1 PLAYING AGAINST the ROLES SCENE 1 Scene 1
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PLAYING AGAINST THE ROLES SCENE 1 Scene 1. The roof of Daniel and Estrella’s old apartment complex. DANIEL: Estrella! Why did you want to meet here? We’re going to miss the party! ESTRELLA: Can you believe how much this place has changed? DANIEL: I don’t even recognize it. ESTRELLA: It’s all so… white. It used to be filled with smells and sounds and people. DANIEL: Like the sounds of my terrible violin playing. ESTRELLA: I remember the smells that came from those windows. Mi abuela cooking (She pauses and smells the air) mole and fresh tortillas, and elote, and capirotada. DANIEL and ESTRELLA: and that awful Posole. They both make a face. DANIEL: We played for hours. ESTRELLA: With my Barbies. DANIEL: They were rich. ESTRELLA: and they had a swimming pool and like 10 kids and they always fought. DANIEL: Like my mom and dad. Before he left… ESTRELLA: but remember… we would run away and sneak out. DANIEL: And just lay up here and just look at the stars. They sit in silence remembering the past. DANIEL: You know… in a new place, you can be anyone you want. ESTRELLA: Easy for you to say, ”Dannie Beckerman football star.” (She laughs to herself) DANIEL: Speaking of… that party. You promised you’d come. ESTRELLA: I know. Just one more minute. 1 Scene 2 Scene 1. Friday Night. A teenage house party. We hear bumpin music, perhaps something by Drake or Kanye. DANIEL AND ESTRELLA enter the party. There are groups of mostly McGregor High School students scattered about the room laughing and talking loudly. DANIEL: Like I told you… not that bad. ESTRELLA: (looking around) Not that bad? I mean… Look at them. All these Mcgregor kids, They all look the same. DANIEL: It’s just the style… ESTRELLA: It’s like everyone is rich. Seriously… I can’t even handle all the Sperry’s. DANIEL: I’m sure they’re not all rich. ESTRELLA: Look around… I mean everyone is white! I’m pretty sure I’m the only Mexican here. DANIEL: I know… Please Estrella…. ESTRELLA: Are you seeing how preppy they are? ARMANDO from across the room ARMANDO: Hey Estrella! Over here! ESTRELLA: Finally. At least there’s one “real” person in this plastic palace. (ESTRELLA runs over to hug ARMANDO.) DANIEL is left standing awkwardly alone. ESTRELLA and ARMANDO hug. ESTRELLA: Armando! Where have you been? I haven’t seen you all summer. ARMANDO: I got that junior leaders award. I went to France. ESTRELLA: Ooh la la. France. RILEY: (whistling) Just hangin out back here… waiting to meet your friend. The one with the super rad vintage boots. ARMANDO: Oh sorry. Estrella, this is my new friend…. Her name is… 2 RILEY: They. I go by they/them pronouns. ARMANDO: Sorry. This is…. They are…. RILEY: It’s cool. Riley. My name is Riley. I really love your boots by the way. Estrella: Cool. Thanks. ARMANDO: Riley and I were just talking about the implications of denying resources to underserved schools. RILEY: Screw the system. We should all just make our own schools. Right? Read books. Make art and stuff. ESTRELLA: You make art? RILEY: Yeah man. Punk rock! Like Sleater kinney, The Ramones, Bikini Kill. How about you? ESTRELLA: I write poems mostly. But… Mi papa, he played the guitarrón in a mariachi band. He sorta taught me some bass. RILEY: Really?! Awesome! My band happens to be looking for a bass player…. ESTRELLA: Yeah! I mean…. yeah. That sounds cool. RILEY: Hey, I have to go find Sam. Finally, a bass player! She is gonna freak! Text ya later?! RILEY leaves to find Sam while ARMANDO and ESTRELLA catch up. Meanwhile, Daniel stands alone by the chips. FRANK, a football teammate, approaches him. Frank: Hey bro. Frank. From the football team… DANIEL: Oh yeah. FRANK: Welcome to the team. You know, you’re like the only one from Riverside. Coach was impressed. Not too many sophomores make varsity. DANIEL: Really? FRANK: Yeah man. That catch you made in scrimmage was insane! DANIEL: Thanks. FRANK: Hey. You see that guy over there? 3 DANIEL: Uh… FRANK: That’s Goose. Senior running back. Last year he won us the season and almost a championship. DANIEL: Whoa. FRANK: Yeah, I guess he just won some sorta high school science award too. Smart guy. Not to mention… the ladies are all up on him. He practically has to peel them off. GOOSE looks over from his entourage to give DANIEL a nod of approval. GOOSE: Nice work out there. GOOSE motions to his crew that it’s time to move on. One of the girls gives him a disapproving look and lingers behind. Goose walks back, stares her down, and makes a forceful gesture for her to leave. FRANK: Dude!? DANIEL: Dude what? FRANK: The nod. He just gave you THE nod. You gotta nod back. DANIEL attempts THE nod. And… fails. FRANK: Respect bro. Respect. FRANK motions to give Daniel pounds, but DANIEL is confused and their hands awkwardly collide. DANIEL: Thanks. FRANK: Hey. Can I give you a piece of advice? DANIEL: Sure. FRANK: I saw you with a violin case in the locker room. You gotta give that up. Kinda gay if you know what I mean. DANIEL: But I’ve been playing in classical quartet for…. FRANK: Bro. Don’t worry about it. Thank me later. 4 DANIEL is alone… Again. He looks around and then makes a “sly” move for some chips. When his back is turned, BETH, a sophomore and newly recruited cheerleader, comes from behind and surprises him. BETH: I LOVE those chips. DANIEL’s mouth is full and he is trying to wipe the crumbs off his chin with greasy fingers, but he attempts to respond. DANIEL: Huh… Oh… Yeah… Sea salt and vinegar? They’re kind of weird and slightly gross… but in a good way. You know? BETH: I totally know what you mean. I love weird combinations, like saltines and chocolate… DANIEL: Peanut butter and pickles?! BETH: broccoli and cheetos… DANIEL: Cream cheese and tuna!? BETH: Cream cheese and tuna? I don’t know about that one, but. I’m Beth. DANIEL: I know. I mean… It’s not weird, like I’ve been stalking you or anything…. I just know who you are. BETH: I overheard something about violin… you play? DANIEL: Oh… Uh… No.. I was just talking about some stupid car commercial I saw. BETH: When I was ten my teacher made me practice for hours. I mean… until my fingers felt like they were going to fall off. DANIEL: You still play? BETH: Not so much. Since 4th grade it’s been all gymnastics. Then I got a bit too obsessed. At least that’s what mom says. It’s like I lost track of everything else. DANIEL: And now? BETH: Now, I’m taking a break…. So I’m on the cheer squad. It’s cool… I like tumbling the most. ESTRELLA returns from catching up with ARMANDO and buts in to talk to DANIEL with no regard for BETH. 5 ESTRELLA: Daniel? I’ve been looking all over for you! I met this girl… We’re gonna make a band! Oh (surprised) So, I see you made a new friend too. (ESTRELLA nudges DANIEL) KELSEY and CIERRA, recent friends and fellow cheerleaders with BETH enter. As the conversation continues, we see the stereotypes spoken by KELSEY and CIERRA hang over DANIEL and ESTRELLA’s heads. KELSEY: So you’re from Riverside. CIERRA: How exotic. KELSEY: Isn’t that the BAD part of town? CIERRA: Where they have all those piñata stores? KELSEY: and hobos. CIERRA: Don’t people get killed there and stuff? ESTRELLA: Riverside. Born and raised. My buddy Daniel too, actually. Hey look, I gotta go… ESTRELLA physically tries to leave by pushing the words away, but can’t escape. CIERRA: I heard Riverside closed because too many girls were pregnant. BETH finally steps in and tries to clear the air. BETH: Come on. That’s enough. KELSEY steps in BETH’s way and pushes her back. KELSEY: I heard the principal got busted selling drugs to kids. CIERRA: And every single student failed out. ARMANDO finally emerges from behind like a super hero and starts to push away the words. ARMANDO: Ok. Ok. Hi. Armando here. Armando Cortez. He shakes their hands. ARMANDO: You know, my sister actually went to Riverside… Now, she’s in medical school at UT. Just to be clear… We didn’t actually CHOOSE to come to McGregor. Our school closed. We didn’t really have a choice. RILEY: GO Armando! 6 ARMANDO: Just because we went to riverside doesn’t mean we deserve to be treated like second-class citizens. This is our school now too. RILEY: Wow, you should run for president or something. ARMANDO: President? President Armando. Huh? I like the sound of that. ARMANDO pulls out a notebook and starts taking notes as he wanders off. KELSEY: Wait…. Is this THE Daniel Beckerman? CIERRA: You know…. everyone’s talking about you. KELSEY: Frank said, that coach said, whatever you did in tryouts… it was amazing. CIERRA: Coach is calling you his “secret weapon” or something. ESTRELLA: Well! Turns out Dannie here’s a free agent. (pinches DANIEL’S cheek) DANIEL: Excuse us. DANIEL quickly pulls ESTRELLA aside. DANIEL: Dannie?! I told you. NEVER call me that in public. ESTRELLA: Don’t you get it? That Beth girl is into you. You’re a “football player” now.