Alysse Aallyn

Othello in an American High School

Place : An American high school

Time: Now

Characters

Victor: handsome, short, manipulative teen male

Oscar: immigrant male teen, dark, tall, handsome, recently recruited to this new high school for his athletic gifts, trying to figure out this new world and his place within it

Emily: Victor’s girlfriend, Darla’s best friend

Darla: beautiful, intelligent teen girl, considered highly desirable but she considers herself one of the “good girls”

Rocky: “best friend & yes man”; resentful male teen: Darla’s ex

Act 1 – Scene 1: (Football field of an American high school. VICTOR, a handsome but height-challenged teenager, sits on the bleachers under klieg lights)

Victor
(to audience)

The new guy!

(spits)

It’s always about the new guy!
Oooo – he’s so special!
Oooo – he’s so different –
Let’s give him EVERYTHING!
Let’s give him a room
In the same house
With the coach’s beautiful daughter!

(pacing)

I ask you – is that fair?
How can THAT be fair!
Me – who’s always been loyal –
Cut from the team!
No more loyalty – that’s for sure –
That coach is a such a cunt –
They’re all cunts!
“You’re not a team player,” says
Coach Higgins –
“Won’t take direction.”
Know what that’s code for?
Means I’m smart!
Means I’ve figured things OUT.
Means I ask questions and
Think for MYSELF.

You’d think schools would value
INTELLIGENCE
But they’re just preachin’
The same old religion –
Looks, money, genetic

Mutations! Like
Their darling Oscar!

Who’s Oscar?
What’s Oscar?
What hole did he crawl out of?
He’s not one of us
That’s for sure –
Floated here
In a box,
Climbed over some wall.
Paid a criminal “coyote”
To circumvent those
Laws they claim to love:
Barely speaks English and
Here they are
Lining up
To suck his dick.

Listen to them
Congratulate each other:

(high affected voice)

“We offer sanctuary!”
“Cause we’re practically ANGELS” –
But only athletes
With “gifts” they need
Get that “special treatment”.

What’s this fuss all about?
What’s this “gift” really about?
He learned to RUN is all
Dodging border cops
Thumbing his nose at
Everyone
Who’s been here FOREVER.
Saps!
We’re only good enough to
Pay his bills!

He’s got HEIGHT –
The guy’s good looking but –
And that’s ALL he’s got.
That’s ALL he is –
He’s a pet and pets are
ANIMALS!

(spits venomously)

Oscar!

(Enter ROCKY, best friend and yes man, equally discouraged)

Rocky
Hey, who’re you talking to?

Victor
A guy craving
Intelligence in this neck of the woods
Has to talk to himself.

Rocky
Yeah, he does!

(beat)

And what’s that guy say?

Victor
It’s not FAIR
Is what I’m saying;
Coach falling over Oscar
Just for his legs.

Rocky
Has that guy got legs!
He DOES have legs!
Regular jackrabbit
That guy.

Victor
Why’s this immigrant
So special they’re breakin’ the rules
I wanna know.
Since the law says we
Gotta go to school
We’re really hostages –
And what do they teach us?
What do they care about?

Football!
Following ORDERS.
How to win games
FOR SOMEBODY ELSE.
Get our blocks caved in
For the old folks’ amusement.

Rocky
Aw – you’re just sore you were cut
Everyone’s sore. But
Who doesn’t like football?
Football’s FUN
Sure beats math.

(Thinks)

And chemistry.

(Shudders)

Victor
You’re cut too
Poor bastard –
We don’t measure up
To their sudden “new” standards.

Rocky

(apologetically)

I oughta
Work out more.
Squad goals!

Victor
Squad goals?
Following orders is more like it
Give them your
Brain for a plaything.
You gotta MOVE ON man!
I’ve moved on.
Get with the program.

Rocky

(headscratching)

Whose program?
Quarterbacks are heroes, man.

Victor
Just a genetic mutation
Centuries of selective breeding
We should be ON TOP of this
Not bottoming the heap!

Rocky
Buddies RELY
You’re the one who says that.
We “Gotta play position”
Like it or not.

(Shrug)

Victor
Might as well
Buy yourself a box, friend
YOU’RE GONNA GET BURIED.

Rocky
Nobody dies footballin’.

Victor
But they die
IN THE ARMY –
And that’s where you’re goin’
Suckah – with their
Squad goals in your head!
Cannon fodder!
That’s what the THINKERS say –
Marching without questions
Buys a hole in the ground!

Rocky
But football –

Victor
Forget football!
See the BIG game.
Football isn’t the universe, man.
Look at Congress, look at
Wall Street! What do you see?

Rocky
Butt-ugly old men.

Victor
Yeah, they are!
Some poor fool be taking
Their orders – where to jump and when!
They’re laughing their
Asses off all the way
To the bank. They’re
Partyin’ on YOUR time
YOUR money, your LIFE
My poor friend.

Rocky
But I got nothin’!
I had a girlfriend
Had a place on the team
Now I got nothin’!

Victor

(Taps his head)

All wealth is up here. It’s
STRATEGY, man – we gotta learn
GAME THEORY.
Not football. I tell you,
Man, they’re making us dumber!
Just look all around you!

Rocky
Seeing… what?

Victor
Smart people like us – have got to
Learn to teach themselves
While some idiots
Run around a field and other idiots
Applaud. Listen to me. I’m the only one
Keepin’ it real.

Rocky
You’re the onlySmart guy at this school,
Victor.

Victor

(Gratified)

That’s what
I’m talking about!
Getting dumped’s a mark of honor from
Assholes like those.

Rocky

(Sadly)

Ya think?
I was coming
To ask you –
What to do about Darla.
You should have seen
Her face when she –

(overwhelmed by anguished memory)

Victor
Her face when she dumped you?
Don’t cringe, bro!
I’ve seen Darla’s face.
Girl’s face
Is her fortune.

Rocky
Her face when she saw Oscar.
That girl was drooling
She’s never looked at me
Anything like that.

Victor
Girls be dramatic!
Don’t take it serious!

Rocky
But they live’ in the same house –
You know Coach turns a blind eye
No bro can fight that.

Victor
Cut yourself free of that drama –
And you stay lucky, my buddy.
She did you a solid.
We need to be
Pullin’ them bitches, not
Getting Cuffed.
Stay wary, my brother. And
Remember – all
Chicks are alike.

Rocky
There’s no chick
Like Darla! She could be
A supermodel. Her body!
Coke bottle hips –

(shapes the air with his hands)

Victor

(Giving himself boobs)

And Playmate level
Titties!

(they high five)

Free the Nipple!
Not that you’ve SEEN them.

Rocky
Oh brother – Hells yes
I HAVE.
Not talking side boob –
Not bragging top boob –
I’m sayin’ I kissed them and
Seen the whole thing.
Nips so –
Pale –
Pale as

(Gropes for metaphor)

Musclemilk.
Not dark like porn queens but
Pale – like a just-born baby.

(Deflates)

Victor
I don’t believe you.

Rocky
You don’t BELIEVE me?
Callin’ me a liar?

Victor
Then where’s your trophy?

(camera snap gesture)

No bares without shares.

Rocky
No such luck.

Victor
Why the heck not?
You forget about
Squad goals?

(threatening)

It’s your name
On the line.

Rocky
Hey –
It was low light.

Victor
Your phone got no
Flashlight?

(Makes a “keep it coming” gesture)

Bros before hos.

Rocky
Didn’t have my phone!
This is Darla we’re talking about!
Girl’s such a prude
I was lucky to get close –
Seize opportunity.

(Whispers)

Skinny dipping down
In Darla’s POOL.

Victor
You can’t score alone, Rocky.
There’s buddies to feed.

Rocky
I almost got there!
She’s gone, now, Victor.
It’s over. She’ll never sit
On my face now.
I’m out. I’m OVER.

Victor
Hey! No one says
You’re over till
I say you’re over.
What’s got into this chick?

Rocky
‘Cause she knows she’s beautiful!
Darla’s so special!
Wouldn’t let me
Touch third.

Victor
Listen to yourself!
Giving her control!

Rocky

(whining)

Darla’s so different.
Darla’s so special.

Victor
You’re so CUFFED, man –
That’s why she
Dumps you – you’re into
HER playbook,
When she ought to be in YOURS.
All quims are alike.
Bitches need to be
Dominated.

Rocky
Not queens, man.
They know they’re different.

Victor
If I teach you one thing, bro
It’s gotta be this –
Beauty don’t last!
Power lasts! Power grows!
That’s the game, baby – it’s
You or her – only one of you
Gets out alive. Watch my lips!
Second verse – same as the first.
It’s her foot on your face or
Your foot on her keester
You better believe it.
Play or be played.

Rocky
But girls are so different!
Some girls are big
Some girls are tiny.
Take Brandy’s chest –

Victor
Taken.
You’re wandering off point Rocky
Here’s the point –
Darla’s hot for beaner!

(frantic hip thrusting motion)

Rocky
Aw, Darla doesn’t GET hot –

Victor
Not for YOU, maybe.
HE unsnapped her purse
Gonna run through them bushes –
If we let him –
Like a machete.

Rocky
But WHY?
Just ‘cause
He’s quarterback?

Victor
‘Cause he’s DIRTY.
Girls can’t help it, brutha
It’s all genetic – they got to
Wander, seasoning the herd.
First moment she saw him
She’s wanting his rugrat
Girl can’t help herself.

(falsetto voice)

Bareback me, baby!
“I need a raw boy –
Gimme your giant thing –
Doin’ the map.”
That’s why they need
DOMINANCE.

Rocky
Stop it! That’s not true!
You don’t know that!

Victor
All slits are ALIKE
Lookin’ to get railed –

(grabs Rocky, shakes him)

You gotta
Stay strong, my brutha –
THIS is your moment
THIS is your choice
Don’t get cuffed
Or you’ll soon be
CUCKED!