The communication announcing the cancelation of a production of the musical The 25^thAnnual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Hyattsville Middle School in Maryland could not have been more terse.

Unfortunately we have decided to cancel the Spring Musical dates of May 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th.

Additionally, we will hold a parent meeting after spring break, Tuesday April 23^rdat 4:30pm in Mrs. Gee’s Room to address next steps and to answer any of your questions, comments, or concerns.

The letter was signed by Genese Gee-Schmidtke, the Hyattsville Middle School Theatre Arts Director. The signature included the tagline, presumably common to all of her communications, which reads, “Respect Art, Create Art, Live art…Do good!”

Inquiries regarding the cancelation to the office of Dr. Monica Goldson, who holds the title of Interim CEO at Prince George’s County Public Schools (in lieu of the more typical title of Superintendent), which includes Hyattsville, received the following reply:

Thank you for contacting me concerning the cancellation of the play at Hyattsville Middle School. Staff spoke with the Principal and listed below is what actually took place.

Teachers expressed concern given the extended use of profanity in the play even though it was play was identified as PG13 appropriate. The supervisor for Performing Arts, was then requested to review content during which time it was decided that the play should be cancelled since copyright laws did not permit the change in language when she reached out to the company.  It was then deemed more appropriate for high school and not middle school.

A letter will be crafted and sent home to the school community this week.

In addition, we will work with the central office Creative and Visual Performing Arts team to create a process for approval of plays prior to students practicing and preparing to ensure this does not happen again.

The 25^thAnnual Putnam County Spelling Bee is the comic recreation of a student spelling bee. It ran on Broadway from May 2005 to January 2008 and received a Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical for Rachel Sheinkin, as well as a Tony for Dan Fogler who played one of the student competitors. It has widely been produced since, however for school productions, the lyrics of one song, “My Unfortunate Erection,” have been revised to “My Unfortunate Distraction” to remove the obvious sexual connotation.

According to news reports, the Hyattsville production has been in rehearsal for months, and as Gee-Schmidtke’s brief communication indicates, the cancelation came over spring break, with the performances scheduled for the weekend following the return from break. Presumably, Gee-Schmidtke did not cancel her own show, but rather was communicating the decision of others above her in the school or district hierarchy.

With the material most obviously problematic already revised and implemented for the Hyattsville production, precisely what concerns remained? A report from WJLA TV references a statement from the communications office for the district, saying that a review of the script yielded, in WJLA’s characterization, “concerns surrounding profane language, sexual innuendo, and several lines in the play that could potentially be viewed as racist.” Coverage of the Tuesday meeting in The Washington Post characterized school officials as citing “a number of concerns — with racial humor, sexual innuendo and what one described as some ‘cuss words’.”

Arts Integrity has written to the CEO and the Hyattsville principal, as well as the communications office asking for those specific examples. As of publication time, the only response received, from Raven Hill in the district communication office, read, “I will follow up with you later today.” This post will be updated with that response upon receipt.

It has been widely rumored online that the main concern about the show pertains to the characters of the two gay dads of one of the student characters. Schools spokesperson Hill was quoted by the Post as saying, “I know that there was a rumor and a concern, but we’re not seeking to remove gay characters, nor was the play canceled because of gay characters.”

James McGonnigal, an area resident who does not have a child who is a student at the school, but attended the meeting, characterized the conversation in the meeting in an e-mail with Arts Integrity, writing:

The meeting last night was not only filled with contradictions to the statement made earlier in the day about reasons for the production’s cancellation. The meeting began with Principal Thorne reading the county’s prepared statement and followed with questions and replies. During the questioning from parents and community members, the Principal and County representatives first attempted to blame MTI for not allowing the changes being requested.

McGonnigal went on to write:

There was more discussion of the list of requested changes, this time from Ms. Gee – the director of the show. One parent asked for that list to be shared and they said it would take a few days to compile it. And then I asked if the director could confirm that the inclusion of gay parents was not on the list of requested changes. After replying “Well, there were several requested changes made and we just want to make sure that we’re offering a show that’s appropriate for all ages.” When I asked again, “Can you confirm that the inclusion of gay parents was not a concern brought to MTI,” she replied “No, I cannot confirm that.”

McGonnigal has set up an online petition in support of the play going forward.

In a video recording of the start of the meeting, the school principal, Thornton Boone, reads a prepared statement which includes making a distinction between MTI school edition scripts, which he says are prepared for high schools, and Broadway Junior editions, which he cites as being for elementary and middle schools, noting that there is no Broadway Junior edition of Spelling Bee. He proceeds to say, “Based on this information, it is recommended that this production not be presented by Hyattsville Middle School.” He then outlines the intention to develop a plan for the future approval of shows for the 2019-2020 school year and proceeds to cite the school’s adherence to policies against discrimination and harassment.

Boone goes on to recount a conversation between MTI and Ms. Gee-Schmidtke in which she was ostensibly told that any changes to the script would be in violation of copyright. He goes on to state that LGBTQ content was not the reason for the cancelation, and announces that in a June performance, students will present excerpts from prior school productions, including Into The Woods, Fame, Once on This Island, Romeo and Juliet and Annie.

The impression that no changes to the Spelling Bee text are permitted, even when properly requested, is rebutted by WJLA’s report, which also cites McGonnigal:

“There are a handful of ‘damns’ or ‘Jesus Christs’ that are in there, that could easily be cut out, I don’t think with any complaint from the licensing agency,” said Jamie McGonnigal, who says he is very familiar with ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’.

ABC 7 reached out to the licensing agency, Music Theatre International, and a spokesperson confirmed that they have accommodated similar requests in the past.

If gay dads aren’t the issue, if mild curse words can be altered with permission, what remains a problem with Spelling Bee? Again, the school district isn’t being specific. The most likely point of contention may well be a brief scene when one of the student spellers utters, “Jesus, can’t you come up with a harder word than that?” and Jesus appears to that student in a one-page scene in which he explains that spelling bees aren’t something he much concerns himself with.

If it is the depiction of Jesus which is a problem under the PGCPS guidelines, then presumably that is not a matter that would be any different in the high school than the middle school. Is this the “extended use of profanity” alluded to in an e-mail from Goldson to the Justine Christianson, president of the school’s PTSO? Are we to parse the language carefully to distinguish profane from what is often seen as its synonym, obscene?

There may be a solution at hand, namely that the show proceeds, despite losing days of rehearsal, with a “mature content warning” appended in materials promoting the show, as if anyone in the community isn’t now aware of such reservations on the part of the administration after major press coverage. The school and the district will reportedly issue their decision by tomorrow. But what’s worth noting is that the solution didn’t come from anywhere in the school hierarchy. Rather, it was proposed by a student at yesterday’s meeting.

It seems that Hyattsville Middle School’s leadership, and the district leadership, has an awful lot of work to do very quickly if they are to dispel both rumors and establish the clear facts about any censorious intent. They need to be transparent about what changes they’re requesting and to eliminate any sense that gay parents aren’t a problem and that their reasoning isn’t in any way arbitrary or that they have failed to seek genuine solutions.

But it also seems clear that in both this decision and their plans to implement a review process, which would likely only serve to reduce the variety of work available for performance at the school, they should listen to their students and include them in that process going forward. Because, with teachers often silenced in such cases, it seems the students may have the most creative ideas about how to solve problems, and get on with the show.

Update, April 24, 12 noon: Actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson, well-known for his role on the comedy Modern Family, wrote the following on Twitter shortly after 11 am this morning.

As one of the original “Gay Dads” in Spelling Bee & a hopeful future Gay Dad I am so annoyed by this. Pull it together Maryland Middle School. I’m sure there are gay students in your school. Think about how this is impacting them. What a disappointment.

He subsequently added:

The arts are so vital to our school system. They teach kids compassion, trust and team work. The arts build bridges between kids with different backgrounds and economical upbringings and they have always been a safe space for LGBTQ youth. The arts are NOT about discrimination.

Update, April 24, 4:30 pm: A letter from Principal Thornton Boone to the school community has announced that Spelling Bee will go on, however it is delayed by two weeks to make up for lost rehearsal time and with one less performance than originally scheduled. The students participating in the show will be required to have signed permission slips from their parents and students at the area elementary schools will not be invited to performances, which will be noted as being rated PG-13, adopting the movie rating nomenclature.

The letter repeats much of what Mr. Boone said at yesterday’s meeting regarding the show, including concerns about “profane language, racial jokes and sexual innuendo/content and its appropriateness for our young performers.” It reiterates that “the theatre licensing agency declined our requests to alter the musical, which led to our original decision to cancel the upcoming performances.”

While the letter states that, “There are no plans to remove the characters or references from the production,” it also states that on Friday this week, during two one-hour sessions, the school’s CPA Coordinator will be available “for any parent to review the script and suggest changes.”

Because the school has not provided the list of its original request for changes ostensibly made to MTI, which it claims were denied, it is impossible to ascertain what was actually asked of the company and through it, the authors of the show. In addition, if the school stands by the claim that no changes may be made, why is it providing parents with a platform to suggest changes, when it has no certainty that such suggestions may be acted upon. The school does not have the unilateral right to make changes, which it previously acknowledged, so what exactly is the plan of action going forward? As noted in the WJLA TV coverage, MTI has previously accommodated requests for changes, so why does Hyattsville paint them as intransigent, then suggest changes may be forthcoming?

While it is a positive step that the production appears to be happening with its LGBTQ content intact, Hyattsville Middle School and Prince George’s County Public School District remains opaque in both their specific concerns and verifiable efforts to resolve them with the licensing house. Mr. Boone writes, “We understand the anger, confusion and frustration over this matter.” If that is indeed the case, then perhaps he and his colleagues can do better in their communication now by fully documenting their actions, from beginning to end, instead of trying to placate everyone without getting to the root of the issues that have played out so publicly.

Beginning one week after the November presidential election, New York’s Primary Stages commissioned a collection of over 70 pieces written by a diverse array of playwrights from their artistic community. Each artist crafted a short monologue from the perspective of a character in America on the morning of November 9^th. The resulting works will be presented twice, under the collective title Morning in America, November 9, 2016 9 AM, on February 18 and 19. Kate Fodor’s Rubber Knife is but one of pieces that came out of this call to the writing community.

Kate Fodor’s plays have been produced across the US and around the world, including at Steppenwolf, Playwrights Horizons, Primary Stages and London’s Courtyard Theatre. She has received the Kennedy Center’s Roger L. Stevens Award, the National Theater Conference’s Barry Stavis Award and a Guggenheim Fellowship in Playwriting.

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RUBBER KNIFE by Kate Fodor

A 20-year-old theater major at the University of Illinois addresses the audience.

He wears dark sweats and a plain white t-shirt. Bare feet. He holds a hunting knife.

A lot of students live in this apartment complex. A bunch of theater geeks like me and my roommates. Some pre-med girls on the fifth floor who have a mason jar full of kidney stones on top of their TV — but they’re pretty nice. And these two guys on the ground floor who are like scholars of dickishness and assholery, majoring in ignorance. Guy who harrassed my friend Kayla in the parking lot when she came over. And of course they have a big Trump bumper sticker stuck to their front door.

I’ve been looking forward for a long time to seeing those dudes’ faces this morning.

(He rubs his eyes, still holding the knife.)

We stayed up for the whole thing last night and we’re tired and not feeling all that good. And of course those fucking dudes are out there in the parking lot yelling USA, USA — which my roommate swears is them yelling JEW-S-A because the premeds upstairs are Jewish. I hope that isn’t true, but either way, I really need them to fucking stop.

(He looks down at the knife in his hand, then back at the audience.)

Don’t worry. I wouldn’t kill them. I can’t. It’s a rubber knife. We have stage combat this morning.

(He bends the tip to show them.)

The head of the theater department, Cathy Davis, is waiting for us when we get to stage combat. I guess she felt like she had to come and say something. In loco parentis. You know, just a few words to explain why it’s all right that the world has revealed itself to be full of shit and evil. We circle up.

Cathy tells us Rehearsal Room B in the Theater Arts building is exactly the right place for us to be this morning. People are crying. My friend Cha Cha takes my hand, other people are holding hands too. Cathy says the fight is on and the fight will need us. She says artists matter more than ever now. Because that’s what she has to believe.

Everybody says what they feel — I mean, I don’t, but a lot of people do.

My great-grandfather flew planes in World War II. I follow this woman on Twitter who raised money for water in Africa by rowing across the Atlantic solo — naked, actually, but that’s not why I follow her. It was because of chafing, like she had to at a certain point not have the clothes. Hillary fucking Clinton — not that I wouldn’t have preferred Bernie, because I would have — was advocating for migrant farm workers when she was my age.

The fight needs us, Cathy, really?

We take a bathroom break. A girl from the musical theater program is on the rehearsal room floor in the fetal position, crying. I get it. I want to do that, too. And I also want to kick her really hard as I go by.

My friend Ted is practicing his monologue from Henry V:

Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars

And say, ‘These wounds I had on Crispin’s day.’

Our stage combat teacher, Miriam, says, OK, come on. She’s maybe 5’ 2”, with dreadlocks, skinny and smiley, not someone you’d think was a blackbelt in karate. She looks tired, but she doesn’t say anything about what happened last night. She opens up her suitcases. There are swords, spears, hammers and knives, and we get to choose our weapons.

END

© 2017 Kate Fodor

Union Square Incident premiered on November 14, 2016 as part of The 24 Hour Plays on Broadway (Mark Armstrong, Executive Director; Tina Fallon, Founding Producer) at the American Airlines Theatre. It was directed by Elena Araoz with the following cast: Ashlie Atkinson, Jason Biggs, Michael Cerveris, Russell G. Jones, Olivia Washington and Julie White.

Warren Leight’s plays include Side Man (Tony Award), No Foreigners Beyond This Point (Drama Desk nomination), Glimmer, Glimmer and Shine (ATCA nomination).  In TV he’s been the Showrunner and Executive Producer of Law and Order: SVU (Imagen, NAACP, and Prism Awards), In Treatment (Peabody Award), Lights Out, and the Edgar-winning Law and Order: Criminal Intent.

Union Square Incident is copyright © 2016 by Warren Leight. All inquiries regarding rights should be addressed to John Buzzetti, WME, 11 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10010, 212-586-5100. Professionals and amateurs are hereby warned that performances of Union Square Incident are subject to a royalty. It is fully protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America, and of all countries covered by the International Copyright union (including the Dominion of Canada and the rest of the British Commonwealth), and of all countries covered by the Pan-American Copyright Convention and the Universal Copyright Convention, and of all countries with which the United States has reciprocal copyright relations. All rights, including professional, amateur, motion picture, recitation, lecturing, public reading, radio broadcasting, podcasting, television, video or sound taping, all other forms of mechanical or electronic reproductions, such as information storage and retrieval systems and photocopying, and the rights of translation into foreign languages, are strictly reserved. Particular emphasis is laid upon the question of readings, permission for which much be secured from the author’s agent in writing.

Photos © Howard Sherman

*   *   *

Jason Biggs and Ashlie Atkinson in “Union Square Incident”

Lights up on a bare room with a few benches and one door upstage left or right.  We will learn it’s a holding pen of some sort. On one bench, a black man, RUSSELL, is seated.  His pockets have been emptied and turned inside out. He has no belt or shoelaces. He’s stressed out. In a corner, rocking back and forth, ASHLIE, a Brooklyn activist, is clearly in a deep state of distress. She doesn’t even notice now as the door opens. And MICHAEL, a middle-aged, Upper West Side white male, enters. Pockets turned inside out. No belt. He tries to bargain with JASON, the bro-guard, at the door.  

Michael  If I could just have my phone, for a second.  My wife is, she’s not well.  She’s been anxious ever since the…  I need to let her know where I am.

Jason  As soon as everything’s cleared up, you can make a call.

Michael  She’ll be worried. I need to let her know where I am..

Jason  I’m sure she’ll be fine. Okay, pops. Just relax. (to Ashlie) Hey you, my twitchy friend.

Jason goes to Ashlie, who is startled by his touch.  He motions her toward the door.  She’s broken.

Jason  Guess what?

Ashlie  I give up.

Jason That’s all we wanted to hear. And now, let’s see that smile of yours, from your Avi. (He mimics her Avi smile) You are free to go.

Ashlie  Really. That’s it?

Jason  (for everyone’s benefit) I told you, if you have nothing to worry about, you have nothing to worry about.

Jason walks Ashlie out.  The door closes in Michael’s face.  He looks around.

Michael  Where am I?

Russell  I don’t know. I don’t think it’s the Tombs. Some place new they must have set up.

Michael  New place?

Russell  I thought we went over a bridge. And it feels kind of… off the grid. I imagine they want these places out of public view.

Michael  C’mon, it’s a little soon for all that to be happening. Don’t you think.

Russell  They knew they were going to win. They must have had it in the works.

Michael  You know, no offense, you sound a little…  paranoid.

Russell  Okay, so what do you think is going on? We’re like, being punked for a Prank TV show.

Michael  I don’t think we’re under arrest.

Russell  Not officially. They’re supposed to tell you if you’re under arrest. They tell you anything?

Michael  I was marching. Up from Union Square. They said everyone move to the sidewalk. I tried to move, but it was crowded, before I could get there, these two guys grabbed me –

Russell  Were they in uniform?

Michael  No. Suits.

Russell  Could be FBI? Or some bullshit Task Force.

Michael  They put me in a van. Then here. They took my wallet. My cell phone.

Russell  Did you shut it down first?

Michael  No.  I mean, he asked for my cell — he said it was protocol.

Russell  You got to shut it down. And have a strong password — they’re probably putting your photos through facial recognition.

Michael  It’s mostly just pictures of my kids.

Russell  Also going through your emails, your social media, your texts. And every place you’ve been is geo-tagged. Unless you’ve been using a Tor browser, or a two-factor authentication on –

Michael  My wife and I share an AOL account. I don’t think we ever set that –

Russell  AOL? Nah… I don’t think you did.

Michael  Anyway, they can’t go through the email… not without a warrant.

Russell  I wish I had a pen right now. I keep a little list. I call it “funny shit white people say.”

Michael Cerveris, Russell G. Jones and Julie White in “Union Square Incident”

The door opens again. JULIE walks in. A very angry, put-together middle-aged white woman. She has no purse; if wearing pants, her pockets are turned inside out. No jewelry. Except for a Hillary button. She’s going at it, with Jason, who’s annoying the fuck out of her.

Julie  You can’t actually do this, you know. You can’t detain people without –

Jason  Ma’am, instead of being all upset, just try to relax –

Julie  Relax. Relax and enjoy it? You can’t do this!! I am a lawyer. I know my rights.

Jason  No one is violating anyone’s rights. You’re not being detained.

Julie  So I’m free to leave?

Jason  Just as soon as everything is cleared up. Are we good.

Julie  NO, bro, we’re not good. And if you can’t talk to me, without patronizing me, I’d rather you not talk to me at all.

Jason  Suit yourself. Have a nice day.

He closes the door on her. She looks around.

Julie  That little pissant son of a bitch. “You’re not being detained.” He just lied straight to my face.

Russell  If nothing else, they have turned that into an art form.

Russell gets up, as Michael helps Julie to a bench.

Julie  This really is completely illegal.

Michael  You’re a lawyer?

Julie  What are you?

Michael  An aging liberal.

Russell  With an AOL account.

Julie  Ha! You two were marching?

Russell  I saw them taking this girl down. In her twenties. I started to video it –

Julie  Which is perfectly legal.

Russell  For now. And… I end up here. I don’t know what happened to the girl.

Julie  These motherfuckers…  “Don’t worry, he doesn’t mean those things he’s saying. It’s just to get elected. There’ll be checks and balances. It can’t happen here. It won’t happen here.”

Michael  Guys, take it easy, nothing is happening here, with all due respect –

Julie  Don’t fucking say that.  Anytime any man anywhere says all due respect, it means he has absolutely no respect for you, or for that matter, any woman.

Michael  You’re sounding a little hys — (catches himself)

Julie  Hysterical. Go ahead, say it. Go on.

Michael looks to Russell, hoping for what, male support?

Russell  Don’t look at me. I’m with her.

Julie  Do you know what this year has told me. I don’t matter. The only reason a woman ever matters is her vagina, and now that mine’s too old and He doesn’t want to grab it, it’s okay for me to be marginalized or discarded or vilified. Even by other women.

She breaks down.  Russell awkwardly comforts her.

Michael  I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to negate –

Russell  Give her a moment.

Julie  No… tell me. What weren’t you trying to negate?

Michael  Your feelings.  It’s just… we’re all feeling raw.  But, I have to believe things aren’t going to be as bad as everyone says. It’s easy to demonize the other side. To assume the worst. If we could try to understand where they are coming from –

Russell  Oh I know where they’re coming from. The KKK, the FBI, the KGB — this wasn’t an election, it was a coup d’etat.

Michael  No… it was an election. We lost. They won.

Julie  First of all, they didn’t win. Second of all, they rigged it.

Michael  Now who do you sound like? It’s not rigged. He tapped into something.

Russell  American Homegrown Racism, brewed to perfection.

Michael  Yeah, some of that. And some genuine anger, and frustration. And — let’s be fair. She had a lot of baggage.

Julie  Don’t you dare. Do not start with that false equivalence bullshit. He’s a draft dodgin’, tax dodging, climate-change-denying racist misogynist, who will deport your family and potentially destroy the world, or at least all civil liberties, but — hey, how about those emails.

Michael  It wasn’t just the emails. Or the KGB or misogyny or racism or even her not having a message. It was a perfect storm.

Julie White in “Union Square Incident”

The door opens again. And now OLIVIA, a young black woman enters. She’s a mess, she’s been crying. She’s bruised, clothes a little ripped. 

Jason  Here we go. Nice and easy.

Olivia  I want to see him. Why can’t I see him.

Jason  Why don’t you just sit down. Let your friends here take care of you. (to the rest) Folks. This young lady’s had a bit of a hard day. Can you make some room for her.

Olivia all but collapses into Michael and Russell’s arms. They walk her down to the bench. Julie helps hold her there. She’s in some kind of shock.

Olivia  They must have shot him. He might be dead.

Michael  No one’s been shot. That’s not going on –

Russell and Julie glare at him.

Julie  Do any of us have any  idea what’s going on? (off  Michael) I don’t think so. So how about we ask her what happened to her, instead of telling her?

Michael  (chastened) What… happened?

Olivia  They were putting some people in these pens. You know, with the metal rails. And my boyfriend, he noticed two of them weren’t on right, so he worked them apart. We squeezed through, and ran. Down the block, and right into this group of, I don’t know, counter-protesters. I guess. They came like, out of nowhere.

Russell  (sotto) Or not.

Olivia  They saw us, started chanting all kinds of names. By then the Security People were behind us, but instead of stopping them, they let the mob beat on him, and pull on me. Grabbing at me, everywhere. Finally one of the Security says, that’s enough, fellas. And they stop. Part like the Red Sea. Security took my boyfriend away, he was bleeding bad from the head.

Julie  I’m so sorry.

Olivia  We weren’t even marching. Just came up out of the subway at Union Square and it was on. I tried to tell them that, but –

Russell  It doesn’t matter. Wrong race, wrong place, wrong time.

Michael  I can’t believe this  — it can’t be — this isn’t happening. Not in New York. New York is different. You heard the Governor, he said it would be a sanctuary.

Russell  And you think the new regime is just gonna be ok with that.

Michael  Yeah. I do. I know my city, I know my county.

Julie  So we’re all paranoid, and it’s just a little swing of the pendulum. And nobody’s rights are going to be taken away…

The door opens.  Jason comes in, with a big smile on his face.  He has a RED BAG for Julie.  A TIE for Michael.  Cell phones, belts for Michael and Russell. 

Jason  Okay. That didn’t take so long did it.

He hands Julie, Michael, and Russell some of their possessions back. 

Michael  We’re okay to go?

Jason  Like I said, if you have nothing to worry about, you have nothing to worry about. Sorry for the inconvenience. What we’re dealing with, there are a lot of moving parts. But cut to the chase, there’s no reason to detain you any longer.

Julie  You said we weren’t being detained.

Jason  (almost laughing) Are you sure I said that? Either way, it’s in the past. Right?

Russell  (looks at cell phone) My photos have been removed.

Jason  Oh have they. I’m sorry about that. It must have bounced around a bit.

Julie (checking bag) I had a cell phone, where is it.

Jason  If it turns up, we know where you live. Anyway, I know you all don’t want to be here any longer than you have to, so let’s not worry about the little losses, okay.

The four look at each other. 

Michael  Guys…

Russell  Fuck it, let’s go. (Russell looks to Olivia, who may be in shock. He goes to help her up.) C’mon, sweetheart, the door’s open.

Jason  Actually. Not so fast there. Right now, it’s open for you three.

Russell  You said we were all free to go.

Jason  Did I say all? I don’t think I said all. She’s had a rough day, we just want to make sure we know, and she knows what’s what before she goes home. Nothing bad’s going to happen.

Julie  But she will be going home.

Jason  Everyone’s a winner here. So many winners. Believe me. Eyes on the prize everyone. (to Michael) I know you want to call your wife, she must be worried sick.

Jason leads, Michael starts to follow.  Then Jason notices Russell and Julie are looking at each other.

Jason  Folks, operators are standing by. Make your move.

Russell  I believe I’ll sit awhile. Keep this young lady company.

Julie now turns, goes back to Olivia as well.

Julie  I’ll stay too. You said it’s just a little while. So, why not.

Jason  To be honest, there’s no way of knowing how long this is all going to last.

Julie  (sharp) No there isn’t, is there?

Jason, whose tone has been jocular throughout, suddenly turns full-bore threatening.

Jason  Are you people kidding me. You’ve done nothing but bitch and complain since you got here. Now I hold the door open for you, and you pull this crap. For this friggin whore.

Julie  You won. You people fucking won. Why are you still so angry?

Jason  What you said before, about being marginalized, discarded, you got that right.

Julie and Russell realize they’ve been recorded.  They glance around for cameras.

Jason  C’mon pops, you don’t need these losers.

Michael  Actually, I might as well wait too.

Jason Are you FUCKING kidding me, you stupid cuck. We’re not playing around here. This isn’t a feel good after-school special.

Michael  I think we get that.

Russell  But this young lady, she’s frightened, so for now, we’ll just stay with her.

Jason  This could take a lot longer than you realize.

Julie  No, we know. So… until it ends, we’re just going to be here for each other.

LIGHTS OUT.

Union Square Incident premiered on November 14, 2016 as part of The 24 Hour Plays on Broadway (Mark Armstrong, Executive Director; Tina Fallon, Founding Producer) at the American Airlines Theatre. It was directed by Elena Araoz with the following cast: Ashlie Atkinson, Jason Biggs, Michael Cerveris, Russell G. Jones, Olivia Washington and Julie White.

Warren Leight’s plays include Side Man (Tony Award), No Foreigners Beyond This Point (Drama Desk nomination), Glimmer, Glimmer and Shine (ATCA nomination).  In TV he’s been the Showrunner and Executive Producer of Law and Order: SVU (Imagen, NAACP, and Prism Awards), In Treatment (Peabody Award), Lights Out, and the Edgar-winning Law and Order: Criminal Intent.

Union Square Incident is copyright © 2016 by Warren Leight. All inquiries regarding rights should be addressed to John Buzzetti, WME, 11 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10010, 212-586-5100. Professionals and amateurs are hereby warned that performances of Union Square Incident are subject to a royalty. It is fully protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America, and of all countries covered by the International Copyright union (including the Dominion of Canada and the rest of the British Commonwealth), and of all countries covered by the Pan-American Copyright Convention and the Universal Copyright Convention, and of all countries with which the United States has reciprocal copyright relations. All rights, including professional, amateur, motion picture, recitation, lecturing, public reading, radio broadcasting, podcasting, television, video or sound taping, all other forms of mechanical or electronic reproductions, such as information storage and retrieval systems and photocopying, and the rights of translation into foreign languages, are strictly reserved. Particular emphasis is laid upon the question of readings, permission for which much be secured from the author’s agent in writing.

Photos © Howard Sherman

*   *   *

Jason Biggs and Ashlie Atkinson in “Union Square Incident”

Lights up on a bare room with a few benches and one door upstage left or right.  We will learn it’s a holding pen of some sort. On one bench, a black man, RUSSELL, is seated.  His pockets have been emptied and turned inside out. He has no belt or shoelaces. He’s stressed out. In a corner, rocking back and forth, ASHLIE, a Brooklyn activist, is clearly in a deep state of distress. She doesn’t even notice now as the door opens. And MICHAEL, a middle-aged, Upper West Side white male, enters. Pockets turned inside out. No belt. He tries to bargain with JASON, the bro-guard, at the door.  

Michael  If I could just have my phone, for a second.  My wife is, she’s not well.  She’s been anxious ever since the…  I need to let her know where I am.

Jason  As soon as everything’s cleared up, you can make a call.

Michael  She’ll be worried. I need to let her know where I am..

Jason  I’m sure she’ll be fine. Okay, pops. Just relax. (to Ashlie) Hey you, my twitchy friend.

Jason goes to Ashlie, who is startled by his touch.  He motions her toward the door.  She’s broken.

Jason  Guess what?

Ashlie  I give up.

Jason That’s all we wanted to hear. And now, let’s see that smile of yours, from your Avi. (He mimics her Avi smile) You are free to go.

Ashlie  Really. That’s it?

Jason  (for everyone’s benefit) I told you, if you have nothing to worry about, you have nothing to worry about.

Jason walks Ashlie out.  The door closes in Michael’s face.  He looks around.

Michael  Where am I?

Russell  I don’t know. I don’t think it’s the Tombs. Some place new they must have set up.

Michael  New place?

Russell  I thought we went over a bridge. And it feels kind of… off the grid. I imagine they want these places out of public view.

Michael  C’mon, it’s a little soon for all that to be happening. Don’t you think.

Russell  They knew they were going to win. They must have had it in the works.

Michael  You know, no offense, you sound a little…  paranoid.

Russell  Okay, so what do you think is going on? We’re like, being punked for a Prank TV show.

Michael  I don’t think we’re under arrest.

Russell  Not officially. They’re supposed to tell you if you’re under arrest. They tell you anything?

Michael  I was marching. Up from Union Square. They said everyone move to the sidewalk. I tried to move, but it was crowded, before I could get there, these two guys grabbed me –

Russell  Were they in uniform?

Michael  No. Suits.

Russell  Could be FBI? Or some bullshit Task Force.

Michael  They put me in a van. Then here. They took my wallet. My cell phone.

Russell  Did you shut it down first?

Michael  No.  I mean, he asked for my cell — he said it was protocol.

Russell  You got to shut it down. And have a strong password — they’re probably putting your photos through facial recognition.

Michael  It’s mostly just pictures of my kids.

Russell  Also going through your emails, your social media, your texts. And every place you’ve been is geo-tagged. Unless you’ve been using a Tor browser, or a two-factor authentication on –

Michael  My wife and I share an AOL account. I don’t think we ever set that –

Russell  AOL? Nah… I don’t think you did.

Michael  Anyway, they can’t go through the email… not without a warrant.

Russell  I wish I had a pen right now. I keep a little list. I call it “funny shit white people say.”

Michael Cerveris, Russell G. Jones and Julie White in “Union Square Incident”

The door opens again. JULIE walks in. A very angry, put-together middle-aged white woman. She has no purse; if wearing pants, her pockets are turned inside out. No jewelry. Except for a Hillary button. She’s going at it, with Jason, who’s annoying the fuck out of her.

Julie  You can’t actually do this, you know. You can’t detain people without –

Jason  Ma’am, instead of being all upset, just try to relax –

Julie  Relax. Relax and enjoy it? You can’t do this!! I am a lawyer. I know my rights.

Jason  No one is violating anyone’s rights. You’re not being detained.

Julie  So I’m free to leave?

Jason  Just as soon as everything is cleared up. Are we good.

Julie  NO, bro, we’re not good. And if you can’t talk to me, without patronizing me, I’d rather you not talk to me at all.

Jason  Suit yourself. Have a nice day.

He closes the door on her. She looks around.

Julie  That little pissant son of a bitch. “You’re not being detained.” He just lied straight to my face.

Russell  If nothing else, they have turned that into an art form.

Russell gets up, as Michael helps Julie to a bench.

Julie  This really is completely illegal.

Michael  You’re a lawyer?

Julie  What are you?

Michael  An aging liberal.

Russell  With an AOL account.

Julie  Ha! You two were marching?

Russell  I saw them taking this girl down. In her twenties. I started to video it –

Julie  Which is perfectly legal.

Russell  For now. And… I end up here. I don’t know what happened to the girl.

Julie  These motherfuckers…  “Don’t worry, he doesn’t mean those things he’s saying. It’s just to get elected. There’ll be checks and balances. It can’t happen here. It won’t happen here.”

Michael  Guys, take it easy, nothing is happening here, with all due respect –

Julie  Don’t fucking say that.  Anytime any man anywhere says all due respect, it means he has absolutely no respect for you, or for that matter, any woman.

Michael  You’re sounding a little hys — (catches himself)

Julie  Hysterical. Go ahead, say it. Go on.

Michael looks to Russell, hoping for what, male support?

Russell  Don’t look at me. I’m with her.

Julie  Do you know what this year has told me. I don’t matter. The only reason a woman ever matters is her vagina, and now that mine’s too old and He doesn’t want to grab it, it’s okay for me to be marginalized or discarded or vilified. Even by other women.

She breaks down.  Russell awkwardly comforts her.

Michael  I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to negate –

Russell  Give her a moment.

Julie  No… tell me. What weren’t you trying to negate?

Michael  Your feelings.  It’s just… we’re all feeling raw.  But, I have to believe things aren’t going to be as bad as everyone says. It’s easy to demonize the other side. To assume the worst. If we could try to understand where they are coming from –

Russell  Oh I know where they’re coming from. The KKK, the FBI, the KGB — this wasn’t an election, it was a coup d’etat.

Michael  No… it was an election. We lost. They won.

Julie  First of all, they didn’t win. Second of all, they rigged it.

Michael  Now who do you sound like? It’s not rigged. He tapped into something.

Russell  American Homegrown Racism, brewed to perfection.

Michael  Yeah, some of that. And some genuine anger, and frustration. And — let’s be fair. She had a lot of baggage.

Julie  Don’t you dare. Do not start with that false equivalence bullshit. He’s a draft dodgin’, tax dodging, climate-change-denying racist misogynist, who will deport your family and potentially destroy the world, or at least all civil liberties, but — hey, how about those emails.

Michael  It wasn’t just the emails. Or the KGB or misogyny or racism or even her not having a message. It was a perfect storm.

Julie White in “Union Square Incident”

The door opens again. And now OLIVIA, a young black woman enters. She’s a mess, she’s been crying. She’s bruised, clothes a little ripped. 

Jason  Here we go. Nice and easy.

Olivia  I want to see him. Why can’t I see him.

Jason  Why don’t you just sit down. Let your friends here take care of you. (to the rest) Folks. This young lady’s had a bit of a hard day. Can you make some room for her.

Olivia all but collapses into Michael and Russell’s arms. They walk her down to the bench. Julie helps hold her there. She’s in some kind of shock.

Olivia  They must have shot him. He might be dead.

Michael  No one’s been shot. That’s not going on –

Russell and Julie glare at him.

Julie  Do any of us have any  idea what’s going on? (off  Michael) I don’t think so. So how about we ask her what happened to her, instead of telling her?

Michael  (chastened) What… happened?

Olivia  They were putting some people in these pens. You know, with the metal rails. And my boyfriend, he noticed two of them weren’t on right, so he worked them apart. We squeezed through, and ran. Down the block, and right into this group of, I don’t know, counter-protesters. I guess. They came like, out of nowhere.

Russell  (sotto) Or not.

Olivia  They saw us, started chanting all kinds of names. By then the Security People were behind us, but instead of stopping them, they let the mob beat on him, and pull on me. Grabbing at me, everywhere. Finally one of the Security says, that’s enough, fellas. And they stop. Part like the Red Sea. Security took my boyfriend away, he was bleeding bad from the head.

Julie  I’m so sorry.

Olivia  We weren’t even marching. Just came up out of the subway at Union Square and it was on. I tried to tell them that, but –

Russell  It doesn’t matter. Wrong race, wrong place, wrong time.

Michael  I can’t believe this  — it can’t be — this isn’t happening. Not in New York. New York is different. You heard the Governor, he said it would be a sanctuary.

Russell  And you think the new regime is just gonna be ok with that.

Michael  Yeah. I do. I know my city, I know my county.

Julie  So we’re all paranoid, and it’s just a little swing of the pendulum. And nobody’s rights are going to be taken away…

The door opens.  Jason comes in, with a big smile on his face.  He has a RED BAG for Julie.  A TIE for Michael.  Cell phones, belts for Michael and Russell. 

Jason  Okay. That didn’t take so long did it.

He hands Julie, Michael, and Russell some of their possessions back. 

Michael  We’re okay to go?

Jason  Like I said, if you have nothing to worry about, you have nothing to worry about. Sorry for the inconvenience. What we’re dealing with, there are a lot of moving parts. But cut to the chase, there’s no reason to detain you any longer.

Julie  You said we weren’t being detained.

Jason  (almost laughing) Are you sure I said that? Either way, it’s in the past. Right?

Russell  (looks at cell phone) My photos have been removed.

Jason  Oh have they. I’m sorry about that. It must have bounced around a bit.

Julie (checking bag) I had a cell phone, where is it.

Jason  If it turns up, we know where you live. Anyway, I know you all don’t want to be here any longer than you have to, so let’s not worry about the little losses, okay.

The four look at each other. 

Michael  Guys…

Russell  Fuck it, let’s go. (Russell looks to Olivia, who may be in shock. He goes to help her up.) C’mon, sweetheart, the door’s open.

Jason  Actually. Not so fast there. Right now, it’s open for you three.

Russell  You said we were all free to go.

Jason  Did I say all? I don’t think I said all. She’s had a rough day, we just want to make sure we know, and she knows what’s what before she goes home. Nothing bad’s going to happen.

Julie  But she will be going home.

Jason  Everyone’s a winner here. So many winners. Believe me. Eyes on the prize everyone. (to Michael) I know you want to call your wife, she must be worried sick.

Jason leads, Michael starts to follow.  Then Jason notices Russell and Julie are looking at each other.

Jason  Folks, operators are standing by. Make your move.

Russell  I believe I’ll sit awhile. Keep this young lady company.

Julie now turns, goes back to Olivia as well.

Julie  I’ll stay too. You said it’s just a little while. So, why not.

Jason  To be honest, there’s no way of knowing how long this is all going to last.

Julie  (sharp) No there isn’t, is there?

Jason, whose tone has been jocular throughout, suddenly turns full-bore threatening.

Jason  Are you people kidding me. You’ve done nothing but bitch and complain since you got here. Now I hold the door open for you, and you pull this crap. For this friggin whore.

Julie  You won. You people fucking won. Why are you still so angry?

Jason  What you said before, about being marginalized, discarded, you got that right.

Julie and Russell realize they’ve been recorded.  They glance around for cameras.

Jason  C’mon pops, you don’t need these losers.

Michael  Actually, I might as well wait too.

Jason Are you FUCKING kidding me, you stupid cuck. We’re not playing around here. This isn’t a feel good after-school special.

Michael  I think we get that.

Russell  But this young lady, she’s frightened, so for now, we’ll just stay with her.

Jason  This could take a lot longer than you realize.

Julie  No, we know. So… until it ends, we’re just going to be here for each other.

LIGHTS OUT.

It’s a reflex action for those in the arts to recoil and get angry when creative work is described as “intolerable blasphemies.” But it’s probably worth giving a small shout out to the America Needs Fatima organization as they protest the production of Colm Toíbín’s The Testament of Mary at the New Repertory Theater in Watertown MA. Why? Because amidst repeated variations of “blasphemy,” “blasphemous” and “blasphemies” in their rhetoric, the group is careful to call for “respectful but firm protest” at one point, and asks that people speak out against the show “legally and respectfully.” I hope that those who hear and choose to answer their call heed those cautions.

America Needs Fatima (ANF) has taken issue with The Testament of Mary before, both in its Broadway production and in a subsequent San Francisco run. They claim that their efforts helped cause the Broadway show to end early and that they prompted many to “turn away” from the San Francisco engagement. Of course, there’s no proof that either is the case. As someone who saw and admired Fiona Shaw’s Broadway performance as well as the play, I recall that it opened during the usual spring crush of new Broadway shows and, without sufficient critical praise, it was indeed closed quickly. But anyone who knows Scott Rudin, the show’s lead producer, knows full well that he wouldn’t back down from protests and his decision was entirely pragmatic and fiscal.

For those who don’t know The Testament of Mary, or Toíbín’s book from which it’s drawn, it is a one-person play about Jesus’s mother, who recounts her son’s experiences both of faith and tragedy. It does show the character questioning the motives of some of Jesus’s associates and reacting with great distress to his crucifixion. While it is certainly does not comport with any of the gospels, it is a serious-minded imagining of what might have been her thoughts, rather than a satire or parody of religious issues, like the film Dogma or the musical The Book of Mormon.

ANF managed to get their newest protest noticed by The Boston Globe, which published an account of their efforts on January 21. The article, by Don Aucoin, spoke with Jim Petosa, artistic director of New Repertory and director of the production. It’s somewhat curious that ANF did not make their organization’s director available to Aucoin for comment, which seems pretty basic protest protocol when dealing with the largest newspaper in the region. As the Globereported, Petosa and the company stand by the decision to produce Testament of Mary, and so the article simply presented the views of both sides as they were available.

However, there was the potential for the article to engender further protest, by bringing ANF’s view of the show to a larger audience. So I asked Petosa about the response since it appeared.

“There’s been more of a positive response from people,” he said. “I’ve gotten e-mails that say things like ‘I’ve been a devout Catholic all my life and I’m glad you’re doing this.’ We’ve gotten more people who are sympathetic than opposed.”

Petosa said that New Repertory’s staff has created a map to show where expressions of support and opposition were coming from, and it shows that there’s local support, with opposition coming from outside the greater Boston area. He observed, “Most of the negative comments are coming from people who couldn’t possibly get to New Repertory.”

I asked Petosa whether he had heard of any plans for in-person protests at the theatre and he said no, but commented, “They’d be more than welcome and we’d invite them in to see the production.”

Petosa chalks the communications against The Testament of Mary up to “a misunderstanding about the intent of the writer and the intent of the theatre,” saying that the goal of the company’s work for audiences was “to enhance their lives, not diminish their convictions.” He also ascribed the rhetoric against the show to being reflective of “the polarity of political discourse,” that it was “born out of orthodoxy.”

Petosa did acknowledge a recurring theme in some communications he’d received opposing the show, saying, “In a couple of letters, there were some intolerant but not surprising statement about Colm Toíbín’s sexuality, but that’s not pervasive. It is people equating blasphemy with homosexuality, revealing their own homophobia.” In one of its online documents about the play, during its Broadway premiere, ANF made a point of noting that it was “being performed and directed by open lesbians.”

The first previews of The Testament of Mary this weekend will overlap with the final performances of New Rep’s production of David Hare’s Via Dolorosa, and Petosa said he wished the two plays could have run concurrently for much longer. “They are thematically connected,” he noted. “They are pilgrimage plays, both journeys to Calvary. I’m eager to see how the dialogue around Dolorosa is affected by Mary, and the other way around.”

ANF’s website asks people to sign a petition urging New Rep to cancel their production, as is their right. But by using their own petition engine, rather than a third party site, it’s impossible to know whether the 30,000 signatures the group claims are genuine, repetitious, or merely coded. In any event, since I first looked at the page several days ago, the signature count is virtually unchanged, so there doesn’t appear to be a groundswell of support for their position.

So ANF will continue to express their opinions against The Testament of Mary, consistent with their past efforts against Taylor Has Two Mommies, Jerry Springer: The Opera and the artist Andres Serrano, among others. As long as they keep their efforts legal and respectful, even an activist with opposing views wouldn’t suggest that they aren’t entirely within their rights, because they are. But perhaps people in the arts community, and in theatre audiences, will drop a note to Jim Petosa and the staff and board of New Repertory, and congratulate them for being unbowed by ANF, and wishing them the best with their newest production.

Thanks to Jacqueline Lawton for her research assistance with this post.

Howard Sherman is director of the Arts Integrity Initiative at The New School College of Performing Arts.