The January People’s Choice Award goes to…

Posted by on January 26, 2024

The people have spoken… The January People’s Choice Award goes to Jediah Craig for his play Coronation Day, presented as a staged reading at Monday Night PlayGround on January 15th live at Freight and Salvage and simulcast via Vimeo Livestream. Congratulations, Jediah!

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

Coronation Day
by Jediah Craig

Believe me
for mine honor, and have respect to mine honor
that you may believe. Censure me in your wisdom,
and awake your senses that you may the better
judge. If there be any in this assembly, any dear
friend of Caesar’s, to him I say that Brutus’ love
to Caesar was no less than his. If then that friend
demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my
answer: not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved
Rome more.

– Shakespeare, Julius Caesar,
Act 3, Sc. 2, 15-24

CHARACTERS

PORTIA Female. Wife of Marcus Brutus.
LUCIUS Male. Fabulous servant to Portia and Brutus.
BRUTUS Male. Marcus Brutus. Roman Politian and Caesar’s assassin.
CAESAR Male. Julius Caesar. A large man. Emperor of Rome.

Coronation Day, the ides of March. PORTIA trying on gowns (togas, which are ordinary bedsheets). Audience is the mirror. She poses, admires herself. ENTER LUCIUS with more gowns, they’re the exact same as she’s wearing.

LUCIUS
There’s more where that came from. Just in from Milan. The new spring collection.

PORTIA
I still kinda like this one.

LUCIUS
Oh Honey, please. That’s so last harvest season. What does it say, “come plow my field?” I don’t think so. This is your big day. You’re no longer just a noblewoman of Rome, you’re going to be Queen. Your life is so Gucci. Own it.

PORTIA
Queen. I still cannot believe it. It sounds so strange to hear. It’s all so new. It’s going to take some getting used to. For you as well, I assume. In your wildest dreams did you ever image one day you’d be dressing and undressing a Queen?

LUCIUS
Girl, you have no idea.

PORTIA
Do you think you can get up for that challenge?

LUCIUS
Challenge accepted. Now, try this one.

LUCIUS hands PORTIA a “gown.” She changes.

PORTIA
But I like that one.

LUCIUS
Don’t let good be the enemy of fabulous.

PORTIA
I’m not sure that’s how the saying goes.

LUCIUS
All I’m saying is, you’re a boss. So, if you got it, flaunt it.

PORTIA
(posing) What do you think?

LUCIUS
Meh…I’m not feeling it. We want fashion forward. This one makes you look ancient. Feels way too, ‘I’m off to the baths,’ but not in a good way. You know what I mean.

PORTIA
Uh…No, actually.

LUCIUS
You’re not a horse ridden in a chariot races. Here. Try this one.

PORTIA
You sure?

PORTIA changes.

LUCIUS
Definitely. Let’s not let perfect to be the enemy of ‘this is taking too long.’

PORTIA
Huh?

LUCIUS
Nothing.

PORTIA poses for LUCIUS, then in the “mirror.”

PORTIA
Well…?

LUCIUS
Ooh, Girl! You are a vision. Got this billowing baby doll situation going on. So hot. Better watch out. One look at you and every senator will be begging to offer you their olive branch.

PORTIA
Oh, I hope so. I do love olives.

LUCIUS
Don’t we all. That’s the one. Now, hold still.

LUCIUS kneels down to straighten, mend, tailor the gown. PORTIA poses in the ‘mirror’ as she speaks.

PORTIA
Oh, what a marvelous, happy day, Lucius. I can’t believe my good fortune. Never in a thousand years could I have imagined that I would become Empress of Rome. All I ever hoped for was to live up to the expectations of an honorable wife, to support and
love my husband, and live the noble life that I have been destined to have. But now. Look at me: Queen Portia. Oh, how wonderful that sounds, does it not?

LUCIUS
You’re stepping on your gown.

PORTIA
Oh, sorry… Empress of Rome.

LUCIUS
OK. What do you think?

PORTIA
You like it?

LUCIUS
Meh… A little too low in the hips.

LUCIUS kneels again. Mends.

PORTIA
And my King. My dear, Brutus. I just don’t know how he did it. Just think. To convince all of the noblemen to support him as ruler instead of Caesar. If you asked me yesterday I would’ve sworn Caesar was going to be crowned King. Especially after all that civil war business. But no. Apparently, he refused the crown. Can you imagine?

Join us for the next Monday Night PlayGround on February 19! For more info, click here!