The February People’s Choice Award goes to…

The people have spoken… The February People’s Choice Award goes to Margo Rofé for her play, The Chase, presented as a staged reading at Monday Night PlayGround on February 12th live at Broadwater Second Stage and simulcast via Vimeo Livestream. Congratulations, Margo!

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

THE CHASE
by Margo Rofé

CHARACTERS:
TONY BATTLE: Black male; 30s; Associate attorney who is up for partnership at a prominent law firm; a bit pompous; beats his chest about himself and his accomplishments.
MARINA: Non-ethnicity specific; 30s; Associate attorney who is up for partnership at a prominent law firm; at times witty, though somewhat modest, especially as compared to her colleague, Tony Battle.
O/S MALE/FEMALE VOICES: We only hear shouts and comments coming from folks watching a live television event. Can be something previously recorded.

SETTING: Office setting, consisting of two desks and chairs.

AT RISE:
Marina is working at her desk.  Tony Battle enters with files in his hands. He sits them down on the desk and looks around and sees Marina diligently working.

TONY BATTLE
Where’s everyone? 

MARINA
[without looking up] What? 

TONY BATTLE
Where are the rest of the folks in the office? Have they all left? Have I been in the library that  long? What time is it? 

MARINA
[still working without looking up] It’s 4 o’clock, and they’re all crowded around the television set in the lounge.

TONY BATTLE
You’re kidding, right? 

MARINA
No. They’re watching the chase. 

TONY BATTLE
The chase? As in some sort of TV series. 

MARINA
No.

TONY BATTLE
Then please tell me this chase has something to do with the Dorsey case and the filing that’s due  tomorrow morning. Otherwise, I think I’m missing something here. 

[Marina stops writing and sets her pen down, perturbed by the interruption.]

MARINA
You haven’t heard, have you? 

TONY BATTLE
Apparently not. 

MARINA
OJ and his best friend— 

TONY BATTLE
Al? 

MARINA
I guess. Anyway, OJ is in a white Bronco, driven by his friend—Al—and the police are pursuing  them. I mean, it’s all over the news. 

TONY BATTLE 

Some of us have been busy working on this filing for tomorrow and haven’t had time to pay  attention to the news. 

MARINA
Don’t even go there! 

TONY BATTLE
[beat] The police are after THE JUICE! Well, I’ll be damn. 

MARINA
Yeah. Apparently, he’s their number one suspect in the killing of his wife and her lover.

TONY BATTLE
Umph. 

MARINA
You really didn’t know anything about this?! 

[Tony flops in his chair from exhaustion.]

TONY BATTLE
Who has time to keep up with current events the way they work you around here.

MARINA
Big firm life. I don’t hear your complaining about your paycheck. Besides, you act as if you’re  the only one who works hard around here. 

TONY BATTLE
Apparently, so. I give you Exhibit A. [extends his hand at the empty desks]

MARINA
I’m here. Trying to work, in case you haven’t notice. Or did you think I was just a figment of your imagination and this conversation we’re having is somehow part of a dream? [she resumes  working] 

TONY BATTLE
[mumbles under his breath] It’s not like I haven’t dreamed about you before. 

Join us for the next round of PlayGround-LA on March 11th! For more info, click here!