INTERSTATE (excerpt) by Melissa Li & Kit Yan

INTERSTATE A New Musical

Book by Melissa Li & Kit Yan Music and Lyrics by Melissa Li Poetry and Additional Lyrics by Kit Yan

Date of Draft: 3/13/20

Excerpt for 3Views Only

Represented by: Kate Pines / Di Glazer ICM Partners 65 E 55th St. New York, NY 10022 kpines@icmpartners.com dglazer@icmpartners.com (212) 556-6805

Cast of Characters

Dash Koi:

Adrian Tong:

Henry Ahuja:

Mom:

Dad:

Asian-American transman (24). A spoken word artist who has been on testosterone for about five years. ​(Tenor) Asian-American femme lesbian (22). A singer-songwriter. (​ Mezzo-Soprano) South-Asian transgender teenager (16). Not on testosterone. ​(Mezzo-Soprano) Asian-American woman in her early 50s. Adrian’s mom. (Also Noise #1, Emcee, & Teacher.) ​(Mezzo-Soprano) Asian immigrant man in his early 50s. Dash’s Dad. (Also Noise #3, Kevin, and Seth.) ​(Baritone/Tenor)

Pastor Fred:

Madison:

Carly:

White man in his 30s. A leader of a small Kentucky church community.

(Also Noise #2, Jason, and Brett.) ​(Baritone/Tenor) White teenage girl (16). Quirky and kind. (Also Noise #4 and Jordan Speller.) (​ Soprano) African-American woman (25). A butch lesbian. (Also Noise #5 and Ashley.) (​ Alto)

Time 2008. The rise of social media. MySpace is peaking and Facebook is becoming its replacement.

Location A small town in Kentucky, and various cities across America.

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Casting Note

Asian-American Characters For the character of Henry, actors m ​ ust​ identify as South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Nepalese, Bhutanese, Sri Lankan, Maldivian, Burmese, or mixed). For the characters of Dash, Adrian, Mom, and Dad, actors must identify as East Asian (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese, Okinawan, and Tibetan) or Southeast Asian (​Bruneian, Burmese, Cambodian, Filipino, Hmong, Indonesian, Laotian, Malaysian, Mien, Papua New Guinean, Singaporean, Timorese, Thai, and Vietnamese​). Asian-American actors identifying as multiracial or hapa are encouraged to audition as well.

Transgender / Non-Binary Characters For the characters of Dash and Henry, actors must self-identify anywhere on the trans and gender non-conforming/non-binary spectrum including, but not limited to, transgender, genderqueer, gender non-conforming, non-binary, or gender questioning. We encourage transgender/non-binary actors to audition for the other cisgender roles as well. We also encourage non-professional actors to audition.

Vocal Ranges Although the music is currently written for the ranges above, we recognize the gender limiting language of voice and musical theater, and encourage people of all unique vocal ranges to submit.

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ACT II

SCENE 1 - Henry’s Bedroom / Dash’s Hotel Room. Astoria, Oregon.

Henry sits on his bed, blogging. Internet voices fill up the space.

HENRY June 17, 2008. “Title: T Time.” Wow, I can’t believe it’s finally here. Now I can be a man, for real.

He reaches into a padded mailer and takes out a small 1ml bottle of testosterone.

NOISE 3 Did you see the Malady meltdown?

HENRY (ignoring it) You won’t believe how long it took me to get this.

NOISE 4 In Seattle? Yes! / Ohmigaahd.

NOISE 1 It’s viral now.

HENRY

I had to contact someone on the TestoBoi

forum

NOISE 5

Lesbian train wreck! who agreed to send me some T from the

Ukraine…

NOISE 1

I heard he threw a mic at her in a fury. ...but there was no way to pay him online, cuz I

don’t have a credit card.

NOISE 2

That’s why women shouldn’t take (louder) testosterone!

--I only had cash.

NOISE 4

She smashed her guitar and threw it at the / So I had to get a money order from the grocery audience. store--

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--and send it to the person’s P.O. box--

--but then I had to get my own P.O. box from the post office so it doesn’t come to my house.

(shouting now) And it’s ​SO​ expensive, and I had no idea if it was ever gonna get here, even.

Noises overlap with each other now, louder.

NOISE 4 Wow, this is probably the best PR they’ll ever get.

NOISE 5 They did it on purpose!

NOISE 2 Great way to sell tickets, though!

NOISE 4 Who is this band, even?

No way!

NOISE 3

NOISE 4 Angry lesbos at it again.

NOISE 1 I’m playing this video on repeat.

NOISE 2 Did they cancel their whole tour?

NOISE 3 They’re such fakes! Share.

NOISE 1 She’s acting like a little bitch. Replay!

NOISE 5 I bet this is the end. Unsubscribe.

Henry, overwhelmed, slams the computer shut.

“HERO (REPRISE)”

Lights on Dash, sitting on his hotel bed, mirroring Henry. He is shirtless, clean, fresh, post-shower. Next to him a monogrammed leather toiletry kit and a small biohazard waste bin.

Henry dumps out the rest of his supplies from the envelope: needle, syringe, hand sanitizer, and toilet paper, as Dash zips open the kit to reveal a neatly packed set of syringes, needles, alcohol pads, and testosterone.

Dash’s actions continue to mirror Henry’s. Dash’s lines are spoken over the following action.

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Henry pours hand sanitizer onto a wad of toilet paper and wipes a spot on his right leg.

Dash tears open an alcohol pad, adjusts his towel, and wipes a spot on his right leg.

Henry uncaps the syringe and sticks it into the bottle Dash uncaps the syringe and sticks it into the of testosterone. He clumsily draws out .25 ml of the bottle of testosterone. He carefully draws out .5 thick liquid. ml of the thick liquid.

Henry takes several deep nervous breaths.

Dash flicks the needle.

DASH Needle two hundred and fifty three.

Two hundred and fifty three doses, Inside me, Inside these bones, Does testosterone make a body?

Does it make me a man?

What do I give up, To become who I am?

In one quick motion, Dash stabs his syringe into his thigh, without hesitation. He puts the cap back on the syringe, and tosses it into the biohazard bin. He stands. The spotlight goes off on Dash.

Henry is still looking at the needle. This is scary. He slowly brings the needle to his leg, moving it up and down, mustering the courage to inject.

HENRY ‘CAUSE YOU’RE MY HERO YOU’RE THE MAN I WANNA BE IT’S LIKE YOU’RE SPEAKING RIGHT TO ME

Henry hesitates a bit, then sticks the needle into his thigh and winces.

TELLING ME THAT I’M OKAY

‘CAUSE YOU’RE MY HERO I HEAR YOUR WORDS AND THEN I’M SAVED LIKE AN ELIXIR FOR THE BRAVE I’M STRONG ENOUGH TO FACE ANOTHER DAY

Henry looks at the needle. Lights.

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SCENE 2 - Adrian’s Car. Tillamook, Oregon.

Internet voices surround them as Dash drives their janky car with Adrian in the passenger seat, texting. The crack in the windshield spreads like a gigantic spiderweb, obscuring their view.

The music from their car radio fades in. Brad Paisley’s “I’m Still A Guy” plays over the bloops and bleeps of Adrian’s phone. Dash, annoyed by the texting, reaches over and changes the station. Fall Out Boy “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race” plays.

A couple of seconds pass. More texting. Adrian switches it back to Brad. Beat. Dash switches it back and turns on the volume all the way up. Adrian lets down all the windows, including the sky roof. The sound of the wind drowns out the music. Hair swirling, they both endure this torturous vortex for several seconds.

Then, a loud pop. The car swerves, making a horrible screech. Adrian and Dash yelp, and he quickly pulls over. Adrian shuts off the radio.

ADRIAN Fuck, what did you do?

DASH It wasn’t me.

They exit the car and cross over to the side. They look blankly at what’s in front of them: a flat tire.

DASH You’re the lesbian.

ADRIAN You’re the man.

Dash stands at the edge of the road and sticks out his thumb.

ADRIAN No one hitchhikes anymore. Don’t you watch Unsolved Mysteries?

Dash, undeterred, continues to hitchhike. Adrian kicks the side of the car and sits on the car hood with her phone. The internet appears.

NOISE 3 Confirming your booking at the Cultural Center tomorrow night.

NOISE 1 Good news. Thursday’s show is completely sold out!

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NOISE 4 Can you approve this flyer for—

Adrian shuts off her phone. Noises disappear. Dash sits next to her on the hood.

DASH Are you ordering Triple A?

Adrian shrugs.

DASH Can we talk?

ADRIAN About?

DASH Stuff.

Adrian ignores him.

DASH I want to start over. The kisses, the stuff I said. Could we push the reset button?

ADRIAN Like pretend it never happened?

DASH Well when you put it that way it sounds really dumb. I just wanna stop being awkward and be friends again.

ADRIAN You threw a tantrum and left me alone onstage.

DASH I know. I won’t do it again.

ADRIAN You acted like a selfish jerk.

DASH And you’re perfect? It’s not like you’ve never done anything shitty or weird in your life.

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ADRIAN I’m not perfect, but I wasn’t the one who crossed the line.

DASH I said I’m ​sorry​ okay? What do you want me to do, get on my knees and grovel?

You didn’t.

I didn’t what?

ADRIAN DASH

ADRIAN You didn’t actually say you’re sorry until just now.

I’m sorry.

DASH

(lighter) Look, if you and I break up, we’re gonna let down all our fans. Then what? You’re gonna spend the rest of your summer studying for law school like a big nerd? You’re really gonna make me go back to Queens without my Dad’s 49ers jersey?

Pause.

Fine, you wanna fix this?

Yes, I’ll do anything.

ADRIAN DASH

She goes to the trunk and tosses a lug wrench to the ground.

DASH Fuck.

ADRIAN Be a man and save the day. We have a show to get to.

Lights.

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SCENE 3 - Henry’s Bedroom.

In darkness. We see a projection of Henry’s blog.

HENRY (projection) June 24, 2008. Title: Testosterone Update - Week Two. I’m finally getting the hang of injecting.

A knock on the door.

HENRY (projection) I’ve been filling my syringe to .25 milliliters, and each time I do it, I get a rush of--

A louder knock this time, followed by the sound of a door bursting open.

HENRY (V.O.) Ma? Wait, wait… Ma what are you doing? No, please!

The sounds of tussling, things overturning, and a loud crash. The projection zaps out suddenly.

Lights come up. Henry’s on the floor, cradling a smashed computer, torn needle packages, and a broken bottle of testosterone.

HENRY No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!

To console himself, he puts on his headphones and listens to Queer Malady on his iPod.

“WHY I SHARE”

HENRY A SMALL TOWN KID WITH LIGHT BROWN SKIN IN A LOCKED ROOM EVERY NIGHT THE ALBUM PLAYS AND THE KID JUST LAYS IN BED, EYES SHUT TIGHT

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A VOICE COMES THROUGH ROBUST AND DEEP LIKE A MAN WHO FOUND HIS WAY SAYING EVERYTHING’S ALL RIGHT

HIS MOM WALKS IN AS HE WIPES HIS SKIN GETTING READY TO INJECT SHE’S SHOCKED TO FIND ALL THE TOOLS THAT BIND HIS HEART INSIDE HIS CHEST AND SHE BREAKS DOWN INTO A SOBBING HEAP AND SHE’S DESPERATE TO REFLECT SAYING WHAT DID I DO WRONG? DID I DO SOMETHING WRONG?

FATHER CAN’T KNOW MOTHER PLEADS THINK ABOUT WHAT FATHER NEEDS BUT NO ONE SEEMS TO LISTEN NO ONE HERE CAN HEAR ME AND THAT’S WHY I SHARE THAT’S WHY I SHARE MY LIFE INTO A SCREEN

BETWEEN HER TEARS SHE CONFRONTS HER FEARS OF WHAT HER DAUGHTER HAS BECOME “YOU MAY TRY TILL THE DAY I DIE BUT YOU’LL NEVER BE MY SON” SHE BREAKS HIS THINGS RECITES A PRAYER AND BURNS HIS SAVING GRACE THINKING THIS CAN BE UNDONE MISTAKES CAN BE UNDONE

FATHER CAN’T KNOW MOTHER PLEADS 10

SHE DESTROYS WHAT HER SON NEEDS CUZ NO ONE CARES TO LISTEN NO ONE HERE CAN HEAR ME AND THAT’S WHY I SHARE THAT’S WHY I SHARE MY LIFE WITH YOU COME ON GOD

He holds up a Bible.

I’M RUNNING OUT OF TIME HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE THE T TO TAKE EFFECT? THIS SONG’S THE ONLY THING STANDING BETWEEN ME AND A ROPE AROUND MY NECK HELLBENT ON SHUTTING ME DOWN I’LL USE YOUR CASH TO GET OUT OF TOWN I KNOW I HAVE TO SEE THEM I KNOW I HAVE TO MEET THEM TO FIND MY WAY OUT

Henry hastily grabs his backpack and begins packing his things. He puts his Bible in his bag. Lights on Dash frozen on stage at Portland music venue holding a mic, about to perform.

FATHER CAN’T KNOW MY HEART BLEEDS NO ONE CARES WHAT THIS BOY NEEDS AND NO ONE SEEMS TO LISTEN NO ONE HERE CAN HEAR ME AND THAT’S WHY I SHARE THAT’S WHY I SHARE MY LIFE INTO A SCREEN

Henry puts the headphones back on and presses play. “White Eyes” begins -- it sounds the way it would if it were to be blasted through headphones. He throws the backpack over his shoulder and leaves. Lights.

End of Excerpt.

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