The February People’s Choice Award goes to…

The people have spoken… The February People’s Choice Award goes to Lisa Gaye Thompson for her play Three Centimeters Per Second, presented as a staged reading at Monday Night PlayGround on February 21st live at the Freight & Salvage and simulcast via Vimeo Livestream. Congratulations, Lisa!

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

Three Centimeters Per Second
by
Lisa Gaye Thompson

MICHELE—late 20s, early 30s, any race. She’s always been a control freak, and the pandemic only heightened that quality. She’s afraid to let go, but the world is changing and she’ll have to as well, or break.

LOUIE—late 20s, early 30s, any race. Enthusiastic to a fault. He’s quirky, warm and winning.

  The pandemic has been pretty much over
for about one year. Most people have adjusted
and relish the new new normal, but for some
that transition has been harder. The play
opens in a lab doing immunology research
on the day of its return to pre-pandemic rules.

Wearing a lab coat, MICHELLE is measuring and writing and
handling slides. The door opens, LOUIE enters. MICHELE is
incredibly uncomfortable with LOUIE’s physical presence.

MICHELE
(shrinking back) Who’s that?

LOUIE
Hi Michele! It’s Louie!

MICHELE
I wasn’t expecting anyone.

LOUIE
We have a lab meeting!

MICHELE
On zoom.

LOUIE
Great news! Professor Ranklin thought it was time we start meeting again in person. And working together!

MICHELE
I didn’t get a message.

LOUIE
It just came this morning. I was already on campus so I decided to come in early and get some work done.

MICHELE
(devastated) Oh.

As LOUIE comes around to the workbench, MICHELE slides
over as much as possible to put distance between them.

LOUIE
We’ve never met in real life.

LOUIE reaches out to shake MICHELE’s hand.
MICHELE pretends she doesn’t see it.

MICHELE
You joined the team after lockdown started.

LOUIE
Yeah, talk about bad timing! I was all set to start in April, had an apartment lined up, not easy to come by, and well, you know. After the third wave I moved out here anyway, and started coming into the lab whenever it was empty. Man, I’ve been looking forward to working here with you, and with Ranklin, for so long.

MICHELE
With me?

LOUIE
Of course. Your paper on touch therapy and immunity boosting back in 2019 blew my mind. The truth is, you’re a huge part of the reason I wanted to do my postdoc in this lab, and frankly in this field.

MICHELE
I know people downloaded that paper, but I didn’t know anybody really read it.

LOUIE
Oh my god. People still talk about it. In Chicago this summer I attended at least two panels that referenced your work. You didn’t go.

MICHELE
I don’t attend conferences.

Join us for the next Monday Night PlayGround on March 21st! For more info, click here!