The March People’s Choice goes to…
The people have spoken… The March People’s Choice Award goes to Madeline Puccioni for her short play, 1913, presented as a staged reading at Monday Night PlayGround on March 15 on Zoom. Congratulations, Madeline!
Courtesy of Madeline, we’re pleased to share the first two pages from the award-winning script. Enjoy!
1913
by Madeline Puccioni
CAST LIST
Mary Ovington – W, 60, White, NYC Social Worker, Feminist
Ida B. Wells – W, 30, Black, Activist, Feminist “Agitator”
Lucy Burns – W, 40, White, Feminist, Suffragist, Adviser
Alice Paul – W, 30, White, Feminist, Suffragist, Fanatic
TIME
January 1913 – Planning for the Parade
March 1913 – Day of the Parade
PLACE
MARY & IDA – Mary’s NYC Apartment
ALICE & LUCY – Hotel Belvedere, D.C.
IDA & LUCY – D.C. Women’s Parade, 1913
LIGHTS UP: ZOOMSPACES. “SPLIT SCREEN” MARY
WHITE OVINGTON reads over a letter she has written to
ALICE PAUL, the driven, single-minded leader of the NWP,
(National Women’s Party) a suffragist movement which has
amassed considerable power. ALICE PAUL is also the
organizer of a 5,000 woman march to take place two months
from now, on March 3rd, 1913, in Washington D.C.
MARY
(reads, and corrects a draft of this letter) January 4, 1913. To: Miss Alice Paul.
My dear Miss Paul: I wrote to the members of your National Women’s Party,
whom I knew, to ask them if they would consider — no. If they were interested
in —inviting a colored woman to appear on the program of the Women’s Party
Conference in Washington D.C. and to participate in the Women’s Parade on
March 3rd. And Mrs. Brannan informed me enthusiastically—
LIGHT SHIFT: ALICE PAUL’S hotel room. LUCY
BURNS is with her, reading a newspaper
ALICE
(sarcastic, furious, holds the same letter) “ —enthusiastically? (reads) Really,
Brannan? (reads) –that the New York State Branch of the Women’s Party had
unanimously decided in FAVOR of a colored speaker on the program? Oh that
idiot Brannan! Who gave her the right to speak for me? Stupid cow!
LUCY
(looks up from her newspaper) Alice?
MARY
(reads) — “but then Mrs. Brannan telephoned me that you may not find that
acceptable and she asked me to address my communication —directly to you–”
ALICE
(holds the letter) And now, like everything else, it is on my shoulders. I could
choke Brannan. I may choke her. I shall certainly fire her.
LIGHTS UP: ZOOMSPACES. “SPLIT SCREEN” MARY
WHITE OVINGTON reads over a letter she has written to
ALICE PAUL, the driven, single-minded leader of the NWP,
(National Women’s Party) a suffragist movement which has
amassed considerable power. ALICE PAUL is also the
organizer of a 5,000 woman march to take place two months
from now, on March 3rd, 1913, in Washington D.C.
LUCY
Alice. Perhaps Mary Overton is right. We should invite some colored women of
national interest, to speak at the convention, and to march with us in the Parade–
ALICE
(snaps) You know we cannot do that. And you know why.
LUCY
At least. We might meet with Mary Overton, yes, and with her friend, Ida B.
Wells, and consider what they —
ALICE
Absolutely not. Absolutely not. Meet with Ida B. Wells? That muckraker?
That headline-chaser? And risk everything we have worked for? Starved
and suffered for, in freezing jail cells? When we are so close to achieving the
19th Amendment? And the vote for women?
LUCY
I think we should at least — arrange a meeting with Mary Overton–
ALICE
No. We have no time. She is — simply meddling, because she thinks she must.
Like the officious — Social Worker she is. Soft hearted, blue-blood, butter-fed
dilettante. What does she know of battle? When did SHE suffer the brutality of
prison guards, or be locked up in jail and force-fed — as were we? When did she
ever have to FIGHT …for a cause? As you and I must do?
LUCY
Alice. No one doubts your —
ALICE
And we would do it again! Wouldn’t we? Lucy? And we may HAVE to do it
again! There is so much hatred and opposition, so many powerful men aligned
against us — but we would. Suffer it all again. Would we not?
LUCY
Do you think Colored women have not suffered greatly, Alice? For their rights?
Do they not deserve to join the march, and join our cause? Do they not deserve our support?
Do they not deserve the right to vote?
______________________________________________________________________________________
Join us for the PlayGround Zoom Fest, including Best of PlayGround 25, May 10-30 on Zoom! Click here for more info!