It was like- it was a fantastic day!

The only people there who were chaotic or violent were the protesters.

Yeah. You know.

The people who were there

with their burning baby signs whatever.

Uhm so yeah- it was- it was really lovely and that gave me so much hope.

(Wh. Female, Lindsay, Navy Gal X in when they speak and form semi-circle standing behind 40s Mom)

WHITE FEMALE 53 SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS (X UL 40s Mom)

I don't- I don't believe in the Women's March.

Because I-

Nobody- everybody I ask,

“Why is there a women's march?”

Not one person can give me

an exact why there is.

Why is there a Martin Luther march?

Okay, it's to honor

the blacks. What he believed in-

that eh and he just didn't believe in blacks he believed in-

he tried to make it

united.

Why is there a women’s march?

LINDSAY 24 (X UR of 40s Mom)

I remember feeling like-

I was so

disturbed

by

the signs that women held

and

the rhetoric that was used and it was so

discouraging

and uhm

depressing that woman feel like we have to

shout from the rooftops and

be so overly

not just dramatic but

uhm

I mean perverse isn't the right word but

I don’t know what I’m searching for I guess like the uhm-

bluntness.

I don’t know.

WHITE FEMALE 53 SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS

Why is it okay that you're having a five-year old wear a vagina on their head.

You know what?

You lose the respect at that point.

That woman

lost the respect

not just from men

but from other women.

I-

I-

I totally lost respect for that.

I don’t understand that.

Wouldn't- what-

what did you gain by having your five-year-old somewhere wear a vagina on their head?

He doesn't know what it is.

He will [laughs]

but he doesn’t.

One way or another he will.

AZ NAVY GAL (X Up of 40s Mom)

I think about that

because you know I- I have friends that will go down to the women's rallies -

put on the pink

you know

pussy hat.

LINDSAY 24

Arizona Navy Gal.

AZ NAVY GAL

And I- I just that- that

I look at that and I go

eh

why? You know?

We’re trying to like differentiate ourselves as wo- women. So, why do you need to wear your genitalia on your head?

You know that's-

that’s always what I think when I see it.

And it- and again I'm not going to NOT be friends with these women

because

I think they’re great people.

We just disagree about

that

and I know not to talk about it

not to bring it up.

LINDSAY 24

I don't think Donald Trump’s a good person. I don't.

Uhm. I think that his administration is doing a lot of wonderful things and I think that him being in office has

provided a lot of really great benefits for our economy and country

but as a person the guy sucks. [laughs]

And uhm

I heard before- all he needs to do to win 2020 is just

close his mouth and point at the Democrats because it’s just been ridiculous.

But-

yeah. I just remember seeing that women's march and people were just so angry

and so consumed by their hatred for uhm

you know our then now President.

And

it just blew me away that

women were willing to throw away

I guess

just any sor- any sort of dignity

to- to scream their own message.

And to me that's just not an effective way of communicating what you want

and I think that

uhm it looks childish

and it looks immature

and it made me

sad that- that something that’s supposed to be celebrating womanhood was just

hating somebody else so much.

I mean

I actually attended the pro-life march that same week

and so

it was really surreal.

I mean it was really-

it’s just sad and it really does- it just makes me sad to

have gotten so far that

not only are we not invited but just completely not welcome and shut out.

And uhm-

there's no

opportunity even for a dialogue.

It's like ye- once somebody’s made up their mind

it just feels like

there's no chance for a conversation anymore.

ALL reset and change character as needed singing Family Feud song.

SCENE SEVEN: FAMILY FEUD

The cast: Interviewer, Mimi 48 American Citizen Nigerian Descent, Brunswick to AZ 68, Ms. T, White Female 53 School of Hard Knocks, and Hazel Retired Newspaper Reporter 1960s Radical Protestor will make all Family Feud sounds, including singing the opening/closing music, the music as contestants cross to the buzzer, the buzzer sound, and the screen tile flips. Mimi 48 American Citizen Nigerian Descent and Brunswick to AZ 68 cross center and stand in front of the Interviewer with one arm behind their back and one hand ready to hit the invisible buzzer.

INTERVIEWER: (reads from an index card, with one hand held out palm up as buzzer)

We interviewed 30 women in Phoenix, AZ and New York, NY on what issues they thought women on both sides of the aisle could come together on. The top three answers are on the board. Name an issue women can come together on.

BRUNSWICK TO AZ 68

(slaps buzzer) Abortion.

ALL

[make buzzer sound] Naaaah!

INTERVIEWER

(to Mimi 48 American Citizen Nigerian Descent) You have an opportunity to steal. What’s an issue women can come together on?

MIMI 48 AMERICAN CITIZEN NIGERIAN DESCENT

Healthcare.

Liberals cheer.

INTERVIEWER

The survey says…

ALL

[make buzzer sound] Naaaah!

INTERVIEWER

Answer number three.

ALL

[make tile flip sound] DING! Patriarchy.

INTERVIEWER

Number two.

ALL

[make tile flip sound] DING! Domestic Violence.

INTERVIEWER

The number one answer to what issue can women come together on is?

ALL

[make tile flip sound] DING! Equal Pay!

All sing the Family Feud song till next scene is set up-change characters as needed.

SCENE EIGHT: COMING TOGETHER—WHAT COULD THAT LOOK LIKE?

Each actor will stand directly in front of the person speaking before them creating a single line.

INTERVIEWER (stand in front of your chair)

In Arizona

I found this

wonderful mix of women that were willing to share

their stories

shout from the mountain tops you know.

In New York

[pause]

I struggled.

I- I didn’t want the New York story to be just liberal

but in the three months that I-

I emailed

infiltrated Facebook pages and was not so politely told to remove myself

badgered

contacted every conservative organization in the city

multiple times

not one conservative woman agreed to speak with me.

[pause]

Everyone I talked to said,

“Oh

I think I know one person who’s a Republican.”

Sometimes they would contact them and I would email and share that I had strict guidelines and they

they could remain anonymous

and then there’d be

radio silence.

[pause]

I did hear from one woman who said,

“I just can’t.

I’m looking for a job.”

WHITE FEMALE 53 SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS

After my client’s husband died she had a luncheon

for everybody at

the-

the- the-

the Farm.

And so she text me and said or emailed me whatever and said you know I wanna get all these strong women who helped me blah blah blah

you know through this

and I was like

okay. And

so

I

didn't have an opinion one way or another- didn't really know why I was goin’- I didn't know anybody I mean

I didn’t- I knew her very little.

And that’s it-

I went there and I was sittin’ around the table and I was like well this is pretty cool. I mean everybody's talking and everybody has stories and it wasn't just about John or Connie it was

about life stories, kids, how’s your kids.

You know-

who's getting a divorce- who's this- who’s that.

I was like, this is really cool.

Like

you know just

a bunch of women

being respectful

having fun.

I don’t even know if we were drinking wine, water couldn’t even tell ya cause

I just don't remember but

do I think it could happen now?

40s NY MOM

I think it’s just a lack of empathy maybe.

Like an- not an understanding of

how other people live

and a refusal to

kind of

peek into other people’s worlds somehow.

Like I was saying my- my bubble.

My very like- I've been here forever- I’ve not- I have an idea how other people and I certainly judge how they live

you know but I've never lived in their shoes.

And- and I- I think-

I’d like to think I’m empathetic but I-

then the reality is like-

I don’t know how these people live- like and I don't necessarily want to know.

I'm just like nope.

You're wrong and I’m right.

LINDSAY 24

To be fair

they’re emotional issues. I mean a lot of political issues are highly emotional for people and it's because their story

and it's because you know

they had their own personal experiences and

I- I don't think those should ever be discounted.

Uhm but I do think that-

that has to step aside when it comes to

creating policy and creating things that are effective for society and culture.

Uhm

and that's what's tough

is

we’re human.

MIMI 48 AMERICAN CITIZEN NIGERIAN DESCENT

I guess you just have to listen.

You know-

and listen

and say your side and

they always say put yourself in the conversation.

HAZEL 72 RETIRED NEWSPAPER REPORTER 1960s RADICAL PROTESTOR

You’re going to think I’m trying to be snot nose clever. I'm not. I'm dead serious

about what I'm gonna say.

I think women have to get together on-

believe it or not the easiest quickest way for me to say this is to give an analogy.

Alright-

I remember-

decades and decades and decades ago watching television and seeing something on television

that

changed my attitude towards racism and sexism and antisemitism

and EVERYTHING.

It was a panel discussion. I don't remember who the moderator was-

but

it was three black people

being interviewed.

And they were the equivalent- I can't tell you who they were. I don't remember but it would have been the equivalent of Anita Hill you know-

black lawyers.

We’re talking about

in the sixties. I mean we're talking about-

and Ralph Bunch.

I don't know if you know that name but he was our ambassador- United States Ambassador to the UN

was black.

And

the moderator of this panel

who's white

said, “I don't see how you can say”

being deliberately provocative you know.

“I don't see how you can say

that we're still racist in this country, I mean look at Ralph Bunch we have a black man

who was representing us in the UN.”

And the answer was-

I’ve never forgotten this,

“You really don't understand.

You have always given us the right to have Ralph Bunch.

You've always given us the right to have Jackie Robinson

or jazz musicians.

We want the right to have muggers.

When you get mugged by a white white person

you don't automatically say white people are muggers.

We want the right to have a black person

be a mugger and not have all the rest of us targeted, tarred with his crime.”

And I remember it completely opened

my eyes

and just changed the way I feel about everything.

When you say, what can women do?

What is the one issue that we have to do?

There are women out there who sleep their way to the top.

There are women out there who when they become bosses are mean to other women.

There are women out there who are cunts.

We need the right to have bad acting women.

And that's the only way I know how to describe that is by describing seeing that on TV.

I don't…you know something if you go out and you do something really cunty

I don't want to get blamed for it.

I didn't do it-

right to have muggers.

So, I think that's one of the main issues we have to fight for-

don't lump us all together.

SCENE NINE: RESTORATIVE CIRCLE

MIMI 48 AMERICAN CITIZEN NIGERIAN DESCENT

Steps out of line, speaks to the cast and directly to audience.

Look where we are today.

You know, why can't we just like have

like

get everybody in like a High School

you know Auditorium

who could- different backgrounds and all that and let's just sit and talk

and see what we come up with right?

Put women together and let's listen to each other-

[laughing] lock those doors!

Just know that we're not going to agree with each other on everything that's just not human nature

but if you can have some kind of common understanding of where somebody else comes from

then maybe we can move forward together.

The women on stage respond differently to MIMI depending on their character with “Ok”, “Maybe”, “I don’t know”, “Lord.” Some choose to go back to their seat’s others choose to rally the women together. The INTERVIEWER sets her chair and sits up center encouraging others to do the same. The actors set five chairs in a closer semi-circle on either side of the interviewer and place the character signifier on the chair.

(Each actor puts on the signifier and sits in the chair of the character that speaks first in this scene, and switches chairs and signifiers to their other character as the scene progresses in full view of the audience)

Once everyone is seated, there is a palpable silence as they are all sizing each other up and wondering what this face to face encounter will bring.

INTERVIEWER

O.K. The doors are hypothetically locked. Who would like to begin?

[pause]

BRUNSWICK TO AZ 68

Breaks the silence.

I talk to people.

I mean-

I didn't- I didn't stop talking to

people who voted for Obama.

You know- I mean- I have friends that voted for Obama.

I didn't say

knock their hat off their head- or tell’em how stupid they were or anything like that.

We had a difference of opinion.

Sometimes I would say, “Well what's he done for ya?”

And then-

you know- they- they come back with something,

“Oh- oh- oh he killed-he killed Bin Laden.” I said, “Oh did he?”

He went out all by himself and had his gun and killed Bin Laden? [laughs]

But we would banter-

Yeah- yeah-

but it was friendly.

LYNN 91

Our best friends are liberals.

And uh-

and if I get

uh you know-all you have to do-

is

mention one word.

As a lady in the pool- I’d forgotten her name

and she tells me

it's Marla.

And I said, “Oh I usually associate names.”

And I said, “That was President Trump's

uh second wife.”

“Oh don’t’ uh-

you know-

put me in the- don’t even mention my name-

with Trump or…”

Well

I’m not goin’ to talk about it anymore am I?

I know how she

feels.

She's angry.

So, if I get a sense

of

you know

where they stand.

MS. T

Thankfully I’m able to talk about it at home

um

you know teachers I think- walk a really fine line of what

they

how-how political they can be in their classrooms.

Uhm

some teachers are very much like,

“our kids never know my, my politics.” Um

you know, it-

next year I’ve—I’ll be you know faced with this election again and

you know

I have to make that choice

you know do I

tell the kids that I’m a card carrying Democrat

or do I choose to kind of sit on it and hold it?

HAZEL 72 RETIRED NEWSPAPER REPORTER 1960s RADICAL PROTESTOR

I have no problem

discussing

political areas in which you and I may disagree.

They’re just a few areas I can't

discuss.

Nope.

I told my friend Pam and she didn't agree

but I said to her, “this is- this is not-

this is not negotiable.”

And every now and so often she slips

and I stop. I say, “No, crossing the line.”

Because she's also a very smart person the way she gets.

[laughs] She gets- she sends me emails.

It’s very funny.

She’ll send me the email

and depending on my mood

I will- and she knows- I crack up- I will either send back

read comment- acknowledged comma- ignored

or I will send back to her

I never received this.

[laughs] Because we are good friends and we really do- I'm going to use the word love- we really do love each other very much.

LINDSAY 24

You know it’s kinda funny. I have a lot of

girlfriends that are

very liberal

and I would say also very

not educated on the same issues that, but I mean, it's my job.

[laughs]

And uh

I feel like I- I struggle with

sharing because

uhm- you know- I go back to

if you've really done your homework

and you feel how you feel

I respect it.

And I think that that's really great.

I'd love to have a conversation with you

uhm it doesn’t need to be an argument.

MIMI 48 AMERICAN CITIZEN NIGERIAN DESCENT

I always have to remember

who I am and stand up for

me.

Like with my friend who uhm

she moved to North Carolina and you know that's where she's from- the family

and had always wanted me to come and see her. And-

and I was always like

I had to tell her like

I feel that you completely discounted

me as a person for

you know, just because of who you were voting for and you lived in New York

and you knew who he was.

“But-

but he's better than Hillary!” I'm like, “Okay whatever.”

I won't even go there

but as an immigrant-

as- as a black woman- as a woman- I mean there were so many things that you voted against

me.

40s NY MOM

The worst that's happened to me is I got stuck next to a guy on a plane wearing a MAGA hat.

[laughs]

And then

it was so awful because

I got upgraded

and I was so excited and I got to board the plane first and I was like- it-the comfort plus or whatever-

board the plane and make sure that I don't have to check my bag

and I got on to sit and I’m like, “Ohhhhh.”

Next to a guy with a MAGA hat.

So, then I'm one of the first people on the plane

next to a guy in a MAGA hat in a two-seat thing

and every single person who comes on I'm sure is thinking that I'm with him and I’m like,

“OH GOD!”

INTERVIEWER

When I found out my father in-law voted for Trump

I-

I

couldn’t comprehend it.

I LOVE this man.

He and my mother in-law were coming to the city for a week.

I didn’t know what to say

or do.

So, I decided

to just hit it head on and next to their blow-up bed in our living room

I put up

a Greatest Mother In-Law in the World picture

next to her side of the bed

and next to his

a framed picture of Donald Trump.

40s NY MOM

I was …after the election I was posting all the time

all this political stuff and I was like why am I posting?

Shouting into the abyss

or just like

you know-

talking to a mirror

or something.

I'm not-

I'm not saying anything

that the people I'm talking to don't already know.

WHITE FEMALE 53 SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS

My friends and I

on aspects we've chosen- we just- we just don't talk

about politics.

We just-

we’ll see posts here and there

uhm we just-

our friendships are more important.

Yeah.

I see their stuff and I’m like whatever

and I'm sure they see mine and they’re like

whatever but

we just don’t-

it’s- it's a- it's a belief.

It's no different than-

one of my closest friend is Jewish. I was raised Catholic.

I’m not anymore but-

I’m gonna dislike her because she's Jewish?

BRUNSWICK TO AZ 68

But I've had arguments with-

arguments-

discussions on Facebook.

Yeah

but I- I was never-

I was never

angry.

I guess because I won I felt like I had won

you know- I'm sorry- this time I won.

You know I-

I suffered through

eight years of Obama,

HAZEL 72

I do not discuss politics on social media end of discussion.

[pause]

AZ NAVY GAL

I think we’ve reached a time where politics has become really ugly and

I actually lost a friend of ten years

and so I don't know what else we can do.

I mean the vitriol has gotten so

out of control and-

we-

the greatest thing about this country

and life in general is we can all have different opinions right?

[pause]

I mean at the end of the day

my-

I mean for the most part-

my opinion doesn't define me.

It doesn't change who I am as a person. Doesn't change

how I've supported my friends in the past

you know, I mean, you can have disagreements with people

but to just

cut somebody out of your life.

LYNN 91

I’ve made up my mind. I will not lose

a good friend over politics,

I’ll-

I won’t back-

you know down or change but

uhm but I can be tolerant.

AZ NAVY GAL

I specifically made a point to NOT talk politics with this one particular friend

because I knew

where she stood here

and then for it to kind of just blow up all at once

and for me to lose a good friend

you know it’s-

it was tough.

BRUNSWICK TO AZ 68

I- I- I would never

have

lost a friend

because they voted for Obama.

WHITE FEMALE 53 SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS

I don't understand the friendships that were ruined over it.

And it's-

so my older sister and her family

they’re all Republicans. My middle sister

I don’t really know. I don’t think she really knows. So I really can’t say

uhm-

she voted for Obama. She wanted a change

and then somebody- things were taken away and she almost lost everything and

our comment was to her,

“So how’d that work out for you?”

I mean

you...she doesn't

know anything about politics- she doesn’t get involved

well then don't vote.

I hate to say that

because it's the American thing to do.

It's not an illegal thing to do-

it's an American thing to do

but

if you don’t know

your two parties

or even your party that

you're supposed to be involved in

jus don’t vote!

WHITE FEMALE 53 SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS, AZ NAVY GAL, LYNN 91, and LINDSAY 24 begin to disengage through this next monologue: take out a phone, a book, headphones etc.

40s NY MOM (let this monologue build into a verbal attack)

To me the worst part was-

that-

what-

a majority of white women voted for him- for Trump.

I couldn't-

like I couldn’t believe that as a woman anybody

any woman could go and cast a vote for that person

and you- but that's when you realize that ok

there’s some people that just believe this is normal behavior

this is-

this is acceptable somehow.

That was the hardest part for me was like-

after just being like- this is not acceptable behavior- to have to tell my kids, “oh by the way

that guy-

that was not acceptable behavior- is now our president!”

[pause]

40s NY MOM

[You know] the Times

just did this whole thing where they got 500 people together who represented all

walks of every voter.

They had like one-

one person who represents every voter in America and they got them all together

and

sort of asked them questions and put them in little focus groups and worked them up and-

I mean what a beautiful thing but basically they all came out of it saying,

[pause]

“Yeah, no.

I'm pretty much where I am”.

There were small changes but most people though they moved a little bit on certain subjects

the majority of them came out of it-

the same way they went in.

(all take a breath together, stand and push chairs back, get into next character if needed)

SCENE TEN: 2020

TRANSGENDER AZ WOMAN (X center)

There has become a tendency to

vilify

compromise

or vilify those who seek compromise.

And that

is

causing problems

and I- I stand strong for certain things but I also realized that I have to educate people on some things that

are unfamiliar to them- a-

and so-

it may be an oversimplification

right now

but

it

is certainly

a valid description

to say that

one of the major

sources of the conflict

is between

religion

and freedom of expression.

Because I came from an Evangelical background I feel qualified

to discuss this.

I was taught

as an Evangelical that you don't compromise

because if you compromise

then you are

negating

the

devotion

that you're supposed to have

toward your faith.

And I believe that in this

significant battle right now that

contributes to the division of our nation

whereby religion and freedom of expression

are at odds

many in the evangelical camp

refuse to compromise.

[pause]

It’s certainly hard on those of us who have to suffer

the

negative results

and consequences

of

their unwillingness to compromise. (X back to chair)

AZ NAVY GAL (X center-talk to Transgender AZ Woman)

I don’t wanna say that we should go back to

the early seventies

that's not what I'm saying at all.

Transgender AZ Woman X back to chair

But I just- it always-

makes me kinda tilt my head and I go, “I don’t understand what

right don't you have

that a-

that a man does?”

Yeah, I get it you don't want male politicians to be making choices for you- I mean nobody wants anybody to make a choice for you.

Why would you want- why would you want anybody else deciding what you can and can't do.

I get-

why you know-

the feelings that you have. I- I can appreciate that.

I can I can you know- certainly understand that

uhm but yeah it just always goes back to- I don’t understand what-

what rights we don't- we don’t have.

I- I don't feel-

what's the word I'm looking for?

I don’t feel- uhhhh-

I don’t feel kept down-

Oppressed- oppressed. Thank you that’s the word.

I don't- I don't feel that. (X back to chair)

WHITE FEMALE 53 SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS (X Center talk to AZ Navy Gal)

What-

what have we lost

since Trump has been in?

AZ Navy Gal X back to chair

So, I-

I think that throughout the years

you know women were in high-powered positions.

You know uhm-

I didn't go to college.

I didn't have to go to college-

again school of hard knocks.

I don’t know what New York City is like- I mean- you read about it- but I don’t know so

I- I've gained more power in the last three years

because I have more of a voice

and I think men

have no choice but to give us

a chance

because we have a voice. (X back to chair)

HAZEL 72 RETIRED NEWSPAPER REPORTER 1960s RADICAL PROTESTOR

(X center- talk to White Woman 53 School of Hard Knocks)

I think we have to accept as Americans

that this polarization has always existed.

White Female 52 School of Hard Knocks X back to chair

This is why I cried-

you know going full circle to the first

comment I made.

Uhm

I don't believe Trump created one racist.

I don't believe he created one anti-Semite.

I believe he made it okay for them to express their feelings.

I think we have to accept that this exists.

I think we have to accept that we're not going to change it.

I think we have to be alert to its existence. (X back to chair)

Throughout this last monologue, each woman grabs her characters’ rally signs with a short catchphrase from the play.

INTERVIEWER (X DC)

I wanted to bring this- these two groups of women together

in a dialogue that's not happening today to see- if we could

understand each other better-

communicate better going forward

because I feel like we- we aren’t communicating at all

or if we are it's- it's not healthy.

So, it was an altruistic idea of going- you know like- I'm- I don't know what I was hoping for I'm

not sure I found any answers

[pause]

and that saddens me

but

I’m still glad I took the journey

and I've always found that when you ask a question you rarely find

concrete answers-

you usually find more questions.

It's so frustrating.

I like answers.

[laughs] “Okay

thank you questions.”

But I ask more questions cause it keeps me teachable- it keeps me-

and the more I- whether I agree with them or not-

these women are living real lives. WE ARE ALL living real lives with real life

and uh I don't think life is kind.

I mean it is- it can be very loving and warm

and fantastic but I think

life can be

challenging.

So hearing people's stories behind what they think-

sometimes

[pause]

I don't change- it doesn't change

how I see the world- but it does

change how I see them.

All actors cross down stage and form a line on either side of the INTERVIEWER and raise their rally signs. Hold 10 seconds.

BRUNSWICK TO AZ 68

“Just be honest”

LYNN 91

“I put America in my God box”

MS. T

“Kids=Master’s Degree”

WHITE FEMALE 52 SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS

“I have more of a voice”

MIA MY VOICE DOESN’T COUNT

“Susan B. Anthony didn’t do everything”

TRANSGENDER AZ WOMAN

“Is there another side to this story?”

LINDSAY 24

“We’re human”

MIMI 48 AMERICAN CITIZEN NIGERIAN DESCENT

“Put yourself in the conversation”

HAZEL 72 RETIRED NEWSPAPER REPORTER 1960s RADICAL PROTESTOR 40’S

“Right to muggers”

40s NY MOM

“Never lived in their shoes”

AZ NAVY GAL

“My opinion doesn’t define me”

[Black out]

END OF PLAY

Carmen Meyers, EdD, is an artist and educator committed to developing applied theatre practice as a basis for community empowerment. She has been at Bronx Community College, CUNY since 2010, and has over eighteen years of teaching experience at the college level. Her research specialization is in verbatim documentary theatre and ethnodrama addressing women’s issues with a specific focus on political representation, aging, and domestic violence. Professor Meyers holds a Master of Fine Arts from Indiana University and a Doctor of Education in Educational Theatre from New York University.

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